Friend's Depart

There was a sudden knock on Carmen’s door.

"Come in."  

Shiandra entered. 

"What is going on a here, why are you crying child?" She asked, seeing that Carmen was wiping off the tears from her rosy red cheeks. 

"My father said that I am not his blood, was he telling the truth?" Carmen asked, looking at her reflection on the mirror. 

Shiandra grabbed a comb, then began to brush Carmen's hair gently

"So is it true?" The princess asked. 

"When did he say that?" Shiandra asked, with a concerned look in her eyes. 

"Today! I overheard him talking to Jordan." 

There was an awkward silence in there room. 

"You should not worry yourself about anything. You are a queen and you will rule one day." Carmen found the words comforting, she stopped being sad. Shiandra left the room but caught Alex walking away from the door as if he had been listening over to the conversation and indeed he was. Shiandra was very upset. 

"Hey you! Stop right there." She commanded. Carmen was lost in sleep by then.  

Alex stood still, frightened. 

"What did you hear?" 

"N..nothing." Said Alex unable to look at Shiandra in the eye. 

"I hope it stays that way, unless you want the king to know that you were up to and if he knows that you were here what do you think he will do to you? Let you live since your father is the king's advisor? huh! Don't forget yourself boy. The king is heartless he will behead you without thinking twice!"  

Alex began to tremble in fear. 

"I swear I won't tell..please don't say anything.” he pleaded. 

Shiandra laughed hilariously as if she were a witch. Indeed she was one. She walked away, leaving the boy trembling still. 

There was a tense silence as Jordan looked at his son, waiting for him to continue. Alex took a deep breath and finally spoke.

"I heard something I shouldn't have. About Carmen and the King," he said hesitantly.

Jordan's expression changed. "What did you hear?" he asked, his voice low and serious.

"I heard the King say that Carmen is not his blood. He said that the people of Kineti won't respect her as a ruler because she's not really his daughter," Alex explained.

Jordan's face fell. "I see," he said slowly. "And how did you come to hear this?"

"I overheard the conversation between the King and you. I was outside Carmen's door and I couldn't help but listen," Alex admitted, looking ashamed.

Jordan sighed heavily. "You should not have been eavesdropping, Alex. It's not a good habit to have," he scolded gently. "But what's done is done. Thank you for telling me. This is a delicate matter and we need to handle it carefully."

"What are we going to do?" Alex asked, worried.

"We need to find a way to make sure that Carmen is accepted as the rightful heir to the throne. We will have to speak to the King and convince him that she is the best choice for Kineti's future," Jordan said firmly.

Alex nodded, feeling relieved that he had shared his secret and that his father was taking action. He hugged his father tightly and whispered, "I won't leave you, Father. I'll stay and help in any way I can."

"I don't feel safe here," Alex said, walking away in an attempt to calm himself down.

The next morning, Jordan went to Shiandra for advice. He was troubled by his son's behavior since his mother's death. "What's wrong?" Shiandra asked as Jordan looked worried.

"Alex is different now," Jordan said. "He doesn't talk to me about his troubles, and his behavior has worsened. I don't know how to get my son back."

Shiandra patted his shoulder. "At Alex's age, children can act abnormally. It's normal for them to be happy one day and angry the next. It'll pass."

Jordan felt relieved after sharing his feelings. "You're good with children. Do you have any of your own?" he asked.

"Yes, I have many," Shiandra replied with a smile. "You should bring them here sometimes. The King would be happy to see them, and Carmen wouldn't be lonely when Alex is away."

Shiandra's eyes widened. "Alex is leaving?" she asked.

"Yes," Jordan said. "He doesn't feel safe here in Kineti anymore. My son has become a stranger to me."

Shiandra had a crooked smile. "He's leaving, and you don't know why?" Jordan nodded. "Well, Alex is a fighter like you. If someone were to try and oppress him, he would fight back."

"I'm certain he would," Jordan said. He excused himself, leaving Shiandra laughing inside her heart.

Meanwhile, Alex sat with Carmen under the cherry tree a few meters away from the palace. Two warriors stood nearby, keeping a watchful eye. Carmen didn't go anywhere without a warrior or two.

"What do you like about me?" Carmen asked.

Alex teased, "Who said I like anything about you? Look at how round your nose is."

Carmen rolled her eyes. "I don't have a round nose."

"Yes, you do," Alex continued. "It's round, a little crooked, and ugly."

Carmen frowned. "I am kidding. I think your round nose makes you look pretty."

Carmen smiled. "Really?"

"Yes, really," Alex said. "It's not pointy and scary like a sword."

They laughed together, but Alex's good mood was short-lived. "What's wrong?" Carmen asked.

"I'm leaving Kineti," Alex said, his face suddenly serious.

"What? Why?" Carmen asked.

"I'm not getting along well with my father," Alex said. "I miss my mother. She understood me better than my father ever could. She would listen to my poems, but my father only cares about combat. He doesn't care about my writing."

Carmen felt sorry for Alex. "Have you told him how you feel?"

"No," Alex replied. "He should have asked me about my poems, but he hasn't. But my father isn't the only reason I'm leaving."

"But you just said that…" Carmen began.

"I know what I said," Alex interrupted. "But my father didn't do anything wrong. One day, we'll grow up, and we'll never…"

Alex paused, and Carmen was even more confused. "What are you talking about, Alex?" she asked.

Alex chuckled. "It's nothing," he said, standing up and brushing leaves and twigs off his clothes. "Let me walk you to the palace." He offered his hand, and Carmen took it as they made their way back.