KNEEL BEFORE THE CROWN (BL)

The woman's white skin showed very clearly that her cheeks were blushing red like ripe apples, when her hand was kissed by a King. "Thank you for inviting Grissham, Your Majesty. I come as a representative of my country."

Adam pulled a chair for her, next to him. "Of course, I understand. This is King Henry of Gwylion."

She smiled faintly. "It is a pleasure to meet you, King Henry. I believe this is our first meeting. Let me introduce myself, Carmellia Eleanora, the only daughter of King Anderson and Queen Ingerid of Grissham."

With a wide smile, Henry kissed the girl's hand gently. "Nice to meet you, Princess. Maybe I'll leave you alone with King Adam?"

"No, no need. Your Majesty."

It was too late, Henry had already gotten up from his seat. "I will enjoy this party, because I have to go home tomorrow morning. Come on, Anthony." He said jokingly.

"Sorry for making your guest leave, Your Majesty." Carmellia said softly.

"It's okay, I've had a lot of conversations with him earlier."

The princess' eyes were only focused on the night view of Wilhelmia, occasionally looking down.

"How was your trip? Sorry, it must have been tiring, huh? Grissham and Wilhelmia are in different cardinal directions."

The girl chuckled, "Yes, that's how it is, Your Majesty. But I am very happy to be able to go far away like this. Visiting a neighboring country is a fun thing."

"Really? You are not afraid of being far from home?"

Carmellia shook her head slowly, "No. In fact, I rarely travel. So I really feel challenged."

"You came with the maids?"

"Yes, this is Layla." The girl bowed to Adam and stood beside Weithia. "There are also some soldiers guarding us of course."

Adam nodded in understanding. "This party will be held for probably seven days and seven nights. You can stay here as long as you want."

"Thank you for your kindness. My father and mother send their regards to you."

"Yes, of course. Thank you."

Adam smiled as he turned his head towards Carmellia who lowered her head in shame. "You are truly beautiful. The rumor is not wrong."

"Rumor?"

"Yes, your beauty is very famous in various corners of the country. And now I can see it directly. As if a work of art that cannot be touched because it is fragile and expensive." Those words made Carmellia's face even hotter.

"Don't you want to dance? It would be a shame if such a beautiful dress is not invited to dance."

Adam stood up and stretched out his hand. The girl nervously reached for it. The glass door was opened, immediately all eyes were on the couple who looked so beautiful, stepping forward to the middle of the room. The violin and piano immediately sounded when they knew that the King would be doing his first dance – on the first day of the party too. Usually that would only be done by a Queen or at least anyone who was loved by the King.

Carmellia felt very surprised and happy that night. She and Layla thought that King Adam would be very cold or even hate her. But it was completely the opposite. An extraordinarily handsome, gentle and caring man asked her to dance. Friendly, inviting her to chat, her mother would be happy to hear the story when the girl came home.

It was really embarrassing, because all eyes were on them. The guests who were present were stunned by Carmellia's beauty, like a living doll. The green dress that was the same color as her eyes fluttered on the white marble floor of the hall. Showered with warm light from the hanging lamps.

Her hair was gently swept by the wind as Adam let the girl spin. Her tiny hands looked a little nervous as she held the King's broad shoulders tightly. Their breaths seemed to meet, Carmellia was afraid that the King could feel her pounding heartbeat.

"You really good at dancing Princess." 

Adam seemed to be enjoying the dance so much. Who knows how long they had been dancing in the hall. He glanced at Weithia who was standing behind the crowd of nobles. His gray eyes were like dark clouds that were about to rain. Adam smiled. He kissed Carmellia's hands again, which triggered a shocked reaction from the guests. So did the girl.

"Thank you for dancing with me. Enjoy the party. Make sure to keep yourself away from the men. They can't stop looking at you." He whispered with smile.

 Adam decided to leave the party. He approached Weithia who was near the balcony door. "Don't you want to ask a girl to dance? You have to learn Weithia."

The young man was silent, not answering the King's question. 

"Did you hear me?"

"Ah. I don't want to dance with anyone. My King." He said softly.

"Why? Too bad the title I gave you was in vain. The girls in there are looking forward to dancing with a handsome Knight like you." He said in a rather mocking tone.

Adam glanced at Weithia for a moment, while walking to the other side of the darker balcony. The young man followed behind him. "Why are you so quiet today? Tired of working for me?"

