King Riette's silence was palpable, his resolve was thinning due to the desperation surrounding him. He'd prepared himself for this moment, to steel his heart against wavering. But now, seeing his children beg, was tearing him apart. Yet, he felt bound by his decision, convinced that it was necessary for their survival.
Queen Norma, however, couldn't bear the sight of her daughter and Mark breaking down like this. She'd watched Mark grow up, and the pain in his eyes now was almost too much to bear. As a mother, she remembered the heartbreak and pain she felt when her daughter left them 5 years back in the past. She understood their pain, but her hands were tied. Her face was etched with sorrow, her eyes red-rimmed from holding back tears. Her heart torn between her duty and her children's happiness. She knew why King Riette was doing this, but as a mother, she couldn't help but feel the weight of her children's suffering watching them like this. Tears streamed down her face as she gazed at King Riette, her eyes pleading with him to reconsider. "Riette, please... think of something," she pleaded, her voice trembling. "A..At least give them a way out. Don't completely cut off their ties. Please, they are our children."
King Riette's sigh was heavy with the weight of his decision. The room held its breath, a mix of concern and worry etched on every face, as they waited for his next words. Finally, he spoke, his voice measured and deliberate. "You both will leave, and the announcement of your death will be final," His eyes seemed to bore into Mark and Selina, "There's no change in that." as he declared, his words dripping with finality and particularly indicating there was no room for argument "And you both will live a simple life, You're practically de.. dead after leaving this place, so stay as low as possible. You've made your choice once, now face the consequences."
Mark, who a moment before had been desperately pleading, lowered his head and asked King Riette in a voice barely above a whisper, "It's because of them, right?"
King Riette was close enough to catch the hushed words, narrowed his eyes at Mark. "Who is them you're referring to?" he asked, his voice firm.
Selina who is still in Mark's arms, looked up at her husband with a tear-stained face, her eyes clouded in confusion. Mark's arms tightened around her, and he glanced at her with a mix of worry and reassurance before lifting his head to meet King Riette's gaze.
In a slow, measured tone, Mark responded, "Them... Them who sent me here. Them who left me here with nothing, no memories, no past. Them who suddenly appeared yesterday." His words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken implications.
The tension was palpable, the room fell deathly silent, that followed thick with anticipation. Selina's tears seemed to pause, her eyes fixed intently on Mark's face. Everyone's attention focused on the conversation unfolding before them. King Riette's eyes remained narrowed, his expression unreadable as he asked, "How long has it been since you started remembering?"
Mark opened his mouth to answer, but King Riette cut him off with a mocking smile, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I can hear the resentment in your tone, Mark. So I guess you started remembering a few days ago," he said, his words laced with a hint of amusement. "And I'm sure you didn't remember everything yet. I think it'll take a few more days for all the pieces of your memory to fall into place."
The king's gaze intensified, his eyes seeming to bore into Mark's very soul. "Now tell me, what triggered you to remember them?" he asked, his voice low and commanding.
Mark stiffened after listening to king Riette, as he knew his childhood memories were slowly returning day by day. He hesitated a little before answering to king Riette "It's five days back, when I touched the golden mark....."
PRESENT,
Mark looked at Lily, his eyes meeting hers as he paused saying the past. Lily's brow furrowed in frustration, her gaze locked on her dad's face.
"Why did you stop, Dad?" she asked, her voice tinged with disappointment. "Who were 'them' and what do you mean by you remembering your memories?"
Mark smiled softly at his daughter, his expression gentle. "Princess, remember where your father stopped today," he said, his words a gentle warning. "Because I'm not going to continue anymore."
Lily's frown deepened, her eyes narrowing slightly as she asked, "Why, Dad?" Her voice was a mix of curiosity and confusion.
Mark's gaze shifted from Lily to Selina for a brief moment, a silent understanding passing between them. He turned back to Lily, his expression calm and gentle, his voice measured as he spoke.
"When the right day comes, your grandfather will tell you everything you want to know," he said, his words slow and deliberate, as if etching them into her memory. "I know you're working hard to reunite our family. You've worked harder than anyone, and I know you will keep going. And I don't want you to feel sorry, because... " He paused, his eyes locking onto hers. "...I believe in you."
He paused again, a soft smile playing on his lips as he corrected himself, his voice filled with warmth. "No, it's not I, it's we. We believe in you." His words hung in the air, filled with conviction and hope.
Mark's eyes seemed to gaze into the distance, his voice softening as he added, "One day, we'll all definitely reunite." His chest rose and fell with a gentle sigh.
Lily scooted closer to her father and leaned her head on Mark's chest, her eyes shining with determination. "Thanks, Dad, for believing in me," she murmured, her voice muffled against his shirt. "I'll definitely try my best to bring us all together and live happily, all of us." Her words were a whisper of promise.
