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CHAPTER 8:

Pedro contemplated his short conversation with Zecklin. He didn't rest that night, for a pang of guilt had whacked him.

"Stop fooling the Princess." That rang in his brain. He didn't think going with Reina was bad. Maybe he did fancy her but he wouldn't have the in depth feelings he had for Serrian. He had to set things right. He needed to tell Reina that the kiss meant nothing, that there was nothing between them, and that all of this was a misunderstanding. They were friends, only friends. It would forever remain that way. Even though she would not accept it.

The next day, he left for Stephano's. His mind was set on ending it with Reina. When he arrived, he saw small groups of people, huddled together and talking. He though they were just gossiping, but was startled him the most was that there was no music, and there were no dancers. He went to the counter and was about to greet Stephano," Hey, Steph-"

"Did you hear?" Stephano shoved his head into Pedro's face. "Did you hear? Did you see?" He repeated.

"Hear? See? What?" Pedro stared at him as if he was stupid.

"You mean you don't know?" Stephano seemed surprise.

"Apparently."

"Where were you?"

"I was at my home the entire time."

"No wonder!"

"Okay, just tell me. What happened?"

"Okay, okay listen. I think you should know that the Princess was almost killed-"

"Almost killed?!" Pedro exploded. All the people turned to him.

"Yeah," Stephano nodded," Relax, everything is under control."

"How do you know that?!" Pedro couldn't keep his stability.

"Because you stayed in your house, you wouldn't know that in the middle of the island a decapitated body is hanging with a pole stuck through it. It was gruesome, I can tell you that, I wanted to throw up. He was the rebel that tried to kill her. Nobody knows his name because right after his death the guards incinerated his head. I'm sure he won't be missed but dang."

"O-oh... wow." He was relieved that the Princess lived and the rebel got what he deserved. What made him shocked is that he was only a few minutes away from the accident. And a death like that was just... sad.

"There's more." Stephano's eyes widened," Do you want to hear it?"

"Tell me. What other shocking things did I miss?"

"Kenton, he's dead. The entire island was stunned."

"Wh-what?" His face became cold. "What do you mean dead?"

"He kicked the bucket, took a permanent dirt nap, not breathing."

"How?"

"Well, the rebel poisoned Serrian's drink and Kenton drank it instead of her. I'm not sure, but that's what I heard. I don't know if the Queen is getting another betrothed for Serrian, maybe not. She's not letting anybody see the body; in fact, she's doing a private burial. Just her and the two Princesses. And, of course, the guys that will bury the body and the priest and such. Sudden don't you think?"

"Yeah, it was." Pedro tried to keep his mind open but all this news was banging his head.

"And... There are rumors circulating that about two weeks ago the Princess' servant was also, almost killed. Everyone says the monarchs know who the killer is, but it's just that they don't want to tell anyone... I don't know why."

"Wait, wait, you mean Zecklin. Serrian's personal servant?"

"Yeah, him." Pedro couldn't believe it. So many things were jabbing through his skull. Zecklin was fine at the engagement party, sure. Pedro wondered how he missed so much of what was happening recently. He wouldn't deny that he disliked Zecklin, but if he was dead- to be honest, he'd be a little depressed. Well, Zecklin didn't so Pedro will continue to dislike him.

"Do you know why?"

"Of course not."

"That-that's a lot to take in."

"I guess so."

"Yeah... But how do you know all of this?"

"People come here and talk Pedro, I just listen. And sometimes I make sure. Like the hanging body... I am never going back there again." Stephano shook his head, sticking his tongue out.

"Anything else?"

"No, that's it for now. I'm guessing your kind of okay with all of this right? I mean now, you can get married to the Princess. As long as you finish all the complications and cut the rope with Reina. Which I think you won't do. Hey, want a beer?"

"You talk a lot, you know that?"

"Yeah, I do. So... do you still want that beer?"

"Sure." As Stephano filled the glass Pedro spoke," So um... do you know where Reina is?" He placed all the information he learned in the back of his head and focused on his objective.

"She wanted to see the rebel's body." Stephano handed the glass to his friend and Pedro began to drink," I know she couldn't bear and any second she'll come running back he-"

"Pedro, you're back!" He almost choked at her voice.

"I never left I just didn't come back."

"Whatever. I'm just happy you're here!" She smiled and hugged him tightly. He hesitated as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Did you see the body?" Stephano jutted in.

"Nope, I closed my eyes and walked passed it."

"I knew you didn't have the guts."

"I di-"

"Wait. Reina, I want to tell you something."

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Stephano..." he looked at his friend. Stephano smiled and turned around. "Cover your ears." His shoulders slumped but he did what he was told.

"When we last saw each other we danced like normal, but we... we-"

"We kissed."

"I was thinking about that and I'm just saying. No, we just can't be together." He said quietly, attempting to let her down softly.

"A-are you leaving me?"

"We were never together. I don't want you to take this the wrong way. We're just friends, always were. Friends, dance partners, that's all. Nothing more than that."

"Is it because Kenton died and you think that you can get back with the Princess again?" Her voice raised and she stepped towards him.

Pedro bit his lip.

"I'm better than her! I know I am. There's nothing stopping us. The Queen doesn't want her to be with you, she's a damn Princess for all I care. I'm here for you, not her!" Reina defended herself.

"No you're not!" Pedro's voice attracted attention," You're not better than her!"

"What, because she a Princess?!"

"No, because she's intelligent, strong, she isn't insecure and overall even if she wasn't a Princess she wouldn't be dancing and shaking her ass off in a bar like this. Think about it Reina." He huffed, turned around, and exited.

