Queen Matilda shut the door behind her in a room with all her children.
"What are you doing, Zane?"
"Whatever do you mean, mother?"
"You are betrothed to Lily. She's beautiful, she's intelligent, she's strong, and she CAN bear an heir. What else do you want"
"I will marry Roshan"
Queen Matilda felt an vein pop on her forehead. She was beyond irritated. She knew it wouldn't be easy getting her most difficult child who became king to do something he didn't want to.
"I know you do. I don't mind it, but marry Lily first"
"I don't want two spouses"
"Oh gods of Vendet. How did you even decide to marry him. What happened?"
"His family gave him to me, to make our alliance permanent"
"They gifted their precious prince to you?" Cole was bewildered.
"That's crazy" Kim said.
"Either way, I like him and he will be mine under the law" Zane shrugged.
"What about Lily" Queen Matilda asked.
"You can handle it. You always do. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to spend more time with Roshan." Zane stood up and left the room.
"This boy will be the end of me" His mother whispered as she collapsed on the chair beside her.
.....
Roshan was in the garden, observing the flowers and metal grids around them.
Isn't their growth being stifled? He thought and reached out.
He focused on the metal bars and tried to widen them but couldn't.
Suddenly, they widened and he turned around to see Zane who had widened them.
"You were trying to metal bend"
"Yes, I'm....gifted"
"How many elements can you manipulate?"
"Well, there's earth, air and water"
"That's.... unusual. Most people can only bend one. Except for one person "
Roshan held his breath. Shit.
"The sorcerer in that legend that could bend them all"
"O-oh yes, I r-remember"
Zane rose an eyebrow at him because he had some questions but didn't push any further.
"I have something to ask you by the way" Roshan spoke.
"What is it?" Zane was all ears.
"Who is Lily?"
"No one of importance. Why?"
"I heard someone talking about her and me and I found it odd"
"Don't worry about it. She's one of my subjects"
Roshan nodded and played with the flower petals he could touch, smelling them at intervals.
Zane frowned slightly once Roshan's face wasn't watching him anymore.
He wondered who had mentioned Lily.
.....
Lily sat before her vanity in her mansion that was gifted to her by her betrothed.
She smiled at her beautiful reflection and brushed her hair.
"The king has returned!" A maid ran to her room to inform her.
"Really?" Lily jumped up in excitement.
"Yes, my lady. He arrived this afternoon" the maid spoke.
"Arrange my things ahead of tomorrow, I will be visiting in the morning" Lily smiled.
The maid bowed and left. She was happy to see her lady so excited.
Her lady grew up bored. Nothing ever really excited her until one day when she went to the palace with her father to bring a package to the king. There she caught a glimpse of the princes and princess. She liked their confidence and the flamboyance of their outfits. She wanted to be like them, so she worked to position herself strategically to grab the prince's attention and she finally did. She couldn't wait to be queen and to bear the future heir to the crown.
Little did she know her dreams would be short-lived.
The next morning, Lily woke up earlier than usual. She couldn't sleep much due to her excitement and as such her skin was a bit dull.
She applied a rose water dipped face towel to rejuvenate her skin just before meeting the king.
She had prepared like she would gain paradise from this meeting and left her house.
On reaching the Palace, she was let in as it was known that she was the future queen of Vendet.
She came down from her carriage and was welcomed by a few guards.
She ushered herself in, as it wasn't her first time there.
She swayed her hips from side to side as she approached the throne room.
On her way there, something or someone caught her eye.
They stood at a far open window, the air blowing their hair gracefully.
She gapsed at the sight but reminded herself of why he was there.
She walked into the throne room and bowed before the figure that sat on the throne.
"My king"
"Lily, why are you here?"
"I heard that you had returned from your travels and have come to welcome you back to your duties" she said the last part of her sentence intentionally.
He rose an eyebrow, "my duties, huh"
She stayed silent.
"You may stand"
She stood upright and smiled brightly at him. Her beautiful green eyes were squinted slightly and her black hair was tied in a messy bun that exposed her slender neck.
The stared at each other in silence until they heard a knock on the door.
"My king, pardon the intrusion but Prince Roshan has collapsed"
"What? Where?" Zane jumped up from his seat and hurriedly followed, walking last Lily.
Roshan, who was that? There was only one prince in Vendet and that was Prince Cole.
She decided to follow them to find out who it was.
To her greatest surprise, it was the white haired felloe she had seen earlier.
She watched how Zane rushed to his side, took him into a room and called for the physician.
She was baffled. She always saw King Zane as the uncaring and nonchalant type. She couldn't believe he could be so.... worried about someone.
She felt a pang of jealousy and her chest felt tight but she brushed it off because was to be his wife after all.
On her way to find the queen mother, she overheard some workers discussing.
"He collapsed after saying he couldn't breathe"
"Really?! Did you see the king's reaction?"
"Oh I didn't! It was so romantic" they both giggled.
Romantic? Lily asked herself. She didn't understand what was happening.
"He obviously likes Prince Roshan so much. And he wants to get married to him too. So romantic!"
They clapped and launched more.
They were interrupted by the sound of a bag hitting the floor.
Once they noticed who it was, they got scared and excused themselves.
Lily stood there dumbfounded by what she had just heard.
She had tried to be the best, placed herself in places where she would stand out. And the king travelled for a war and returned with someone to marry?