The True Northern King - James

Chapter 6

“James!”

A small little girl came running towards me, just as I got inside and to the second floor. I had just turned a corner when she saw me, running away from the servant who was keeping an eye on her. I bent down and held out my arms, as she came over to me. I caught her, making her laugh as I lifted her from the ground. She was just one big smile, as I held her.

“I am so sorry, your highness. She always runs from me,” the young woman said.

That only made me laugh, as I looked at Laelia. Since she learned to walk, she had always somehow found a way to get away, hiding somewhere or going places that she was not allowed to go, yet our father or any of us, her brothers, could never get mad at her. We just found it amusing.

“It’s okay. I got her.”

The woman bowed and then walked away, as I took Laelia with me, deciding to go to the stables with her. I had noticed she had a very deep love for horses, and it always made her so happy to see them.

I walked into the stables and immediately, she pointed to the black stallion that was mine. I had taken her out once riding with me, and she had laughed the entire time. She loved riding, and I knew with time she would be great at it.

I walked over to my horse. He stuck his head out of his stall while still eating some hay. He probably hoped I brought treats with me. In a way I had. While my horse Sky was always wild and hard to control whenever anyone else tried to handle him beside me, he was always gentle when it came to Laelia. Those two clearly shared a bond. She smiled a big smile while reaching out with her own hand and petting Sky. He certainly did not mind letting her pet him, even if he was busy eating, and I smiled at the sight of them.

“Sky!” she said with a small voice.

“Yes, that is Sky. My horse. And soon you will get your own one too.”

“Yes, when I am dead.”

I turned around, seeing my father in the entrance of the stables. I looked at him confused. When me or my brothers had turned five, we had all been gifted with a horse. Laelia was three. There were only a little under two years until she got her own.

My father walked over to us and held out his hands, telling me to give her over. I did what he said. While I was not as broad as my father yet, I had reached his height and we could now look each other in the eyes, none of us looking down at the other. Laelia threw her small arms around his neck, and the only time I really saw my father smile, since my mother died, was when Laelia was hugging him.

“She turns five in a little under two years,” I said and leaned against the stall Sky was in.

He had gone back to eating. Things weren’t so interesting now that Laelia wasn’t giving him any attention and I had not given him any treats.

“She is,” he simply said. “But I will not gift her a horse of her own.”

He turned around and started to walk away, leaving me puzzled. I decided to follow him.

“Why not?” I asked when I was able to catch up to him and walk beside him.

We walked over the big courtyard at a normal tempo.

“Because that means her learning how to ride.”

“Yes, which is an important skill for any person out there.”

“It also means that she could get hurt,” my father said.

So, that was what this was about. And I thought I was overprotective. It was nothing compared to what my father was towards Laelia. He hated that she even got close to needles. It was even worse when she once got close to one of the swords we were training with. Our father had yelled at us, telling us not to leave such sharp things around, but training swords all had dull blades, meaning she would not have cut herself.

“She needs to be able to ride. You know it is important, father,” I said.

“She will learn how to ride,” he said as we walked inside. “When I am dead.”

I smiled and shook my head.

“Father, we all know you will live forever.”

“Exactly. So, she never learns,” he said, looking at me and smiling.

I once again shook my head. He always liked telling us stories of everything he had done and how many things he had survived, always ending those stories with the fact he was either going to die in battle or never die at all. Meaning, he would live forever, and of course Laelia loved them all, making him tell them over and over.

“Come now, father. We will keep an eye on her,” I said, as we walked up the stairs to the next floor.

“That is what I am worried about.”

“We are good riders.”

“You are all reckless. Like I was at your age.”

“But we will look out for her. We won’t take any chances,” I said.

“No, you won’t, because she won’t learn how to ride.”

“You are being overprotective.”

“And you have training,” he said with a teasing look in his eyes.

I sighed, rolling my eyes, but knew he was right. I did have training. I could not, even as king, let my skills get weakened. I had to know how to be able to defend myself and my kingdom.

“This discussion isn’t over!” I said.

“Of course, it is James,” he said and started to walk away. “Remember I am still king!”

I shook my head as I watched him walk away, but I promised myself that Laelia would get a horse when she turned five. Even if I had to give her one myself.

***

We were all having dinner, sitting around the table. Laelia sat with our father, making him smile, even as she accidently threw some bread away. Serina’s family were here too and, of course, Serina. She was sitting beside her mother and right in front of me. Which was no coincidence. Of course, I had chosen the seat in front of her, smiling at her from over the table, when no one was looking. At least I thought no one was looking. Will had come to sit beside me, most likely to keep an eye on me. I loved him and hated him for it at the same time. I understood why he did it. To protect me and the complication that could come from me trying to be with Serina, but it also annoyed me that he was trying to ruin things. Of course, he just gave me a sharp look, not even having to say anything for me to understand his words.

I looked towards Serina, who knew why Will had placed himself beside me. She gave me a secretive smile before reaching for her cup and drinking a little of the wine. Some of the redness lingered on her lips and all I wanted was to lean over the table and lick it away. Had she any idea what she was doing to me?

“Ah …”

I tried silencing myself, when Will kicked me under the table. My younger brother gave me a harsh look again, as I turned to look at him while rubbing my shin with my hand trying to ease the pain. He could seriously read minds, or was I that obvious? I looked around the table. It was clearly only Will who had noticed.

“Stop it,” I snarled lowly.

He just turned away acting like he had not done anything. I shook my head and turned to Serina, who clearly was trying not to laugh. I smiled at the sight of it, and she gave me one of her beautiful smiles back. She really was out of this world.

“So wonderful you would have us over once again, my king,” Serina’s mother said.

“It is my pleasure. We have always been good friends, our families,” my father said.

“We are very much looking forward to next year,” Serina’s father said.

I looked at Serina, who, like me, was saddened by her father’s words. I had forgotten they were returning home tomorrow. They lived even further North, and once it started getting colder, their village and mansion they lived in pretty much got snowed in. It was hard for them to go anywhere. Serina had once told me how she hated returning home. It was so lonely, and I felt for her. I wished she could just stay here.

“We are looking forward to seeing you all again,” my father said.

“Yes, and hopefully by this time our daughter will have found herself a husband,” Serina’s mother said.

We both looked frightened from her mother to each other. No! No husband! If Serina was marrying anyone, it was me!

“Let us not get ahead of ourselves,” Serina said with her voice slightly shaking.

Her mother turned to her looking confused.

“What do you mean? You will be eighteen by then.”

I looked scared between her mother and her.

“I know, but I still have much … to do,” she said.

“Like what?”

Serina tried her best, coming up with a reason not to marry, but what could she say? She was already a brilliant person, and she would soon be at the perfect age to marry. Would could she say?!

“Like … Well …”

She looked over at me scared. I knew the words she wanted to say. I wanted to say them too. She still needed me to propose, she still needed to say yes, and she still needed to become my queen, but in order to convince my father, I needed more time. She slowly lowered her eyes before looking at her mother.

“We will see what happens,” she just said.

Her mother just looked puzzled before turning to my father again and her husband, continuing to chat. In the meantime, Serina and I exchanged silent promises and words with each other. This was not the end. I refused it to be.