Robert was the Prince of the Kingdom of Western Wind. And he had everything. The crown. The adoration of the people. The utmost respect of noblemen inside and out of their borders. But amidst all the riches and privileges given to him by birth, Robert was unhappy with his life. Shackled to an arranged marriage and struggling with his estranged father, Robert wanted more from life. But at the same time, he didn't want to disturb the peace of everyone surrounding him. That was until she arrived.
A kingdom was covered by dark, heavy clouds that carried a millennium's amount of rain. Along with the loudest thunders, the strongest bolts of lightning stretched across the dim sky.
All because of a king and his heir – his only son – lying in bed, currently in a deep sleep.
The time for them to regain consciousness? Nobody could say for sure.
All the members of the court could do was to bargain with the ancient gods to spare one of them.
The queen has been running the kingdom whilst worrying about the state of her family. She knew she was close to losing sanity, but she would remind herself to hold onto it a bit longer.
'The kingdom cannot afford to lose another appointed ruler,' she would often tell herself. Her husband and son were already at the brink of death. She couldn't be swept away by this diplomatic crisis.
T'was in the middle of the day – springtime, to be exact – and it has rained continuously for weeks. People lost track of time because they've been submerged into wet weather for the longest time. And though water continued to fall from the heavens, they went with their usual activities without complaints; something that the queen praised her people of.
She now sat beside her almost lifeless husband, holding his hand at his side. Depressed yet alert, she hoped that he would awaken today. It has been her wish since he and their son were trapped in an endless cycle of sleep. And she held onto this almost unrealistic wish, not because of his duties but because she missed her husband too much already.
He was her rock, her guide, the person who complimented everything about her. His protection and love allowed her to reveal her strengths and weaknesses without shame.
'Is it too much?' she thought to herself. 'Is it too much to ask that either you or our son would wake up today? To ease my worries for just a moment?' she continued as her tears fell.
Her daughter watched helplessly from the side as her mother wept silently. The princess walked towards the queen, her hands folded in front of her. She reached out to her mother's shoulders, giving them a light squeeze. An assurance that she wasn't alone.
The queen held her daughter's hand, not letting go of her husband's. She didn't remove her stare from her husband. She even tried not to blink.
After a moment of silence, the king coughed. His cough persisted as he continued to gain consciousness.
The queen's eyes widened. "Your Majesty?" she called out to him. "Dearest," she turned to her daughter in a panic, "Fetch for the Medicine King as quickly as possible."
The princess nodded and rushed off.
"Your Majesty, are you awake?" the queen called out to him again. Her gentle grip tightened, praying that this wasn't a dream, that he was truly alive.
The king slowly opened his eyes as he adjusted himself to his environment. The light in the room was faint but it was blinding to a man who was under the curse of unending sleep. As his sight became clearer, he was pleasantly surprised to see the face of his beloved. Slowly, he reached out to touch her face.
"Thank the heavens!" she closed her eyes as she whispered. His hand cupped her cheek and she buried her face in his touch. "Thank the heavens you're awake," she sniffled as tears of joy ran down her cheeks.
He smiled, relieved that it was all over. But their brief moment of happiness was replaced with horror when something came across the king's mind: their son.
"Where's our son?" he asked his wife, eyes widened. "Where is he?"
She froze as she received his question. She stood still, eyes wide open as she feared how he would react to their son's state.
The king held onto her arms and repeated his question, not wanting to let go without an answer.
With a deep breath, the queen pointed to the bed beside the king's... and there he was: the prince of the kingdom, still trapped in his own slumber.
Not waiting for another minute, he rushed towards his son. He stumbled along the way but he didn't pay any mind to it. All he wanted was to be beside his heir.
His son was breathing as if he was plainly taking a nap. His little hands were laid on his stomach. His head was raised by a velvet pillow.
Gut-wrenched, the king held the boy's hand, doing his very best to fight the tears. He wanted to cry but as king, he didn't want to show any signs of weakness. However, he was breaking deep inside. The sight of his young child in a deep sleep was too much for him to bear. He'd prefer to be in his position, knowing that the kingdom would be better with the younger, future monarch.
"How long will he be asleep?" he asked his queen, not tearing his stare away from his child.
"The Medicine King said the day of his reawakening is unknown. The same was said for you, my love," she explained gently, her hands on his shoulders. It was her husband who needed the comfort now.
"Tell him to do everything, to try anything, just to bring back my son."
