CHAPTER 16: AND THE TRUTH WAS...
TIME TURNED BACK, King Virote was sitting opposite his only brother, than Prince Aawat.
King Virote smiled. “You’ve been a kind brother. If…in the past I’ve made any mistakes…I would like to take this time apologize.”
Prince Aawat stares at his elder brother, hoping he hasn’t a clue about what was really going on. Virote smiled back at his brother, it was a smile that would haunt Aawat for the rest of his life, the innocence and sadness Virote displayed had Aawat nervous.
"If anything you were the best a brother could ask for.” Aawat answered.
“Really?” Virote asked back.
“Of course. I raise a toast to this, my brother.” Aawat lifted his glass up offering to make a toast.
“No.” Virote stopped his younger brother from drinking. “
Aawat put the glass back down on the table. "What's the matter?"
"Personally, I have been wanting to raise a toast to you, my younger brother.” Virote lifted his glass, with a smile he drank all the wine in the glass.
Aawat watched. Virote’s smile disappeared. “Another toast?" Virote poured himself another glass. "To be honest, this one is a wish rather than a toast." Virote finished the second glass. "I wish...if time could be turned back, I would have asked father to give you the crown, then you wouldn’t have to work so hard to get rid of me.”
Aawat’s eyes widen, his hands shaking from being scared. There was tension in the room and silence filled the air.
“I guess you didn’t know that I was doing a little research of my own...you were consumed by power, enough to safrifice me, weren't you? Honestly, if I knew sooner than now, I…would have given you a full punishment but…after much thought...I kept taking it. You know why?"
Aawat sighed, not knowing how to answer back.
"Because Yasortorn needs a strong leader. They also need you more than me…right?” asked Virote. “What you are doing for Yasortorn then…I can forgive. However…as your elder brother, I don’t know if I can forgive you...if I was destined to lose so much, including you as my brother then you should have finished me off quickly. Why torment me slowly? So I would die thinking you were never the one behind it? No matter what, sooner or later someone will know."
“Papa.”
King Virote turned around and there stood ten year old Nadech outside the door, holding his blanket, rubbing his drowsy eyes. King Virote turned around to look at his brother one last time, "I made a wish that will never come true but I hope yours does."
King Virote stood up from his chair and walked to Nadech, picking him up, embracing him with hugs and kisses.
“The sun is setting, should we go watch it together?” Virote asked his son. Nadech had the biggest smile on his face when his father asked this. He nodded.
Father and son, held each other’s hands, walking out, skipping a few steps on their way until suddenly down the long hallway King Virote collapsed. Crown Prince Nadech cried for his dying father asking him to wake up but he wasn't waking up.
Prince Aawat walked to the door, his legs heavy. He witnessed his elder brother fall; his face showed no sadness only fear. He didn’t put anything in the wine this time, Aawat knew his elder brother must have put something in the wine himself or else he would have never stopped Aawat from drinking with him. Aawat slowly shut the doors even when crown prince Nadech was crying beside his father to return to him. Like closing a chapter of a book, this cruel chapter in Aawat's life was closed forever.
Being a ten year old, Nadech watched his father die before him and for the first time in his life, Nadech watched the sun set alone that fateful night.
-
PRESENT TIME
Nadech shut the notebook he found in his father’s room. He remembered that day when his father died, it played so clearly in his mind and now he knew exactly what happened with the help of Yasa’s story and his father’s notebook, Nadech put the last pieces of the puzzle together. Nadech opened the book again and tore the pages out, ripping them into shred. His face stained with tears. His father died of a broken heart.
Back at the mansion that evening, Yaya was heading back to her room which overlooked the open courtyard. It was around the corner, when she turned, Nadech was sitting on the opposite side of her door, one leg stretched out while the other bent up to support his arm. His sleeping head fell back, resting underneath the balcony wall. Yaya looked around but it was getting late so there wasn’t anyone around. She rolled her eyes and entered her room. A few hours past, Yaya couldn’t fall asleep, she was curious as to if Nadech was still sitting outside her door.
Already in her sleeping gown Yaya stepps outside her door; he was still sitting in the same position. Yaya sighed.
“He’s acting like a lost puppy with no home. But my bedroom is no home.”
Yaya pitied the way he was sleeping so she grabbed an extra pillow in her room for him. She kneeled beside him. Using both hands, she turned his face over to her side while the moonlight shined down revealing his face much clearly to her. A drop of tear streamed down his eye, than Yaya held his face still, she watched the tear fall and wondered what hardship he was going through. The moonlight turned his face into a lighter complexion; he looked so innocent, just like the Nadech she only dreamt of. Yaya lifted her fingers to erase the tear from his face; she got a little teary herself, wanting so much to understand every misunderstanding that was going on between them.
When Nadech yawned in his sleep she quickly took her hands off his face, hoping he wouldn't wake up to find that she was staring at him in his sleep. With no support, Nadech fell forward and their heads budded.
“Ah.” She cried in a whisper. Yaya squeezed her eyes, taking in the pain she felt when their foreheads clashed. When she opened her eyes again, he was still fast asleep, he didn't feel anything. She felt his breath against her lips, the tips of their noses almost touching, their foreheads touching. The night was dead quiet but only the crickets and the beating of her heart was heard. Yaya was lost, staring at him.
Slowly, staying in the same position, Yaya picked up the pillow with her free hand and throws it behind Nadech. Yaya grabbed his shoulders and pushed him away, making sure not to wake him up. She brought him down onto the pillow, resting one side of his face gently on the pillow facing her bedroom door. She sighed tiredly, this was harder work then she intended it to be. Yaya walked back into her room, closing the door behind her. Halfway to her bed she turned around and went back to reopen her door. Nadech was there, lying exactly how she left him. Feeling that he would be alone, Yaya opened her door wide enough to fully see him. Returned to her bed, covered the blanket up to her chin and look out the door at Nadech’s sleeping face until she fell asleep.
"Who are you really trying to be? Suddenly...you transformed back to Nadech's old self. After I leave tomorrow, will you be this way?"
TO BE CONTINUED WITH THIS CHAPTER...