A Scandalous Affair

“I want both your boy and the girl,” announced a young man in his thirties as victory reflected through his emerald blue eyes. Ruffling his short golden hair, he suppressed his laughter as his rival’s face lost its pallor.

“Dare you utter a word against my nephew and niece?” shouted a man as he unsheathed his sword.

“Hold on Matthius” shouted another man face palming him.

“How do you know?” stuttered he as his brown orbs reflected panic.

“5 years is a pretty long time, Paurus and yet you know nothing of politics” laughed the enemy as the sun emblem on his cloak shone in all its glory.

In response, the other one could only clench his ivory teeth as his shoulder length raven hair swayed with the breeze.

“We will fight, Pernicus”

“I am sure, you will but have you thought about your men who are already exhausted from the war against Kingdom of Eddingon”

Pernicus kept a hand on Paurus’s shoulder and whispered “I will wait” and saying that he left.

She heard it all as her fingers clenched the long silk gown and silent tears escaped those blue eyes and there he stood, with his head bowed down in helplessness. As his head snapped in her direction, he could not help but shout “Gabrielle” as she fainted.

6 months later:

Paurus paced impatiently outside the operation theater as his cloak swayed in every direction.

The red light went off and as soon as the doctor stepped out, Paurus lost hold of his anxiety and approached the doctor.

“How are they?”

“Your highness, queen has ….” choked the doctor as a sweat drop escaped his forehead. He was pushed aside as Paurus rushed in.

He wiped the sweat off his forehead and gulped on his saliva as he remembered an incident from a few minutes ago.

“Here’s your cash and now you must forget about the princess” ordered a masked man as he handed over the money to him and took her.

“But I still could not understand his weird fashion sense of wearing a square cut ruby ring on thumb” huffed the doctor.

He found her sleeping peacefully on the bed under the effect of sedatives and heaved a sigh of relief. He slowly and steadily approached the cot and found his eyes moist on seeing two angels, his prince and princess.

Oddly enough the baby boy was literally howling and the girl was showing no movements.

He touched her and before he could register the truth, the doctor broke his bubble of dreams as he said “she is dead”.

He could no longer stand. His legs were mere jelly as Matthius supported him.

“Sorry to interrupt your mourning, but I can’t trust you with the prince. What if you guys swapped his places with another child?” questioned Pernicus raising his brows.

“What if we had?” replied Matthius with blood shot eyes.

“You wish Matthius, that’s why you people are here in my hospital. Whatever happens here comes in my notice before even happening”

Regaining his composure Paurus whispered something in Matthius’s ears, to which he nodded and left. Turning to king of Kingdom Magicai, Paurus picked up his heir and handed over to him.

“You know, I can definitely spare your queen one chance to shower her love and affection on her new born” asked Pernicus.

Paurus smiled faintly as he continued “Gabrielle’s heart is the heart of a mother, she won’t be able to give up on him.”

Pernicus nodded as he started leaving with him. Suddenly he stopped in his track and uttered “believe me Paurus, by cooperating with me you have ensured a bright future for people of Hamphshire and indeed avoided the inevitable.”

“You too remember Pernicus, if anything happens to my boy, Magicai will suffer serious repercussions” roared Paurus.

Soon Matthius returned with a baby in his arms as he could not help but stare at her innocence.

“Brother, just look at her, she is so cute” gleamed Matthius.

“Keep her in the cot” answered he monotonously.

One hour later, Gabrielle cried loudly holding his arms as he cried silently.

Magicai:

Pernicus gulped his whisky as he asked “I can’t understand why are you wearing a ring on thumb”.

The other man ruffled his raven hair and replied “my style”.

Pernicus giggled at his response and keeping a hand on his shoulder said “my friend, it is because of you that finally Hamphshire is under me”

“Cheers to that, but you do remember the deal?”

“I do” replied pernicus and saying that he left for his chamber.

Pernicus stood beside the bed post as he saw her play with the baby.

“You look happy, my love” said he to the lady in long black hair.

“I am busy, stop pestering me and help me change his diapers” scolded she.

Pernicus raised his brows as she burst into laughter leaving him in deep thought.

6 months later:

“You butcher, step out and fight like a warrior” roared Paurus as his army of 50,000 waited at the doorsteps of palace.

“I never thought that you will behave so immaturely, breaking your promise” asked Pernicus.

“What negotiations? It is you who broke it” shouted Paurus as he wiped a tear off his cheek and continued “here you celebrate birthday of your ……”

Pernicus cut him in between and asked “don’t you love your brother?”