Description
CHAPTER 8:

Pedro contemplated his short conversation with Zecklin. He didn't rest that night, for a pang of guilt had whacked him.

"Stop fooling the Princess." That rang in his brain. He didn't think going with Reina was bad. Maybe he did fancy her but he wouldn't have the in depth feelings he had for Serrian. He had to set things right. He needed to tell Reina that the kiss meant nothing, that there was nothing between them, and that all of this was a misunderstanding. They were friends, only friends. It would forever remain that way. Even though she would not accept it.

The next day, he left for Stephano's. His mind was set on ending it with Reina. When he arrived, he saw small groups of people, huddled together and talking. He though they were just gossiping, but was startled him the most was that there was no music, and there were no dancers. He went to the counter and was about to greet Stephano," Hey, Steph-"

"Did you hear?" Stephano shoved his head into Pedro's face. "Did you hear? Did you see?" He repeated.

"Hear? See? What?" Pedro stared at him as if he was stupid.

"You mean you don't know?" Stephano seemed surprise.

"Apparently."

"Where were you?"

"I was at my home the entire time."

"No wonder!"

"Okay, just tell me. What happened?"

"Okay, okay listen. I think you should know that the Princess was almost killed-"

"Almost killed?!" Pedro exploded. All the people turned to him.

"Yeah," Stephano nodded," Relax, everything is under control."

"How do you know that?!" Pedro couldn't keep his stability.

"Because you stayed in your house, you wouldn't know that in the middle of the island a decapitated body is hanging with a pole stuck through it. It was gruesome, I can tell you that, I wanted to throw up. He was the rebel that tried to kill her. Nobody knows his name because right after his death the guards incinerated his head. I'm sure he won't be missed but dang."

"O-oh... wow." He was relieved that the Princess lived and the rebel got what he deserved. What made him shocked is that he was only a few minutes away from the accident. And a death like that was just... sad.

"There's more." Stephano's eyes widened," Do you want to hear it?"

"Tell me. What other shocking things did I miss?"

"Kenton, he's dead. The entire island was stunned."

"Wh-what?" His face became cold. "What do you mean dead?"

"He kicked the bucket, took a permanent dirt nap, not breathing."

"How?"

"Well, the rebel poisoned Serrian's drink and Kenton drank it instead of her. I'm not sure, but that's what I heard. I don't know if the Queen is getting another betrothed for Serrian, maybe not. She's not letting anybody see the body; in fact, she's doing a private burial. Just her and the two Princesses. And, of course, the guys that will bury the body and the priest and such. Sudden don't you think?"

"Yeah, it was." Pedro tried to keep his mind open but all this news was banging his head.

"And... There are rumors circulating that about two weeks ago the Princess' servant was also, almost killed. Everyone says the monarchs know who the killer is, but it's just that they don't want to tell anyone... I don't know why."

"Wait, wait, you mean Zecklin. Serrian's personal servant?"

"Yeah, him." Pedro couldn't believe it. So many things were jabbing through his skull. Zecklin was fine at the engagement party, sure. Pedro wondered how he missed so much of what was happening recently. He wouldn't deny that he disliked Zecklin, but if he was dead- to be honest, he'd be a little depressed. Well, Zecklin didn't so Pedro will continue to dislike him.

"Do you know why?"

"Of course not."

"That-that's a lot to take in."

"I guess so."

"Yeah... But how do you know all of this?"

"People come here and talk Pedro, I just listen. And sometimes I make sure. Like the hanging body... I am never going back there again." Stephano shook his head, sticking his tongue out.

"Anything else?"

"No, that's it for now. I'm guessing your kind of okay with all of this right? I mean now, you can get married to the Princess. As long as you finish all the complications and cut the rope with Reina. Which I think you won't do. Hey, want a beer?"

"You talk a lot, you know that?"

"Yeah, I do. So... do you still want that beer?"

"Sure." As Stephano filled the glass Pedro spoke," So um... do you know where Reina is?" He placed all the information he learned in the back of his head and focused on his objective.

"She wanted to see the rebel's body." Stephano handed the glass to his friend and Pedro began to drink," I know she couldn't bear and any second she'll come running back he-"

"Pedro, you're back!" He almost choked at her voice.

"I never left I just didn't come back."

"Whatever. I'm just happy you're here!" She smiled and hugged him tightly. He hesitated as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Did you see the body?" Stephano jutted in.

"Nope, I closed my eyes and walked passed it."

"I knew you didn't have the guts."

"I di-"

"Wait. Reina, I want to tell you something."

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Stephano..." he looked at his friend. Stephano smiled and turned around. "Cover your ears." His shoulders slumped but he did what he was told.

"When we last saw each other we danced like normal, but we... we-"

"We kissed."

"I was thinking about that and I'm just saying. No, we just can't be together." He said quietly, attempting to let her down softly.

"A-are you leaving me?"

"We were never together. I don't want you to take this the wrong way. We're just friends, always were. Friends, dance partners, that's all. Nothing more than that."

"Is it because Kenton died and you think that you can get back with the Princess again?" Her voice raised and she stepped towards him.

Pedro bit his lip.

"I'm better than her! I know I am. There's nothing stopping us. The Queen doesn't want her to be with you, she's a damn Princess for all I care. I'm here for you, not her!" Reina defended herself.

"No you're not!" Pedro's voice attracted attention," You're not better than her!"

"What, because she a Princess?!"

"No, because she's intelligent, strong, she isn't insecure and overall even if she wasn't a Princess she wouldn't be dancing and shaking her ass off in a bar like this. Think about it Reina." He huffed, turned around, and exited.