The One They Call Dark One

17) Truth Be Told

"Liam, I...I can't believe this! You actually went to his castle for the gold!" He said, flabbergasted. "You're my friend Cara, I wouldn't do anything that dangerous." Liam replied, a wide grin on his face. The young boy laughed, dipping his hands into the heap of gold layer out before him, and called out, "Mama! Papa! Come here!" The father was the one to come out first, followed by the boy's mother. "Caramar, what on earth is this racket going on- dear lord!"

Cara's father was furious at his son disturbing him, but shouted in surprise at the pile of gold in front of him. "Son...where'd you get all this?!" Cara replied, "I didn't get this papa, Liam did! He went into the Dark One's castle and fetched six hundred doubloons!" His father faced Liam with a stern expression. At first, Liam had thought Cara's father would slap him for being so reckless, but it was the opposite. He hugged the boy and thanked him over and over for a gift such as the gold.

"Thank you Liam, our family is a thousand times grateful for all of this. Tell us, how can we repay you? There's enough gold for each of us!" He offered, but Liam declined. "No, no, no. No thank you sir. I brought you all this for the very sake of giving it to you. Taking it back, I consider it stealing." Cara's mother smiled with tears, placing her hand on the boy's cheek, "Oh Liam...you're quite smarter than any child I've ever known."
---
Emma had enough of the silence in her chambers, and wanted to have quality time with her son. Quietly walking out of her room, she walked across the hall and looked out the front balcony of the castle, overseeing the kingdom below her. She didn't want to leave, this place was more of a home to her than any other place in all the realms. Looking below, she smiled at the village square below.

She laughed, remembering the days when she was pregnant with Liam. At the time, the people had no clue she was the princess. She always wore rags to hide herself when out. Around the fifth month of her pregnancy, she decided it was time to reveal herself. That day, she went out in her best dress that'd fit her oversized belly. It was warm day out, and the moment she stepped out of the castle and into the village, all eyes were on her. Most people didn't know her, but some did. They gasped, pleading to the princess to run for her life away from the castle. When she told those she was to stay, they didn't protest. Instead, they understood and showed their respects.

Resting her hand over her cheek, she sighed at the memo ring view below her. The distant farmers, the beggars she wished to have the full happy lives they deserved, and the markets. She caught a flash of bright blue, and squinted her eyes. Down below, was her son Liam back to his young self wearing his blue vest over his black men's blouse. Not only that, but he was talking to the family who own's the apple stall. She didn't find anything wrong with it, she knew that family well and was a daily customer.

About to turn back to her room, she saw the young boy with Liam holding pounds worth of gold. She whipped back to the balcony, her brows creasing. "What the heck is going on...?!" She said to herself before grabbing her cloak and running for the back doors of the castle downstairs. She ran down the flight of stairs and out the back gate and into the forest. Her cloak was splattered in mud as she ran, but stopped as the feeling of cobblestone roads hit her shoes.

She carefully walked through the crowd, avoiding eye contact to those who know her true identity. Once finally at the markets, she glanced at the boy her son was talking with. His hair was dark brown, thick and slightly curly. He wore clothing of an average villager. Not a beggar, she sighed in relief. She hid behind the bread stall, the one beside the apples.

"Liam, why didn't you take any for yourself? It hardly seems fair you gave this to us and you don't get to have any." The young boy said. "Cara, for the last time. I appreciate it, but I don't want it. I have my loving parents, and that's all I ever wanted." She saw as the boy named Cara sighed with a smile, "Oh, okay. It's just...this is so much. We will use it of course, but we'll have some left. Can't you at least take extras?" Liam shook his head, and Cara continued, "Alright, I just wanted to be a good friend. We'll always be friends, right Liam?"