Love or Responsibility?
Meanwhile, while they were in the taxi, Prince Dylan was silent while looking out the window. Adira noticed that, but she just shrugged. Before they even went to the airport, they took Prince Dylan’s passport. Adira thought that he hadn’t left anything at her house, but he did, and that was the passport.
They were at the airport, and they got out of the car together.
“Go inside.”
Prince Dylan looked at her. “Can’t you go back to the palace with me?”
She sighed. “I will follow, and that will be tomorrow, dear prince. Don’t you want to be free from the palace for a day? Maybe tomorrow night I will arrive in your country because I will ride a public plane.”
“I can order the pilot of our private plane to come back here and pick you up.”
She laughed softly. “What do you think about airplanes and land vehicles? Thank you, but no.” She suddenly frowned. “Aren’t you known as a prince? I noticed that the media had not heard the news that you were here.”
Dylan smiled. “Because I came here secretly, and other people here at the airport think of me as just an ordinary person. Maybe they don’t know that there is a real prince in another country or maybe just here in your country.”
She nodded. “Maybe.”
Dylan suddenly became serious as he stared at her. “You’re coming back to the palace tomorrow, aren’t you? I’ll be waiting for you.” She looked away and did not answer immediately. “Give me the word that I will take proof that you will truly return to the palace tomorrow.”
She just scratched her eyebrows at his request. “I promise I’ll be back tomorrow night, even if you don’t wait for me.”
He smiled. “I’ll look forward to what you say, young lady.”
“Alright, go inside. The plane will be traveling for five hours before you can touch down in your country. Both of you, the pilot, be careful.” Dylan nodded and went inside. It’s not possible to enter without a passport inside, so she can’t enter either.
She just looked at Dylan as he walked. The person inside can still be seen because of the transparent wall. She saw him stop and turn toward her, but he didn’t smile. He just stared and then slowly looked away and walked again.
She touched her chest. “What does it feel like? It’s like I’m here at the airport to send a person that I have not seen in a long time.” She just shook her head and didn’t wait for Dylan’s plane to leave.
Meanwhile, at Paradise Castle, everything is ready, even the food for the guests.
Prince Franco is outside the palace, and a servant approaches him. “Dear prince, Queen Alice said you go to their room.”
He frowned. “What is the reason why Mother is calling me?”
“The dear queen said nothing, Prince Franco. All she said was to send you to their room.”
He nodded. “You can go back inside; I’ll follow.” The servant bowed and went inside.
Prince Franco walked into the palace and went to Queen Alice’s room. He just let him know that he was already outside the bedroom door before going inside. He saw that Queen Alice was preparing clothes to wear as well as jewelry to use.
“Mother, why do you want to talk to me?”
Her mother smiled. “I’m just reminding you that we’re having a party tonight, so get ready for what you’re going to wear. I want you to wear the clothes of a prince first and not the ordinary ones you always wear.”
He was a wonder. “Why do I have to wear royal clothes? You know, Mother, that I don’t wear them.”
“Not this day, my son. If your father and I are excited, you will be even more so later.”
“What happens later?” His eyebrows are almost touching as he frowns.
“It’s a big surprise, son; I’d rather you know later. I won’t tell you now.” Queen Alice took her gown to wear later. “Go back to your room. It’s only a few hours and the big event and partying of the various palaces will begin.”
He left the room with confusion on his face.
“What does mother mean?” And he finally left in front of the room’s door, but before he reached his bedroom, he noticed a room guarded by two soldiers who were not there before. He tried to enter the room, but the soldier stopped him.
“I’m sorry, dear prince, but you can’t go inside,” said the soldier.
He frowned. “And why can’t I come in?”
“It is the order of the dear queen that no one else enters; only her, not even you, dear prince, are allowed inside.”
“What’s inside and needs to be guarded?”
“We don’t know either. We were just sent here and guarded. The dear queen didn’t mention why we needed to guard this room.”
He just stared at the bedroom door before leaving, confused. “I have a different feeling about the people here in the palace,” he thought and went into his room.
Meanwhile, Prince Dylan was already on the plane and then picked him up at the airport. He saw General Agustin waiting in front of the palace.
