Estevan
Sitting in the throne room where no sound threatened to break the silence, we waited for the arrival of the kings, just me, my father and my mother;
When the doors opened, first the Torrem guards entered, followed by the kings and servants, the Torrem flag was proudly raised in a bright shade of red.
Morgana had black hair, a symmetrical and beautiful face, appeared to be no older than forty while her waist still looked eighteen.
King Calixto had a slightly more robust appearance, his white hair and some features in his eyes and expression revealed that he was at least twenty years older than his wife, his large belly and thin legs were the result of years of sitting on a fat throne without moving a muscle, just eating well while his soldiers went to war to fight for him.
Stopping in front of us, King Calixto and Queen Morgana bowed briefly in respect, then fixed their posture and raised their faces.
"It's a great pleasure to finally welcome you to the kingdom, I was wondering when you were going to come for a visit," said my father with a broad smile, I could buy his act if I didn't know better.
"We've been meaning to come for weeks, but you know what a king's life is like. Always busy," Calixto said to him.
"Yes, I understand. I'd like you to meet my wife Queen Soraya on my left and my son Prince Estevan on my right."
"Your Majesty" he said with a pause and then looked at me "Your Highness"
I hated this forced formality, but I knew it was necessary.
"I've tried to imagine what you look like, I've come up with something similar" he said and turning to Morgana said "This is my wife and queen of Torrem, Morgana. You already know my daughter"
Morgana looked around and her eyes focused on the front, she smiled.
"We've brought gifts, Your Majesty," she said. "Our stay won't last more than three days, we can't leave the kingdom alone. So, out of curiosity, where is my daughter, Princess Charlotte W?"
"Charlotte is resting after a sudden illness, so you've joined us." My father lied and then stood up and walked down the steps while saying, "First of all, I'd like to invite you to my private sitting room, it's a nice day and I'd like to get to know you better."
I looked at my mother, whose chest was rising and falling rapidly, and she gestured with her eyes for me to get up too, I knew there were a million ways things could go wrong, but if there was a right way we needed to find it, at least the reverse way.
My father's living room was a place I hadn't been in for years, his place of peace was also where he liked to take visitors to show off the animals he hunted and brag about them, as well as to find out more about people.
Alexia was in the bedroom and I imagined that she must be making a hole in the floor by now.
"You can sit down, make yourselves at home!" Said my father, the room clear of guards and servants with just the four of us.
I sat in the armchair in the middle while my father walked around the room, the first word was his, the servant came in leaving the tea on the table and looked at me as if waiting for his next orders, I gestured with my hand for him to leave.
"Did you like the trophies? They're from home," said my father as Calixto looked at them intrigued. Morgana sat down on the sofa and didn't touch the tea.
"The castle looks like a great place, I'd like to walk around and explore it in the afternoon, but right now I'd like to see my daughter. You said she was feeling unwell, show me your room," said Morgana looking me in the eye, I opened my lips and was about to tell her myself, but a voice in the background interrupted me.
"Darling, look at this boar" said Calixto, making Morgana turn to look at him "I think it's bigger than the one I hunted"
"Yes, the boars here must be bigger"
"We can hunt one together today," my father said, putting his hand on Calixto's back. I knew that the exaggerated hospitality was meant to soften the news, but I saw it differently.
He was scared and I understood, he was also terrified about Olimper's future after revealing his daughter's disappearance to the kings of Torrem, but putting it off seemed worse.
"Calixto is passionate about hunting," said Morgana, turning to me, my father's eyes on us as he realized that Morgana was making conversation.
"I like it, I hunt with my father in the season"
"I think it's a man thing, we want a man to inherit the throne so badly. We were afraid of a girl because by law the crown can only be assumed by a man, so you'll be the one to inherit Torrem. But I'm glad you're a prince, you have the knowledge to deal with the kingdom," she said, finally picking up the tea on the table. "Charlote hasn't answered any of the letters we've sent, are you two getting on well or are you having difficulties?"
I knew that I couldn't escape Morgana's questions and I didn't even want to, the longer I put it off, the more it would snowball and I feared that all that winding up would make the kings think even more that we were deceiving them.
"Charlotte's not..."
"She's not feeling well, is she Estevan?" I said to my father as he approached me, handed me a glass of whisky and sat down on the sofa next to him.
"If she's feeling unwell, I'd like to see her."
"I don't think that's a good idea," said my father, looking at the disaster unfolding in silence, as always disapproving of my father's attitudes.
"It doesn't make sense, if she can't be here we'll go to her, after all we crossed the ocean to see her!" Calixto said.
!" You can't see her," I said in a firm, low voice.
"Why not? Is there something you're not telling us?" Calixto asked.
"Estevan!" My father said in a warning tone.
I raised my face to look at them.
"Princess Charlotte can't receive visitors because she's never set foot in the castle," I let out at once, my hands were sweating and my heart was pounding. I looked at Morgana and Calixto's faces and continued, "She ran away to marry General George as soon as the ship docked at Olimper."
"How?" Morgana's voice changed, her eyes widened in astonishment and Calixto looked furious.
Calixto paced the room nervously, the tension growing in the room.
"My daughter Charlotte wouldn't do that," said Calixto.
"She's really gone mad," said Morgana, getting up angrily and dropping her cup on the floor.
"Please calm down!" My father said, "As soon as we heard about the situation, we sent men to look for Olimper, but I don't think she's here in the kingdom because we've looked everywhere."
I knew he was lying, he wouldn't be crazy to send a group of men to look for the princess of Torrem if we were pretending she was in the castle, but I wasn't going to deny it since everything was being used to calm the situation, the things we hid under the carpet seemed to be floating around the room.
"And why weren't we warned about this?" Calixto asked angrily. "Our peace treaty was sealed over my daughter's marriage, how can I believe you didn't do something against her?"
"What are you implying, King Calixto?" My father asked, he wasn't used to dealing with a loud tone of voice and I noticed how his countenance seemed to turn even redder "I never got to see the royal princess because she didn't want to marry my son, if she ran away to marry someone else she was the one who dishonored the peace treaty you were sealing!"
"I think you'd better measure your words," were the harsh words as the discussion turned into a shouting match.
I got up from the sofa.
"I'm sure that all we want is for an argument to end a future friendship between the kingdoms. We can sit down and talk about the best way to rescue the princess of Torrem," I said, stepping in between them.
My words seemed to make them rethink and take a breath.
"Royal princess?" Morgana raised her face and looked at my father. "When you're talking, you said you'd never seen the royal princess, so the other princess?"
She stood up, Morgana seemed more resourceful and shrewd than Calixto, she paid attention to every detail, from the throne room to the present moment she was on the alert.
"My daughter's name continues to be spread to the four winds as a lady of fire, the news of her marriage to you has reached Torrem, as have the deeds" she said walking towards me, Morgana spoke quickly as she connected the dots pouring out her questions she said "If my daughter never set foot in the castle, who is the imposture that married you and why does she continue to bear my daughter's name?"
I looked into Morgana's eyes and felt the knot in my throat, unable to continue speaking.
" Aren't you going to say anything? What are you hiding? Tell me who she is!" Morgana shouted, everyone looked rigid as her face turned red "Better not. I demand that you bring her to me!"
"I can't do that"
"I'm not asking, if you consider protecting Olimper from a war I demand that you show me who the woman is who took my daughter's place and why!"