The Palace was bustling with activities. Everyone was getting ready for the SWORD DANCE FESTIVAL.
It's a festival normally organized for communication with the Supernatural and defense against evil spirits.
Everyone was busy, the servants were arranging the necessary equipment while the selected performers were practicing their sword dance in their training ground.
Gabriel has been so excited for today, he loves it whenever it's the SWORD DANCE FESTIVAL. He really cannot wait to be grown up and start practicing with the sword.
"Oh Heavens! Gabby can you please tell me why you are hyperactive today? This is not the first or even second time of you watching the sword dance" Gulf confusedly said to his son who was practicing with a stick in his room
"Mom,servant Jing was selected this year to perform,I watched her yesterday and she's sooo good, she promised to teach me when I grow up. I can't wait to watch her perform, you will like her mommy" Gabby excitedly said
"Seems like you made a friend while I was away, you speak so highly of her" Gulf said pretending to be jealous
"She took care of me when you weren't here mommy, Grandma appointed her to take care of me, she was very nice, during the sword dance I will show her to you okay" Gabby chuckled and kissed his mother's face
"Alright son, now stop playing with that stick, it's dangerous okay. The festival would soon start, come here let me prepare you and your sister" Gulf said taking Gabby by his hand with Ava in his other arms to have a bathe.
*********
"Do not fail me today my dear, it would be our only opportunity to terminate him, the earlier we make them weak the better for us and very soon the kingdom would belong to us" a woman spoke seriously
"Trust me mother, I never failed whenever I gave King Mew the charm potion so be rest assured that this would go well for us, after he is gone, the other would definitely weaken" a younger woman said with a smirk
"I trust you and remember to make it look like an accident. Let's go..it's time" and they both left for the festival.
*********
A knock was heard from the outside of Gabby's room door.
"Gabby please check on who's at the door" Gulf said as he dressed Ava up for the festival, Gulf and Gabby were already dressed and ready to go
"D-daddy???" Gabby muttered,somehow he felt distant towards his Dad, he couldn't help but miss him too, after all his Dad has always been sweet and good to him before he suddenly turned wicked and heartless. He was surprised to find his father there.
"May I come in son?" Mew gently asked, he felt like he was talking with a total stranger, the bond between the father and son was gradually getting thinner
"Who's that at the door??" Gulf asked as he approached there to check as Gabby had wasted a little time. He was kind of scared to see that it was Mew
'Is he here to throw my daughter and I out again??..does he want to take Gabby away from me??" Gulf thought
"Can I come inside? Uhm I have something to ask of you" Mew calmly said with his gaze on Ava who was in Gulf's arms, Gulf then shifted aside for Mew to enter
"What do you want to ask?" Gulf went straight to the point when Mew had entered
"Uhm I know I have no right to ask of this from you but uhm..Can you and Ava please seat with Gabby and I during the festival, like in the Royal stand?" Mew asked calmly but he was anxious inside of him
"I'm sorry but I can't, I'm not royalty anymore remember?" Gulf said
"Mommyyy please stay with us, you always stay with me during festivals" Gabby pouted cutely which made Gulf chuckle and lightly pinched his son's pouted lips
"You're a big boy now, you shouldn't need mommy for everything, Ava and I would be where the people would stay okay, I would still see you after the festival okay so stop pouting" Gulf said
"Please Gulf, I really want you beside me too..uhm I would really appreciate it, I won't talk or look at you, you being my side would be more than enough, I-I want us to be complete again" Mew tried to reason with Gulf
"Gabby go fix your hair again, it's kind of sticking out" Gulf said to Gabby, he didn't want Gabby to be present to hear his and Mew's discussion
"But mommy, it's perfect" Gabby confusedly said touching his hair
"Just go and fix it again okay so it would be more perfect" Gulf said and Gabby went off to fix it well.
"We cannot be complete again Mew,remember you denied Ava being your daughter, you said I slept with another man and conceived her. I am no longer your Queen so why should we be with you? We aren't royalty" Gulf calmly said
"I'm sorry Gulf, I really am. I didn't mean everything I did and said, Ava is our daughter, she is mine, there is no way you would ever cheat on me. I'm sorry for saying all those Gulf. And you're..you're still my w-wife Gulf, we are still married, I remember only taking the Queen's hair pin from you. I'm sorry baby, I will return it. Please forgive me, I want you back, our children too, I want us to be complete, you can punish me whatever way but please don't ignore me. I beg of you" Mew pleaded and hugged Gulf and Ava
"Please baby, it's me..your Mew, forgive me love" Mew almost cried
"Let go of me your Majesty, that hair pin doesn't belong to me again. Have you forgotten that you're about to be married to Prince Song? Please don't also refer to me as your wife and please call me by my name not "baby". We'll be late for the festival and you know they are all waiting for you presence" Gulf flatly said, he didn't know how he felt about what Mew said
"No no Gulf, Prince Song and I are...." Mew was interrupted by Gabby
"Mommyyy I'm done, let's go now..I can't wait to watch them, don't worry I will show you servant Jing when the dance starts" Gabby eagerly said
"Ok baby, go with your Dad first okay, I will see you later" Gulf said and Gabby nodded awkwardly while looking at his Dad.
