I was breathing erratically when I reached my room. Moments later, my kids, Nuanna, Paige and Jamie enter my room. Vianne and Frederick ran to me and hugged me.
“Mommy, where is Granny and Granddaddy?” Frederick asked.
“They met a guest here in the Palace. They would soon be back.”
“Mommy?” Vianne said. “Who is the guest?”
Your daddy is the guest, angel. I smiled. “He is the King of Denmark.”
“Wow, King! You must be a Queen, Mommy!”
Blood rushed deeper in me when she mentioned being a Queen to me. I happened to be the Queen of Denmark if the marriage lasted. I happened to be the Queen of Denmark, Mother of the Crown Princess and have a complete family, but by greed and power, my marriage and the dream of a family didn’t come true.
“No, baby, like you, I am a Princess like you.”
“Hmm…” Frederick hugged me tighter. “Princess Queen of Frederick and Vianne.”
I smiled again. I caressed my children’s head and patted them. I badly want them to meet their daddy but I don’t want them burdened by all means. I want them to have a normal family, a normal life that was given to their Mommy, but the horror there is the truth that the normal life given to them was full of lies.
I sighed and hugged my kids tighter. “Angel, Baby, can you go in the playroom and play with toys there, and I have to talk to Granny Nuanna and Aunt Paige and Jamie.”
They nodded and kissed my lips and cheeks. They chased each other in their playroom; I am satisfied when I heard their laughter. A mother would like to hear the happiness in them and no worries about what’s to come.
Nuanna sat down beside me and rubbed my back. I started to feel uneasy and one by one, my tears started to roll down my cheeks.
“Why would he show now when I’m not ready?” I sobbed while resting my face on my knees. “I-I have to think of something to keep him away from my kids.”
I felt three hands comforting me. Paige and Jamie sat down the floor and caressed my hair and shoulder.
“Gei, I think you have to face him, for your sake.” Paige said.
“What? And then put my kids in jeopardy? I don’t want to fight for custody. I know he has all rights to win if ever that happens. I don’t want my kids to know him for the sake of the throne, the country and the marriage.”
“I didn’t mean the meet and greet with Victor. I meant you. You have to meet him as a guest.”
I shook my head. I don’t want to cross paths with him. “I think I can’t.”
Jamie lifted my face and looked into my eyes. “Free yourself, Geiyianne, free yourself from the heart aches that you endured.”
“You are very persuasive, but it’s still a no.”
“It would help you.”
I shook my head again.
“Gei, for your sake and-“
“Geiyianne?”
I stood up. I think my Mom is outside. There were three knocks on the door and it opened. It was really my Mom. Her face was covered with wary.
“Mom, you’re here.” I muttered. I wiped my tears from my face and stood as stiff as possible.
“Making your posture better wouldn’t make you stronger now.”
I smiled bitterly. Mom knows me well. “How is your guest?”
“He is in the garden, talking to your Father. Italy and Denmark are very good friends even your marriage didn’t last.”
“Why are you here, Mom?”
“To ask you to come with me and greet our guest.”
“You know what would I answer, right?”
“I think I already know but please, I am asking just for a short time and pay respect to the King.”
“Respect is a heavy word and it doesn’t come with me.”
“Please. Leave Vianne with Nuanna, Paige and Jamie. They will have them concealed from Victor, if ever he has the mighty radar to track down his daughter.”
I turned to Paige and Jamie. I think Jamie has the ‘I-told-you-so’ expression written on her forehead. I sniggered at her and turned to Nuanna.
“Can you?”
“By all means.” She replied.
I turned to Paige and Jamie again. “Please tell them that I will meet the guest and if they asked to come, don’t let them. Tell them that I will return in a short while.”
“Okay, Gei.” Paige said. “Do what is best for you, even if it breaks your heart.”
“I know.”
I approached Mom. “Let’s go.”
While we are walking to the garden, Mom and I talked about Victor. I think I heard the craziest things in my entire life. And add my sanity at stake again.
Always the sanity, always going loco about the happenings.
“Why would he stay here? I mean there are many hotels that would attend to him.”
“He is a King and we would let him stay in a hotel?”
“He is a King and a threat to my children.”
“Geiyianne, I know, I already know but we promised to house the guests of our family in our humble home. And before your marriage was wretched, he housed us, welcomed us in their home and we have to do the same. We don’t have to be rude.”
