The twelfth disciple episode 18 – 20
đThe 12th
DĂźsciplĂȘâïž
(His Royal Majesty)
Episode 18
By: Faith Lucky
Danicaâs Pov:
The banquet became a mess.
The hall became scattered and disorg-nized, as some people tried moving away, while some moved towards the King.
âMy king!!!â
âYour Highness!!â
âGet out of the way!!â
âStep away!!!â
âHold him carefully..!â
Different scre-ms filled the air as they rushed to help the King up.
He was still unconscious and I could sâ±0t all the princes around him now. The hall was in confusion.
I strained my neck to see as they lifted the King up, holding him by his hands and legs, and taking him away.
Oh my God! Whatâs that??
As the King was taken away, we all stood and watched in amusement.
This was unbelievable. A king â collapsing at a royal banquet.
What happened to him?
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*
All the cooks returned to the kitchen afterwards and for a long while, there was silence.
The banquet was ruined. Everything was ruined.
But why did this have to happen, huh? What happened to the King? Why did he just pass out in a time like that??
âAs you all can seeâ Maâam Nina later addressed up.
âThe King is temporarily ill and is being treated. So unfortunately,, the banquet has to come to an endâ.
A little murmur ran across the kitchen as everyone mumbled about it. It was tragic. The long awaited banquet just ruined in a few seconds.
âBut youâll be receiving your pay, anywayâ she continued and taking up a bag, she paid everyone of us.
Wow!
I smiled as I held my cash in my hand. Thank goodness. This would be enough to get some things at home.
Everyone started dispersing, but the woman I had stayed with said she was going to stay behind. So, I left alone.
The road to the gate was really crowded as some of the guests still hung around. Although, I felt bad and curious, I still felt happy I had collected my full payment. I had been scared we wouldnât get paid or something. But, what couldâve happened to the king, huh? What could be wrong with him?
Walking with the rest of the cooks, I got to the roadside and boarded a cab home.
I made sure I held my bag firmly cause I didnât want to lose my money for any reason at all. It meant a lot to me.
Soon, I knew the news of the King would go round and I wondered what people would say about it â King Caesar collapsed at the Royal banquet.
G©sh! Its definitely gonna be disastrous.
I wonder what happened to him. And I hope heâs going to be fine.
*
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After a very long ride and walk, I finally got home and felt so relieved. It was so dark already and I couldnât wait to just get into my room, shower and sleep. I was sooo tired.
Getting to the entrance, I opened the door and found grandma sitting at the dining.
Oh!
I tried to put on a smile as I walked in, but I noticed something strange, she was lookingâŠ.moody.
âGood evening grannyâ,I said and made to kss her when I noticed she was holding something in her hand â something familiar.
Huh?
Suddenly, she stood up and looked at me, her eyes sore.
âWhatâs this, Danica?â She asked angrily, and my heart skipped when I noticed it was the admission letter.
Oh my God!
How did she find It?
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Authoress Chi Pov:
All the members of the royal family were present in the waiting room h â each child with his mother, except for Prince Duri who didnât have a mother, so stayed with his fiancee.
The collapse of the King was more than a shock to them as they couldnât comprehend why it had to happen. He didnât show any sign of illness the previous day. He was so strong and they couldnât understand why he had to collapse at such an important event.
They all waited impatiently and anxiously. All in all, they prayed and hoped heâd be fine.
After a while, they sighted the priest coming and everyone sprang on their feet, rushing to him.
âHowâs he doctor?â
âWhat happened to him?â
âIs he going to be fine?â
âWhat happened to him, doctor?â Everyone threw numerous questions at him and he sighed, giving them enough space to pour out their anxiety.
He was the royal priest, but they still called him doctor because he was the only one who attended to the King.
They watched his face keenly, but the expression he hadâŠ.it wasnât encouraging at all and only meant one thing;
There was a problem.
âThe King is in a critical conditionâ, he began and they all listened quietly.
Panic filled their faces.
âHeâs developed a very rare illness, a very rare illness that comes once in 100 yearsâ.
Their faces crumpled up in surprise.
âWhat illness is that, doctor?â The second queen demanded.
If only the sound of their heartbeats could be heard.
âItâs a rare illness thatâd kill him slowly if a cure Is not provided. And unfortunately, thereâs only one cure for it. One cureâ.
