DEVILISH LOVE

DEVILISH LOVE

  “Kyle my son. Make our family proud. The king must die and the crown will be ours. Remember, making the princess yours by all possible means, is our key. Our war has began.”  

  “I’ll never forget that mother. I’m already on that, good news is on the way.” Melissa gave her son a devilish smile. Of course, bad news were good news to evil people.  

***  

  I still didn’t understand; he didn’t call everyday yet he appeared whenever I needed him the most. What kind of a human being was he, maybe he had an ulterior motive but, no. I felt so free whenever I was with him. And why couldn’t I stop thinking of him.  

*** 

  “Princess Miriam, princess Miriam! A maid threw the door open. She was panting hysterically. 

  “What is it Ashley? She asked as she hurried to sit down on the bed. She had been laying on the bed flinging her legs as she reminisced on the memories of the young man that made her heart flutter.  

  “The king is is… dead.” 

  “What!” Miriam pushed the maid aside and hurried to her father’s chambers. There she saw him lying lifeless. She wept and wept until her face soaked in tears. Instructing everyone to leave the room, she crumbled to the black marble floor. Her face buried in her lap in grief.”  

  Miriam wasn’t only staring at her father’s dead body, a lot was going on in her mind. She knew the odds against her . It was a loss to the kingdom but a gain to some ministers that sought to covet the throne. She was a lady and never in the kingdom of Palami had a woman led.  

  Suddenly, someone rested hands on her shoulder, the texture of the hands and caress was familiar but why didn’t she hear the person come in? She turned and it was Kyle, the young man that made her heart flutter.  

  “Princess, I have knocked a hundred times but no one responded. So, I let myself in. Pardon my rudeness, your highness” He said with a concerned face.  

  “No, it’s alright. You came at the right time, you always do. I need someone to hold me and tell me that it will be fine” she sobbed.  

  Kyle crushed to his knees and hugged her while consoling her. ”I know what you are afraid of but it will never happen. I won’t let that happen. I’ll always stay by your side” 

  Miriam freed herself from his embrace as she heard the last sentence, “marry me” she said but it sounded more like a plea. “I don’t want anyone to take my father’s throne away from me. let’s stop them Kyle.” 

  After a brief silence, Kyle said, “If that’s what my princess wants, who am I to say no. I’ll marry you but we need to act fast. Have a funeral for the king in a week and our marriage with the coronation should come in a fortnight.” 

  “Yes and yes” Miriam threw herself into his arms while Kyle gave a devilish smile behind her back.  

  Two days after the King’s funeral, Miriam left the palace with her maid Ashley, and two guards to the temple for prayers. Halfway to the temple, Ashley called her attention to something.  

  “Princess, there’s a white horse some metres behind us. It has been following us since we left the Blackwater village. The rider is masked. Should I alert the guards?” She asked looking back and forth but she couldn’t see the white horse with the rider again.  

  The road to the temple is known for its narrow and winding nature. The tall trees inclusive made it easy to tail someone without being noticed.  

  “Tell the guards to ambush him. Let’s find out his/ her motives” 

  “Yes your highness.” She moved ahead of the princess and spoke in the ears of the guard in front.  

  They hid under a rock and waited for the rider. Who rode much faster to cover up, thinking he lost them. In a blink of eye, he was surrounded by the princess’s guards. 

  “Drop your weapons, “said the first guard. “Remove the mask too.” 

  The young man, removed his mask while keeping his hands raised.  

  Judging from the way, he panicked. He didn’t seem like a soldier or an assassin. The aura wasn’t there. “Who are you young man and why are following us,” said Miriam coming out from where she hid. “You seem harmless. Who are you?”  

  “I’m Rocklin, your twin brother.”  

  At first, she was startled and then gave out a sonorous laugh. And so did everyone.  

  Twins, triplets were considered as evil omen. So, it was impossible to have one but something was amiss. She felt a connection with the stranger in front of her.  

  “I can show you a birth mark if you don’t believe me”  

  Miriam signaled one of the guards to remove his shirt since he said that the birthmark was on his torso. Miriam got more confused when she saw a birth mark replica to hers on a stranger’s body.  

  “Who are you” This time, the question was more of a threat.  

  “I already told you Miriam” He said smiling. 

  He knows my name. Who is this man?  

  “Yes, I know your name and I’m who I said I am.” 

  That was what I said in my mind. Did I say it loud?  

  “No, you didn’t princess. I just can hear you” 

  Miriam drew back afraid while the guards charged their swords ready to attack.  

  “Sister, there’s no need for all this. We got no time and we are about to lose our father’s throne to a villain. Kyle isn’t who he said he is. He’s conspiring against you.” 

  Miriam got angry by what he said but somewhere deep in her heart she wants to hear him out, listen to him. She just couldn’t resist the feeling.  

  “I know you are angry because you love him but do you know that he’s a knife at your throat.” 

  “No, I don’t believe you and stop messing with my head” 

  “You have seen what I’m capable of and deep down you know I’m telling the truth. You just don’t want to admit it. You should learn to know people for who they are and not what they seem to be. Take me back with you and I’ll prove it to you.”  

  Miriam was reluctant at first but she had no option than to believe him. What if he’s telling the truth?  

  After the visit to the temple, Miriam and the others went back to the palace with the young man who claimed to be his twin brother. And on that particular day, the evil secret became overt.  

  Rocklin took the princess through a secret passageway to the back of the royal kitchen where she overheard Kyle talking to a her cook.  

  “Start putting the poison in her food from tomorrow. A drop each day, any mistake. I’ll kill your family.” 

  Miriam was dumbfounded, she locked herself in her room all day refusing to eat. Left for her, She should have ordered for his arrest for treason but Rocklin stopped her saying it would be sudden and reckless since she has no prove.  

  “Rock, I trusted him and I felt safe with him. Why would he do that to me? She said when Rocklin finally forced her out of her room. They were at the garden 

  “That’s greed for you sister. Also always remember this, don’t believe things just because you feel or want to believe them. I have found when and how to take down Kyle and his supporters all at once.” 

  “How?  

  “I won’t tell you how but when. It will be on your weeding day. The least expected day”  

  “I’m afraid brother” 

  Rocklin was startled on how she called her brother for the first time. “Don’t be. Just play along till then.” 

  On the wedding day, Kyle was apprehended and sentenced to death for treason with irrefutable proof. The superstitious belief of twins being an evil omen was corrected and Miriam and her brother Rocklin ruled the kingdom peaceful for a long time.