Michael
After dinner with Rae's brother and his wife, I take Ashton down to the village with me to find something very important. If I am going to propose to the Queen's hand in marriage, I am going to have to make it big. I am going to need something I can only find in the village.

I weave my way through the maze of rundown shacks until I find the one I used to call home. I push the door open, noticing it is not latched. Is my mother home?

I enter the shack, looking around at the empty rooms. This place looks as if it has been abandoned. Where could my mother have gone? I hope she is okay. I would hate it if something bad happened to her.

"This was your house?" Ashton asks.

"My house and our shop. We used to sell jewelry to the people in the village." I laugh. "Looking back, it was probably the worst thing we could have sold. No one could afford jewelry when they were starving."

A figure jumps out of the shadows at me. Before I have time to react, the shadow has a blade pressed against my chest. "Leave my shop!" The woman yells as I fall to the dirt. She practically hisses at me and lunges in my direction.

I roll out of the way and jump to my feet. "Mom, it's me. It's Michael!" I beg her to yield.

Ashton pulls his sword out just as she calms down. "Oh, oh my baby!" She drops the blade and cups my cheeks in her hands before slapping me so hard it makes my ears ring. "You left me all alone to sell! First I waited days then months and now years! You never came home!" She screams.

"I know, I know. I can explain." She slaps me again before I have the chance.

Ashton steps forward with his sword still drawn. I motion for him to stand down.

"And who might this be?" She motions to Ashton. "A palace guard? You were arrested by a palace guard? Is that what it took to bring you home?"

"N-"

Ashton interrupts me before I can even begin. "No ma'am. Quite the opposite has happened. He is to be king. He is simply here for jewelry to propose to the Queen with and then we will be on our way. Now, I'd appreciate it if you stopped hitting my friend and the future king."

Ashton smiles at me. I think he is pretty impressed with how professional he is being on his first day with me. I am impressed as well.

My mother turns to me, a shocked expression painting her face. "Is this true, Mikey?"

I laugh awkwardly and run my fingers through my displaced hair. "Entirely."

"King? Propose?" She asks, as if to make sure she heard him correctly.

She is definitely preparing to smack me again. I close my eyes in preparation.

Instead of a sharp stinging sensation hitting my cheek, I feel her warm arms pull me into her body. "My son, you have achieved everything I never could. I always wanted a better life for you and now you have it."

I hug her back. I have not felt her touch in so long I almost forgot what it was like. It had been even longer since a positive interaction occurred between us. "I have missed you so much, mother." I speak before I think.

Have I really missed her? Not really. But I have felt her absence in my life. Even more so I feel the absence of what we could be if we had better cards dealt to us in life.

"I have so much I want to tell you." I smell her hair and rear my chin atop her head. I want to tell her about my son. I want to tell her everything. But if my true relationship to the prince is revealed, it would be catastrophic. "Rae - the Queen and I, we are raising the king. He is like my son. And we are due for a baby in the fall. A little girl."

The smile on my face grows as I think of the future. I can not wait to live it.

"Come back to the castle with me. Come meet them. Please. Come live with us." Again, my mouth speaks before my brain can process what I want to say.

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