He paused and looked into their faces.
âWhat cure?â Princess Mabel asked.
And in a low voice, he replied:
âThe bl©©d of a discipleâ.
Episode 19
By: Faith Lucky
Danicaâs Pov:
I ran far away from the house and stopped when i couldnât run anymore. I was beginning to p-nt.
I placed my hands on my knees and wept profusely.
I felt bittered, devastated and confused. What do I even do, huh? I couldnât think of facing grandma or going back to the house.
No; no way. I couldnât face her. I just needed to be alone.
I whimpered as I started walking away, trying as much as possible to clean the tears that rolled freely down my cheeks.
I thought of going to Nanaâs house. But. Her house was very far from mine. And it was late to go through the woods. Maybe i should just board a cab since I had some cash with me.
I needed a place to sit.
On my way to the road, I continued sniffling. I was blinded by my tears as I stared down at the floor and suddenly, all I felt were flashes in my face.
I stopped walking and lifted my hands to shield my face from the bright lights that inconvenienced me.
That was when i realized it was a car that had been coming from a sharp bend, but I was too muddled to notice it. But thankfully, the driver was fast enough to screech to a halt, right in front of me.
I brought my hands down from my face and watched as the door opened to a young pretty woman rushing out.
She was dressed in a black suit and looked really pretty.
âHey! Are you alright? Were you hurt?â She asked as she rushed to me and held my hand.
I stared at her, speechless, suddenly having a cold feeling.
She also paused as soon as she held my hand and stared into my face.
Few seconds, we were silent.
âWere youâŠ.were you hurt? Why werenât you careful, huh?â She asked calmly, still looking into my face.
I admired her small pink l-ips.
âWhy are you crying?â She asked again and that was when I realized I hadnât said a word.
âIâmâŠ.Iâm fine, maâam. Sorry for not being carefulâ I sniffed and took my eyes from her face.
She was still holding my hand and I slowly withdrew it from hers.
âAre you headed somewhere? I couldâŠgive you a rideâ she offered and I sniffed again
She was a stranger and normally, Iâd have said no to her. But surprisingly, I found myself agreeing without reluctance.
Perhaps, its because I needed some company or didnât want to spend on cab.
âThanksâ, I muttered and she took me to her car.
She opened the front door for me and I walked in and she went round to the driverâs seat.
âSo,where are you headed?â She asked as she turned on the ignition.
âXpress streetâ I fuddled with my fingers and said.
Somehow, I still had that s-nsation to cry. .
She nodded and started moving the car and for a short while, we were silent.
That was when the richness of the car dawned on me.
G©sh! It was a jeep and looked so classic.
The car was so cold due to the Ac and I watched as the woman moved the sterling which brought out beautiful lights. This was actually my first time entering a private car.
âSo, why were you crying? Is there a problem?â She finally broke the silence, her eyes focused on the road.
I stared down at my fingers, feeling sad again.
âItsâŠ.itâs nothing maâam. Just having a little issue with my grandmaâ I sniffed and glanced at her.
âIs that the reason youâre running from home?â She asked and I nodded slowly.
Then, she smiled and mumbled:
âTeenagersâ.
âYou know, I have a daughter, your ageâ she continued and looked at her, picking interest.
âHer name is Bitna. Whenever sheâs angry, sheâd lock herself up in her room and refuse talking to anyone. Most times, she wouldnât talk to me for days. You teenagers tend to make nasty decisions when youâre angry, huh?â She chucked.
Bitna. It suddenly made me remember the girl at the banquet.
âWell, whatever the issue is, Iâd suggest you sort things out with her, okay?â She cooed.
âSheâs still your mother and probably knows the best for you. Just try to listen to her, okay?â
âBut what ifâŠsheâs forcing you to do the wrong thing? Or forcing you to go against your happiness?â I asked, surprised at how I seek advice from her.
âWellâŠ..
âMaybe you try to convince her, then. Try to win overâ.
I sighed and shook my head. Grandma couldnât be convinced.
âDonât worry, dear. It might seem tough now but, everything will be fineâ she placed her hand on mine and said and as I looked up at her,somehow, her words seemed to do a lot to me.
They calmed me down.
âThank you maâamâ I smiled and she took her hand back to the sterling.
Shortly, we got to my destination and she pulled over.
âThis is it, right?â She asked as she stopped the car.
