Chapter 2

17 Years Later

"Do you remember all of details I told you, Jimmy?" Knight Albert asked a young knight man.

"Yes, I do." Jimmy nodded, "I will always devote myself to the Lord and Prince."

"I hope you success. They rumor that Princess Victoria is the beauty Queen in the Britons and many guys are ready to die for her. Remember that you have to make Princess love you and become pregnant before the Prince is crown, but never fall in love with her." Knight Albert worriedly reminded Jimmy.

Jimmy comforted Knight Albert, "Don't worry uncle. I will never fall in love with the Princess." Jimmy jumped on the horseback and ran toward the King's castle. "I have only 'her' in my mind. Nobody can't change my love to 'her.'" He smiled while thinking about the young girl he met two months ago. Her wonderful eyes and her attractive smile hypnotized him. He knew nothing about her but her name, Lily. To him, Lily was the most beautiful girl in the world. Beside the duty of a knight: serving for his Lord, he accepted that task because of his dreaming princess: Lily. If he succeeded, he could ask his Lord to get married with Lily as his award. 'When will I meet you again? How do you feel about me?'

"Take care." Knight Albert waived his hand toward Jimmy. He didn't know why Julia wanted to hurt the Princess before the Prince took over the throne. He knew that he ordered his nephew to do a hard and dirty duty. But this task was so important and secret that he trusted only Jimmy. He sighed when thinking about his foster daughter who secretly loved Jimmy. "Forgive me, Theresa. We have to keep our loyalty to the Lord and Prince until we die." He went to the garden to meet Lord Bernard Arthur and Prince to check on Prince Vivian's martial arts before the Prince went to the King's castle. 'Although the prince's appearance looked very fragile, his martial art skills are really excellent. He is one of the best valiant men. I am very proud of my student.' Knight Albert talked to himself. One more month, his student would leave here to the King Arthur's region to be King's prime assistant and practice the King's duty before legally becoming the King of Britons. "I will miss you very much, Vivian."

"Dad, how about your leg? It's my fault. I made you fall off the horse." Vivian worriedly asked Lord Bernard.

"It's not your fault. I'm fine now. But the physician ordered me to be immobile for 1 month. I don't want you to come there without me." Lord Bernard felt uncomfortable.

"Don't worry dad. I can handle it well." Vivian tried to comfort her father.

"Your sword skills are very good, Vivian. But you should attack your enemy more cruelly." Lord Bernard said seriously.

"But I couldn't attack you cruelly, dad." Vivian gently opposed.

"Don't pity your enemies even he/she is your relative. Do you know that pitying your enemy is killing yourself?" The Lord seriously taught her. Seeing her beautiful face, the Lord secretly sighed. If he didn't want to get his brother's throne, the most beautiful princess in the Britons would be her instead of Victoria. "Beth, the more our daughter grows, the more she looks like you." He murmured.

"I will remember your words, Dad." Vivian nodded.

"Remember that don't sit on the King's throne until King Arthur declares that you are the King of the Britons." He touched his daughter's short hair, "If you sit on the throne before that, you will be killed when they discover that you are a girl. Make the King love you as his son. You have to be precaution to Lord Wellington and his band because he is my primary enemy."

"I remember Dad. I promise that I will accomplish your dream." She bravely said. She totally knew that rule: Any girl who sat on the throne before the King legally accepted would be executed. But when a girl got crown by the King would be the Queen of the Britons and she could sit on the throne after that. "When I'm not here, you should pay attention to your health, dad." She wanted to cry and confess that she really didn't want to leave her father, but she couldn't. Since the day she was born, she had been trained to be a swordsman and a future king. Crying was a prohibited word in her dictionary. "May I have Andrew as my company?"

"Of course, she will go with you to protect and take care of you. You look tired after training day. You should take a rest because tomorrow you have to leave here early." He tapped her shoulder, "Are you hate me because I make you live in an abnormal life?"

"Never Dad. I won't disappoint you and mom." She smiled to comfort him and left the Lord's room.

She was stunned when seeing Julia was sitting in her room with a long wig in Julia's hand, "Julia, I am so sorry." She embarrassedly apologized.

"How many times did you wear it?" Julia asked.

"Only one." She bit her lower lip.

"Andrew suggested you do it, didn't she?" Julia frowned.

"No. It was my desire. I just wanted to know how I looked in female clothes and long hair." Vivian naively said.

"It's certain that you are beautiful." Julia gently touched Vivian's face. "Only one more year, you can wear the most beautiful gowns and grow your hair long. Do you know how much I want to see your long hair? It must be thick and smooth." She took three bottles out of her pocket, "Keep them, Vivian. The white bottle contains a dangerous poison that kills anybody within 5 minutes. The yellow bottle can detoxify some poisons. The red bottle is a fake poison that can cause a person to die within a few hours. But remember that that poisoned person has to be kept in warm and take 3 drops of antidote from the yellow bottle to get his/her voice and memory back. Good luck, my dear." Walking toward the room door, she abruptly stopped, "Vivian, don't bite your lower lip anymore, because you look like a girl when you do that. Any thrift mistake costs your father's and your life."

