"Why would you say she’s carrying a bastard child?" The other maid asked. She couldn’t stand her fellow maid insulting Her Majesty. She was the queen for heaven’s sake. If wind of what they were talking about spread, they would be as good as dead, so it was good to tread carefully.

"I can’t believe it Sarah. How can you be so naïve as to not notice it?" She asked.

"Notice what? Can you just get straight to the point please," the other said, voice laced with curiosity.

"Her Majesty’s pregnancy just got unveiled this week. That means she got pregnant a month ago, or even less. It was within this same period of time that His Majesty was at his worst. Don’t you think it is abnormal for the king to have impregnated his wife by that time?" Sarah asked. The other looked lost deep in thought.

"Oh! I see now. So that means Her Majesty is carrying a bastard child? But whose child is it?"

Alexander couldn’t take it anymore. These maids were insulting his mother although it was somehow true. Even he himself got confused by the situation now. And putting into consideration what the maids had said, it sounded true. But that didn’t guarantee them to talk ill of his mother. He clenched his fists before he stormed in the room. The maids were caught by surprise, Alexander’s angry face sending a warning to their forlorn hearts.

"What nonsense were you talking about?" Alexander asked. His voice that time was the perfect definition of a roar. The temperatures in the room had significantly turned colder making the maids to shiver both in fear and cold.

"I’m.. We.. are sorry Your Highness!" The maid named Sarah murmured first. But Alexander’s cold gaze seeped into her soul making her to shake in fear. Coupled with the cold temperature in the room, goosebumps could be seen already forming on the maids’ skins and their teeth rattle.

"How dare you?" Alexander asked, trying to control his anger now. For some odd reason, he felt like he had overdone it. How could such a simple action trigger his anger to this extent? The maids were supposed to remain silent when being convicted of their crimes but these two had gone to the extent of asking for an apology! They were either foolish or daring.

"Both of you shall be executed tomorrow!" Alexander’s voice thundered in the room carrying a tone of finality. The maids could not help but shudder in fear. Alexander just left the room after ordering some knights to throw the maids in the dungeon. For now, what he needed were answers, and only one person could do that. But first, he needed to visit Elle. He knew she was in her room by now. Damn! He couldn’t even remember the last time he had talked to her let alone visit her in her room. They only met in official ceremonies but rarely talked.

He placed his hand softly on the door before he gently pushed it open. His heart hammered in his chest when he imagined the pulling he would get this time. Every time he wanted to see her, something would arise and prevent him from doing so. Not that this was the perfect time to visit her either with the war around the corner.

"Elle?" He called gently but no response came. He took a step in the room and it looked exactly as he could remember. His gaze darted in the room looking for that familiar face when he spotted her, her nose buried in a book. She was sitting on a corner near a cabinet where a small shelf that was installed on the wall was. Alexander closed the door behind him gently and took measured steps towards where Elle sat. He was certain she had him coming in but pretended. Or maybe not. Was she angry at him? Well, she had every reason to be.

"Elle?" He called softly advancing to where she sat, her small back facing his approaching figure. But still, no reply. Alexander clenched his fists tightly. She was definitely doing this on purpose. But who would he blame? He had himself to blame for this.

"Elle? Look, I am sorry I was not there for you when you needed me. But please try to understand. Your big brother had errands to run especially now that father left us. You saw how busy he would be everytime? That is the same case for me as well," he said, hoping his heartfelt words would work some magic. But still, no reply came. Damn it Alex! He cursed again. Had he offended her that much? He knew she was stubborn but this...

His gaze got fixated on Elle for a while without saying anything. Wait! What was that sound he heard? Sniff! Was Elle crying? Oh no. Seeing a crying Elle was the last thing he wanted. And now that he thought she was crying because of him, it brought more guilt to his side.

"Look Elle. I’m sorry for everything siz. Please feel free to pull my ears for as long as you want but don’t cry. It hurts me!" He said. Damn it! She would not stop crying anytime soon. He took a step closer to where she was and placed his big hand softly on her small back making Elle stiffen. She lifted her face and turned around to look at Alexander with watery eyes.

"I’m not angry at you, Brother. It’s... Father. I miss him," she said in nearly a whisper before she resumed her sobs. Alexander looked at Elle surprised. All this time, he thought she was angry at him but seems he was all wrong. But she was now crying again making Alexander to worry even more.

"Hey Elle," he began, tapping her small back softly. "I also I’m missing Father as well. The memories we shared with him will always be etched in my mind, heart and soul, forever."

Elle blinked at Alexander at that. Alexander had once told him that her father would never come back after he had been thrown in the soil.

"Look," Alexander said pointing at an image of the galaxy planted on the wall. "Father is now among the stars. We will also become a star one day and meet him again." Elle followed his line of sight and stared at the portrait as she listened to what Alexander said.

"Really?" She asked, perplexed by the new information. Her face was now shining brightly, her eyes wide in curiosity. Alexander felt happy that she had stopped crying and was now listening to him.

"Yes." He simply replied. Elle’s face grew wide in realization. She had leant a new thing today, from her big brother. She smiled innocently at Alexander, bringing a warm feeling in Alexander’s heart.

"So I will meet Father one day, and become a star?" She asked, looking at her brother curiously.

"Yes. And so will I and everyone else. Me, you and mother, we’ll all meet Father at the sky," he added earning a sudden hug from Elle. He stiffened at that before he wrapped his big hands around Elle’s small back.

"What will happen now Alex? Are we going to war?" She asked surprising Alexander. Why was she asking such a thing to begin with? She was a child, female at that! Women were not supposed to engage themselves in politics. As a princess, she was supposed to grow, learning how to act lady-like until she got a good suitor to marry her and establish good diplomatic relations with the person she gets married to with Valoria. Of course Alexander hated such rules. He wanted the best for his sister. He had vowed to change that rule if he becomes king.

But still, she had each and every right to know about it. She had the right to know what would happen to her kingdom as a princess. Alexander looked at her and smiled at her, patting her head lightly.

"Yes, we are going to war. But don’t worry. It’s nothing your brother can’t handle," Alexander assured her. The last thing he wanted was to see his sister worried for her life. That thought alone made him to clench his fists tightly. So many innocent lives would be at stake here and he didn’t want anything bad to happen to them. How were the citizens taking it? They must be looking up to the royal family. He had to make a decision that would not only affect his family but also the families of the other citizens and Valoria at large.

"I trust you Alex," she said before a frown settled on her face. "What happened to your face Alex?" She asked tracing her delicate fingers on Alex’s face.

How would Alexander even answer that question? This sister of his. His gaze darted everywhere but Elle’s when he spotted a political book on the table where Elle had been reading. A frown settled on his face. Was Elle really reading that? This was a bad sign. He didn’t want Elle to be involved in politics.

"Were you reading that?"