“But I am rude, Mom. My kids.”
“I know you only want what’s best for them. Let’s say that history repeated itself. Your Daddy and I didn’t want to let you know the truth about our identity because of what happened here, right? Now you don’t want your kids to know about their identity because of what happened to their parents, about you?”
“I think that is an accurate explanation, Mom.”
We finally reached the double doors to the gardens and in one corner; I see my Dad and my past busy talking to each other. Mom went first and I followed quietly.
“Christiano, Victor.” I hid behind Mom, making sure that Victor doesn’t see me. I’m trembling. I don’t want to see Victor.
“Geraldina.” I heard Dad and I felt Mom shift. “Geiyianne?”
I lift my head and smiled to Daddy. I put my index finger to my lips.
“We have someone here to greet you, Victor. I don’t think she is delighted to see you or something.”
I started to panic and felt Mom moving away from the spot. I lifted my head up high and looked at the guest.
He changed.
Victor stood there. He shared my surprised expression and he was looking at me with mystery. He is always a mystery.
I can see that Victor changed so much. He always wears knitted sweaters or polo shirts and jeans years ago. Now he wears very expensive business suits. But above all he has matured but he turned into a dashing King that I have not known for five years. His handsome features didn’t change. IF ever they did, it made him more handsome than ever. I could see his chinked eyes that look very much like Vianne’s when she is focusing to an object.
His doesn’t have this carefree aura any longer. I feel sorrow and sadness. He emits a weird aura, not like the same Prince in Shining Armor I met five years ago. Above all the changes I mentioned, the fact that I still love him remains.
“Geiyianne…” He muttered. Is that longing I hear?
I curtsied to him. “Your Majesty, King Victor.”
“Gei…”
I feel my tears welling up my eyes again. Why does it have to be now? I am not prepared. I am losing a fight between my own mind and heart. I kept my face straight as I stand up and look at him. I long for him.
“Geiyianne… h-how?”
“I just came back from America.”
“I see that you are both uneasy with this meeting.” I heard Dad say.
More than uneasy, Daddy.
I smile at him. “I can see that you have changed, Victor. How are you?”
“I-I a-am…”
I smiled but it was filled with longing sadness. I went to him and sat on the chair Dad occupied.
“We have to leave you for a while, Geiyianne, Victor.” Mom said. I panicked more.
I see them leaving us without even listening to me. “What the?”
I slump on the chair and looked everywhere except Victor. I can feel his gaze towards me and I kept looking everywhere.
“Geiyianne.”
I sighed and looked at him. “Victor.”
“It’s been years.”
“Yes, it has been years. How are you?”
“I don’t deserve this meeting. I am very surprised to see you. I don’t deserve you kindness and all.”
I shook my head. “How is being a King?”
“Incomplete without a Queen.”
I felt a stab on my chest. “Where is your Queen?”
“I have no Queen. Yuania wasn’t crowned Queen.”
“Why?”
“My first wife will always deserve the throne.”
I smiled bitterly at him. “Every girl deserves a throne.”
I felt him relax over this conversation but his eyes are still darted on me. I’m getting anxious on him.
“Where have you been?” He changed the topic. He doesn’t want to talk about his wife.”
Maybe I would go down the same road where Yuania is now. But YOU are NOT Yuania.
“I went to America. Back in Seattle to continue my studies there.”
“You didn’t come back once?”
“I needn’t sign an Agreement about our fallen marriage. The Parliament took care of it, perhaps. They disagree to everything.”
“The Agreement…”
I suddenly remember the Agreement we made years ago. Oh yeah. The Agreement states that our marriage will only last for five years. It has been five years and I think at this point I would just be signing a divorce contract between me and him.
“The five years is officially through, though we indeed finished our marriage five years ago, Victor.”
“We didn’t end it ourselves. The Parliament ended it when we have not decided, or to come into a point where we have to.”
“Our marriage was meant to be broken. Those vows, Victor. They are just meant to be shattered into pieces.”
“If we just fought.”
“Then what? We will still be devastated because of the Parliament and the Agreement we made.”
We stopped our rages when a staff approached us.
“Sire, your wife, Princess Yuania has arrived.”
Now another period of stabbing through my chest has come into life.