Paurus looked on as he saw Matthius step out, bound in shackles from head to toe.

“So you intend to fight over the prince who exists no more or work out a peace treaty for your dear brother’s life?”

Pernicus smirked as Paurus let the sword fall off his hand.

20 years later:

A guy in his early twenties wearing black cap and gown stepped out of black jaguar as whole university appeared to be crowded by final year students. A girl with short black hair ruffled his brown locks as he scrunched his nose and shouted “stop it, Miranda”.

“Hey dude” waved another guy as they both shared a head-butt and all three burst into laughter.

“Descendant of the throne, where’s your lady” joked Miranda.

Wearing his cap again, he blushed at the reminder and suddenly his baby brown eyes sparkled at her sight. Her waist length brown curls complimented her chocolate brown eyes. They hugged each other and afterward stood hand in hand.

Hamphshire:

“Celia, remove the orchids, tulips are her favorite and Morris, did you bring the puppy?” ordered around Gabrielle as whole palace prepared for celebrations.

“8 long years, my princess would have grown into a fine young lady” wondered she.

“20 long years you have lived this lie and I have died every second” murmured Paurus.

Magicai:

“What are you doing here? You should go to the airport. My baby is returning after 7 long years. He would be really angry if you kept him waiting” shouted Victoria.

“Calm down, love, looks like ageing has seriously affected your memory” argued Pernicus and then finished saying “Aaron returns tomorrow”.

Her lips twitched and he laughed.

Next day:

“Come here young man” said Pernicus as he opened his arms and hugged his beloved son.

“You have grown old, dad” joked Aaron.

“Yeah and you have grown into a gentleman”

“If you father-son duo are done then let me hug my baby” complained Victoria.

“I am not a baby, mom” complained Aaron as he hugged her.

On the other side, in Hamphshire the whole kingdom celebrated her return.

“My girl, I missed you so much” said Gabrielle as she squeezed her hands.

“Me too, mother” replied she wiping her mother’s tears.

“Jasmine” called Paurus as she touched his feet and smiled at his sight.

Magicai:

“Are you even in your senses, Aaron” roared Pernicus as he paced around the chamber in tension.

“I am, dad, I love her” announced Aaron.

“They are enemies”

“No dad, it is King Paurus you hate. We have nothing to do with your internal scuffles.”

“She is not even a princess, just some garbage he arranged for her queen’s happiness”

“What are you saying?” asked Aaron, shocked.

“I was myself there when delivery occurred. The girl died and they bought this girl from somewhere” answered pernicus.

“What were you doing there?” questioned he.

The question alarmed Pernicus and trying to prevent the fear from reflecting on his face, he replied “there were complications and so Paurus requested for our doctors”. Wiping the sweat bead off, he continued “I did not wish to drag his unborn in our fight”.

“Right dad, so why are you dragging us now. Royal or not, I love jasmine and will bear the responsibilities of throne only when she becomes my queen” and saying that he left.

Hamphshire:

“No jasmine, no” shouted Paurus as he supported Gabrielle who was crying profusely.

“Why not father? We love each other and the fight is between you and his dad, not us and why is mother crying?”

“Because pernicus killed your brother” replied Paurus.

“Brother” stuttered jasmine as she felt her world crumble.

“Someone cheated with us and handed him our military information, by using which he blackmailed us to handle him our son for the sake of my people’s safety”

Few weeks later:

“Is she alright?”

“Princess is 2 month pregnant” replied the doctor and left.

Magicai:

“What are you doing here?” growled Pernicus.

“I am here for my daughter, your son has made my daughter pregnant” shouted Paurus.

“What rubbish?”

“Is this true, Jazz?” asked Aaron elated to which she nodded.

“I am so happy, I am going to become a father” announced Aaron as he hugged Jasmine and both families looked on.

Two months later:

“Hurry up Dave, we will get late” called Aaron as he looked at himself for the 10th time in the day.

“You get ready, I am going for a quick round in dungeon cells to make sure that security arrangements are up to the mark”

As Aaron passed the prisoners in cell, his eyes fell on a square cut ruby ring which he picked up and left.

“Hey dad, is this yours?” asked Aaron as he showed him the ruby ring.

All colors drained from Pernicus’s face as he quickly grabbed the ring and excused “must have slipped off”.

Hamphshire:

“I can’t believe I am going to be associated with that murderer just because of you” accused Paurus at Jasmine who cried silently.

The wedding was kept a close affair.

