SS: Unconditional Love [Ch 3 March 18] - Page 2

Originally posted by: momi78

Loved the update! Another Korean drama (My Princess) is my fav!

[Chapter 2]

Sky Fall

The spring sun gave way to another night. The Queen was standing under the peach blossom pavilion taking in scent of the falling flowers, the train of her skirt billowing in the wind. Her jet black hairs indistinguishable from the dark of the hour flew swiftly around raining white petals. The waters of the pavilion were calm, interrupted only by the gentle fall of a leaf or a blossom. But inside her heart was a storm emerging. The setting sun brought the ever evident realization close to home- he hated her and she did not know why.

A week's time would mark three of the most important days in her life: her birthday, the day of her father's passing, and her first wedding anniversary. She know just how bittersweet this time of the year was but in her heart there was only longing. Yearning for a time long lost, and a love that never came.

She let her salty tears make love to the fresh water of the pond. She popped open her heals and lay on the edge of the pool gazing up at the skies.

"Papa, are you listening?"

Not a sound in reply, the silence was haunting.

"Your daughter is a woman now. I am living well, right? Am doing the right thing, isn't it? Give me a sign papa. Give me a sign that you're watching over me".

"My Queen".

Jalal's handsome face descended upon her in a split second.

"Your wish is my command Mr. Prime Minister and your wish has always been protecting the king. Alright!"

She smiled to herself thinking of all the occasions her father had tried pushing her into this life. Even now that he was gone, his signal was to look after the king. She couldn't escape this fate no matter how much she tried.

"At your service my lord", she stood upright and offered a bow. He had mixed feelings about this formal display of respect at all hours. But he'd never stopped her so why start now?

"What are you doing here?"

She turned away to clean up the aftermath of her tears. "The EU commission meeting was cancelled your majesty. I had some free time on my hands".

He put up his hand midway between them to stop her. That one rude gesture spoke volumes of just how much he took her for granted. She knew he was arrogant but tonight might be the night her patience ran out. Their last encounter in the library was his only saving grace for the moment.

"Play me something melodious", he eyed her sitar in the corner garden.

"What would ease my lord's worries?" She immediately picked up the instrument and began tuning the strings.

"Why do you think I am worried?"

The change in tone from her formal to his casual did not go unnoticed. She was an inch and half away from breaking the sitar in and over his head.

"Follow me". He took her into an empty conference room and answer her long pending query.

"You probably think I hold a personal grudge against you. And you know what? I do! Your father..."

He stopped to regain composure but she simply looked on as if the secret did not carry any weight; as if she already knew what was unsaid between them.

"My father was strategically poisoned so the wedding could be stopped, I know. I know that they thought you would not marry an orphan. I know that they bribed my father. I know you know. But, I also know my father was not a traitor. He was not once disloyal to the monarchy".

The second the queen realized where the conversation was headed, she lost control of her bottled emotions. She was not permitted to publically pay her respects to a warrior of a parent. The medals of valour would never be enough if the king did not look upon her father's deceased soul with pride and respect. He deserved honour and she would convey her wishes no matter what it took.

"Sir Bhaarmall was a martyr. He went above and beyond what this job required of him. He was shot three times protecting the king. My mother was poisoned and died saving your family. Yet, here I am unable to tell another soul what sacrifices they made for this kingdom. Thank you for not ostracizing my family but, we deserved much more. We are the proud descendants of a patriot you never acknowledged. Thank you for not calling my father a traitor, giving him his posthumous medal but, he earned the respect you failed to give. It was selfless service and the night before our wedding, he passed on the torch light to me. We are born to serve you, to be beneath you; to obey your orders and I will do so without complaints. But your majesty must know you have wronged my father".

"This is exactly what I did not want happening. You really are your father's daughter".

Jalal tried hard maintaining his cool. He had not expected their heart-to-heart becoming a spat of venom. He had not seen her closure coming so soon. Her words had reopened old wounds. Prolonging the debate would benefit none. But, he could not leave knowing how much his queen hated him; knowing what ever she did for him was not out of love but compulsion. Knowing that he, indeed, did not have a family; that once again, there was no one to trust. With each passing thought, his anger bubbled up until it finally boiled over:

"Your father knew who killed the late king. Your father was witness to a murder he never mentioned in his living days".

His voice grew louder as he stepped closer and closer to Jodha.

"Your father kept a royal secret buried in his chest and went to the grave with it. Is that what you call protection? Patriotism? Huh? Those murderers are out there, killing more of my men each day, all because your father was too scared to rat out the culprits".

Her Majesty took her time to respond to this sudden display of aggression. This was the height of hostility. As she clung to a leg of the leather chair with shivering hands, he feigned indifference. This was the same woman he was supposed to hate. He had been doing so efficiently for the past one year. Why then did she have to push his limits?

Queen Jodha acted without thinking, she walked up closer to her husband and kneeled down like she had seen her father do many times. She regurgitated the words she had heard Sir Bhaarmall say without hesitation:

"Great Ruler of our hearts, I, your Queen, beg for forgiveness. I forgot for a minute that I am only my lord's loyal servant till death. I was out of line and wrong to question the monarch..."

Jalal did not take her actions very well. He pulled her up by the shoulders and said, "Malika-e-Begum Jodha Bai, you are the leader of this nation. Don't you ever shame me like that again".

Originally posted by: prejudiced

If there are some OS/FF youve written that's based on the serial characters Jodha and Jalaal can pl.share the links?

I would love to read those.

Originally posted by: DonnaHarvey

I am not sure what you mean. this is an ff with jodha and akbar.

Originally posted by: prejudiced

Will PM u and clarify.