STORYBOOK 2

THE PRINCE AND THE PEARL 3 (ENGLISH)

Krist looked at the change of clothes that had just been placed in his hands, then immediately turned to his friend. For a few seconds everyone could almost see a big question mark on his face.

- "I don't understand... Is there a problem with what we are wearing?" Ming asked, causing several giggles to be heard behind him.

The woman sighed, nodded and pointing to a door, she urged them to go with her.

Moments later they were in a small room where, on large wooden shelves, a large quantity of fruits and vegetables were stored.

Krist looked at their bright colors, then turned back to the woman. She smiled, then shrugged.

- "You'd better change your clothes before someone else sees you. It would be a scandal. Women's uniforms... I really don't know who could have made a mistake like this." she murmured as she glanced at her assistants who, trying not to laugh, were watching them from the other side of the kitchens.

The oldest of them, however, shook his head.

- "I haven't given them anything... it's the first time I've seen those two..." - said the man with a terrified expression on his face.

The woman, after a few seconds of silence in which she did not take her eyes off him, sighed tiredly.

-"In the end, what you don't do yourself..."-she murmured so low that only Krist, next to her, could hear it -"Come on, don't waste any more time"

Then she left the small room, closing the door behind her.

Krist frowned, then worriedly looked over at Ming who, completely red, slumped into a small, old chair that was in one of the corners.

Immediately afterwards he put his hands to his own head.

- "Women's... women's clothing..." - he muttered as he looked at his hairy legs and then turned towards a window from where he could see the chefs and kitchen assistants already working around the stove.  They were wearing something very different.

Pants...

They were using pants...

Krist sighed, berating himself for not remembering that males and females of the human species did not dress alike. But of course, the last time he had been in the human world was a long time ago and... if he remembered correctly, his brother had been the one who had dressed him.

"But anyway... it's just a small setback, nothing more... now all that remains is to find my brother's pearl and that's it... everything will be solved..."

...

..

.

As Krist and Ming tried to figure out how to put on the clothes they had just received, in one of the chambers of the main wing of the palace a man sighed as the doctor made him drink another spoonful of his tonic. Singto grunted, feeling the bitter taste of the liquid burn his throat.

- "How are you feeling today, my prince?" - asked the doctor, with a slight smile on his lips.

-"Just like yesterday and the day before that... fed up with everything and with this life that isn't worth it..."-he murmured, in a low voice. Which made his sister Emma look at him with a disgruntled expression.

- "Sing..."

- "It's the truth, Emma... I'm sorry but, no matter how much you want it, that damn medicine doesn't work... I'm still the same, without being able to see anything"

Emma sighed and, after sharing a brief glance with the doctor, she said goodbye to her brother after promising that she would return in a couple of hours. Moments later she had left the room, closely followed by the doctor.

Singto, as soon as he knew he was alone, sighed and, with a tired expression, turned over in bed to bury his face in the pillow.

He had been living with his sister and her husband Beam for some years. Since that day in which his life had changed abruptly... as, without a doubt, no one knew how important sight was until you no longer have it.

The young man sighed, remembering his paintings... his paintings that, in a fit of anger, he had destroyed with his bare hands. After all why would he want them if he couldn't see them anymore... if he couldn't see anything anymore!

A low moan was heard from the bedroom as Singto, his hands clenching the fabric, remembered what his life had been like before... The luxuries, the travels, the wonders he had seen that he could never see again...and Sam.

His Sam, to whom he had been engaged for years and whom, as soon as he heard the news about his blindness, had disappeared only to send a mere letter announcing the end of their engagement.

Although of course... who would want a useless man like him for a husband?

No one... that was the truth.

He couldn't even eat by himself, he couldn't find anything in his own room and his books, those that he had loved to read so much, were now just a nuisance.

No person would want someone like that by their side...much less Sam, who was the heir to the throne of his kingdom.

Singto understood, he really did... but that didn't stop him from feeling completely devastated inside. He never imagined that things between them would end that way ... much less a few months before their wedding.

It was true that their union was not going to be out of love, at least on his part, but he had always believed that the man's words had been sincere. That his oaths of love had come from his heart.

"I promise I'll make you love me... I'll make you happy, you'll see...", he had told him the same night his father had informed them of his offer of marriage.

And he had believed him... he had accepted his proposal and, little by little, had begun to open his heart to the man who, ten years older than him, had always been by his side...

Until now...

Singto, noticing how his eyes were beginning to water, closed them tightly and began to count to ten...

A few minutes later, calmer now, he sat on the mattress and, groping with his hand, began to search for the edge. A snarl tugged at his lips as, finally, his fingers were left unable to touch anything.

So, carefully, he began to crawl towards that place. His mind, however, was already busy trying to remember where the little table with the glass of water was...

"To the left...", he told himself as he leaned to that side.

However, just as his hand reached the cold wood of the cabinet, fingers encircled his wrist and carefully guided him to the crystal glass he had been searching for.

- "Who..?" - exclaimed Singto, after letting go with a sudden movement that the newcomer not expected, causing him to take a couple of steps back.

Singto frowned, then turned to where he had heard the last footsteps.

- "He... Hello... I... my name is Krist. From today onwards I'll be the one who will bring your meals... nice to meet you, prince Sungto..."