MY TREASURED DESIRE

Chapter THIRTY: To Confuse Miss Greta!

32 Days After Alexa’s Rescue.

Prince Raymond Chang’s POV.

4:40 am Local Time (8:40 pm. UTC).

Imperial Palace Residence of the General Officer Commanding, A.S.S.S.

My heartthrob refused to appear in my office, contrary to what the crown prince and I estimated, yesterday. She went straight home. Her encounter with the crown prince must have disrupted her moves! Schemers must learn that cunningness does not end at the doorstep of their masters alone. Sometimes, a sweet-tongued conman who gains people’s trust and cajoles them to believe what is untrue – just to take undue advantage of their gullibility - may be doing so to a strange bedfellow. Wisdom does overcome the wise in some cases. That is life!

My protégée around Greta – a Captain in the army intelligence - got a piece of advanced information that Greta would give me a surprise visit at my palace residence, to conclude the plan for me to accept Colonel Michelle Guan as my beloved. So, I wired the entire suite with hidden cameras and microphones. I also instructed my security aides not to pose any difficulty against her access.

I welcomed her with a feigned surprise: “What a shocking entry… These aides need to be sacked – They are in love with you!” We both laughed as she ended up in my arms. We moved into the main house, securely locking the security entrance. I carried her into the living room… “Why are you dressed so formally for a leisure visit?” I asked, frowning a little.

“Prince Charming,” she called me, and continued with a meaningful question: “How could you think I came here just to flirt around with the man who loved the beauty queen?”

“Am I so bad, Greta? Can’t I expect your change of mind?” I pretended to be hurt.

“Don’t push your luck, General” She cautioned me, calmly, as she softly enjoined: “Put me down, won’t you?”

“I won’t - until you tell me the truth… That you love me too, mean it!” I sounded like a desperately deprived lover.

She extended her left arm around my neck and used her right hand to softly touch my left cheek… checking for something. So, I softly asked: “What?”

Her reply was intriguing: “I was looking for the tiny pins I smacked on your face as I slapped you 24 hours ago? No sign… Deprived, not depraved, Um-hmm!” Then, she bent her head to give me a romantic French kiss… I was stupefied, at first, then I responded afterward… I was feeling somehow… So, I put her down on a soft sofa, stepping back to quizzically look at her…

“Don’t you desire my true confession of love again, Lover Boy?” she said, smiling seductively at me.

“Did you use reflective needles to slap… But who?” I asked curiously.

“The one whose love is untrue?” she quipped. Then, she saw the confusion in my countenance and said… “Serves him right!”

“Are you a witch, my love? I love you so passionately. How could you…”

“Now I know you are two separate beings! I love you, Green Ray! Yes, I never loved the crown prince, and never will I…”

“But what have you inflicted on my cousin?”

“How can the two of you be so sub-consciously related?” she squeezed her beautiful face while asking? I have no answer. I just needed to be sure that my crown prince is safe! I must be careful how I handle this witch that I had grown to love so much!

“Won’t you get normal unless your ‘brother’ is alright?” she responded with surprising tenderness. I nodded like a fool. “And she came close to hug me, saying: I love you with all my heart. But your brother took me for a fool, lying to me!”

“What did you do, Greta Darling. My life is connected to his… I will die without him!” I pleaded when I saw that danger is mixed with the vengeful mission! “Please, help me!”

“I must confess that fate has played a cruel game with me. I wanted the empress’ position… But you interfered and I fell in love with you… Then, he had the guts to tell me he never made love to me. In five days, he would have died of unknown causes!” Greta said so quietly in a way that the room temperature fell, and the house felt too cold for comfort… Who is this lady we are dealing with?! Then, I heard her say: “Why did I ever fall in love with you so flatly… I dream about you and feel so bloody wet… And now, I cannot bear to hurt you! I feel so sad at the thought of letting you go to another… But Michelle is the woman for you; the best gift God can give a good man… I don’t want to break my friend’s heart! I am not letting her have you because I love her – but because I love you so much! Get that: I love you, but I won’t be yours!”

Then, I said, in my confusion: “Please, love, can we save my brother first? Please… I will only love you, who is Michelle?!”

“Okay, call your brother to enquire about his health,” Greta said with serious attention.

So, I scampered around to find my handset. I pressed a fast dial number and it started showing signs that it was ringing on the other side… The call was received, and a feminine voice sounded from the receiver: “I am the Chief Matron of A.R.S.H. We are moving the Crown Prince into the Intensive Care Ward in a few minutes. I guess this is his twin brother, Green Ray…”

“How is he… Who is…?”

The nurse interrupted my questions and said: “the display photo that appeared was his own, but the name was GREEN RAY. Please come, or we shall continue the treatment after the completion of the lab tests!”

“Thank You. I am his twin brother… Let no Press Reporter get wind of any information… I will be there with my fiancée, we have the solution,” I told the Matron and disconnected the call.

***

6:40 am Local Time (10:40 pm. UTC).

Achaian Residential Specialist Hospital.