âYes, maâam. Thanks a lot. Thanks for the rideâ I replied and opened the door.
âYou didnât tell me your nameâ she said, just when I was about stepping out.
âItâs Danicaâ I answered, already outside.
âOkay, Danica. It was nice meeting you. Byeâ.
âBye maâam. Goodnightâ.
She smiled warmly at me as I shut the door and watched her leave.
Hmm.
I stood, staring at the moving car for a while and a faint smile lingered on my l-ips.
Suddenly, I realized felt something â something I hadnât felt in years.
I couldnât explain it, but my time with the womanâŠ.it was something I enjoyed and craved for. I totally forgot Iâd been crying a while ago.
When I couldnât see her car anymore, I turned around and headed for Nanaâs house. I just hope her mother allows me spend the night there.
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Nathanâs Pov:
I needed some air.
I walked out to the pool side and stood alone, facing the waters as they stilled in the moonlight.
I brought out the cigarette and lighter I had collected from the guard, lit it and stuck it into my mouth.
Recalling the previous incidence made me really tensed and each time I was tensed, I preferred smoking to calm me down. Else, I donât smoke.
As I puffed smoke from my cigarette into the air, fatherâs words resounded in my head:
âI want you to search for the 12th disciple. Anyone who finds her and brings her to me first, will be my heirâ
Seriously? Thatâs ridiculous.
Why does he have to give such task before choosing an heir? And how do we even find her in the first place?
Its been 18 years already since she went missing. How are we sure sheâs still alive? What does she look like? Where exactly could she be?
I huffed and smoked angrily.
But on the other hand, keeping the throne aside, that was the only thing that could save father.
I suddenly heard some footsteps and turned to see a familiar face walking towards me â a young pretty lady.
She smiled as she got to where I was.
âMy princeâ she bowed.
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Bitnaâs Pov:
I realized my waiting was not in vain the moment I sâ±0tted the prince by the swimming. Prince Nathan!
I felt my cheeks become hot as I started walking towards him.
Yes,I knew it!! I knew my patience was going to pay.
I smiled happily as I walked towards him and to my own favor, he was alone. LikeâŠall the best.
He probably sensed my presence cause he turned towards my direction and looked at me. Oops! He was so handsome! Just like a god.
But he was smoking at the moment.
âMy princeâ I bowed when I stood in front of him.
âUmâŠGood evening my prince. Sorry, if Iâm disturbingâ I further said when he didnât make any comment.
âYes? Do you need something?â He asked, his voice a little hĂŠrd.
Ouch!
âUmâŠnot really. I just. .I just wanted to ask after your sister â princess Mabel. Sheâs my friend andâŠI was thinking I could see her before leavingâ I said politely and he sighed.
âYou canât see Mabel tonight. Sheâs busyâ he replied gruffly, staring into the waters again.
Urgh!! Whyâs he acting so grumpy, huh? How do I get his rapt attention?
Then, an idea popped into my head. Oh God! Will it work?
âUhâŠthank you, my prince. Iâll be on my way nowâ I said, but he didnât even look at me or say a word.
G©sh!
Slowly, I turned around and started walking away, but without taking up to three steps already, I held my tummy and fell on my knees.
âAhh!!â I gro-ned as my knees hit the floor.
I felt the prince run up to me from behind.
âHey; are you alright?â He asked.
Although, he didnât touch me, I could tell he was concerned.
âMyâŠ.my tummy. It hurtsâ I winced and jerked it even more.
Oh, pleaseâŠ! Just touch me.
He watched me silently and didnât touch me like I expected.
âMaybeâŠI should call the guards to helpâ he said and immediately, my eyes wÂĄdened
What? Guards?
âUhâŠdonât worry my prince. I shouldnâtâŠI shouldnât stress youâ I bit my lower lip and struggled to stand up.
But when I was done standing, I acted like I wanted to fall again and he gripped me
Yes!!? He held me!!
âHey, carefulâ he said as he held my shoulder, preventing me from falling.
Oh my gee!! He was really holding me.
Yes!!
I turned to look at him, and our faces were so close.
Goodness!! His eyes.
âIâmâŠ.Iâm sorry, my prince. I donât know whatâs wrong with me. I guess Iâll just go home nowâ I said and he pulled away from me immediately.
âYeah, you shouldâ he sighed and took me some steps away.
