Helia had walked into the large and ostentatious dining room and sat across the large table from his father. As Helia sat down, he huffed. He had been caught again and forced back into the castle, depriving him of the freedom that he yearned for.
"I see that you have made it back to the castle, my son." King Henry stated as he looked up from his breakfast and to his son who was angrily seated across from him.
"Yes, father. And I long for the day that I may leave again." Helia muttered.
"You know why you can't leave the castle. Now, have you met the Princess of Solaria? I think that she will make a fine bride for you." King Henry asked as he took a bite of toast.
"Isn't she in love with one of her guardsmen?" Helia asked.
"That does not matter. I think that she would help to unite the kingdoms and make both Linphea and Solaria stronger." King Henry said.
"But I don't want to marry for title and power, I want to marry for love." Helia argued.
"It is your duty as the prince to marry who we say." King Henry said sternly, pointing his fork in Helia's direction.
"Maybe I don't want to be the prince! I never asked to be one!" Helia shouted as he stood up from the table and walked away, leaving King Henry with his head in his hands.
Helia walked to the palace gardens where he saw his mentor and confidante, Saladin, painting a rose bush. Helia sat on the white bench next to Saladin and leaned back on the back of the bench. Helia sighed and started to mumble under his breath.
"You know, Helia, if you need something, you only need to ask." Saladin chuckled as he continued to paint.
"I am not in the mood, Saladin. My father is trying to force a marriage between me and a person that I do not love and I know that she does not love me." Helia groaned as he looked at his only friend.
"And what are you going to do about it?" Saladin asked as he turned to look at Helia.
"Well, I know that I cannot give up my title." Helia scoffed as he crossed his arms.
"I think that your father is a reasonable man. Maybe strike a deal with him. I think that you will be able to come to an...understanding." Saladin advised as he returned to painting the rose bushes.
"My father? Reasonable?" Helia chuckled as he walked over to where Saladin was standing a picked up a sketchbook. Helia sat back down on the bench and started to sketch the marigolds that were in the garden.
"It cannot hurt to try." Saladin said and Helia sighed as he continued to sketch the marigolds.
Helia sat and sketched, looking at the bright yellow flowers that were in front of him. He admired the way that they shone in the sun and brought a brightness to the garden that would have been missing if the marigolds had been absent. Soon, an older woman came and sat next to Helia. Helia looked up from his sketch and turned to look at the woman and smiled.
"Hello, mother." Helia smiled.
"Hello, Helia. My, aren't the flowers just lovely today." Helia's mom, Queen Margaret remarked.
"Yes, thank you for allowing me to take over the keeping of the garden." Helia said as he returned to sketching, his eyebrows furrowed.
"I cannot help but to notice that there is something wrong." Queen Margaret stated. Helia put down his sketchbook and turned to his mother who looked at him with kind eyes.
"Well, father has announced that I am to be married this year and that would be fine, that is if I had anyone that I wanted to marry. He wants me to marry a woman that I have never met and someone that I do not love and who does not love me. I cannot take this any more mother, I want to be free." Helia replied as he poured out his heart to the only woman that he held dear.
"I see how that can weigh on your heart, my son. I will talk to your father and I think that we can come to an agreement. I think that I can change his mind on your arrangement with the Princess of Solaria, but, you must be willing to work with him in finding a bride." Queen Margaret softly said.
"Thank you, mother." Helia said as he hugged Queen Margaret.
"Helia, aren't you due at court? Now head inside and meet the guards at the front of the palace and they will escort you to the gates." Queen Margaret instructed and Helia broke away from the hug and slowly walked inside.
As Flora approached the gates of the palace and she took a deep breath in as she looked at the large building that was in front of her. After she passed through these gates, she knew that who she was had to be abandoned and she would have to become a courtier. Flora looked around and saw a group of stately men walking towards the gate and turned toward them and gave them a small curtsy and the men bowed their heads. The gate opened for the men and Flora snuck through with the men and smiled as she looked at the sights in front of her.
Flora looked at the bright colors of outfits that everyone wore. Golden threads shone in the sunlight and each hair was in place on every head of the members of court. Flora looked down and adjusted her dress as she walked further into the crowd. She walked by men and women who were deep in conversation talking politics and gossiping about other courtiers or people of another country. Flora smelled the perfumes that the women wore and she never noticed how awful she had smelled in comparison until that moment. However, nobody else noticed. Was Krystal right? Did she really belong in court or was she meant to spend her life sleeping in the attic waking every morning in the cinders left behind by the fire that would light the dark room allowing Flora to read the books that once belonged to her father?
Flora was brought back to reality when she saw the wagon where Hagen was being transported in on his way to the docks. Flora began to run to the wagon when she remembered where she was and started to slow down her pace, walking with a regal air about her. When Flora approached the wagon, the man guiding the horses stopped.
"Unless you have something of use to me, I advise you get out of the way!" the man spat at Flora.