"Of course not, Your Majesty."

"Then why? Are you having a problem?" They were completely out of the fatigue of the party that would last all night. Not many lights made the atmosphere dim.

"I don't think so, Your Majesty."

For a moment, silence enveloped their presence. They took small steps along the edge of the balcony – away from the crowd.

"A child once asked me. How do you know if you are really alive? I answered, when taking a deep breath can make you happy." Adam leaned against the support pillar, "Many men die, but few men really live."

Weithia chuckled, placing himself next to the King. "You always teach me with stories or sentences that are hard for me to understand."

"You were so enchanting on the dance floor earlier. I felt nostalgic for something I had never seen before. Your dance seemed to captivate me with a heavenly fairy tale. Not an illusion or a dream. I want to see you dance under that moon."

Adam laughed, "Your words are harder to understand. Wait. Is this because I lent you too many books?" He glanced at the man, laugh, not expecting their eyes to meet. They were silent for a moment, letting the faint music break the silence. Adam quickly looked away. So did Weithia. For some reason, his heart was beating so fast. He didn't expect that to happen. Adam slowly felt a cold touch on his fingers. The night seemed to pass very quickly. Not enough to satisfy his curiosity. the anxieties and doubts of the two people.

****

"The harvest festival is actually a traditional event that occurs when the harvest is finished. The results are usually very abundant. Therefore, most of the food will be stored by the people to get through the following year. Farmers who make bread from wheat, wine and others will usually be given to the church. To thank God, it is also distributed to the poor."

"Very interesting. There is no harvest festival culture like this in my home country. Because it is a coastal area, the land is not very fertile. I am very amazed by the beauty of Wilhelmia." Carmellia said as she stepped through the path overgrown with green grass on both sides. Her tiny feet were protected by such cute white shoes. The simple pink dress suited her very well. Additional pearl accessories were beautifully attached to the young girl's neck and ears.

"So the people's main income is from the sea?"

"Yes, that's right. Some of them also raise animals. But they can't garden like here."

Behind her, Layla faithfully followed the Princess without disturbing her conversation with the Knight at all. "This celebration can also be interpreted as life and fertility. The people will rejoice by distributing food to the poor. They often sing or dance in the square of Tropes City, some also make a big banquet. In the countryside, people usually burn bonfires and dance with livestock around it, to purify the livestock, they say."

Carmellia nodded in understanding, occasionally glancing at Weithia who she thought looked so charming, her appearance was so charming because of the neatness she always upheld. Her smile was very friendly and she was also a very smart person. The sun was getting higher, it was quite tiring for the girl to walk on such a wide meadow.

"Come on, I'll take you to the greenhouse." They started walking back to the palace grounds, passing through the eastern garden which was indeed close to the green meadow. The distance was not far, they had already found a large greenhouse, with a high ceiling.

Weithia opened the door for the two girls. Both of them were so amazed by the dozens of types of flowers that were blooming. Carmellia looked very excited. "Wow! I usually only see all of this in books. Carnations, lilies, roses, marigolds, daisies. So many! Is this all His Majesty's property? Are you sure we can go here?"

"Yes, of course. He himself asked me to show you around the palace. This is the only greenhouse, but there are 3 large gardens with flower gardens and fruit trees. They are located in the east, west and south. In the west there is a beautiful pavilion with a lake surrounding it. You will definitely love it."

Carmellia smiled broadly and laughed, "It's great to live here. There's nothing interesting in Grissham. Layla, look! Isn't this a rare garden?"

The girl approached, "Is it called Orchid, I think? They only grow in tropical areas."

"Yes, tropical! Isn't this amazing? It would be great to live in Wilhelmia. Seeing flowers as beautiful as this every day. Holding a harvest party every year." The girl said happily.

"Wouldn't you be able to live here if you wanted to?" Weithia said, his eyes just staring at the flowers with melancholy. "If you could become His Majesty's Queen."

Layla was a little surprised to hear the young man's rather blunt words - for their first meeting, she saw Carmellia who also looked away. "Sir Weithia, I think we shouldn't talk about that now."

Weithia jumped out of his reverie, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, Princess. I just said something. I remember very well how happy your face was last night when you danced with His Majesty."