Hmph. So, the rumours were true, then. He didnât like the company of girls. But he just touched me..!
âUmâŠ.my name is Bitna. AndâŠweâre actually in the same grade in schoolâ I told him just before he turned to face the pool.
âYou attend Royal High?â He asked and I nodded.
Well, I wouldnât be surprised if he hasnât noticed me because he hĂŠrdly attends classes.
Suddenly, he looked at me with a look of recognition.
âHold onâŠyouâre the lady that won best student of the session, huh?â He asked.
âYes, yes. Its meâ I replied quickly, my eyes beaming.
Oh my gee!! Now, he remembers me for something good..!!
âCoolâ he said under his breath and turned back to the pool.
For a few seconds, he was silent as I just smiled at him.
âYou should leave. Its pretty late alreadyâ he mumbled and started walking away, without looking at me.
I stared at him as he left, helplessly smiling sheepishly.
Oh my gee!!
The prince talked to me!!
And he touched meâŠ.!!
My waiting was never in vain
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Imagine this one oođđđ
What do you think?
Episode 20
By: Faith Lucky
Bitnaâs Pov:
I arrived home, feeling so ecstatic. And to crown it all, mum and dad were home as well.
âBitna!â mum called as soon as she sâ±0tted.
She was the first person I met and she sat alone in the sitting room, a laptop on her leg, and scattered files and papers beside her on the couch.
âHi mumâ I beamed and ran to peck her.
âHm. You look happy. How was the banquet?â She asked as I sat next to her on the couch.
âIt was excellent, mum! So..amazingâ I replied happily, smiles allover my face.
âWow! Really? Too bad I couldnât attendâ her fingers were busy on the laptop.
âUmâŠ.actually, I think the King is sickâ I said.
âSick? How?â
âHe actually collapsed during the toastâ.
She took her eyes from the system and looked st me immediately, shock written over her.
âWhaaat??? He collapsed??â She shrieked and I nodded.
âOh my God! How did it happen? Whatâs wrong with him?â
âI donât know, mum. He justâŠ.passed out. And because of that, the banquet was canceledâ.
âWow! ButâŠif the banquet was canceled, why then did you say it was fun?â She asked and I smiled.
âWellâ I paused and cleared my throat.
âI got to talk to prince Nathanâ.
She arched a brow.
âPrince Nathan?â She asked, rather amused.
And I nodded like a baby.
âOâŠ..kay. So, what happened? What did you two talk about?â She turned to face me, suddenly picking interest.
âWellâŠ.nothing much, mum. You know heâs kinda quiet and grumpy. But he touched meâ I smiled, picking my fingers shyly.
She was about saying something when dadâs presence interrupted us.
âBitnaâ he called in his usual manly tone as he walked down the stairs, his hands in his nicker pockets.
âHi dadâ I stood up and went to hug him.
âYou didnât come for the banquetâ I said as I pulled away from him.
âYes, dear. Got really hooked up at the office. How was it?â He asked.
âBitna said the King collapsedâ mum replied before I could.
âWhat? He collapsed?â Daddyâs face was crumpled.
âYes, dad. We have no idea what happened. He just passed out when we were about making a toastâ I shrugged and he scoffed in surprise.
âWoah! Thatâs seriousâ he mumbled.
âIâll be in my room, mum. Need to take a showerâ I said, aloud.
âOkay, darling. Donât forget to take your milk, okay?â
âYes, mumâ I replied and took the stairs.
I couldnât wait to tell Hana and Jeong about my encounter with the prince.
*
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Nathanâs Pov:
I came out of the bathroom, my hair dripping w-t and towel tied around my wa-ist.
I walked over to my second wardrobe,took out one of my night robes and just as I was done putting it on, my door opened and I looked to discover it was mum.
âSonâ she smiled sweety as she walked in.
She was also putting on a nightie and looked like she was about going to bed.
âHey, mumâ I muttered and went to sit on the bed.
She didnât say a word till she had gotten close to me and sat next to me on the bed.
âWanna sleep?â She asked as she touched my face.
âYeahâŠ.I feel a little drowsyâ I told her and she smiled and stroke my hair.
âAny improvement on dad?â I asked but she shook her head.
I exhaled deeply.
âSoâŠwhat happens when we donât find this 12th disciple? Does it mean heâs just gonna die?â I asked, perturbed.
