The solemnity and silence that engulfed the palace could easily pass for that of a graveyard, one could seriously doubt if it had been inhabited by humans for the past decade. The skies were empty and the sun had just gone down.
The palace was a thing of beauty, built of the highest architectural standard and well furnished with majestic and state-of-the-art furniture wares, but was today a stark contrast of it's royal majesty.
Sat on the terrace was a beautiful woman of age 60-70yrs lost in her thoughts about the sudden death of her son, the King. "Grandma! Grandma!! Grandma!!!", Junior yelled startling the old woman back to reality. "I've been calling and searching for you everywhere for the past how many minutes" he said. "I'm sorry my dear, I can't help thinking about your parents, it troubles me every time" she replied. "But it's been a year and a half now, I've told you to stop thinking the way you do, I do not want to lose you too oh" junior snapped back. Junior was a young teenage boy of about 17yrs, he was tall and well built with a strong personality. "You make me proud my son, you're going to take over from your father someday, and I pray and hope you do not follow in his footsteps and end up like him" "do not talk about Father in such manner grandma, you shouldn't disrespect the dead, you know" "I know, but I do not just want you to be like him". "Alright, come inside dinner has been served"
Grandma gently pulled Junior to her side, patted him on the back then placed her arm on his shoulders. The walk to the dinning room was quiet and long, Junior wondered why Father had made the palace so big, considering it was home to just his parents and himself being the only child and was now only inhabited by grandma and himself after the untimely death of his parents. At dinner, he couldn't help but recall the things grandma had said. The king was a tall handsome well-built man. He was a gentleman, a disciplinarian and a scholar. Although he was a loving and caring king and father, he was an alcoholic, which unfortunately lead him to his untimely death, just a month after the mischievous death of his wife, the queen. "Father wasn't that bad" he soliloquized, "you don't talk while eating" his grandmother replied, thinking her grandson was talking to her "I know grandma, you say that all the time. But, I'm confused, why does everyone think my father was bad and that I may turn out to be worse? I'm nothing like you people, when I get of age, I'll leave and never return, I hate this place" he snapped, "hmmm, Junior, eat your food, so you can go to bed" his grandma answered, not wanting to engage in the argument that usually followed.
After dinner, grandma accompanied him to his room and held the night devotion as was the family custom. "Goodnight grandma" junior said as grandma was about leaving "don't let the bugs bite" she replied and closed the door, "I won't" junior muttered.
With grandma gone, he walked towards his window and stared deep into the star filled skies. The night was quiet, lonely and cold. He couldn't help but remember what a beauty life was before the tragic incidents of the past year. What an irony life is, one can be at the top of the food chain and come crashing down in a twinkle of an eye, he thought to himself. But he was determined not to let the unfortunate incidents hinder him from achieving his goals and being king. The kingship had shifted to his uncle, who was a selfish unholy man after the death of his father. And he was determined to get back the crown regardless of the circumstances.
To be continued
Look out for the next episode☺