"I got your message your majesty. What can I do for you?" Says Crystal curtsying.
"Please, call me William." He says then hesitates for a second." I need to know, what happened to the father?" He asks.
Her expression turns from cheery to sombre as she explains to him. The father, his son's father, the man who had been his dearest friend and to whom he made a promise had been a casualty of queen Ariana's war.
Caramel had been eavesdropping on this conversation. It was a relief that she found out that her two little love birds were not related. Infact, she was now free of any hate she had towards William.
All this while, she had thought Will had replaced Andrea, gotten another child when infact, he had not.
"Ahem..." William clears his throat staring down at her.
Blinking quickly and feeling shameful, she curtsies. He quickly lifts her up and pats her gently on the shoulder.
"Boy, the secrets you people keep." Says Caramel." He has to know. They both do." She adds.
William nods and takes her hand in his, covering it with his palm. "In time they will. Now..." he trails off then shakes his head."Now, we just celebrate and protect our people." He says.
She nods and gives him an apologetic smile. He nods in understanding and takes both the women's hands leading them out to the ballroom for Edgar's coronation.
He owed Crystal's husband this much to make his son king and he owed Andrea as well to make Amelia, his Amelia, queen.
Sure, she would take a long time to understand but to him, she was worth the wait.
All his life, he had told half truths but now, now he was ready to tell the whole truth.
************
"How could this be? How did you let me get caught? How could you?!" Yells queen May.
"I was not the one who was careless your majesty.... ah! I dare not give you a title that does not belong to you, May daughter of the former head of the imperial guard." Sighs Dominic.
"Prisoner May, it is time for your trial." Announces on of the wardens as he unlocks the cell and escorts her out to the trial grounds.
There sits an enraged king, seething with anger not knowing for how long he can hold his tongue nor clench his fist. If anything, he wanted to draw his sword and have her head that very moment as she reared it for her trial, but he could not as customs dictated a fair trial must ensue before an execution is declared as the verdict.
"Prime minister!" Yells William, "step forward and proceed!"
The prime minister steps forward holding in his hands a book and several letters. He then begins to read it aloud. "The following are letters exchanged between deposed queen May and queen mother Adriana, and they read...
Qm Adriana: I understand that my son has lain with a girl from the gutter, we must make haste to secure the crown and the future of the empire. You do understand what I mean by this do you not?
Q May: Yes queen mother, but in my position I cannot be with William because he is enamoured with his betrothed, how shall this plan come to fruition?
Qm Adriana: First, we must wait until the daughter of the deputy head of imperial guard conceives and bares us a son, only then can we take action. However, we must be cautious for the sun scorches all and the moon reveals all.
Q May: I understand. Then I shall claim my debt that is long overdue.
"Deposed queen May," says the prime minister as he folds back the letters he had just finished reading. "Not only did you deceive our majesty the King by presenting him a child that was not of his blood, but you also conspired against the princess's life with queen mother Adriana now deceased; just so that you could secure power for yourselves. Not only that, but you also succeeded in assasinating Andrea, who should have been queen by right. With this dear council men, I believe that the only verdict appropriate would be execution." He finishes as he hands William the book he had in his hand.
Ofcourse he would recognise the book for he had gifted it to Andrea when he had learnt that she was with child. Putting it in his robe pocket, he steps forward to carry out the execution but to his surprise, the former head of the imperial guard steps forward and pleads that he let him attone for his daughter's crimes.
'Andy, are you seeing this? Finally, you can rest in peace.' Says Caramel watching from afar, tears streaming down her face. She could not be any happier now that everything had gone back to its rightful place.
And with that, The Royal Help has come to an end, hopeyou liked it!
And oh! Incase you are wondering, Ed and Amelia are not siblingsð Thanks for reading!