"I remember, Julia." One prohibited word was written in her dictionary. Vivian seriously said. "Did anyone use this poison?"

"Yes, only one woman. Seventeen years ago." Julia nodded.

"What happened to her?" Vivian curiously asked.

"She's become mute and paralyzed, and lost her memory totally." Julia emotionally thought about April. "If you are in danger, save yourself first. Don't worry about us." She tried to hold her tears because she didn't want Vivian to see her weakness.

She went to a secret room, "Are you ready?" She asked a young man. He looked at Julia and nodded.

"Tomorrow, they will start early. I want you to protect the Prince secretly. Kill anybody who wants to hurt him." Julia seriously ordered.

"Is she better?" Lord Wellington asked his physician.

"No. She is still in stupidity." The physician answered.

"After 17 years, you still don't know how to cure her and what was she poisoned by?" Lord Wellington angrily asked.

"I am really stupid. This poison is very strange." The physician's eyes rooted to the floor.
Suddenly a soldier ran to the hall and gave Lord Wellington an official document, "My Lord, this official letter was sent expressly from the King Arthur."

"Give it to me. Ask Darrel to come here." Lord Wellington turned to the physician, "Colin, I give you three more months to cure her. Don't make me disappointed."

"King Arthur sent an official document to you, didn't he?" Darrel walked to the hall with Alexander Wellington who was only Lord Wellington's son.

"Yes. He asked me to meet Prince Vivian Arthur in the kingdom next week." He looked at his son, "Alec, I want you to go with me and Darrel."

"Yes, Dad. I heard Prince Vivian was very smart and an excellent swordsman. I really want to challenge him." Alec happily said.

"You will have a chance to fight with him. But first, I want you to become friends and accompany him." Lord Wellington gently ordered.

"Why dad?" Alec was surprised.

"Because I want to know his secret." Lord Wellington answered seriously. "You should prepare everything right now because we have to start early. Tell your sister Honey, I want her to go with me too."

"I don't think she would agree to go. You know her, Dad. She just likes to play with farmers and servants and she hates our parties very much." Alec gave his opinion.

"How bad tastes my daughter has. I have to punish the farmers and servants hard, so they won't dare to come near her again." Lord Wellington angrily said.

"Don't do that, Dad. She will hate you forever." Alec opposed.

"Alright. I will think it later." Lord Wellington frowned.
Seeing Alec disappeared behind the hall door, Darrel looked at Lord Wellington, "Until now we still don't know why the midwife was poisoned on the day Prince Vivian was born." Darrel frowned.

"That stupid midwife made Beth died. She should be executed." Lord Wellington angrily shouted. "Why didn't that bastard chop her head of?"

"Why Lord Bernard Arthur didn't cut her head is my principal question. I still think there is a secret related to Prince Vivian. Do you think Lord Bernard adopted him to get the King's throne?" Darrel asked.

"If the prince is his adopted child, why did Beth die?" Lord Wellington knitted his eyebrows.

"I don't know. But if we have a chance to examine Lady Arthur's body, we will know why and whether Lady was pregnant or not." Darrel gave his opinion.

"Are you crazy? How can we examine her body? Not only Bernard but also I prohibit you to do that. Let her sleep in peace." Lord Wellington still felt painful when thinking about her death 17 years ago. 'If I find that he caused her to death, I will kill him.' He talked to himself.

"Victoria, tomorrow your cousin will come here to help me govern our country. I hope you take care of him as your brother." King Arthur gently asked his daughter.

"Why do I have to treat him well while he come here to take my power?" Victoria angrily stumped out of the room.

King Arthur frowned when noticing that Victoria disobeyed him and left the room already. 'We spoiled her too much.' He sighed, 'Bernard is luckier than me.' Vicki still felt very angry when thinking of her cousin. If he weren't born, the throne would have belonged to her.

"What are you thinking about?" Michelle, her maid asked mischievously.

"My cousin. He will come here tomorrow." Vicki said.

"Many girls also dream about him. He has all: young, handsome, brave, and power." Michelle laughed.

"Shut up. Are you crazy?" Vicki pointed her finger to herself, "I dream about him? Yes, I dreamed I killed him and got my throne back."

"Don't be angry Princess. I heard that Prince Vivian is very handsome and a wonderful man. Many girls widely fall in love with him. I think you will change your mind when seeing him." Michelle smiled, "If you get married with him, you still have your throne."

"Never. I don't think he is better than Daniel is." Her eyes sparkled when thinking of Knight Daniel. She stood up and intended to leave the room.

"Are you going to meet him?" Michelle worriedly asked.

"Yes." Vicki smiled,

"It's too late. I am afraid that the King will know of your affair…" Michelle scarily said but she sighed when seeing Princess already left.

In the dark forest, two men in mask were talking to each other.
"Shadow the prince and kill him if you have a chance." A man ordered another man.

"I promise I will kill him for you. But you should keep your promise if I succeed." The second man coldly said.

"It's my warrant for discharging someone. You can fill any name you want into this blank." The first man gave the second a paper. "Don't make me disappointed."