"Aiken?" Martha called in surprise.
Woah! She couldn't recall the last time she actually saw him.
"Hi, Martha" he smiled warmly at her with a wave and tried taking a peep into the room but it was clearly impossible.
"How've you been, Aiken? It's been months now" Martha said, still holding the door.
"Yeah... that's true. I've been fine and you?"
"I'm good".
There was a brief pause, then he asked:
"Is Roseline in? I actually heard she's here and decided to drop by to say hi to her".
"Oh,...Yes, she's in. Please, come in" she opened the door wider for him and he stepped in with a genial smile.
Roseline who'd been listening the whole time, suddenly gasped she saw Aiken walking in.
"Aiken!" She beamed and stood up to go hug him.
"My God! I can't believe
"isn't that Roseline?" Valerie asked, pretentiously surprised.Lincoln watched quietly and couldn't say a word.Roseline? With Aiken? Why were they together in that manner? Kissing?A pain he never knew existed, struck hard at him immediately."Wow! So, they were lovers afterall? No wonder..." Valerie muttered, expecting Lincoln to ask her *no wonder what?*But he didn't.He just stared confusingly at them as they had already stopped kissing and just stared at each otherHe took his gaze away from the scene immediately and without saying a word, he turned around and started walking away.Valerie smiled mischievously to herself and went after Lincoln.As she walked beside him, she could notice it; could feel it. He'd turned extremely cold and it kind of hurt he to know he was acting
The next morning, Martha had gone to the King's chambers like she said.At first, Lincoln had ordered the guards not to let her in, saying he didn't want to see anyone. But when Martha insisted, he just had to let her in."Make it quick, Martha. I have important things to do" he stated grumpily, fixing his gold beltHuh? Why was he acting grumpy? Martha thought.She suddenly felt a little nervous. Just a little."It's um...it's about Roseline, Lincoln".Lincoln paused and turned to look at her. Was she there to tell him about her lover? He thought."What about her?" He asked and it took Martha some time before she finally said the words:"She's pregnant".*Lincoln thought he heard something funny; Martha was joking.Hold on... What did she just say?? Who was pregnant?
Roseline was pacing restlessly in the room when Martha rushed in and told her the King was calling for her in his chambers."Huh?? Why???" She asked worriedly, her heart beating so rapidly."Come on, Rose. There's nothing to be worried about. He only wants to talk about the baby" Replied Martha as she held her hand and led her out of the room.**Roseline arrived at the King's Chambers and had a conversation with him about the baby. She explained how it happened and also made him understand that was the reason she was actually there at the palace because she'd been looking for a means to tell him about it.Lincoln also poured out his worries of seeing her with Aiken the previous night and Roseline was dumbfounded because she had no idea he'd seen then.She took out time to explain it to him as well that it was just a game and pleaded forgiveness.*In the end, Lincoln had t
Roseline walked out of the bathroom and found her nanny straightening her bedsheets.Her hands were wet and she wiped them over the back of her night dress as she walked in."You're done" Nanny Hapitha said as she eyed Roseline while straightening the bed.Roseline only nodded and as soon as her nanny was done, she sat on the smoothly arranged bed."Here. Made you your glass of milk already" Hapitha took up the glass of white milk which she had kept in a little tray and Roseline fauxed a smile as she collected it from her and gulped half of it's content."Is daddy home yet?" She leaned her back against the wall and asked."Yes dear. He should he in his room" Hapitha replied, her hand on Roseline's thigh.The 23 years old girl was having a saturnine expression and Hapitha didn't need anyone to tell her what was going on in that lit
King Lincoln - That was his name.He was known in all the twelve Kingdoms as the Most powerful; the Most dreaded.The birds sang his name, the wind echoed it. The ladies beguiled with the topic of how he ruled, even while they washed, went to the stream, and strolled to places.The older women told their grandbabies as tales, of how his father had conquered his enemies and made his Kingdom the most powerful before passing it onto his son. That was how much he reigned. How much King Lincoln reigned.He was feared and respected by many and of course, there can never be a successful man without enemies. So, in as much as King Lincoln had lovers and people that feared him, he still had enemies. A lot.Lincoln was just a young man of 28, but he had the strength of a thousand men. His name had been written in the book of records as the youngest ruler of th
Richard had lost his appetite as soon as Roseline leftHe stood up from the dining and went into his room to stay, knowing Hapitha would clear the table. He was devastated.He knew his daughter would harbour so many hurtful thoughts about him. He knew she might probably hate him and wish he was never her father.Well, also wished he was never her father. He wished he didn't have a child so the child wouldn't have to suffer such Ill fate. He didn't want this for his daughter, but since it already happened, he had no option but to fulfill his responsibilities by protecting her. And to protect her, he had to keep her away from the world, so what happened to her mother wouldn't happen to her as well. So what killed her mother wouldn't kill her as well.Oh! He couldn't afford losing her as well. Never.There was a hard knock on his door, one that sounded desperate and
Roseline was almost restless in her room.She sat on the bed and moved to the window from time to time to have a peep, wondering if the visitors had left already.What could the royal family possibly want? What could they be doing in the house? She couldn't comprehend it.Long minutes passed and she decided to have a peep at the window again. This time around, she saw them leaving.Oh! They were leaving already! They were done. She felt her throat become sour.She watched keenly as they rode away in their carriages and horses.She watched for a long time, even when they were long gone and couldn't be seen again. She still continuued watching, staring at the shaken leaves.Laggardly, she returned to the bed and sat and just then, the door opened and her nanny walked in.Oh! Thank goodness! She needed so
Roseline had just finished washing her face when she came out of the bathroom and found Hapitha entering into the room. Oh! She was a little early today."Good morning, nanny" she greeted calmly, and Hapitha released a tensed smile."How was your night, dear?" She asked."Um...it was fine. You're a little early today, nanny"."Y...Yes. I just decided to".Roseline could notice something different about her. She was acting... strange.She decided to just shrug it off anyway as Hapitha got busy, dressing her bed.But suddenly, her hands started shaking and Roseline noticed it."Nanny! Nanny, are you alright? What's wrong?" She asked as she held the older woman's hand who was almost in tears."Oh Roseline..." She whimpered."Please, talk to me. What's wrong? What's wrong?