Michael:

Emotionally I felt numb inside..i felt like I was watching the world I knew crumble around me from another insider's point of view. All that I've worked for so long slipped between my fingers like sand and there was no way to get it back..

I sat next to Faith holding onto my only anchor in these troubled times I call hell. She'd fallen asleep after breaking down in front of me believing it was her fault because I lost my inheritance.

Flashback:
After getting away from the conference room and returning back to my bedroom where as Jim and Phoebe left to run an errand or something I hadn't bothered to listen what they had said.

So sitting Faith down next to me, we sat in silence briefly until I could faintly hear hiccups from somewhere in the room to see my Queen crying heavily while covered her eyes in the similar position I did last night.

"My Queen what is wrong?" I asked greatly concerned about why she was crying it wasn't like her to bust into sudden emotional tears.

"It's my fault Michael if I had just married you sooner none of this crazy mess with Kenia would have happened" Faith cried out.
It broke my heart seeing her so depressed about my sitaution.

I couldn't let her sit there and internally beat herself up.

I quickly pulled her into my lap but as always she struggled and wouldn't want to be near me but I only enclosed my arms around her tighter.

"Let go of me Michael! I-I don't deserve this and you know it, why didn't you just let me go when there were other girls that could have picked your fancy instead" she replied hiccuping in pain and despair I could detect in her tone.

I couldn't but let out a small sigh knowing it was going to take alot to persuade her.

"Listen My Queen you didn't know that this would happen and neither could I, also why would I have picked any else in this world but you? You are my lovely one and no one will replace you because I love you so dearly" I replied tenderly hopefully to ease her troubled mind.

She sniffed and looking up into my eyes, puffy red eyes and down casted expression she still looked beautiful.

I couldn't help but bend down and kiss her tears away gently while she breathed in and eventually stopping at her soft lips.

The kiss we shared this time wasn't filled with our usual feverish heat or playful kisses but this kiss felt like we were pushing how we felt in last several hours.

I could feel guilty, sadness, love all mixed in the kiss we shared.

I pulled away to take some air in and continued to hold her, and I began to hum an old tune from childhood.
Soon after my ears heard the sounds of hiccuped snoring to look down to see she'd fallen asleep.

End of flashback.

So here I was on the bed laying beside her after I had laid her down and covered her with the quilt.

I stared at her exquisite face watching her haggard breathing in and out of her chest.

Until the door was opened and Mother walked in looking nervously around the room. I switched position and crossed my legs in front of me as Faith slept behind my back.

"Are you here to tell me you are on Father's side?" I asked sternly to her wondering what her motivate was by coming here.

"Son I didn't come here to tell you I am on your father's side, I'm here for you and only you I don't know what is going though your father's mind" she said sadly shaking her head.

Still I couldn't trust her at the moment, I could only trust Faith, Jim and Phoebe they all hadn't betrayed me.

But I need to know if this was another test.
"Is this another test mother? To test my love and will for Faith?" I asked her.

"What?! No son I wouldn't test you again like how your father and I did before.. that test was stupid and I didn't mean to hurt you both so much when it happened, I foolishly followed your father's scheme but this time I will not tolerate his decision..how can he give your heritage over to Kenia! It's absolutely absurd" she replied widly in disgust.

"I'm sorry for my mistakes and I'm willing to do all I can in my power to help you get your inheritance back son..please?" She pleaded in a heartbroken voice.

I hated seeing mother depressed and heartbroken, pushing back my negative emotions I forgive her instantly.

"I forgive you mother" I answered sincerely bleeding into my voice.

Her face broke into a dazzling smile and she approached me cautiously, I stood up meeting her half way and we hugged tightly feeding our emotions into the hug and I felt the bridge broken between us rekindled.

We broke away from our hug where as Mother returned to her seat and I sat back down on the bed.

"How is she?" Mother asked, her voice coloured in concern.

"No mother she isn't sick...she's emotionally exhausted from what has happened over the past two days" I explained to mother while I looked at my queen's back.

"Poor thing this isn't her fault" Mother said sadly.

