Under the Moonlight

Destined To

Oh! I have just a thing to be told...

Once upon a time in a faraway land. There lived a prince who's cursed to keep every promises he had promised to anyone. He had no escape, because once he promised something to someone and cannot or will not keep it, the last person he promised something before the current one will die.

One day, while he was walking down the streets of his kingdom, he saw a beautiful girl in a royal blue gown with a deep and enchanting set of eyes, a perfectly pointed nose, and an inviting luscious lips, as red as roses could get. And like any cliché things, he fell in love with the girl instantly, without the girl even trying.

He approached her in a swift yet gentle and tender motion, but the girl was not of any interest in love. She cannot bargain her heart to anyone who might have the tendency of hurting her already fragile heart.

But as determined as the Prince was and as strong as his desire to have her heart, he pursued her. It wasn't easy at first since she was in caution, guarding what might get hurt but as how much as she didn't want to gamble, her heart would ready to die just to say "yes" to him.

It was a fight between mind and heart, for the mind could get realistic and rational yet the heart is so naive and foolish to listen. More to it when the Prince promised her something that broke the wall of protection around her.

"You don't need to rush things anyway, I'm ready to wait for that yes of yours. And I promise to stay by your side until that day will come."

The girl could only bite her lips to imprison the answer the Prince had been waiting for. She had already decided, she would give her "yes" to him as soon as the right time comes. And that right time will be the day after tomorrow, her 20th birthday, which will be the time her father would allow her to have a special someone in her life and heart officially.

But fate was not in favor of their love, when the Prince went home that day, the castle was in chaos. Maids and butlers were scurrying arround in anxiety and worry, like something bad happened while he was out. And in an instant, the head butler of the castle went to him saying:

"It's good to have you back Your Royal Highness..."

The head butler was obviously tired and exhausted, like something had been bothering him.

"What happened Mr. Watkins? Why is everyone so busy?"

The head butler seemed so hesitant, deep in concentration, he glanced downward. Unsure of what to do, yet the head butler felt the necessity to oblige what he needed to do.

"The... Uhm, Her Royal Highness was bedridden. The Queen can't get her breathing right. We already called the Royal Doctor and he's on his way right now."

The Prince couldn't believe what he had heard and went on a hurry to the Queen's bedroom, tailed by the head butler.

And as what had the head butler had told him, the Queen was not of any near to having a good condition. She was pale all over and there goes her ragged breathing. And the moment the Queen's eyes landed on him, she smiled weakly.

"My son... My great future King..."

Still dumbfounded, the Prince came next to the Queen's side, on her bed. The Prince's mind was still in trouble of what to do but the moment her mother caressed his left cheek, his mind went instantly blank and his capability of thinking left him with nothing but only the urge of staying by his mother's side.

"Mother..." It was one of those moments where the Prince's precious tears went rolling down his cheeks.

"My son, please promise me one thing, okay?" The Prince could only nod when her mother gasp for another bunch of air, in support for her breathing.

"What is it mother? Tell me and I'll grant it for you..." came the Prince's reply. He won't care whatever it'll take to grant his mother's last wish as long as that is what she wanted.

"Promise me to marry the Princess of the near City for me."

The Prince went speechless, he was out of words. And much more to his surprise when his mother suddenly rose from her bed chamber. She was not sick at all! All she wanted was to make him promise something, and that was to marry a Princess whom her mother had already prepared for him.

He was tricked! And the most painful thing for him is that the fact that his mother, one of the most important person for him, was the one who tricked him.

He left the castle feeling betrayed and disappointed. He knocked on the girl's house for comfort, he told her everything. From the curse in him up to the Queen's betrayal. The girl could only cry as her dreams went crumbling loudly in her ears.

She couldn't blame the Prince anything for he is also a victim of their forbidden love.

                           The End

Well, that was the once upon a time of our tragic love story. Where all you could do was wait for my yes to be ended up being with someone else.