CHAPTER 4 - THE PRINCESS AGATHA

WHEN the three royal siblings, Archer, Agatha, and Madeleine were but children, it was the middle-born princess who always got into trouble with their mother and father, and with the stewards and maids of the Tower. She was always naughty and unruly; forever making the servants chase after her; acting in a way that some might consider unbecoming of a royal princess.

But Archer, having known the princess since the moment she came out of their mother’s womb, always suspected that it was because Agatha often felt left out and disregarded by the king and the queen. Archer, being the heir to the throne, had been the focal point of King Alaric’s attention and mentorship from the day he was born. On the other hand, Princess Madeleine, being the youngest of the brood, was adored and doted on by their mother up until the good queen died. Princess Agatha, despite her tough exterior and mischievous deeds, has a soft and sensitive heart begging to be loved and chosen first.

This was precisely why, of his two sisters, Prince Archer decided to inform Princess Agatha first of his plan to undertake an adventure in the Forest of Mysteries before his coronation.

He found the princess in the garden pavilion when he sought her out, her blond curls bobbing as she conversed and laughed with Miriam, her maid.

“Agatha,” he called. The princess turned at the sound of his voice. Her smile widened as he walked closer to where she was standing.

“My dear brother,” she acknowledged.

He turned to her companion, who curtsied lowly before him. “Leave us for a while, please, Miriam.”

When they were alone, Archer sat on the velvet upholstered chair beside his sister.

“What is it, Archer? You look grave. Is there terrible news?” she inquired, her crystal blue eyes, identical to his, turning somber. They both look like their father, he and Agatha, with their golden hair, cerulean eyes, and strong shoulders. Some of the guests that their father have had over the years have said that they could have easily been twins.

Instead of answering the question, Prince Archer leaned back on his seat and gazed at the view of the Tower as seen from the pavilion. “Do you remember the first time we visited Elder Athelstan’s castle up North when we were children?” he asked.

Princess Agatha nodded. “Why, of course. I was only six then, and you were eight. We were disappointed that we couldn’t bring Madeleine with us.”

The prince smiled serenely, remembering fond memories. It was the year after his mother the Queen Amarantha died. Although it was never explicitly said, he knew even then that the reason Elder Athelstan’s family invited the King was to entice him to marry Athelstan’s maiden daughter, Lady Marguerite. They failed, of course, for the king never remarried. At the time, Madeleine was deemed too young to join the journey, and was left in the Tower under the care of the maids and guards.

“Do you remember Edward, Athelstan’s grandson? He was my age. He took us to the frozen lake near the old castle. You almost ran to straight to the ice, if not for our guards who held you back,” he shook his head, grinning fondly.

Princess Agatha laughed. “No one could possibly fault me for that! It was the first time I ever saw snow! You know it never snows here.”

The prince joined his sister’s laughter. “You gave the guards a fit. You could have fallen in the ice beneath.”

“Yes, well, it was good thing I did not.

Archer shook his head, smiling. “We were happy then, were we not?”

The princess’ smile did not quite reach her eyes. “We can still be happy, dear brother of mine. Father had just died. Perhaps in time we shall be happy again.”

“I am starting to believe that we had not truly been happy, and will never again be so, since the day our Mother died,” he quietly replied.

Agatha’s golden curls moved as she shook her head adamantly. “You must not think that way, Prince Archer! You are starting to sound like Madeleine.”

Archer laughed softly. “Do not let her hear you say that.”

The princess grinned conspiratorially at her older brother. “Let us discuss jovial things now, shall we? Your coronation, perhaps. Or the wedding! You must be looking forward to it. I, for one, am thrilled to finally see you and Lady Cecily wed.”

The prince’s smile dropped at that. “That is one matter I would like to confer with you, Agatha.”

Matching her brother’s serious expression, Agatha sat up straighter. “What of it, brother?”

Archer drew a deep breath. “Agatha, I am leaving.”

“What?” the princess asked, dumbfounded. “Where would you go? What shall you be doing? Is it for your duties as a King? Your coronation and wedding are near. Will you be back by then?”

Despite the gravity of the matter, the prince found himself amused by his sister’s incessant talking. That was who she was: always curious, always wanting to be informed, to be included. “So many questions, Agatha.”

Her face remained serious, an eyebrow rising slightly. “And I want many answers, Archer.”

“I am leaving for a while before my coronation and wedding, dear sister. I intend to go to the Forest of Mysteries. Being a King is a heavy burden to bear, and I am happy to do it, but I wish to do this one little thing before I hoist the whole Kingdom of Vrasambail on my shoulders.”

“And what little thing is that?”

“To be free”, the prince replied solemnly. “To have a few short weeks of freedom before I offer my life to ruling the lands.”

Agatha looked furious. “And what of the Kingdom, Archer? We need a King.”

“Vrasambail shall not be neglected in my absence. I am leaving the Kingdom in Elder Anselm’s capable hands. And I shall only be gone a short time, my sister. I will be back before the coronation and the wedding. I have told Cecily my plans, and she supported me.”

The princess was not placated. “And what of your safety, Archer? We have enemies left and right. What if you are seen by Galvanith soldiers? Will your guards accompany you?”

“I shall only be with Ernest. They might see me, but they will not recognize me, dear sister. I promise you that.”

“Ernest? Ernest is a boy! He is not capable of keeping you safe! And how could our enemies not recognize you? You are the King of Vrasambail! Of course they will!”

“Trust me, they will not.” He looked thoughtfully at the princess. “This was not the response I expected from you. I thought you would be understanding. After all, you are the boldest of us three.”

To his surprise, his sister’s eyes welled with angry tears. “What if you die, Archer? What if you get killed? I have lost our Father and Mother; I could not lose you, too.”

The prince gathered his sister in his arms. “I understand that you are afraid for my safety, and this hesitation of yours is only because you worry about my wellbeing. But you have to trust me, and believe that I will return safely. You have to believe that I need to do this, not just for my own peace of mind, but for me to be a better ruler of the Kingdom.”

Agatha nodded minutely, breaking free from him embrace. “I understand. You are the King: you can do whatever it is you desire. And I know that there is nothing I can possibly say to persuade you to change your mind. Just promise me one thing, brother: Come back. Come back to our family, safe and whole. It is just us and Madeleine now. We need you, so come back.”