Greta’s POV.

The Black Rolls Royce with Four Golden Stars on the plate numbers grounded to a halt at the main entrance of the A.R.S.H., and from the front doors, General Raymond and I dashed out and made our way through the array of nurses, to the King’s Ward…

“It’s the Prince and his fiancée…” Chief Matron squeaked as she smartly opened the swing doors of the adjacent passage that leads to the Intensive Care Unit of the Hospital. Seven doctors were waiting… As the General and I darted through the passage, General Raymond cleanly snatched two of the light, blueish-green Operation Gowns from two doctors…

“Please, excuse us, Doctors…” General Raymond managed to say, as we, the couple, entered the intensive care ward.

I wore the gown, my surgical mask, and gloves. Then, I stretched a pair of white surgery gloves and face mask towards Raymond who collected the items and wore them. I went beside the crown prince’s head and maintained a meditative pose, clasping my hands and inaudibly chanting some Buddhist mantras. Then, I made a continuous humming sound – at least that seemed to be what I was doing before the uninitiated - with my physical eyes shut, for spiritual concentration. I was moved to stretch my two arms forward as if I was groping in the dark. I was stopped as I got to Reynold’s chest side, touched that side with my right hand, and asked Raymond to give me the surgical equipment… He hesitated, so I said calmly: “Trust me, I was trained as a doctor at that University where you come to look out for me…”

“I must have trusted you to love you this much!”

I chose a sharp surgical blade and dipped a chunk of pure cotton wool into the hydrogen peroxide. I cleaned the soft side above the pelvic area and made a quick cut… I removed my surgical mask for a bit. The Crown prince had already been prepared for surgery before we came in. So, he would not feel a thing because of the anaesthesia... I used my left hand to dab the bleeding spot with cotton wool while I used my right hand to pick the seed of African Bitter Kola from my skirt pocket, which I threw into my mouth and chewed… I removed my two hands from Reynold’s body and discarded my surgical gloves. I thoroughly washed my hands again… I chanted a mantra again to conjure the poisons to gather at the spot that I opened for them. At this point, General Raymond took a deep, stainless steel surgical bowl and placed it on a stool beside me. I squatted, ended my chants, and put my mouth on the cut… No blood came to my mouth, but some worm-like objects, which I sucked out – and with speed – spatted out onto the bowl. I continued that process but was almost distracted by the living worms leaping up and down in the bowl… So, Raymond picked up the hydrogen peroxide container and poured the content on the living worms, and the distraction ceased. I concluded the manual suction and washed my hands again. Raymond – without asking for my permission - dipped his right hand into my skirt pocket – the same place where I brought out my bitter kola. He brought out two bitter kola seeds, threw one into his mouth without peeling the dry membrane covering it. He peeled the other seed expertly and put it in my mouth, while he went back to clean up his brother gently… I met him there and took over. I stitched the cut and covered him up…

The doctors came in at this point and were shocked to see what I had extracted from the body… Then, I announced firmly:

“The surgery is done, Dr. Allen…” He was one of my lecturers at the German-Achaia University, Medical College… “The anaesthetics will wear out in a few minutes… The surgery is done!”

“How can these dead worms come out of a person? What is this?” A doctor was curious…

My reply made a doctor laugh a bit, “They would have been alive… But they are allergic to Hydrogen Peroxide!”

The General smiled with me and said, “Thank You, Sweetie!”

We moved aside to change from our gowns. The matron came to us and said to General Raymond Chang: “I did not call you to come and do the surgery. I called you to come and sign the authorisation documents.”

“Oh, not necessary anymore, I guess? The surgery is concluded!” General Raymond Chang smiled as he dismissed the lovely nurse. My wife-to-be is also a Medical Doctor.

The Medical Consultant at the head of the Team came around to me and said… “You never show any sign that you possess some deep alternative medicine prowess when I lectured you in the Medical College. We shall need that knowledge… We thought we were going to lose our crown prince within a week. We could not find the real source or description of the ailment… We needed to open him up to…”

“…do the needful,” I helped him to complete his statement. “Please do reach out to me when you have such medical emergencies… You have my contact, My Project supervisor… Are we free to take our brother home, now?”

The Chief Matron brought the discharge papers for our signature, which Raymond attended to, and she said: “How come the entire Achaia does not have an inkling that the Crown Prince has a twin brother? Your Sister is a neurosurgeon in England, and works here when she wants to, right?”

I held on to the lady’s lips and said: “Control your tongue, Woman. His twin-brother’s matter is not an object of discussion! It is not your business, Madam… You are trained to save lives, aren’t you? Gossip does not suit you!”

***

7:14 am Local Time (11:14 pm. UTC).

Imperial Palace, Residence of General Raymond.

.

Greta’s POV.

We took the crown prince back to his residence. He was too weak to have a discourse with anyone. We advised his aides to allow him to rest enough and wake up at his own time. We moved back to the General’s Palace Residence at my insistence. I believed that it would be difficult for the General to refuse me now. He would wish to be grateful to me, at least!