Flora took a deep breath and commanded, "I demand you release this prisoner. He has been wrongfully sold and I am prepared to pay triple what was offered to you for his return to me and my manor."
"He has been ordered to the colonies by the king! So move along!" the man shouted. He started to move the horses and wagon forward when Flora impulsively grabbed the reigns.
"Release him, NOW!" Flora yelled. The man, growing angrier, pulled out a whip and raised it above his head and was about to strike until a voice stopped him.
"Halt!" a voice shouted and the man softly lowered the whip and bowed his head. Flora recognized the voice as Prince Helia's and stood with her eyes wide open. "How dare you threaten to strike a lady."
"Your highness, she-" the man started to protest but Prince Helia held up his hand.
"My lady, are you alright? Please tell me what happened." Prince Helia asked softly. Flora took a deep breath before turning around to face the Prince hoping that he would not recognize him.
When Prince Helia saw Flora, he was taken aback by her vibrant green eyes, tan skin, and long caramel colored hair. He admired the way that her dress differed from the other dresses of the court in that it was not ornate and she did not drown herself in jewels and extravagance. The young woman in front of him was not only beautiful, but also looked down to Earth but there was no way of knowing from looks alone.
"Your highness, forgive me for my vociferous display, I am trying to free this man who has been in my service for years but was wrongfully sold and is to be sent to the colonies. I demand his release and I am ready to pay for it." Flora explained.
"You are asking for his release?" Prince Helia mused as he smirked.
"No, I am demanding it. I demand freedom for this man and nothing will stop me until I see that his freedom is ensured." Flora sternly said.
"I see," Helia said as he raised his eyebrow. Helia then turned to the man transporting the wagon of men that held Hagen, "Release this man. Now." Helia stated.
"But-"
"Now!" Prince Helia commanded. The man climbed down from the top of the wagon and unlocked the caged wagon, releasing Hagen. Flora ran over to Hagen and took him into her arms in an embrace.
"You look just like your mother." Hagen whispered so that only he and Flora could hear.
"Yes yes, meet me at the gate and we will return home." Flora whispered back then ordered as part of her facade, "Bring around the horses, I will be there shortly."
Flora watched Hagen walk to the gate and then turned around to face Helia. "Thank you, your highness." Flora then started to walk towards the gate.
"Wait," Helia called out, "I have never been spoken in the manner that you spoke to me, why is that?"
"I think that people are afraid of you." Flora said candidly.
"Why is that? Have I done anything that people would cause people to fear me?" Helia asked as he looked at Flora with concern.
"Well, no, your highness. However, these policies of the kingdom have caused people to live in fear and caution, for the punishment of any crime is shipment to the colonies. My servant, and others like him, have done nothing wrong but be born in a class that has relegated them to the lowest rung of society and be traded like property when all they crave is freedom and respect. Is that a crime?" Flora stated. Helia was once again taken aback, but not for Flora's beauty, but instead for her passion.
"I suppose that it is not. Where do you find your passion?" Helia asked as he walked closer to Flora.
"It does not matter where I have gotten it, but instead that I have it. Do you?" Flora asked as she slowly walked away.
"Excuse me?" Helia responded as he walked to catch up with Flora.
"If people who cherish freedom, who know the importance of mutual respect and are aware of the imperative necessity to establish a constructive and critical debate, if these people are not ready to speak out, to be more committed and visible, then we can expect sad, painful tomorrows. The choice is ours.*" Flora said as she looked at Helia.
"How can I hope to gain people the freedom that they desire, when I myself don't have freedom?" Helia asked.
"Your highness, you experience freedoms that some people could only dream of having." Flora replied.
"And some have the freedom that I crave." Helia argued.
"Your highness, you are the prince with powers beyond what you can conceive, nobody can give you freedom. If you're a man, you take it.** Now, I must be going. Good day, your highness."
"Wait, how have I never seen you here before?" Helia asked as he reached out for Flora's hand. Flora looked down seeing that the Prince of Linphea had grabbed her hand. The hand of a servant. She quickly retracted her hand, hoping that he would not see the faint traces of dirt under her nails and the calluses that marked her skin.
"I am staying here, with a cousin." Flora lied, for to reveal her true identity would cause her to land in jail and be sent away.
"Please tell me your name." Helia begged.
"I cannot." Flora said.
"Then tell me your cousin's name."
Flora thought about what to say next, she could not say where she was staying for her status would be made apparent. Instead Flora sighed and responded, "My name is Countess Alyssa Rose Convallaria, your highness."
Flora swiftly curtsied before Helia could respond and walked back toward the gate, leaving the prince in a state of awe, wonder, and confusion.
"Alyssa..." Helia sighed with a smile on his face.
Hope you enjoyed that chapter. You know what to do. The answer is review for those who don't know what to do.
*Quote by Tariq Ramadan
**Quote by Malcolm X
