Chapter 6
2299 Words
Ryan could feel the scorch of his father’s anger even from here. But, it was nothing compared to the disappointment from his mother.
Whenever the happiest he felt, life would ruin that moment sooner or later. It seemed that he was not meant to be happy after all.
Just a few hours before, he was happy, forgetting everything and was riding the horse as if he was one with the wind..
He could still remember how fast the wild horse ran; the feel of the wind against his face, the cheers from the crowd, losing in the sense of nature was still fresh in his mind.
But that didn’t bring him happiness like it did hours before. Now, the memory was tarnished with bitterness and loneliness.
Why did his parents make him go through this?
“Prince Ryan, answer me right now.”
Looking at his father’s face contorted with anger as if everything was his fault.
“Father, I didn’t know how it happened.”
His mother, who usually supported him, stood in the background like a statue, looking at him with a disappointed face.
“Prince Ryan. How could you shame us in front of everyone gathered here? There were foreign Princes and Princesses along with the families that support us were present. And, you couldn’t win a single race?”
“But father, it was just a friendly race. I.. I didn’t…”
“I don’t want to hear your excuses, Prince Ryan.”
He hated it when his father became like this. His father, who was always protective of him, was not the one in front of him. The one in front of him was focused on pride and royalty.
“I didn’t know the horse will do that, father.”
“Then it’s your incompetence in handling the horse that led you to be the loser in this competition? Isn’t that right, Prince Ryan?”
Ryan gripped his fingers tight enough that it hurt his palm, but he gritted his teeth and endured it.
Ryan knew his father would never speak like this unless he was furious about something. But, what did he do today?
He knew that it wasn’t a friendly match, even if it was said so. Even then, he rode the horse because he liked taming the wild ones and didn’t care about winning or losing.
His horse had all of a sudden gotten out of control just when he was near the victory line. He had lost his grip on the horse and fell down ungracefully, making people gasp in shock. His fall had led to the victory of Ivor, who was behind him just a few meters
It didn’t matter to him, but, obviously, his fall was embarrassing to his parents. It wasn’t as if the horse was a very well trained one, and it was a wild horse caught to be trained into an obedient one. Taming one was the main part of the competition but not to his parents, it seemed.
He thankfully signalled his guard Lory to guide the horse away, not wanting it to bear his father’s anger.
But his patience had a limit too. The royal family was already suffocating him with the way things were going on, and his stay outside of the castle made him realize how narrow-minded royal people sometimes are didn’t help the matter much.
He could understand that their pride and happiness were him, and him losing in front of all the foreign guests had hurt them. He could understand that. If he, a nineteen-year-old, could understand all this, why did his parents, who were older than him, fail to understand him all the time?
“Answer me, Prince Ryan.”
His father’s bellowing didn’t make him cower as much as it did when he was a child.
Prince Ryan..
Prince Ryan..
Prince Ryan..
Prince Ryan..
My son, my dear son, every affectionate word his father used to call him disappeared in the face of his anger. He was calling him Prince Ryan every time he addressed him as if to remind him that he was a Prince and nothing more now.
What can he answer his father when his every explanation failed to reach his father’s ears?
“Why are you silent now, Prince Ryan? Answer me.”
“What answer can I give to satisfy the great Chief Minister Burton?”
He didn’t wait for his father’s answer and took steps towards the exit.
“When you become my father again, come and find me.”
Ryan was done with this whole s**t. He didn’t care anymore. He had lost his patience there, but his father was not listening to any of these things.
He decided to move towards his room as he was not ready to listen to this nonsense anymore.
As he flopped on the nearby chair, his mother followed him to his chamber.
What he would do and give to find some peace in this palace. His legs hurt a little with the way he fell, so he was not ready to go to any of the places he used to hide.
“Ryan, Is that the way to speak to your father?”
“No, I wasn’t speaking to father. I was speaking to the chief minister of this country.”
His mother shouted his name in anger.
“Ryan.”
“Mother, if you came here as the wife of the said chief minister, just leave me alone.”
His mother was stunned at his words, and he wasn’t sorry at all. He wasn’t the same Ryan anymore. He wasn’t a child who ran after them to please their every wish.
His father, brother of the King and chief minister, who held power next to the queen, had always done his duty exceptionally. But he didn’t know what angered him like this today. That didn’t give him the right to behave like this with Ryan.
Not hearing any footsteps, he looked up to find his mother still standing there.
“Come here, Ryan.”
With that, she pulled him up from the chair and made him to lie down on the bed.
“Now, show me your leg.”
“Mother, I am fine.”
“Don’t try to fool me, Ryan. I know my son well than anybody else.”
“Mother.”
His mother’s glare silenced him, so he lifted his right leg to show her his wound that had soaked his pant in blood.
“My God, Ryan. You stupid boy.”
“Ma, it’s fine.”
“You just shut up now.”
