190Please respect copyright.PENANA3nE6i2xSa7
In the King’s conference room
*
I am again stuck in one of Dad’s boring conferences. We’re in one of his offices, and he’s on his computer on a call, well, meeting, and it is crucial. It’s on the new disease. I just don’t see why I have to be in here, but here I am, sitting right next to the king, The Great King Avtar. How he got that title, I have no true idea. Still, I was told by one of my servants that he and mother, The powerful Queen Ramneet, are the reason we’re not in a war. It’s said that when my father was still a prince and my mother and him were to be married, but it was postponed because we were on the brink of war. Still, I was told that it was stopped because of my father and mother, but I’m skeptical.
“Son, what do you think?” My father asks, testing if I was listening, which I wasn’t; after all, who cannot think of Isha? Certainly not me.
“About what, exactly?” I respond, knowing he’s disappointed.
“About what we should do about the illness,” Father says, irritated. I think for a moment.
“Well, all the people who have been affected, young or old, we could take blood samples, study those, and ask around how they found out their loved ones were sick.” I propose, my Father listening actually looks like he was considering it
“Hm, son, that's a great idea,” He turns to the computer, “We should consider that, it’s a great and safe idea.” The other rules nod. Father then pats me on the shoulder, and my face lights up. This was the first time he’s ever acknowledged my idea, let alone considered going with it.
“Son, why don’t you head out and take a break? After all, you did say this was boring.” I can see that Father wants me to leave. I’m not sure why, but I go with it.
“Alright.” I get up from my chair and go out the door. I walk to my room but realize I haven’t seen Mother all day, so I turn around and head to her study, and knock on the door.
“Mother? Can I come in?”
“Yes, you may, my little prince,” Mother says jokingly. I open the door and step inside, and I’m hit with an aromatic smell of cinnamon and cardamom. I take in the wonderful smell and head over to Mother. She gets up, closing her notebook, and hugs me,
“Oh, my little prince is so tall now!” Mother says gleefully
“Oh, mother, I’m only 6’7,” I say
“6’7,only? You’re taller than your father and me by a foot; we’re both only 5’7, and you say that's average?”
“Well, never mind that, Mother. What are you doing?
“Oh, nothing, just looking over the plans for when Queen Amelia and King Christopher come by in a month. And could you stop by and see how the new researchers are settling in? I can’t go by myself, as I have too much work to attend to.”
“Sure, Mother,” I say and start to head to the researchers and my beloved Isha. The moment I ran into Isha that day, I knew I loved her. The way her hair bounced when she fell, how her glasses lowered on her face, and the way she looked at me with such care and contentment, it’s something I’ll never forget. As I turn the corner, I almost crash into Kai.
“Oh, Kai, what are you-”
He’s carrying Isha in his arms, Her face is white, much different than her regular shade of brown.
“What happened?” I yell.
“Some hag got to the dorm lounge, made a big fuss, and threw a Thallium and arsenic dagger at Isha.” Kai says quickly, “I need to go!” and he runs off. A wave of concern rushes over me as I stand there watching Kai running to the medical wing with the love of my life in his arms. Oh, how it makes me want to strangle him. That lowlife of a man shouldn’t even deserve to be with her. No matter what, I must get her to love me! Even though Kai is already halfway to the medical wing, I rush after them. I run till I get to Kai, he slips into the medical wing, and before I can reach it, the door closes behind him. Now, I’m standing outside the door, waiting, not knowing if I should go inside. I decide I should, but before I can open the door, Tyler; a member of the research team goes through, Theo in his hands, and he yells;
“He fell backward on the edge of the table and has a deep wound, and he’s been bleeding for ten minutes!” Edith, being the calmest person I know, responds reassuringly.
“OK, set him down. Now you boys can wait outside.” We stand there for a second, looking at Edith,
“NOW!” she yells, and we all run out the door.
190Please respect copyright.PENANACyLHvPaP9W