All the guests, bride and groom’s family assembled in the main hall. None of the families displayed any sign of enthusiasm and so did jasmine, she kept staring at her to be father-in-law.

Suddenly she lost her cool and turned Pernicus by holding his shoulders. The whole crowd went still.

“How can you be so cruel?” demanded she in agitation.

“Behave yourself, what nonsense are you blabbering?” shushed Pernicus as he looked around warily only to notice that all were staring at them.

“Why did you kill my brother?”

“What are you talking about?” stuttered pernicus as he gulped on his saliva.

“Don’t act innocent, just to satisfy your greed of power you killed a new born” accused she.

“What rubbish?” shouted Aaron as he face palmed her.

“It’s the truth” shouted Paurus as he narrated the whole story to Aaron.

“No, my dad is my idol, he is my hero, dad tell them that you didn’t kill anyone, tell them” requested Aaron in helplessness.

Pernicus looked at Victoria who nodded her head in negative and then he looked intently at his son and taking a deep breath answered “I didn’t kill anyone”.

Aaron’s face lit up. Gabrielle stood up from her chair and approached Pernicus. He could not meet her eyes.

“He is alive” said Pernicus as now it was Paurus’s turn to get shocked and what he uttered in the next minute left the whole crowd speechless.

“Aaron is your son”.

All eyes turned to Aaron who only stared at his so called father and mother.

“We were childless and when I saw Victoria smile for the first time in our marriage of 8 Years, I decided to spread the rumors of your son’s death and her pregnancy. She was never pregnant.”

Gabrielle slowly approached Aaron and held his shoulders.

The whole hall started whispering “they are brother-sister”.

“They are not” shouted Pernicus as an eerie silence fell over and then turning to Paurus continued “your daughter was born dead, right”.

Gabrielle and Jasmine turned to him as he said “I am not lying, Matthius arranged Jasmine from somewhere as Paurus did not wish to see you broken”.

Paurus could not meet their eyes but still he approached Aaron and had only managed to whisper “my son” when suddenly the hall doors flew open and a voice echoed around the hall “not yours, brother, my son”

All heads turned to see the owner of the voice. A man in tattered and ragged clothes with shackles hanging weakly around his body stepped inside.

Pernicus was shocked that how Matthius could escape his secret cell but Paurus and Gabrielle were in a fix.

“Yes, I am Aaron’s father and not you. How can you be, you are impotent” smirked Matthius.

Paurus looked at Gabrielle with blood shot eyes as she came in her defense “he is lying, majesty”

“It’s not your fault. It was always me in those months before your pregnancy. I was attracted to you and thus every night I would spike brother’s drink and as soon as he would fall asleep, I would wear his mask….a mask that I specially got prepared from London and come in your chamber”

Everyone was shocked and Aaron felt like his very existence was being played with.

Matthius approached jasmine and wiping her tears said “you are not something that I arranged for her happiness, you are our very own daughter”.

“But she was dead” asked Pernicus.

“My ring doesn’t suit you” said Matthius as he snatched the ring from Pernicus and wore it on his thumb.

“I cannot understand” said Paurus devoid of all the emotions.

“It is simple, once I knew that Gabrielle was pregnant with my child, I joined hands with Paurus. He wanted control over Hamphshire and I just wanted the children, as he thought. But I only had one motive, to disappear with my children and then appear one day with the grown up heirs to claim the throne and the control over entire kingdom. But I had my doubts on Paurus so I bribed the doctor as I was already in the operation theater, I just hid Jasmine and replaced her with a body from morgue so as to protect her from falling into your clutches and when Paurus asked me to arrange for a girl, I bought Jasmine only”

“You played foul Pernicus, locked me up to keep Aaron to yourself”.

“Just tell me one last thing, how do you know that I was im…” broke down Paurus.

“Your first wife, Brizel had a doubt so she got you tested in the name of health checkup and how I know all this is, because you could not satisfy her lust but I did”.

Aaron and Jasmine are real brother and sister. This was what all the audience were discussing.

Aaron saw Gabrielle fall as he rushed to her but he was late. She could not bear the trauma of having illegal relationship with another man. Aaron fumed as he approached Matthius and then pulling his dagger out stabbed him in his stomach.

“You are not my father. You are the most disgusting person to have existed ever”. Matthius died on the spot.

Suddenly, Paurus fainted. Paralysis attack. He was crippled for his remaining life.

“We are going far away to start fresh because what’s done is done,” announced Aaron as he and Jasmine left everything behind to escape the harsh realities of their existence and to ensure a better future for their unborn.