"Neither is it yours or mine mother, we can't do much about it" I replied.

"No don't say that son, I believe there is a way" she said trying to comfort me.

I shook my head in disagreement and we sat there quietly sitting in our thoughts.. once again seemed to be the thing keeping us from drawing further into the topic of my inheritance...the silence and our thoughts.

Jim reappeared with Phoebe by his side strolling into the room chatting amongst themselves. Until Jim saw mother and paid his respects Phoebe following after.

"Your majesties I have some interesting news" Jim spoke up annoyed.

"Oh great.. more news what could make my day even worse?" I said rudely to his words.

"Migahel! Let Jim talk" Mother scolded me.

She eyed me signalling I should apologize. "Sorry" I mumbled to Jim.

"Apology accepted, I think this news will be something you want to hear" Jim said and pulled out his small recorder he always carried on his person.

He pressed the play button and we started to hear the faint but audible voices emitting from the recorder.

"Your majesty we are begging you to please give back your throne back to Prince Michael! He is your son sir" a voice sounding like one of father's advisors.

"So? Kenia is just as much a son as he is to me as Michael is" Father replied calmly.

"But sir we have seen Prince Michael raised under you and he has all the qualities to take over from his throne after you...your highness!" Another Advisor tried reasoning to their bull headed King.

"Also why kenia your highness? He is marrying a woman who is selfish and only cares for herself how will she care for our people?" Another advisor butted in trying to reason.

"Once again I do not care about you say,I believe he will be rein over our country well he can always discard her and get him a mistress what I say stands I am King" father bellowed over his advisors.

"But---"

"SILENCE!!!" Father roared.

There was a deafening silence and one man spoke.

"We will not stand for your crazy decisions, we will stand with Prince Michael..that boy doesn't deserve the suffering your putting him though I hope you will see the error of your ways".

"I agree wholeheartedly" another voice said.

there was a rush of agreement and the recording faded away.

Jim turned off the recorder and continued speaking, "Phoebe and I were returning from our stroll in the royal gardens and we over heard this conversation, quick thinking I recorded it and here we are your majesty"

I was astonished at the amount of father's advisors backing me. It felt overwhelming to know I wasn't on my own but however for father....

"Why is father acting like this? I do not understand, it is like the demon of deceit has entered his body and replaced the father I knew" I said in fury.

"Oh son I know..your father has never acted like this in all his years of being on the throne...I've never told you this baby but.. your father was born to a common woman when your grandfather ruled, your father was separated from her and grew up to be a harsh and strict man under your grandfather but when grandfather died just after you were born, he changed to be a softer and caring man, but he's switched back to his old ways but I don't why...." Mother explained in detail.

"Still something isn't right your majesty, Prince Michael is the rightful heir" Phoebe speaking for the first time.

"Yes dear I believe so, there must be something we can do" mother said biting her lip.

Faith yawned and we all turned our heads to her as she rubbed her eyes and blinked surprised to see more people in the room, I told  her a brief summary of what  was going on.

"I agree nothing seems right, the only way we'd be able to get proof that Kenia isn't the heir is to look at perhaps his files or birth certificate before its too late" my queen suggested.

It felt like a lightbulb clicked in my mind at the idea, I turned to my lovely one and pulled her in for a quick kiss and turned back to everyone else in the room feeling my spirits rise again from this glance of hope.

"My Queen's idea is perfect! We just need an idea to get the details is all" I said smiling happily.

"I can go arrange a day with Kenia's mother perhaps tomorrow or the next day but who will collect the details?" Mother pondered outloud.

"I will" Jim declared calmly.

"But if you get caught Jim, you'll lose your place at the palace" Phoebe gasped in despair.

"It doesn't matter to me...as long I can see my friend sit on his throne where he truly belongs" Jim said looking at me in pure honesty.

"I admire your courage and bravery my friend, if you do successed I will promote you to head bodyguard and even if you didn't I will find a way to help you" I vowed looking into his eyes.

"Now let us prepare for this plan, we can leave the celebrating after we succeed" Jim said changing the topic.

So we all sat together for several hours planning and later in the night we all went to bed.