Chapter 17 - Trust Theme

Michael kept calm. Queen Teresa walked towards him with light slow footsteps. Michael wanted her to say something before him.

She was also quiet and was only staring into his eyes. She stopped right in front of him and gasped.

Michael made sure he didn't let any word out. Queen Teresa finally laughed. She had been trying to keep that.

"You are a clumsy man, Michael. What is James' maid doing in your chamber?" she folded her arms like she was scolding him.

"She is my maid" Michael groaned.

"She was your maid and you gave her to James" she reminded him.

"I'm sure you have not come here to discuss about Julia" Michael had started getting upset.

"I came here to discuss about her actually. You need to do something to stop this. I couldn't see any lady befitting to be your wife. She is the only one glorious enough" Queen Teresa stated.

"You have really come at the right time. What triggered that. You slept and had a dream of an elegant wedding?" Michael chuckled. He was bemused by the way his mother was lauding Julia.

"This isn't a dream but will remain a dream if you didn't do anything about this. You should take her back before it will be too late, whichever way you know" she sounded the warning severely.

"Then if this is not incited by a dream, I will presume you have found some scroll containing some prophecies" Michael was still laughing. His mother's acts was just getting funnier.

"Keep laughing while your Father marries Julia to James" she blurted out like a bombshell. She must have wanted Michael to be surprised on hearing that.

"The king already told me" Michael was not bothered. That wouldn't stop him from having Julia. It was just going to be a little time before everything would fall in their normal position.

"And you are not worried about that. I've seen a lot of men like you. They play with their gold at the edge of a precipice and when the gold falls off to its bottom. They break into tears" Queen Teresa seemed displeased with the way he was handling the situation.

"Then you have seen a lot of coward men, not me. If I dropped my gold into a bottomless pit. I will dive in and confirm the rumour because there can never be a pit without bottom" Michael rubbed his chin. He patiently waited for his mother's response to that.

"It seems I'm more worried than you but you are nothing but a pretender. I saw how you hugged her like she is your soul" she said sternly.

"Then you need not to worry. Because everything is within my grasp" he showed his hand to her and made it into a fist.

"I pull, squeeze and release at will" he boasted.

"James is not around. You know where he is?" she had left the issue of Julia and that was a bit relieving.

"Everything is within my grasp" he repeated.

"Including James whereabouts" she shook her head. "You have been resting on your oars" she scolded.

"I need to. And when I have to be up and running. I will be" he walked few steps away from her.

"Do not disappoint me, Michael" she retorted sternly. She was obviously thinking he was slipping behind.

"You do not have to worry about anything. You will have your King Michael and Queen Julia in the nearest future" he bowed slightly as a sign of respect.

Queen Teresa's heart was definitely filled with joy as she smiled broadly. She turned away and walked to the door.

"That is a promise" she said without looking at him.

"Of course, Mother" Michael sang.

He watched as she opened the door and left the chamber. She shut the door with a heavy bang. That was an evidence of the joy she had in her. She was very happy right now.

"Where are you and what are you up to right now?" Michael questioned an imaginary James in front of him.

"Don't worry. I will find out everything no matter how much you try to hide it. And do not hurt Julia in any way. That will make the matter worse" he shook his head and laughed loudly.

"King Michael and Queen Julia" he muttered. That was what had excited her mother that much. She would have it, he vowed in his mind.

There was no cause for alarm. He needed to accept the blame. He had been slow not to know where James was. He would make sure that didn't change anything.


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Harold watched with wicked eyes as he waited for James and his new partner to catch up. He was obviously not pleased with it.

"Why did you wait?" James thought he didn't have to wait for them.

"Do you know the way if I do not show you?" he asked angrily.

"Actually, I know the way and I will say I know it better than you" the old man intervened.

"Will you let him show you the way?" Harold directed at James. It seemed he was avoiding the old man.

"It is better we follow this old man's lead. At least he obviously know the place better than us" James advised.

"I agree to that. But can we trust him" he asked intensely.

"What is your name, young man? Do I strike you like someone who is harmful. I am just a helpless old man who needs help the same way you do" the old man chuckled.

"No. We are not helpless like you. What we seek is knowledge" Harold stopped abruptly. He didn't want to continue with what he had on his lips.

"We should keep walking. That way we will get closer while we argue about who needs help and who do not" James joked. He laughed with the old man while Harold remained sober.

James pulled him and they continued dragging and walking as they were doing before.

"We are taking the next turn by the right" the old man yelled in order for Harold to hear.

"That is not the way" Harold yelled back. "We take the turn by the alley" he argued.

"This is a short route and it leads to the same place" the old man explained.

"Take your short route and leave me to go on my own way" he retorted furiously.

"No splitting up" James bellowed. "We follow the old man's direction" he affirmed.

"He leads us now, right?" Harold complained.

"Harold!" James called him to caution.

The old man smiled and shook his head. He stared at Harold.

"He reminds me of me. I used to disagree with everything but right now I can't move if you do not hold me up" he smiled.

"This suits you better then,isn't it?" James teased him.

"Have we agreed to take the route?" the old man asked Harold.

"I have no say in the route you take old man" Harold said reluctantly.

They all continued walking until they reached the turn mentioned by the old man. They took the turn and walked on.

"You will see how fast this route takes us" the old man laughed.

Harold ignored him, he continued walking ahead of them as he had been doing. He was angry because James had chosen this old man over him.

James was not bothered at all. The old man was obviously familiar with this place more than him that discovered it through instincts.

"Noooo!" Harold screamed hard.

"What is it?" James looked around but couldn't see him anymore. He had disappeared just like that. He put down the old man slowly and walked to where he had seen him last.

He kept turning on all sides with the hope of catching a glance of him. He couldn't see anything. The next thing, he started feeling the ground shaking beneath his feet.

"No. Help me!" he also yelled out loud as he fell into a deep pit. Harold was down there. He stared at him with anger.

"We have taken the short route" he grumbled.

"Where are we?" James looked around. They were in a pit. He didn't remember seeing a pit when he was above.

"Hello" the old man bent down towards them from up. "You are welcome to my house" he laughed sarcastically.

James noticed something. Though he looked old, he wasn't as weak as he had been pretending to be.

"I told you we can't trust him" Harold fumed. "He had led us into a pit" he opened his hands on frustration.

"James, the son of Henry and Harold the son of, actually I do not know your father's name. You will have to forgive me for that. You are welcome to the House of Quentin, the safest place in the whole universe" he moved away from the pit.

Shortly after, he came jumping down but landed easily on his feet.

"I was forced to build a house like this when your father the Alpha King didn't stop trying to kill me" he laughed again.

"Why don't you just tell us that instead of pretending and wasting our time?" James queried him.

"Simple, the theme of trust. You will not believe me" he walked towards a side of the pit. A way opened as he moved closer.