"Let's go baby, should I carry you?" Mew asked,he really misses his son
"No Dad, I'm a big boy..I can walk myself" Gabby said with a straight face and Mew nodded awkwardly and they both left.
Gabby was contemplating on whether to hold his Dad's palm or not. After a while he held his father's palm with his face directed to the opposite direction, trying to keep up with a straight face but deep inside of him, he was shy.
Mew slightly flinched when he felt a little palm on his large ones. His heart fluttered greatly in happiness when realized it was his son's. He then held in a chuckle when his son hid his face in the opposite direction. He squeezed the little palm a little bit as if trying to restore their broken bond. They walked into the festival that way.
Gulf felt the awkwardness between his son and Mew. He never wished for them to be apart as he had always loved their bond. He tiredly sat on the bed and held in the tears that were threatening to fall.
A while after fixing himself, he left for the festival with Ava.
He then sat amongst the people of the Kingdom which aroused gossips here and there. They were surprised to see their Queen and Princess sitting amongst them. Gulf didn't mind them, he focused on the festival that just begun.
The dancers comprised of six men and six women which made them a total of twelve sword dancers.
The first style of the dance focused on relaxation and flexibility while the other style focused on speed and strength.
They began whirling, making whiffling sounds with their swords at the sound of the song in the background while dancing a Balkan rusalia, a ritual dance for healing and fertility.
There were animal sacrifices present in order to pray for the fertility of the kingdom.
It was time for the SOLO SWORD DANCE. It's a dance performed individually.
Each Solo Performer wielded his long heavy sword and started dancing in a slow dramatic movement.
Only the men were chosen for this particular dance as they had to dance carefully with a long heavy sword.
After that, it was the MOCK-BATTLE SWORD DANCE. This is a general dance which involves the use of sticks in the dance. It was more of a stick dance.
Lastly it was time for the HILT-AND-POINT SWORD DANCE. In this, each dancer passes his or her sword to the person next to them to form a circle or chain.
A group of six dancers held the hilt of their sword and the point of the swords of the other group of six dancers behind them, forming an intricate usually a circular pattern.
The Dancers began to pass their swords to each other in comfortable pace making them linked together by their swords in a chain. Gradually,the pace increases to a faster rate.
Gabriel suddenly remembered that he had to show servant Jing who was currently performing to his mother, he looked through the crowd in front and sighted him.
Everyone except two people were engrossed in the enjoyable show and didn't notice when Gabby stood up to go to his mother.
One was on the Royal stand with a very dark eyes and Victorious smirk on her face.
While the other was still dancing but her eyes were on her target...PRINCE GABRIEL SUPPASIT
She made an eye contact with the person on the Royal stand and was given a "go ahead" signal
When it was her turn to pass the sword,she acted as if she was hit and fell on the floor and in the process, throwing the sword in her hands to Gabby's direction who was still walking towards his mom.
"Mommy!!!!" Gabby shouted excitedly grabbing everyone's attention
But why was Gulf's expression horror-like and why was Mew running towards Gabby????
"Arrrrrrrrrrr...." Gabby screamed out loud in pain as a sword pierced through his chest,his eyes went wide as he felt an unbearable scorching pain piercing his whole body.
All he remembers is falling in the hands of his father who was screaming something that he couldn't make out, his eyes became heavy and then he lost consciousness.
"Gabbyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!......." Gulf screamed his lungs out as he ran towards Mew who was already crying and running with Gabby in his arms.
"Gabby baby, please don't do this to us, Heavens please!!!!" Mew prayed as he ran like a mad man to Mr Qiang's place who was the healer.
The Royal guards made sure to arrest the woman that did it, whether it was accidental or not.
"One down, well done my brave daughter Jing" the woman on the Royal stand smirked internally.
Gulf finally caught up with Mew while crying. They both reached Mr Qiang's place who was less busy but immediately stood up on seeing the King and the wounded Prince.
He quickly grabbed Gabby from Mew and placed him on his surgical bed.
Gulf took his son's hands into his but became shocked and looked at Mew
"M-Mew?? G-gabby is getting cold,hurry let's warm him up" Gulf shouted while rubbing his son's hand fast and panicking
Mr Qiang looked sadly at the realization,the Prince had given up the ghost.