The girl just smiled, her nose busy smelling the scent of the plants. "This is the first time I've met His Majesty. Yesterday's dance was probably because he felt sorry for me, no one invited me and I don't know anyone here. It doesn't mean he likes me."

"I was just kidding, there's no way I'll stay here. As the sole heir in Grissham. My job is to marry a man and become Queen there. In my own country."

Weithia looked so regretful for speaking carelessly.

"Where is King Adam?"

"He's working, I'm here to represent him. His Majesty asked me to always accompany you."

"Why didn't he invite you?"

"His Majesty said that there was no other man he trusted to look after you."

The three of them sat in a chair at a round table. Under a glass roof, with lots of plants around. Makes the air feel so cool. "This is Layla, I forgot to introduce her to you. She is my maid, we have been together since childhood. Are you the same?" Carmellia opened a new topic of conversation.

Weithia shook his head, "I graduated from the military school that His Majesty established. General Wilhelmia then suddenly appointed me as a King's Knight. He said my abilities were very good, but I don't think so. There are still many people who are better than me. But because of His Majesty's kindness he gave me this title."

"I'm not even from a noble family, I'm just a commoner. Sometimes I feel very unworthy to be by his side."

Carmellia smiled and rubbed the back of Weithia's hand which looked sad. "Well, it's not without reason that you were appointed as a Knight. The difficult task must be because of your great abilities too. Right Layla?" The woman agreed with a smile.

*****

Adam took a deep breath. And exhaled slowly. The people around him felt that the King had run out of patience. Especially Trevor, cold sweat was pouring from his forehead.

"This is the second time, isn't it? I told you to guard the city properly! Can't you do what I ordered!?" he said firmly.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty. We were a little overwhelmed because yesterday's festival was very crowded. Many people from all over came to Wilhelmia. Our guard was a little lax." Trevor and Ackerley stood behind the man who was looking at a pile of corpses that had turned blue. His face was sour, while throwing many questions at the doctor who performed the autopsy.

"Is this because of poisoning too? Is there anything else strange about his body or anything?"

The hunched doctor shook his head, "No, Your Majesty. It's exactly the same as the first victim."

"Then Trevor, please explain why this nobleman could be a victim?"

"I'm still investigating, Your Majesty. Because this gentleman was also found in a remote alley in Tropes City. However, the location is far from the first location. It seems to have happened on the first night of the harvest festival."

"What was this nobleman doing there?"

"He wanted to hire an entertainer, Your Majesty." A voice was heard from behind the King's ear. Adam's brow furrowed seeing the man's arrival. "Excuse me for my rudeness. I just came from the scene of the crime, that narrow alley seems to be quite an active place."

Then he circled the corpse of a young nobleman whose body was already pale and blue, which was placed on a metal table. "I think this was poisoned. Judging from the signs. There are no bruises, wounds or other forms of violence. It seems that your enemy this time is very good at making potions. I suggest you don't need to bury him, just preserve him until the case is over. So the doctors can find out what poison was used."

"This is Sir Anthony Tivius, he will help us in this investigation." Adam said briefly. Followed by Trevor and Ackerley nods.

"Is there a connection between the world of prostitution in this case? First the woman, now the customer. Random murders like this seem to be playing around." Adam said.

"I think it's very difficult, Your Majesty, we don't know what motive the perpetrator used. But one thing that is striking is the status of the victim. It is difficult to determine whether this case is a threat to the government. If the perpetrator has killed a noble family, it means he is quite great, Your Majesty." Ackerley explained.

Trevor added, "I can also confirm, Your Majesty, that Francilius and Doctor Louis are not in Wilhelmia. We have combed every corner. I am sure they have gone abroad. Moreover, Francilius's house is close to the border."

"Please provide security to the doctor who is helping with this case. If his fate is the same as Doctor Louis, it will be chaotic." Adam said quietly even though in the hospital room there were only him, Trevor, Ackerley, Anthony and the doctor in question.

"Does this mean that there is involvement from another country, Your Majesty? There is no way Francilius would dare to betray if no one asked him to." Anthony said.

Adam understood, "Maybe the harvest festival should be stopped here, no one should do night activities outside the house. They are still allowed to party in their respective homes. The crowd will only make things more chaotic, I don't want any new victims. The construction of the fort will be completed soon. That will make it much easier for us to control who enters and leaves the territory of Wilhelmia."

