Warning, long, dramatic chapter.

For the third day in a row Norma walked with Helen to the park, Norma's eyes were a bit puffy, but it was her own fault. Thinking a lot about the past is never good for your sleep, as they got even closer she noticed that there were even more kids than yesterday, when they come close one of the boys rose from the floor.

"Look!" he yelled to the other kids "Storyteller Norma has arrived!"

The rest of the kids waved happily as Norma sat on the bench and Helen went to her usual spot in the front line.

"So do you like the story kids?" she asked

"Yes!" everyone included Helen answered

"Then, let's continue" at this the whole crowd grow silent.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Years passed by and the youngest prince was always with his father, he taught him how to fish and how to knit, to play the guitar and to chop wood down, to run as fast as your legs carry you and to laugh until your tummy hurts. Truth to be told, the youngest Prince was the King's favorite ,but even so, he loved his other two children with all his heart. This was mostly because the whole time of the day little Oncie, as his father called him ,was almost never seen apart from his father. Also they both looked like twins, the Prince was identical to the King when he was young, and the King's sister gave asset to that statement.

Still the little prince did everything he could to impress the only one who seemed never to be impressed.

His mother, the Queen.

On mother's day he composed her a song...she responded by saying a plain 'Nice'.

On Christmas he knitted her a beautiful sweater that even his aunt praised...she responded saying that knitting was unmanly.

On her birthday he gave her a huge bouquet of flowers that he brought with his own money by doing shores in the town...she responded that she was allergic to flowers.

And all this heartbreak occurred to the little prince at the tender age of six. And soon ,despite his father efforts, the happy sweet prince became an anxious insecure kid.

'Isabel!' yelled the King 'this has to stop, you are breaking Once-Ler's heart, and also mine!' the King was very frustrated, he only called the Queen by the name in two occasions, at their wedding pronouncing the vows and right now.

'When does it need to stop Jonathan?' she responded 'I only ask Once what every mother expects from her child' she defended herself 'Let me remind you that you also favor him more than Chet and Brett'

'That might be true, but whenever they give something even something as small as a feather they found in their practices, or a knot they learn to do, I treasure it among my many collections. He said as he opened a cabinet divided in tree with labels. Each label had one of the prince's names.

'Chet gave me this feather when he saw it in the field, he said it's color remind him of my eyes'

He took out a broken kite

'Bret gave me this one for my last birthday, we went together to fly it but it got stuck in a three, later I found out he climbed to the three to get it out'

The he took a bated page of paper.

'This is a drawing Once Ler gave me when he took out his trainer wheels, he gave me as a thank you gift'

The king rubbed his temples

'I know you love our kids, but you need to show more to Once Ler, he feels a..a...a...' the king suddenly stopped clenching his chest gasping for breathing.

'Jonathan?' asked the queen at the pause then she hear a loud trump in the floor, she turned around to see the King pale and unconscious in the floor.

'Jonathan!'

The doctors arrived quickly but every time they looked more and more worried. When they finally leave the royal chamber the spoke softly to the Queen so not to wake up the kids that have fallen asleep in the door with their eyes puffy.

'You can see him now' said the doctor

'Is he going to get better?' asked the Queen fanatically

The doctor gave him a grim look

'I'm terribly sorry, my Queen, but I don't think he will see dawn'

The Queen paled as her hands covered his mouth.

'The King always had heart problems, even since he was a kid, I'm actually surprised none one the princes had a condition...by your face I can tell he never told you...'

'He..he...he never told me' she said as tears began to escape her eyes

'He was living on extra time, my Queen, by his condition he should be dead since fifteen years ago...'

The queen was speechless, the doctor bowed and made his leave. The Queen kneel and woke up the two 10 years old and the six years old.

'Boys' sh said with her voice cracking 'wake up, you need to see your father'

Young Once Ler woke up in a snap.

'Mother' he said drowsily as the twins woke up.

