Foster court
1190 Words
Lola could tell by Shane’s expression that Prince Ronald was bad news for them. She was strangely not as shaken as she thought she would be when called to testify. Maybe knowing that the king and queen believed that they were innocent and had no questions for them helped.
“Excuse my ignorance, how long have you and Shane been married for?” Prince Ronald asked Lola, whom, to his irritation, looked so innocent, you would swear she walked right out of heaven.
“Three days, Your Highness.”
He rolled his eyes at her melodic voice. The whole Foster nation was, to his dismay, obsessed with Shane. Everyone wanted to see his wife. Lola looked and sounded like those people who won over multitudes without saying much. He could see the attendees exchanging impressed looks. He needed to destroy Lola and Shane once and for all.
“How long were you dating?” he asked firmly, an attempt to intimidate her.
Lola made eye contact with Shane. She could see where the line of questioning was going, but lying would get them in trouble.
“We didn’t,” she said truthfully while the prince and everyone questioningly raised their eyebrows. Even those who had already concluded that they were innocent were no longer certain after her response.
“You didn’t date?” the prince asked.
“No,Your Highness.”
“How did you get married without dating?”
“Like multitudes of our ancestors did, Your Highness.”
Shane could not help but laugh. He was no longer worried. His wife was no pushover, but he already knew that.
“So you got dumped by Mike and decided to go the old school?” the prince sneered.
“Betrayal has a way of reminding one of their roots, Your Highness.”
“Are you saying there is no love between the two of you?”
“I did not say that, Your Highness.”
“You just told us that you two did not date. How can you love each other?”
“The same way our ancestors did, Your Highness.”
“Our ancestors did not love each other. Reproduction was the main aim for getting married,” the prince pressed on, but his strategy to purge and intimidate Lola was not working.
“There would to be no word love if they didn’t, Your Highness. Reproduction requires willingness, respect and love. Unless His Highness is suggesting that we are all products of forced reproduction. Crime, I may add.”
Lola’s response got everyone exchanging impressed looks. Not only was Lola graceful in all her responses, but smart too.
“In other words, you love him,” Prince Ronald asked.
“I do, Your Highness.”
“Three days is very fast to fall inlove. I doubt our ancestors fell inlove that fast,” the prince sneered.
Lola remained quiet
“Do you have any response to that?”
“I did not realise His Highness wanted a response to his statement.”
“Huh!” Prince Ronald exclaimed while Shane chuckled.
“Don’t you think you fell in love unrealistically fast?”
“I can’t really say. Love is an emotion that cannot be measured or censored. Some experience love at first sight, some it’s a few hours or days, some it’s months to years. For me, it’s hitting a rock bottom after betrayal by the person you spent all your time putting first. It’s realising that old school was smarter at times than civilisation. It’s hanging by a thread with no hope for any future. It’s the knight in shining amour who pulls you out of that dreadful state and loves you unconditionally. For me, love is Shane.”
“Very touching. Your knight in shining amour happens to be your boss and your ex boyfriend’s uncle?”
“Love has no hierarchy and no boundaries, Your Highness.”
“Interesting. Shane, according to you, was your mere boss when the elevator incident occurred. Would you explain to this court why you were clinging to your boss and boyfriend’s uncle like that?”
“The elevator malfunctioned. I am claustrophobic, Your Highness.”
“That’s very convenient, don’t you think?”
“The elevator malfunctioning or being claustrophobic, Your Highness?”
“Both can be man made,” Prince Ronald snapped while Lola remained quiet.
“Don’t you agree?”
“I am not an engineer nor a psychologist, Your Highness.”
Lola’s responses were making the Prince really angry.
“One does not just wake up claustrophobic,” he said angrily while Lola flashed him an innocent smile.
“Is His Highness asking the reasons I am claustrophobic?”
“I believe I was clear.”
“Forgive me for thinking you were making another statement, Your Highness. I was eight years old when the cartel murdered my family. I hid in the closet waiting for a bullet to blow my head off at any moment. I needed intensive psychotherapy afterwards. Since then, closed spaces are a challenge I am trying to overcome. That elevator incident took me a few steps back. I had to see a therapist again. His Highness is welcomed to confirm this.”
“Why?” Prince Ronald roared. He just could not contain his anger anymore. Now everyone would be sympathising with Lola.
“Why what, Your Highness?”
“Why did the cartel kill your family?”
“Greed, I guess,” Lola responded with a shrug. She hardly spoke about her family.
“You guess? Cartels don’t just target families like that. Rival gangs, yes, but no innocent families,” the prince alleged while Lola flinched.
“She is the only Mokay alive. I hope that answers your question. I will take my wife to rest now if that’s fine with you,” Shane interjected before getting on his feet, holding Lola’s hand and ushering her towards the door.
“We are not done!” Prince Ronald snapped. He saw Lola flinch. He was close to breaking her and getting his way.
“I say we are. You are as of this moment, less than qualified to question my wife,” Shane said coldly.
“Anyone can claim to be the Mokay. We can’t just take your word,” the prince objected but everyone was caught up on Lola being a Mokay.
“We have procedures for that and you are still less than qualified to question her,” Shane stated while Prince Ronald turned to his brother, hoping for some support, but the king knew never to provoke Shane when upset and he was fuming.
“Thank you for your attendance Lord Shane and Madame Lola of Foster kingdom,” the king declared instead, while his brother looked at him in disbelief.
“Kingdom? Your Highness!” Prince Ronald cried. His brother had just elevated Lola and Shane to be heads of all the Foster families, not just their clan, putting them above him and just below the king in the Foster hierarchy.
“Stand down, Ronald,” the king commanded while Shane ushered his wife outside.
- Writer