When the car stopped in front of the palace, General Agustin immediately opened it. “Welcome back, dear prince,” the general said immediately. Prince Dylan just nodded. “You need to go inside and change immediately, then proceed to your father’s room.”
He was confused. “Do you know why my father wants to talk to me?”
General Agustin shook his head. “He didn’t say anything. He just said that you need to be here, and he wanted to talk to you himself because he didn’t tell me why either.”
He just sighed and went inside. He changed into the clothes of a prince before going to his father’s room. He opened the door of his father’s, King Stephen’s, room and saw that he had lost weight even though he had been gone for only two days.
“Father, you seem to have lost weight quickly.”
King Stephen looked at him lazily. “Until now, my body has not felt good.” Then he coughed several times.
“You need to be taken to the hospital. Your cough is getting worse.”
King Stephen gently swayed his hand towards him. “Don’t worry, I might just have bad flu right now.”
He sighed. “If that’s what you want, I won’t force you, but what do you have to tell me, Father?”Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.
“It is good that you are back before night falls. Later, you will wear expensive clothes for the occasion you are going to.”
He frowned. “What’s the occasion that I need to wear something more expensive?”
“Paradise Castle is the palace of King Felip and Queen Alice. They gave a message for you to attend there, and you are the most important guest.”
“What is going to happen that I still need to attend?”
King Stephen looked at the balcony. “After today, you will soon replace me as the king of our palace by the time you go to Paradise Castle. I am old and need to rest as the king of Stalwart Castle.”
“I still don’t understand why you are saying things like that now, Father.”
“Just follow what I told you and go to Paradise Castle later. ” His father seemed to be looking for someone behind him. “You’re not with Adira. Where is she?”
He tried not to show any reaction. “In her room.”
King Stephen nodded. “I also have a condition about you and the young lady.” He frowned. “I notice that you are getting closer to Adira. You know you can’t be closer to her because there is a woman destined for you.”
He looked away. “Starting today. You will only talk to Adira about the training you will do. You can no longer talk about or do something that I don’t know. Is that clear, Dylan?”
Prince Dylan did not immediately respond to what his father said to him.
“Do you understand me, Prince Dylan?” King Stephen spoke emphatically. He just nodded slowly, and his father also noticed the expression on his face that didn’t seem to like his decision. “You know you are destined for someone else, my child. Why did you let yourself fall for Adira?”
He quickly looked at his father but avoided it too. “If I am the only one who can decide, I will let you do what you want, but it is not possible because before your mother passed away, she agreed with Queen Alice that if she had a daughter, you two would marry at the right time.”
He’s got teary eyes, and he tries to blink his eyes several times just to make them disappear. “Father, what if I can’t be happy with Queen Alice’s daughter?”
His father looked sadly at him because he could feel his sadness. “There’s nothing we can do, Dylan. You were born a prince, so being happy is second only to our priorities. The most important thing in our lives is to strengthen the palace and the association of nobles each for the palace.”
His tears fell to his cheeks. “Why did you and my mother stay together even though she was not noble?”
King Stephen smiled slightly. “Haraya and I did stay together, but in return, your grandfather got angry with me. I was also stubborn at the time, so I followed what I wanted rather than what your grandfather wanted; even though your blood is not pure royalty, you lived here and thought something.”
“Can’t I do the same? Choose who my heart truly wants.” Even though he is facing his father, his tears continue to fall, which should not be happening because it means he is showing weakness.
“I repeat, our second priority is to be happy, so if you disobey, it’s not allowed. Do you not want to grant your mother’s last wish?” He shook his head. “Then just follow what I told you because you will also learn to love your future wife someday.”
He did not say anything. He just wiped the tears from his cheeks with his hand. “I’m going to take out my father and get ready for the occasion later.” He bowed and went out. Whereas King Stephen just looked into the balcony.
When Prince Dylan came out of King Stephen’s room, General Agustin saw him, and he also noticed that his eyes were red.
“What did they talk about, and the prince looked like that?” General Agustin just looked at Prince Dylan until he entered his room.