The following day…
Nick walked out of the house with Henry. He kept the diary in the safe of his car and was on his seat, ready to drive. He was waiting for Stella who had told them she would also love to follow them to the Palace.
Though, Nicholas didn’t feel like going. He didn’t know why he was still feeling a way he couldn’t even explain. He honked once when Stella rushed out. “You know I have to look nice, I can’t see the King in a rubbish way.” She winked as she hopped into the car quickly.
“Ladies and their dressing. Didn’t we dress too?” Nicholas teased her.
“I won’t say anything.” Stella nodded as she brought out her phone.
“Doris already got to the station, she called me some minutes back.”
“Okay.” Henry replied her.
Nicholas drove on.
** ** **
Vivian and Victoria had been checking clothes in the room for over fifteen minutes. Vivian didn’t know what exactly she would wear to the lunch Nicholas was coming for. She had hijacked her friend to be suggesting for her also.
“I don’t like that yellow gown, I prefer this.” She pointed to a blue three-quarter gown and picked it up.
Victoria sighed. “Which one do you want to put on now? If we pick yellow, you’ll say no, if we pick blue, you won’t be sure.” Victoria sat down.
“I don’t even know.” She chuckled.
Vic shrugged. “Wait, did you also ask Nicholas about the birthmark issue?”
Vivian shook her head. “I should today.” She replied.
“You must, not should.” She instructed.
Vivian gave a slight gaze and shook her head. “I’ll do.” She winked.
“Better.”
** ** **
The King had been laying on his bed since yesterday night. He had not taken a break from thinking about his wife and the child she gave birth too. He had just been wondering on how foolish he had been.
He didn’t even know how to explain how he was feeling that moment. It seemed he was getting sick already. Perhaps, he had been thinking too much, he knew it was already resolving to sickness.
He had already called for his Doctor who arrived almost immediately he got the call. He was in the room still checking him up when there was a knock at the door. It was one of the Palace guards that came in and bowed.
“Some people are here to see you, your highness.” He informed.
“He can’t receive any visitor, can’t you see he’s not feeling fine?” The Doctor reproved the guard.
The guard hurried out to meet Nick to tell him what the Doctor said. Nicholas just looked away for a moment and faced him again. “Tell him this is a matter of life and death too, and what I want to see him for has to do with his health issues.” He told the guard.
The guard paused for a while. “Do you want me to go back in there? The Doctor there just shouted at me now.”
Nicholas chuckled. “Sincerely you will still benefit from this, just tell him.”
He hurried in to inform the King again. This time, the King himself told him to let his visitors into his room, since they had something to do with his health and it was a matter of life and death.
Nicholas and Henry grinned as they got the approval. “Let’s go.” He called Henry and Stella as he was about to step into the Palace. “Thank you very much.” He told he guard.
After Stella and Henry entered, the guard led the way and took them to the King’s room. Nicholas entered with his clique after knocking twice.
He stood for some seconds, staring at the King. My father? He wondered for a moment before bowing. “Good morning, your highness.” He greeted with Henry and Stella.
“How may I help you?” The King spoke softly.
Nicholas didn’t know how to start, but an idea just dropped in.
“Please talk! He’s not feeling so well!” The Doctor shouted.
Nicholas stared at him with grimace. “Please take it easy, Sir. We aren’t here to play too.”
Stella hissed.
“Many years back, there was a Queen by name Margaret. She was a beautiful and loving wife..” He paused while the King sat up. He didn’t know where the sudden energy came from.
“Please can this Doctor excuse us?” Nicholas asked the King.
Dennis faced the Doctor and ordered him out instantly.
“It is dangerous for you to be with this guys, who knows if they are here to fulfill a dangerous mission?”
“Go and wait for me in the Palace.” The King told him.
He walked out reluctantly.
“Please continue.” The King told Nicholas.”
Nicholas cleared his throat and started walking to and fro the room. “I’ll try to cut short the long story, your highness. One thing I know is that this woman was Pregnant when she was lied against, but the King couldn’t do anything to save her from this problem. The King didn’t know she was even lied against, he thought she really took his staff of authority.” Nicholas stopped again.
“Who are you? I’m sure you must either be a kid or not born when all this happened.”
Nicholas tittered. “This woman was banished with her pregnancy and the King continued living his own life, we know the King was also sad, but if it were to be a true love, the King would have sourced for many ways to prevent what happened.” He stopped again.
Stella stepped forward. “One thing is that the King’s brother, Harry was behind everything. He was also the one who impregnated the new Queen while the King thought it was his own doing. From there, Edward was born. A bastard from an evil father.”
“How did you people know all this! Please, where is Margaret?” The King questioned.”
“Really? A wife you banished several years back? Do you think she survived? In that state?” Stella questioned.
“Please tell me, I’m dying to meet my wife and the child.”
Nicholas chuckled. “I told you I’d cut the long story short. Anyways, thus woman eventually died.” Nicholas said.
“No! She..? ” The King began to stammer out of shock. “Don’t tell me Margaret died.”
Nicholas turned his back at him. He was touched by how the King was doing. Is he like this because he now knows Edward is not his son and because he knows he has a son with Margaret? He wondered.
“Why are you like this? Is that not the aid of banishment?” Henry stepped forward.
“Remember the King must never cry.” Stella reminded him as she saw his facial expression.
“But before she died, she gave birth to a son.” Nicholas spoke, he was still backing the King while speaking.
“Please, where is my son? Where is the Prince?”
Nicholas turned to him. “My name is Nicholas.” He told him and dropped the diary with him. “I’m sorry, your highness. You have to find this out yourself.” He led the way as he walked out of the room with Henry and Stella. He was also amidst tears already.
** ** **
Nicholas was driving on when Stella started the discussion again. “Nick, why didn’t we tell him?” She asked.
“I find it heavy for me to say. I want him to read it himself and know.” He replied.
“Don’t be emotional, Nick. At least, the truth is coming out in a little bit.” Henry told him.
“But, according to the diary. Once a King swears with the throne, it cannot be reversed again.”
Stella shook her head. “Maybe that left him in a tight corner.”
Nicholas sighed. “And the King didn’t want to send her away, when different calamities started befalling the Kingdom, he had no choice than to do it.”
“You never told us this before, Nick. We thought he could still do something. And we blamed him.”
“No matter what, I still blame him to some extent. By the way, I’m just remembering more of what I have read.” He replied.
“So, what do we do next? After reading the diary now, how will he contact you?”
There was a brief silence. “I dropped my mobile number. It’s in the diary.”
** ** **
