Chapter 39 - Heartbreak

The coronation day had arrived in Arimelari, there were many arrangements made to make everything run smoothly. The palace was decorated lavishly. The palace was lively with music playing in every corner and the dancers and entertainers were also getting ready for the feast.

The guest from various parts of the kingdom and the world were arriving at the palace to join the prince at his celebration. The palace was busy with people running up and down to do the last touches for the celebration. The caterers made arrangements for the food that would be eaten at the feast.

The queen had Olivia and Francis sit with her in the family hall, they were selecting the clothes to wear at the coronation and rehearsing what was required of them to do at the coronation.

Francis stood to her right while Olivia stood to her left. She was pretending to be the prince and showing them the things that they needed to do at the coronation.

"I understand everything that is needed. And why are you teaching him anything, only I deserve to be beside the prince? Francis is a nobody here whereas I am the queen mother," Olivia said to the queen. The queen opened her mouth to reprimand her but Francis walked out of the garden. She called out to him but he didn't look back and went away.

"It is possible to take a dog from the streets, give it a bath and dress it up fancy but it will always remain a dog," she said to Olivia.

"How dare you?" Olivia asked and raised her hand to the queen. The queen caught her hand midair and smiled at her.

"The truth is bitter, isn't it? The fact won't change just because you lost your temper and raised your hand at me," she said and twisted Olivia's twisting her around. She held her hand tightly and leaned next to her ear. "Your peaceful days are over little witch. You took my husband from me and left me alone, no day will pass in the palace without you feeling the same loneliness that you've caused me," she said and pushed Olivia to the ground.

"I am going to be the queen mother. You can't treat me like this," she complained.

"I will treat you exactly the way you deserve to be treated and so will Alex. Get used to it as this is your new life," she told to her and walked away too.

Olivia remained on the ground, she was boiling with so much anger but was helpless to do anything. She had finally got all her dreams to come true but she seemed to have lost despite winning. She was being crowned the ruler of Arimelari but her role was worse than that of a servant.

Francis walked the hallways with tears clouding his eyes. He was sad from constantly being reminded that he was nothing compared to Olivia. That to Alexander, Olivia will always come first and he will just be a second choice for him.

With their child on the way he could his heartbreaking into pieces and he couldn't do anything to stop it. He had no way to ever give Alexander the gift of a child the way that Olivia did.

He was lost in his thoughts he wasn't even concentrated on his surroundings and ended up running into someone's back. He stumbled back, wiped his tears, and looked up.

"Sorry," he apologized to the man in a blue leather jacket. He has brown messy hair with ocean blue eyes. He was tall, well build, and was wearing a beautiful smile on his face.

"It's okay," the man said in return. "I'm Mordecai," he introduced himself and offered his hand to Francis.

"Francis," he said and took the man's hand. He let go and walked away from the man. He went towards his room, his heart heavy with the worry of the things that were going on in the palace. He turned around at the corner and stopped, he looked back and the man he had met was still there, he was staring right at him. He looked away and kept moving.

He reached his room, locked the door behind him and fell to the ground, and let himself cry his heart out. Olivia's words replayed in his mind over and over again registering a fact that he was desiring something that wasn't his. He was weaving dreams that could never come true in his life.

He sobbed loudly clutching his chest from the pain that he was suffering. No one in the palace could hear his cries from all the music being played. And the people were too busy with the celebrations to worry about him.

He felt so alone in the empty room. The happy music being played felt a mockery of his feelings. The whole world was celebrating his defeat in love. He had fallen in love and didn't even get the chance to be happy in love and already his heart was broken.

He could say that he had fallen in love and got his heart broken without ever knowing the beauty of love. The pain in his heart was much more than he had read in books of how the lovers who were rejected felt.

He recalled the last time he spoke with Alexander. The ride back to Arimelari from the forest and his request. The way he wanted Francis to call him and more tears flowed from his eyes. His heart ached at the fact that he never even had the chance to call him like that. He was never given the chance to spend proper time with Alexander as there was always something or the other that kept them apart.

"Crying won't solve your problem. You shouldn't allow Olivia to speak down to you like that."

"What do expect me to do about it whisperer? She is the one that he loves and it is evident for all to see," I said in anger.

"You know that it is true. You are the one that he loves, it is just your anger and jealousy that is taking. I have an idea, why don't you go and find Alex. I'm sure taking to him will help you," she suggested.

Francis's eyes glinted with a ray of hope. It felt nice being reassured that Alexander loved him. He got up from the ground unlocked the door and ran out of the palace. He stopped in his tracks when he realized he had no idea where Alexander was.

"He is in the courtyard arranging the security of the palace for tonight's function," the whisperer informed him reading his mind.

Francis dashed away to the courtyard to see his beloved. He couldn't wait to speak to him and express all of his feelings to him, he was sure it will make him feel better. He got to the courtyard, his eyes looked around for the one he was seeking. There was no one in the courtyard that he could see.

*****

Olivia walked into the courtyard to find Francis to complain about his mother's treatment. She found him discussing and giving orders about the function to his trusted men. She walked to him and dismissed the soldiers around her.

She made certain that it was only her and the prince left in the palace. "Won't you ask me why I sort you out?" she asked him.

"I don't care to know," he replied to her.

"I wanted to talk to you and I also have a request."

"I am listening."

"I wanted to ask you if you can spare tonight for me after the celebrations. I wish to spend time with you?" she asked seductively.

"I don't think I will have the energy to deal with you after the party. You have taken the habit of annoying me and I won't allow ruining my mood after my coronation," he said denying her request.

"But Alexander, I have heard that children pick things up from their mother's womb. You can at least think of it as sparing time for your child. And speak to him," she said not giving up.

"I will speak with my child after it's born and out of your body. Your body disgusts me and I'm sure my child is suffocating in there," he said pointing at her belly.

Olivia gritted her teeth at his words. She was so angry, she spun her head around to head out when she caught Francis's shadow from a little far. She smiled and turned back to Alexander.

"I understand that you would be too tired to spend time with me after the party. It's okay. Just the fact that you were planning to spend time with me and me alone is enough for me," she said to him and hugged him. She leaned her head close to his and tilted her head a little to the left so it would like the two of them were kissing.

"What are you doing?" Alexander asked her lost.

"Just getting my vengeance from the rude way that you just spoke to me. If one was watching us right now it would look like we are kissing each other," she told him.

"But we are alone so no one will have such thoughts."

"I wouldn't say that," she moved back and moved out of the way letting him see Francis running away from the courtyard.. "Looks like he saw us and I'm sure his heart must have broken from it," she said.