Mark wrapped his arms around Lily, pulling her into a warm hug, and patted her head gently. "I know, you will," he whispered, his voice a soft rumble against her ear.
Lily nodded, her face pressed against his chest, and extended her free hand towards Selina, beckoning her to join the hug. "No more crying, Mom," she said, her voice filled with determination.
Selina smiled, wiping away her tears as she rose from her seat and wrapped her arms around Mark and Lily, pulling them into a tight, warm hug. "Hmm, no more," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.
As they held each other, Mark's expression turned serious as he remember something, he pulled back slightly, his gaze locking onto Lily's, his voice low and earnest "Lily, I know you're angry with your grandfather because of us," he said, his words measured and deliberate. "But he never did anything wrong to us. Instead, he helped us a lot more than you know. I don't owe anyone in life except him." Mark's voice cracked with emotion, his eyes shining with a deep sense of gratitude.
"I know you love him too, but your grudge against him was unnecessary," he continued, his words gentle but firm. "Don't let the half-story you've heard judge him more harshly. Just trust him. He will... "
Lily's words tumbled out, cutting Mark off mid-sentence, her voice filled with a mix of conviction and affection. "Dad, if I truly didn't trust Grandfather, I would've kidnapped Lina from the palace to be with us a long time ago. It would've been the easy way out, and you know I'm more than capable of taking care of us, no matter who tries to separate us." Her eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief, her voice dripping with confidence. "But I didn't, because I know he's the greatest king. It's just I'm... angry. Now I know, he wasn't a bad father, so I'm not angry on him anymore."
Mark's face softened, understanding in his eyes as he nodded his head. Selina, listening to her daughter's words, couldn't help but be overcome with emotion. She hugged Lily tightly, a giggle bubbling up from her throat. "Hehe, if my Dad knows you're not angry with him anymore... he'll be so happy. Thank you, sweetie, for everything," she whispered, her voice trembling as she sniffled back tears.
Lily patted her mother's back with a helpless smile on her face. "Mom, you don't need to thank me," she said, her voice gentle. "Did you forget what you said? No more crying, remember? So please... don't." She leaned into her mother's hug, her eyes shining with affection and understanding.
Mark shook his head, a helpless smile playing on his lips as he said, "Okay, Sela, calm down. It's already late. Let her go to her room now. And we need to work tomorrow, so let's go to bed."
Selina released Lily from their hug, her eyes still shining with tears, and nodded, her voice a little shaky. "Okay, let's go to bed now. Good night, sweetie. Love you."
Lily gently wiped away her mother's tears, her touch tender, and smiled. "Hmm, good night, Mom," she whispered, then turned to glance at her father, her eyes soft with love. "Good night, Dad... and I love you both."
Mark smiled back and mumbled a "Good night and Love you too, princess," as he kissed her forehead. With a final squeeze, they broke apart before heading off to bed.
Lily lay on her bed, wide awake, she couldn't sleep after hearing what her parents' said. Her mind was reeling with thoughts about her grandfather, King Riette. She remembered the deal she'd made with him when she was 10 years old.
When she was 10 years, Lily was already knew that her grandfather had exiled her parents from living in the kingdom because they'd disobeyed him by leaving their land and living together outside the kingdom. At that age, She understood that Grandpa Riette was punishing them, and anyone who spoke about them in the kingdom would face consequences. According to the kingdom, they were practically dead, erased from the records, their existence a secret known only to a few.
She knew all that because, Lily and her sister Lina met her parents once in every year, little Lily was sad to part with her parents so one day little Lily asked her mother why they were living away from all their family members but not with them. So her mother Selina simply told Lily, that she and her father Mark did wrong thing, so her grandfather Riette was punishing them to not do anything wrong again. And said, Lily was not allowed to cry for being apart from them, and be a brave good girl and take care of her little sister.
But back then, when her sister Lina was just 8 years old, and Lily who was 10 year old had witnessed how heartbroken her little sister was after her annual visit with their parents. Despite being apart for most of the year, Lina's deep connection to their parents was evident. She longed for them intensely, and the bond they shared was palpable. After each visit, Lina would cry for hours. And Lily knew her parents felt the same anguish of being separated from their daughters. And not being with her parents, she felt the same. The pain of parting was a heavy burden for all of them.
And that year, Lily and her little sister Lina came back to Kingdom after their vacation with their parents. That night, Witnessing her little sister's heart-wrenching tears for their parents was agonizing for Lily, too. In addition, Lina couldn't cry like that due to her Cystic Fibrosis diagnosis wouldn't be good for her, Heavy crying would make it difficult for her to breathe, and she ended up in the hospital.
Determined to make Lina happy, Lily decided to talk to her grandfather, King Riette. She hoped to find a way to ease Lina's pain and bring some joy to her little sister's life.