The king returned, and with him came silence and tension.
The guards stood taller, the servants whispered less, and the entire castle felt colder. Yet, not a single soul dared betray the joker or the princess. Their bond was one made in heaven, unshakable and untouchable.
Meanwhile, the rebellious joker and princess had to put their plans on hold—sneaking food, staying up all night, and enjoying their little freedoms had to wait.
The king noticed something was different. The once-wax-like princess seemed alive—she smiled more, laughed more, spoke more. Even the maids and workers, once terrified of him, no longer feared to breathe.
The king couldn't understand what had happened.
But the smartest of them all was the joker.
He acted harmless and loyal in front of the king, yet secretly, he made the entire castle his home. The golden cage that had once trapped the princess became a place filled with warmth, laughter, and life.
The king, sly and observant, tried to uncover what was going on.
But the joker never said a word to the princess directly. Their eyes did all the talking, always seeking, always protecting. Even the maids and knights quietly helped them communicate through slips of paper and subtle gestures.
Eventually, day turned to night.
The castle slept uneasily with the king's return, but the joker, true to himself, sneaked into the princess's room through her window. He held her hands, and in that silence, their eyes spoke everything. He realized one truth: when a person truly loves, they fear nothing—not the castle walls, not the king, not even death itself.
Suddenly, the door opened, and the king appeared. All he saw was the princess looking out the window.
"Father? What happened? Is everything alright?" she asked calmly.
The king, expecting to find mischief, hesitated. "No… nothing," he said, and left.
The princess glanced down and saw the joker had built a small brick platform below the window, hiding safely.
Later, in his room, the joker stared into the night. Even if I were caught and torn into pieces, I would do it all again… because her love is worth every bit of it.