âUnfortunately, son. Thatâs what it means.
âBut perhaps, he might survive if we find herâ
âBut, how mum? Its been 18 years since she went missing. How do we find her? How do we even know her location?âI grumbled.
âDonât worry, son. Iâll have some private investigators look into itâ
My eyes dimmed.
âHuh? You wanna involve an outsider? Remember what the doctor said, mum. He warned us to keep it a secret and amongst ourselves, mum. Because, if the 12th disciple gets to know weâre looking for her,,she might go into a more complicated hidingâŠ.â
âYes, yes, I know, son. I know. And thatâs the reason Iâll be employing trustworthy people. Donât worry. ButâŠyou still need to make efforts to look for her.â She enthused.
âHow, mum? Where do I start from?â
She sighed and touched my hair.
âA little tipâ she leaned closer and whispered.
âEach disciple had a mark on their wa-ists according to their numbers. So, apparently, the 12th disciple would also have a mark on her wa-ist â with the number 12â.
I stared at her, silently, trying to digest the info.
A mark on her wa-ist.
âSoâŠdoes it mean Iâd have to open the clothes of every lady I meet just to find a mark?â I asked and she laughed.
âItâs just a tip, Nathan. Donât worry, weâre in this togetherâ she winked at me and stood up.
âI should leave you to have some rest. Goodnight, okay?â She kssed me.
âGoodnight, mumâ I mumbled and she walked away.
For a long while, I was still and silent, reminiscing on the wh0le incidence â dad being sick, finding the 12th disciple., becoming the heir to the throneâŠ
G©sh! It was so overwhelming.
I took in a deep breath and buried my face in my palms, thinking deeply.
Why did this had to happen now, huh? Why the curse?
I stood up from the bed and went to my third wardrobe, bringing the bracelet out of it.
At least, I needed something to calm myself.
I returned to the bed with it, laid and covered myself up with the duvet, then stared at it, my fingers playing with the letters of the name â DAN.
I still couldnât find her. Where could she be? Hasnât she seen the news?
And why could she be running from me? Anyone would die to be in her possession. So, why was she acting differently?
I sighed and stared intently at it.
Somehow, I just couldnât feel at ease without finding her. I felt I needed to see her.
I couldnât really point out the reason but, I just needed to see her.
Dan â Iâll find you.
*
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Next_morning.
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Danicaâs Pov:
I yawned and stretched on the bed as I felt someone calling me.
Oh crazy. Who could it be?
âDan! Wake up, Dan! Its morning alreadyâ I heard the annoying voice and quickly recognized it.
âOh! Nana,what have I ever done to you?â I grumbled as I turned to back her, but she slapped my arm.
âYour grandmaâs outsideâ she snapped and my eyes flung open at once.
What?
I turned sharply to look at her.
âMy grandma?â I asked, like I hadnât heard her.
âYou heard me, Dan. Sheâs outsideâŠwaiting for youâ.
I furrowed my brows and sat up
Huh? Whatâs she doing here? And how did she know I slept in Nanaâs house?
Probably because Nana was the only friend I had.
âCome on, Dan. You shouldnât keep her waitingâ she said as she stood up and tried lifting me up the bed.
âIâŠ.I donât wanna see herâ I pouted.
âHuh? Are you kidding me?? Stop being such a spoilt brat and her off the bed. Now!â
And with that, she succeeded in lifting me up the bed.
Oh God! I really didnât feel like meeting her
Nana held my hand and forced me out of the room, then out of the house. And there I met grandma, standing and waiting.
Her face was plain.
âSheâs here now, maâam. Sorry it took longâ Nana smiled as she dropped me in front of her and left.
Oh crap.
âGood morning, grannyâ I mumbled as I stared down at my shirt, keeping my face straight.
For a while,she was silent. And I wondered if she didnât have anything to say.
âYou should come with me. We need to go homeâ she said in a flat tone and turned around.
âIâm not going homeâI pouted and she turned to look at me.
âI wanna stay here for sometimeâ I added, under my breath, fiddling with the tip of my shirt.
I heard her sigh.
âReally? WellâŠI thought you might want to start classes todayâ she said and my eyes beamed.
Whaaaat???
*
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TBCđ±đ±đ±
Seems granny has finally agreed to Danicaâs request.