Trevor agreed. "Then I will patrol every night. I will also order my men to take care of this nobleman's death – especially the matter with his family. Sorry for my negligence once again, Your Majesty."

Adam nodded in understanding and stood in front of the tall man. Smiling faintly, "Meet me again at the palace later." The King and Anthony walked out of the hospital with firm steps and boarded a waiting carriage.

****

"Speaking of family. Where do your parents live now?" Carmellia asked.

"They live on the outskirts of Wilhelmia. They live as farmers, growing corn and wheat. Then at the age of sixteen I decided to enter Haven, not because I didn't want to help them, but because I wanted to change my family's fate for the better."

"His Majesty gave me a lot of money in return. My parents' plan was to buy a house in the city. Open a business as a carpenter, because it seems like my father has talent in that field." he looked happy when he explained.

"You don't have any siblings?"

"No, I'm an only child."

Not long after Layla appeared with a tray of tea and cakes. She poured it into Carmellia and Weithia's cups. She had never seen the Princess so familiar with someone she had just met.

"Just like me, I'm also an only child. But lately my parents have been having problems."

Layla sat beside her and listened. "You can tell me if you want." Weithia said.

Carmellia immediately turned lethargic, "I don't deserve to talk about this with you. But because you can be trusted and maybe you can give me advice." He stared deeply into Weithia's gray eyes, "My family is like being hit by a storm of tension, anger and hatred. It could be destroyed in an instant, I don't know what to do to make things better."

Weithia listened seriously. 

"My father has a mistress. That cracks the harmony of my family. I feel like I don't know my father anymore. My mother is very sad to know that."

"There is nothing special about that woman, just a village girl saved by my father. It's just that she has extraordinary beauty that makes anyone fascinated. Last month she came to the palace for the first time, father himself allowed her to live with us. That is really too much."

Weithia did not expect that the Princess would tell such a thing. He was confused about what to answer. 

"My father even planned to make her a concubine. Imagine how my mother feels!"

The Princess' nose began to turn red and soon tears flowed down her cheeks. Weithia was really confused, he had indirectly made a girl cry. "Princess? Please don't cry."

Weithia gently pulled Carmellia's hand and brought her closer to his embrace. The Princess was hugged with great attention. She hugged Weithia's neck tightly by Carmellia's slender hands, and cried even harder. Weithia could clearly smell the scent of roses from the Princess's hair and body. Her actions could be categorized as rude but he didn't know how to react.

Her mother once said that if a woman cries, don't say anything. Don't compare her problems with other things. Just hug her tightly.

"That is your parents' problem, don't let it affect your life. All you can do is take care of your mother, if that's the way it is, what else can you do?"

"Your father is still your father. It won't change. He must love his child more than anything. Maybe if he gets bored, he will forget the woman." Weithia's hand gently stroked the Princess' head.

"I know that is a very bitter truth that you have ever received. So I hope you can be patient. Everything will be beautiful in time."

Adam opened the door handle of the glass house, because of the answer from a servant, if the Knight was there with the Princess. Initially he wanted to invite the young man to investigate the case with him. However, Adam could not say anything when he saw the unpleasant sight in front of him.

Weithia who was shocked immediately got up, her face so panicked seeing the sudden arrival of the King. Carmellia next to her also did the same thing. Her eyes were swollen from crying.

"Sorry to disturb your time." Adam said briefly and immediately closed the door again.

Not long after the young man's screams were heard, he chased Adam. Asking the man to wait. But suddenly Anthony stopped him, his gaze was so cold looking at Weithia. "Mind your manners."

"Sorry- but I just... Your Majesty?"

Adam continued walking without turning around at all, Weithia saw the back of the King walking away behind his red robe. Realizing he had made a mistake. Her heart was beating fast. "Your Majesty has given you an order, is it not clear enough?" said Anthony sarcastically. Facing Weithia directly.

"I am his knight. I am responsible for guarding him."

"As long as I am here, Your Highness will be guarded by me. Just continue your manners." The man left Weithia who looked so regretful. Chasing after Adam who had already walked far away.

"We will go straight to that place, I think." Adam said briefly. When he saw Anthony following him – his steps tried to match the man beside him,

"Right now? Aren't you going to invite General Trevor?"

"No. Just the two of us. He's already I assign you here. If your guess is correct, this case can be solved quickly."