The True Northern King - James

Chapter 3

“Happy birthday, Lady Serina.”

She lifted her chin high into the air as I approached and bowed to her. Even though a year had passed and she was now turning twelve, she still had that awful, arrogant look on her face. She seemed to enjoy that I had come to wish her a happy birthday, likely hoping to mirror the way I had acted on mine. It made me smile, and I noticed her mother gently nudging her, much like my father often did with me.

“Serina, what do we say when someone is polite to you?” her mother asked.

Her mother was a gentle person, perhaps a little too quiet under her husband’s sharp eyes, but I had never heard of any mistreatment.

“Serina?” her mother urged again.

She really refused to give in… Why did that amuse me so much? Most people wouldn’t act like this toward me, but Serina did.

I walked away with the rest of my family, which had grown in the last year. Samuel had arrived, and though my parents claimed there would be no more since they already had six sons, what would stop them from having another? Everyone was overjoyed by all the children my parents had—it secured the line of succession, after all. So, I didn’t believe for a second that Samuel would be the last one.

“Why don’t you go check on your siblings?” my mother suddenly suggested, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I knew she could tell I wanted to be anywhere else, rather than listening to the boring conversations of the older men. I was turning fifteen soon, after all. Practically a man already, yet I still found myself longing to do other things.

I saw my father wanting to say something, but my mother silenced him with a single look, and he gave in without protest. He could never refuse her. I smiled gratefully at her and walked away, but I didn’t join the fun with the rest of the children. I knew I couldn’t be seen like that, so instead, I walked out onto the balcony, watching the others run around on the large grassy area behind the mansion.

My brothers—except Will—were running around with the other kids, laughing as they played a game of tag. I smiled at the sight and leaned on the railing. My eyes soon caught sight of the little annoying lady. I couldn’t help but watch her.

She was very fast—no one could catch her. She had fire, I noticed, and it made me smile. Even my brothers couldn’t catch her, and she laughed as Henry tripped over his own feet. I chuckled a little too, but the fun was soon cut short when her father came outside, calling for her.

Apparently, she wasn’t done with her duties, and her father pulled her inside. I knew all too well about duties. Serina was an only child, and while her father desperately wanted a son, that hadn’t happened. This meant a lot of pressure was placed on the little lady.

I felt almost sad for her as I watched her being pulled inside. Her smile was gone, and she wasn’t laughing anymore. I had a big family to help take some of the pressure off, but Serina… she had no one. She would have to become great at many things to make herself more attractive as a potential bride.

If I had heard correctly, she was already skilled at playing the piano, embroidery, horse riding, and even singing. She still had a lot more to learn just to stand a chance, but at least at the age of twelve, she was already doing quite well for herself. Hopefully, that would serve her well later on.

I turned away from my spot when I heard her re-enter the room and saw her father placing her at the end of the room, drawing everyone’s attention to her. I moved a little closer, watching from where I stood.

I could see the little lady looking very uncomfortable as she stood there with everyone’s eyes on her. While she clearly enjoyed playing with the other kids, she did not like being the center of attention, and that was exactly what she was now. She looked almost ready to cry.

“Serina, you would like to say a few words, wouldn’t you, Serina?” her father prompted.

She nodded, her eyes fixed on the ground. Being put on the spot like that wasn’t easy, and I knew it well. I watched Serina take a deep breath, then look up from the ground, forcing a fake smile to trick everyone into thinking she really wanted to be there. But I saw right through her.

“Thank you all so much for coming,” she said.

Like all of us kids born as lords, ladies, dukes, duchesses, princes, or princesses, she had learned to speak like an adult from an early age. I knew she was drawing on those polished words to make herself appear presentable and respected.

“I am filled with joy to see you all here, and I thank you for the wonderful presents and birthday wishes. I hope you all have a great day, and I appreciate you finding the time to be here.”

Everyone started to clap, but I noticed the way she breathed out in relief when her father made a small wave with his hand, signaling that she could leave while he continued with his own speech. I watched Serina walk toward the exit of the room and decided to follow her.

When I stepped outside, I didn’t see her at first. But as I walked a little further away, where the voices from the party were drowned out, I heard her… crying. I turned a corner and saw her on the floor with her legs pulled close and her arms wrapped around them, tears streaming down her cheeks.

She quickly noticed me and turned her head, but I was probably the last person she wanted to see.

“What are you doing here?” she inquired, looking irritated.

“I saw you walk away,” I replied.

“And was that an invitation to follow me?”

I shook my head as she turned angrily to look at me. Then I slowly walked over to her, leaned my back against the wall, and slid down to the floor to sit beside her.

“You didn’t like giving that speech, did you?” I inquired.

She shook her head as more tears streamed down her face.

“I don’t like people looking at me,” she cried.

I felt sad for her. The tiny voice that I usually found irritating, the voice I had teased her about in the few times I’d seen her over the past year, now made my heart break for her.

“I don’t either,” I admitted, and she looked at me with big, teary eyes. “All those people looking at me—I feel… well, I don’t feel good.”

“But you’re the prince,” she said. “The next king.”

“I know,” I said. “But I never asked to be.”

“Are you saying you don’t want to be?”

I shook my head. “No, I don’t mind being the next king. I’d rather be, so my siblings don’t have to be. Then they get to play.”

“You don’t like to play?” she inquired.

I smiled and nodded slowly. “I do, but a king doesn’t play.”

There was silence for a little while as I stared at the wall in front of me and leaned my head back.

“A lady doesn’t either,” she finally said. I turned my head slightly and looked at her. Her big eyes were still fixed on mine. “At least that’s what my father says.”

“You should play,” I said. “You like it.”

“My father says that’s wrong. I’m supposed to smile and be polite and not get my dress or my hands dirty.”

I looked down at her small hands, which she had placed in her lap as she let her legs stretch out over the ground. I took one of her hands and looked at it from both sides. She watched me, looking confused, but then I let it go and smiled.

“I don’t see any dirt,” I said.

She slowly began to smile, then laughed a little. Her laughter affected me, and I couldn’t help but chuckle too.

“No, not now,” she said. “I wiped them on my dress before I got here.”

That made us both laugh, and I found it almost strange how easy it was to talk to her. I mean, she was just a child, an annoying little future lady, and yet… she made me laugh.

“Well then, I guess you’ll have to change your dress before your father notices,” I said.

She sighed and nodded. “I probably should.”

But she didn’t get up.

“Or… we could just sit here… at least for a little while,” I suggested. “I won’t tell anyone about the dirt on your dress.”

“Would that be okay? Just sitting here?” she asked.

I nodded. “I’m good at keeping secrets,” I told her.