"As you wish, Your Majesty," she whispered, slowly sitting beside him.
And with that, the king finally succumbed to his tears, weeping in the arms of his queen.
Kaelyn devoted three years tending to her husband after a terrible accident. But once he was fully recovered, he cast her aside and brought his first love back from abroad. Devastated, Kaelyn decided on a divorce as people mocked her for being discarded. She went on to reinvent herself, becoming a highly sought-after doctor, a champion racer, and an internationally renowned architectural designer. Even then, the traitors sneered in disdain, believing Kaelyn would never find someone. But then the ex-husband’s uncle, a powerful warlord, returned with his army to ask for Kaelyn’s hand in marriage.
The dream of everyone with regards to marriage is to be able to find that special someone and settle down with them. Even arranged marriages grant you an opportunity to meet your partner briefly before the wedding. How will you feel about waking up in the morning with someone sleeping next to you who is not just anyone but your legally married partner yet with no memory of how that had happened in just a few hours of going out the previous day? This is the story of Jason Haward and Julia Harrison, two strangers trapped in a marriage they never planned. The quest to find out why led to the unfolding of a mystery which made them realize they are both living a lie. To find out more, read this amazing story of love, betrayal, revenge and murder.
A man like Travis Sinclair wants nothing more than a woman who matches his sexual prowess and is used to getting everything he wants. A cold-hearted billionaire ,he lives by one rule - no love, no commitment. Ayanna Davies isn't looking for a relationship. She's focused on her work and the financial security it brings. As a high end escort, her client is full of filthy rich men who are willing to pay handsomely for her services. But when Travis Sinclair becomes one of her clients, she begins twice about mixing work with pleasure. Not knowing that he is an old acquaintance whom she despises.
In order to fulfill her grandfather's last wish, Stella entered into a hasty marriage with an ordinary man she had never met before. However, even after becoming husband and wife on paper, they each led separate lives, barely crossing paths. A year later, Stella returned to Seamarsh City, hoping to finally meet her mysterious husband. To her astonishment, he sent her a text message, unexpectedly pleading for a divorce without ever having met her in person. Gritting her teeth, Stella replied, "So be it. Let’s get a divorce!" Following that, Stella made a bold move and joined the Prosperity Group, where she became a public relations officer that worked directly for the company’s CEO, Matthew. The handsome and enigmatic CEO was already bound in matrimony, and was known to be unwaveringly devoted to his wife in private. Unbeknownst to Stella, her mysterious husband was actually her boss, in his alternate identity! Determined to focus on her career, Stella deliberately kept her distance from the CEO, although she couldn't help but notice his deliberate attempts to get close to her. As time went on, her elusive husband had a change of heart. He suddenly refused to proceed with the divorce. When would his alternate identity be uncovered? Amidst a tumultuous blend of deception and profound love, what destiny awaited them?
When Zora was sick during the early days of her pregnancy, Ezrah was with his first love, Piper. When Zora got into an accident and called Ezrah, he said he was busy, when in actual fact, he was buying shoes for Piper. Zora lost her baby because of the accident, and throughout her stay at the hospital, Ezrah never showed up. She already knew that he didn't love her, but that was the last straw for the camel's back, and her fragile heart could not take it anymore. When Ezrah arrived home a few days after Zora was discharged from the hospital, he no longer met the woman who always greeted him with a smile and cared for him. Zora stood at the top of the stairs and yelled with a cold expression, "Good news, Ezrah! Our baby died in a car accident. There is nothing between us anymore, so let's get a divorce." The man who claimed not to have any feelings for Zora, being cold and distant towards her, and having asked her for a divorce twice, instantly panicked.
"I stood at the edge of my heart and watched him choose her. In the end, I was not the one he needed. I was simply the one he settled for." - Noelle ~~~~~~~ I thought I was the one he loved. But a few days before our wedding, I saw him in a way I never had before. His eyes softened as he spoke to her. His first love, and the very woman who had left him in pieces. Heartbreak was something I knew too well. And as I watched the love he still held for her in his eyes, I realized what I had to do. I couldn't marry a man who wasn't truly mine. With no means to cancel the wedding and lacking the courage to confront him, I made a desperate choice to leave. I painfully gave his first love my treasured engagement ring thinking it was for the best and the only way to free myself. But when he saw that ring on her finger, the fragile world I had tried to escape began to shatter. His obsession to find me and bring me back ignited a dangerous game of cat and mouse.