I went to sit where he put me when I got freed from his arms after my early arrival. He came before me and knelt with the left knee. I never knew that he had my favourite flower behind him as he said:

“I have come for the renewal of our agreement at the King’s ward, remember?”

“Is that the place?” She asked me, with an innocent face. “It does not matter… But who remains in love with a deadly woman who tried to kill his brother? A girl who stooped so low to spend a billion dollars, just to break his heart. An associate to the worst enemy of his family dominion? Are you crazy? Who does that?”

“I am a worse psychopath than you, Sweetie! I am crazy about you!”

“So, like your brother, you think I am mad?” I said, exuding a fit of growing anger. But the madman came lovingly to me and said:

“I am useless without you. But you are a bigger fool. Why would you try killing the innocent and leave me behind to keep suffering without you or him in my life? I am the one you should have afflicted with that huge disease if you cannot love me back. I would have been so happy to die by your hands… Crazy girl. If loving you is madness, let me die… What does the whole world count for, without your love for me?”

“I am not mad: You are!” I told him, with all my heart… “But I love you like mad: that makes me mad too! I do not want any harm for you… What do the wise ones call love? I have that for you. Love is being concerned until death for someone: I don’t want a gambler for you. I want a godly patriot, so beautiful, pure, and chaste; a fair excellent wife designed to be completely in love with you alone, and she would be with you for life! I am a traitor, a criminal, a bad egg… I confess! I am not good at all for you. I feel so sad that your so-called brother wanted me for you: He’s a bigot who wants what you want for yourself for you, because it makes you happy!”

“No, Darling. We had a huge quarrel over that! He told me that you are not the type he wants for me. But genuinely, I am the adventurous type: I need your type to be complete… Remember how I always chide you about your dangerous exploits in your university?”

“I remember. But I never changed, and you never seemed to care. You kept coming to save me! I never fell in love with you for that though… I just wanted that position, though I loved your heroic acts,” she reminded me.

I concluded that matter: “That is the point: I love you the way you are! And my brother pitied my choice… Now, if you agree with my love, I have other secrets to reveal to you!”

“You want to lie to me about your cousin?” My inner woman gives me a thought that I spoke out so loudly. With a kind of boldness that can only come from love, he told me:

“That is your depraved mind at work, Girl… Reynold could fear that being, and be afflicted. Not me!”

“Okay, a benefit of the doubt I will give you!”

“I know that Greta will agree that I was the one who appeared at her residence, and not the crown prince, to discuss the future matrimony as planned by my uncle – the King – and her parents… I made love to her because I love her passionately. At that time, she loved a mirage: I promised her we shall have no more lovemaking until she changed from being a gambler, but I could not keep my words… But the evil pair of the schizophrenic beauty will disagree!”

Anger was surging through my vein. Many matters came up from my love’s words, which I want to respond to… But I kept on fighting myself on it. I got confused and said: “Are you saying that I am a madwoman, too?”

“Yes… Just the two of us. You and I!” He said, and I found that so convincing. So, I urged him to continue. “My love for you will not allow you to be persecuted for doing what we made you to do. Be rest assured, Sweetie – And my crown prince only agrees with justice. He is never partial…”

“Is that so? I agree that he has a beautiful mind for justice. I found out while I was with him yesterday. But I was also convinced that he lies,” I said firmly, but inwardly unhappy that I did not meet my true beloved before going to him... Anyway, I have found out the truth.

“I just want to apologise to you, no matter how bad you feel. The Military Intelligence has found out - with infallible proofs - that the so-called video you brought to blackmail the crown prince was the actual story of what happened between us, and it would not be wrong if we returned to courting one another… Why? I love you: I can die for you! Let the video circulate if you want… But be warned, it will only destroy your image and mine… The actors missed out a fact: the hazel-eyed malefactor in the film would never be the crown prince. The entertainment forensics will throw away your proof! Do not push this matter beyond the limit of saving our names: The crown prince, whether I love him or not, is innocent of all your accusations.”

“Love, indeed, cover all faults: I felt your lies, but love erased the proofs… I have no choice but to believe your version. I am sorry to harm your brother, Love,” I could only say.

General Raymond started showing acts of being deliberately hurt by me. And I was trying my best to convince him – by actions – that I cared. He must be playing an emotional game that led to our coming together to re-enact our juicy s****l chemistry. One thing led to another… I had never made love to anyone like this. It was so mutual and real. Over one hour total expression of love that made me weak for him.

This time, it was lovemaking ordered by the realisation of the fact that we love each other. It was more endearing, arousing intense true feelings that make me so shy to describe the act. Oh, this is how true love is… personal.

At 9:15 am, I saw the wall clock… I had tears on my face. I love Raymond so much more… More than my life! I dashed into the kitchen to make something for him. And we ate together, looking at each other’s eyes and feeling so satisfied!

Then I remembered my promise to Michelle, and my wish to give Raymond a bride better than myself… Then I screamed in agony, “Oh My God!”