She ordered the guard outside to bring one of the royal physicians quickly and ordered maids to bring fresh clothes for him.
Ryan was tired and felt dizzy with the blood loss. He couldn’t take it anymore and just wanted to give in to the call of darkness. Just then, an older man came inside his room, which he guessed might be one of the physicians.
He tore the pant below his knees and wiped the blood off, applying some paste made of medicinal herbs and finally tying it again.
As his mother discussed his health with the physician, he noticed one of his mother’s maids entered his room with a fresh set of clothes in a hurry, colliding with the physician standing just by the door.
The contents in the hand of the physician and the maid fell down on the floor.
Slap….
Ryan was shocked speechless, when his mother slapped her maid, yelling at her to be careful and to go and fetch another fresh set of clothes.
He knew it wasn’t the maid’s fault. His mother’s reaction shocked him beyond words.
Why was he shocked?
He had seen royal people slapping their servants even for the slight inconvenience and for minor accidents.
He had never been this shocked.
Why did it feel like he didn’t recognize his mother anymore?
Or was it that he cannot recognize himself anymore?
He had never been rendered speechless with how cruel that must have been for the maid who had worked for his mother for years.
Was it normal in the noble and royal families? Then, why did it feel like he had been slapped?
Just as he lost consciousness, he couldn’t help but imagine her in the place of his mother’s maid. A set of turquoise eyes filled with tears and trembling of her full lips to not let her anguish out.
God!
How cruel it would be!
He never ever wanted to see her like that ever. He didn’t know what he will do.
With teary turquoise eyes and pain from his injury in mind, he fell into a restless sleep.
~~~~
His legs felt fine. It was nothing but a minor wound, but his mother had gone overprotective on him and ordered Nora not to let him leave the room.
His mother was very worried about him that he felt guilty about shouting at her. Being a family was so complicated sometimes.
His mother’s worry and anger had reduced his father into a common husband that agreed to every wish of his wife’s.
It was funny to watch his father awkwardly apologizing to him in front of his mother, but he had accepted his father’s apology, not wanting to embarrass him or anything.
But a week in his room was driving him mad, so he had escaped finally from the confinement, blackmailing Nora not to follow him anywhere around.
He had to find her.
She hadn’t left his mind ever since he met her but even more so after that incident.
The incident that opened his eyes; forced him to look into a different world where maids and servants lived, making him realize his ignorance of things.
How ignorant he had been.
The slap….
He cannot question his mother as she was raised this way like every other royal person. Thankfully, he wasn’t that cold and inhuman towards servants. He had never treated anyone like that, nor had he slapped a maid. But, he too had let it go when some royal or noble family member beat or abused their servants.
And all he could think was…
Zelda…
Was she okay?
Did anyone treat her like that in her past?
Did anyone still hurt her?
Did he also treat her cruelly that day when he grabbed her hand?
Was it like that from her point of view?
Guilt ate him from inside that he couldn’t handle it anymore.
And him confined in his room to rest till his leg healed wasn’t helping anything but only increasing the feeling of guilt.
He couldn’t eat or sleep appropriately as her thoughts plagued his mind.
Was she really okay?
Did she think of him as a monster?
He just wanted to see her one more time. He wanted to see it with his own eyes that she was alright and to apologize to her for behaving inappropriately that day.
He just wanted her to be okay.
As he turned right and entered the solar hall, it didn’t take his breath away like it usually did with its decor. It has multiple window seats and the right place to go on a sunny winter day as the room is warmed by the sun, designed to be under the light of the sun and to provide warmth and heat.
Tapestries that described the history of the Burton family throughout centuries graced the walls, compelling the passerby to spend time admiring the most refined arts in the country depicting history without words.
And if you seated on one of the comfortable chairs near the window, your eyes would be feasted with the beautiful view of the well-maintained gardens. If it were during a sunset, the fountain reflecting the sunlight would mesmerize you in its beauty, and you would be compelled to just stay here forever in that moment.
The light from the windows reflected on the golden furniture at all angles, filling the room with glimmering, glowing light.
When you look above, the coffered ceiling with its complexity and grand chandeliers will definitely make you stand here to admire even if the rest of the surroundings failed to capture your attention.
Dozens of skilled royal artisans used their brush strokes to convey multiple stories in the paintings on the ceilings.
You could grab a book from the nearby library corridor and immerse yourself in a different world and enjoy it from here.
Ryan usually found solace in the castle by reading one of the books that interested him by lounging on the seats here.
But, he walked past it, not able to admire anything. He didn’t have any time to reminisce about how he loved to come here and read books secretly as a child.
Now, none of it mattered.
Zelda..
Zelda…
Nothing mattered now.
Except for Zelda..
Zelda..
He wanted to see her.
He wanted to find her and see whether she was okay or not.
But, where is she?
How can he find her?
How can he, a prince find a maid of a foreign country without anyone knowing?
- Writer
