Royal Assassin

Chapter 14

The music was soft and slow, as though only permitting small steps and movements for couples who were dancing. Justin and Jaden ended up being the center of the dance, moving and swaying in their own pace. Even if they weren’t talking, their bodies coordinated well together.

But Justin felt amiss. Even if there was still so much to unravel about his wife in front of him, he understood enough to know that Jaden wasn’t alright, at all.

Infact, if he knew any better, it looked as though Jaden was sad.

They were moving in circles, the scene behind them blurring with only their dancing partners mirroring their selves in the eyes.

Justin took a deep breath and started off, “Jadelyne, I just want to say that I’m grateful having you by my side. I know that I can never empathize with the weight of your pain. Maybe because the moment I was born, war was already ongoing outside the castle I live in. Even though, my eldest sister before me told me of stories of peace without war, I couldn’t understand sufferings because I didn’t feel them. While I grew up safely and peacefully inside the castle, chaos shrouded my window. I only appealed to my father to stop the war only to please my nagging big sister. And though I noticed the sufferings of the people, I didn’t want to open my heart and be bothered by it. I used to look at commoners with disgust and hindrance to my studies. Yes, I’m the worst. As long as it had nothing to do with me, I ran. I traveled and cultivated knowledge just for my own prideful satisfaction. I gave temporary pleasure and satisfaction to the people around me so they would go away after that. And that was pretty much of how my rotten routine went. I used to hate the war only because it made me look bad. I didn’t understand why I had to shoulder such responsibility to clean up the mess my father made. But my attitudes were already bad also. I tried to blame my father but it was also my fault. If maybe, I was more earnest, if I had known, I wouldn’t, you wouldn’t have to go to all this trouble and got stuck with me. I was a coward, I admit. But after the death of my father and then I met you, for the first time I saw a world where we could communicate without war, where I realized from marrying you that war doesn’t need to exist, it doesn’t has to last forever”.

Jaden was surprised. Why was he talking like that? She looked at his expression – a sad smile that Jaden thought he already knew – the thing that she was doing, to him.

“Are you always this flattering, King Justin?” Jaden tried to hide her blush.

“I’m quite the flatterer when I’m honest”, Justin played along.

Jaden chuckled and then she said, her tone became serious and sad, “Honestly, I’m…wrong to blame you wholeheartedly. Therefore, I apologize. Besides, it was my own weak kingdom and lack of negotiation that we falter…” she recalled the letter and everything her country’s desperation, up to the point selling their own princess for a price to stop the war, to spark another war and a price for deception.

“Don’t say it like that”, his voice gentle and warm. “It has nothing about being weak or strong. But if we could argue all day, I have to say I was the weaker one…” There he goes again blaming himself. How much had Justin changed for the past few months they were together.

Jaden shook her head and wanted to say something but Justin had already tilted her chin in his fingers, as though bringing her eyes to stare into his.

Jaden already knew. The touch of his fingers was already cold.

And in a split second, Justin the Young King of Gallant fell to the floor.

The dance halted. Jaden cupped her mouth, looking shocked.

The guests were still assessing the situation, dumbfounded and surprised at the fallen King when a bunch of the Gallant’s guards were already moving, slipping through the throng of crowds and with weapons ready toward Jadelyne.

“It’s the King’s wife that poisoned the King!” everyone’s attention directed to Jaden. She only trained her eyes on Ethan – the one who voice belonged to. “This is the poison I found in her chamber!” Ethan held a small vial half-filled with liquid.

Jaden almost smirked at Ethan’s acting. There was no way in hell she would ever left such evidence carelessly. And if any of them knew, his own actions were way too suspicious and invalid but oh well. Everyone trusted him, including her husband. For a split second, the thought felt heavy on her chest but she eventually took off – running from the palace, almost like Cinderella, only with guards and Ethan pursuing her tail.