Chapter 3. A Plan

Queen Lourine walks slowly into the room. She saw the king taking off his clothes. With a pounding heart, she stepped closer to the king. "My king, let me do it for you," said the Queen, then stretched out her hand and touched the king's shoulder. She intended to help the king take off his dirty clothes. "I can do it myself." The king brushed the queen's hand. Queen Lourine was shocked. She didn't give up. He tried again.

"My king, you must be very tired. Let me help you," says Queen Lourine. "Yes, I'm very tired and I don't want to be disturbed. Queen Lourine, can you please leave me alone? I'm in the mood to be alone." The king said in a stern tone. His face looks angry. Queen Lourine didn't answer. She slowly retreated and then left the room and ran towards the garden, a place she used to rest during the day, to the west of the palace. She closed the garden door loudly. He threw herself on the wooden bed.

She hit her chest many times and then cried. She felt hurt by the treatment of the king to her. "Really, my hunch wasn't wrong. The dream was so real. I understand it now." The queen said while wiping the tears on her cheeks. "The crescent moon gave a sign to me last night. My king is now not my old king. My king has changed. For my son's sake, I will find out what has changed him." Queen Laourine said to herself. The prince who turned out to know everything secretly faced the king. He protested to the king.

"I'm not in the mood to argue with you, Prince Xander. I'm very tired." The king's voice sounded angry. "Father has disappointed mother and me. I was like talking to a stranger. Father, the king I know, never behaved like this. I do not know what happened in the forest there, but father has changed since returning from the forest." Prince Xander said with a disappointed face. King Van De Fretas did not answer again. His face looked like he was holding back anger.

Prince Xander bowed and then left the king who was staring intently at him. It was already evening. The king, who was usually present at the dining table and ate together with the queen and prince, was now absent. He reasons that he is still tired. The queen and prince ate dinner in silence. There is no conversation between them. The sky was very clear. The stars scattered in the sky, the air was very cold to the bone. Queen Lourine lays down on the bed. She closed her eyes. She heard footsteps approaching and then stopped. She opened her eyes and saw the King lying beside her with his back to her. Her heart was in pain to see the change in the king's attitude. Queen Lourine has all the feelings of disappointment in her heart. She was silent, closed her eyes again and then tried to sleep.

She tried to be patient and hope for a miracle tomorrow. Morning has come. The atmosphere inside the palace was not as warm as before. The laughter of the royal family was inaudible this morning. Queen Lourine, who is tucking a hairpin in the shape of a crescent moon around her head, is shocked to hear the horse's whinny. She ran to the bedroom window and looked down right at the palace courtyard. She saw the king sitting on the horse's back. The king was with two guards who were also on horseback. They seemed about to leave. Queen Lourine immediately ran toward the palace courtyard. Her crescent hairpin fell and broke.

"Wait!" The queen shouted. The two king guards turned their heads. Meanwhile, the king remained silent and did not turn his head. The two king's bodyguards jumped down from the horse's back to kneel to salute the Queen. "My king Van De Fretas. Are you going to the forest again?" The queen asked. "Yes. You already know, my queen," answered the king without turning his head. "Why are you doing this to me? After all night you were silent without speaking a word to me, now you are leaving quietly without saying goodbye to me. What has made you turn out like this?" The queen could no longer hold back her anger. Even though she was angry, she remained calm.

"I don't want to quarrel. Please don't get in my way. Guards, let's go." After saying this, the king immediately spurred his horse and left the queen. The two bodyguards had no other choice. Both of them apologized and asked goodbye to the queen and followed the king. The queen fell down and sat in the palace courtyard and wept. A guard who saw him informed the prince.

*****

"Mother, what happened? Wake up mother." The prince knelt in front of the queen who was crying. "My son, it doesn't matter. Mother just feels unwell," replied the queen. The prince, who knew what happened, from the guards, chose to remain silent. He didn't want to add to his mother's sadness. He knows his mother lied to him. "Come on mom. I'll escort you back to the room. You need to rest," said the prince, then helped the queen to her feet. The queen did what her son said. "Don't worry about me. Go on and continue your training," said the queen, then lay down on the bed. "No, I want to be with you here." The prince refused. "My son, finish your training then come back here."

The prince could no longer argue with his mother's words. He went to continue his training. The queen got up and opened the cupboard. He took a small black box and opened it. White light shot out from inside the box from a very small white ball. "It has been more than twenty years since I left my kingdom, my physical body has never returned to my kingdom, only my soul has always returned. It's time I must return.

The prince has succeeded in learning the science of inner journey. I don't doubt his abilities anymore. I will return all my strength and will go find out what the king was doing in the forest. I'm sure he has experienced something that tied him there. "The queen spoke alone. She took the white ball, closed her eyes and swallowed the ball. A few moments later, she opened her eyes.

She took a gold hairpin from her cupboard drawer and stuck it in her hair, then walked out of her room. She looks stronger now even though her face still looks sad. He headed to the backyard where the prince was training. The prince who saw her mother's arrival immediately ran over to the queen.

"Mother, don't you have to rest?" asked the prince, then took the hand of Queen Lourine. "I feel better and I want to see you practice," replied the queen with a smile. The prince was pleased to hear the queen's answer. The queen with a very fast movement took the prince's sword. The prince was surprised to see his mother who was in a position ready to attack.

"Want to play?" The queen asked with a smile and winked one eye. The prince smiled. A bodyguard gave him a sword. "If you can knock down my sword, you will get a reward," said the queen and then began to attack. Prince Xander accepted the challenge from his mother. He tried hard to knock down his mother's sword.

Queen Lourine's ability to use the sword cannot be taken lightly. She is very good at using swords. The prince had a hard time dealing with his mother's attack. "Awwwww!" The prince shouted. The queen was surprised to think the prince was injured. The prince took the opportunity when the queen lost concentration. With one move, he managed to knock down the queen's sword. The queen was shocked. She realized that her son was distracting her.

"I won. Mother, I asked for my prize," said the prince with a smile. "Well, well, even though you cheated your mother," replied the queen with a laugh. The prince laughed at his mother's answer.