The queen tried to give a strong facade

'Now listen young princes, your father is sick, very sick' The three pairs of eyes opened like plates 'He..he...he may no be here tomorrow...' she said quick and smooth

Little Once Ler rise from the floor

'You are lying mommy!' he said in anger ' You are lying! You are lying! You are lying!' he said as he rushed inside the room directly to the bed.

'Daddy' he said as he clenched to his father cold hand 'Daddy, you are going to be OK, right? You promised me that tomorrow we were going to go fishing , right? Right?'

'Oncie' said the King with a very tired voice 'I...I...I...I don't think we can go fish tomorrow' he said with a weak attempt of a smile.

And with that Once Ler understood that this was real, and his father life was slipping as sand. Soon the Queen and the twins were all at the edge of the bed.

The King cleared his throat as much as he could.

'My boys, you'll need to be strong for me, for the Kingdom, for your mother...' They nodded energetically. 'Bret, you are my first born, you are a natural leader, you can do everything you put your heart to, even those scary numbers in the math class, you need to do your best' Bret tears began to flow without control

'Yes dad, I will take care of the family' he said as his nose began running

'Chet, you were quite a miracle, many though you wouldn't make it, but you are a living miracle, my child, you need to be more independent and don't always follow always your brother, you'll have a great future if you want' Chet seconded his twin and began crying rivers while hiccuping.

Then the King gestured the Queen to get closer, the queen got close and he gave her a sweet kiss in the lips.

'My Queen, I have never loved anyone the way I love you, you'll always be me heart and home, despite we grow distanced in the last few years, I never, ever stopped loving you my dear Queen Isabel' the queen wiped the tears on her eyes.

'You fool' she said clenching his hand 'You should've told me'

'What for? You know I hate goodbyes, now is your duty to take care of the kids, we have taught them well...'

'You are still the silly, clumsy fool I married' she said brushing her hand against his tired face.

'Lastly but not least, Once Ler, my smallest heir' Once Ler could barely see thru his tears 'You need to be strong my child, you have my name take care of it' he said chuckling a bit 'You can keep my guitar'

The child wiped his face with his sleeve 'But daddy...you love it!'

'I'll not be needing it where I go'

He sighted slowly

'I just need to tell you this my boys, you'll not become Kings until you travel and find your own kingdom, a place that you could call paradise, and once you reach it and you can keep it and maintained flourishing than you can become kings..." He coughed a bit 'I...I'm tired...I'll take a nap now' said the King drowsily the King

'Come on kids' said the Queen heading to the couch 'let your father sleep, he is really tired...'she said with her voice cracking like a cookie

The Once Ler watched as his mother used the couch and began crying with the twins, but he climbed to the big bed and curled tightly against his father chest that moved slowly up and down, he felt his father do an effort and put an arm around him protecting him tenderly, the little kid curled even tighter against the person he loved most in this world.

The next morning the young child woke up noticing his father movements stopped.

'Daddy?' he asked in vain shaking his father 'Daddy, wake up...' he said as tears formed in his eyes. 'Daddy please wake up' he pleaded with a desperate voice.

The Queen and the twins woke up to the most heartbreaking scene they'll ever see, the small kid trying in vain to wake his father.

'Daddy!' he yelled with a desperate voice 'Daddy, come back!' he said sobbing at full force 'Don't leave me, Daddy, don't leave me alone!'

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Norma noticed that her cheeks were wet as well as the other kids faces.

"This is very sad" said the red haired girl

"Poor Poor Once Ler" responded the boy named Carl

"Storyteller Norma" asked the chubby boy "Is this the end?" all the gazes fell to her, she wiped her eyes quickly and cleared her throat.

"Of course no!" she replied

"Did the Prince found his paradise?" asked Helen

"Yes, he did, but I'll continue telling you this tomorrow, OK kids? Go home, is even more late than usual, your mothers will be worried"

The kids nodded and headed slowly to their homes, when the kids were all gone Helen pulled her mother dress

"Mommy how do you know so much about the Prince and the King?" asked with a finger in her cheek

"I'll tell you but you have to promise me that you won't tell"

The girl nodded

"I meet the Prince Once Ler, long time ago..."