The King And His Goddess Of War

Chapter 7: Mother

Colby avoided me for the next week, steering clear of my path and not even looking at me. Tyson has gotten out of the infirmary in a cast and has tried talking to Colby, but he simply refuses to talk about last week. 

Tyson was on his crutches, watching me feed Mighty. "Well, well, well. Colby only said one thing, but I think I can piece this together," he said, leaning on a hay bale. 

"Oh really?" I say, smirking. "Tell me what's happening here then."

"You always say ‘oh really’ when you're curious or doubt me, but I'm going to tell you anyway," he snorted, rolling his eyes. "Okay, so he said: Zuka took her away, so, I'm assuming this is about a girl." 

"No dip, dingus," I laugh, feeding Mighty another rabbit.

"I'm serious! But not any girl." Tyson glared at me. "You know that girl who cleans around the royal bedrooms? She always seems so.. I don't know. Suspicious. Whenever she leaves the rooms, I mean. Maybe Colby fell in love with her and Zuka.. loves her too? And maybe she chose Zuka."

"She chose Zuka," I breathed under my breath, not wanting Tyson to hear. "Well, that's true." Mighty's eyes bug out of his head. He heard me. Mighty gets startled and stands up, locking me to the side. But instead of falling on the stone flood or against hay, I fall against arms.

Zuka. Well, s**t.

"Zuka saves the day once again," he says victoriously, pumping his fist in the air once he lifts me back onto my feet. 

"Can Zuka stop talking in third person?" I ask. "Ari finds it quite annoying already."

"Nah, Zuka doesn't want to stop. Zuka likes talking in third person," Zuka says, shrugging. "Besides, Zuka finds it easier to talk this way."

"Is it because Zuka was a caveman before he turned ten?" I ask. 

"Ari, Zuka doesn't like when you tease too much," Zuka says, giving me a fake pout.

"Ari loves when Ari teases and Zuka has to admit he likes it too," I shrugged.

"No, Zuka-"

Tyson interrupted, watching us with careful eyes. "I have a slight change to my previous story," he announced, rubbing his chin. "Zuka and Colby both didn't fall in love with the maid, but the stable hand!"

I roll my eyes. "You are so terribly off that I think I may have to bust your other leg," Zuka says, glaring at Tyson. It wasn't as playful as when he does that to me, but he's trying. "I'm not afraid to admit."

Tyson crosses his arms. "Yeah, right. Then why don't you tell me the story?"

"No, Zuka doesn't want to."

I had saddled up Mighty and flew out after Zuka and Tyson went down the hallway, arguing about the whole event that had happened last week. I wanted to see some villages, and I knew that Africa wouldn't attack so quickly after what happened last week. For Africa, everything was tactical. They were watching what was going on, and now they knew they had a child of Serria on the American side. They were watching more carefully for a time to strike. And when they did, it would with all they had.

I felt the breeze go through my hair that I had never put up this morning, letting it flow back as Mighty was flying. We flew over the forest until we spotted a small village below. Mighty dived violently and landed in the center, spooking some people. 

I dismounted and Mighty naturally stayed put as I walked around, some people gasping in recognition and others in shock that the newest Guardian would be here, walking around. I didn't glance at any of the other homes around me, just the young children playing in the dirt, some chasing each other, some playing with wooden swords. Some were close to ten, ready to attend the next ceremony. There were dogs all around, messing in crops and playing with the children while people watched. Some never enrolled into the Academy, some retired soldiers, some disabled soldiers from the war, and some mothers who were told to go home by the King or Queen. But then again, most women who were living at the castle were either maids or nurses.

Then I laid my eyes upon a small house that I remember playing in the front yard with a wooden sword. I remember climbing the tree in the front yard with the other kids. I remember playing with a young girl named Hope. I haven't seen her since I was ten. I remember Henry, the boy that played with us. I haven't seen him in eight years as well. 

I slowly walked up to the door, not caring if some people watched me cry over seeing my mother or watch me in curiosity. I don't care if they thought I was here to kill someone. I just wanted to see my mother.

I knocked on the door.

Silence for a few moments and I could only hear my heart pounding inside my chest. A few seconds later, a little boy, maybe five or six years old, answered the door. He looked up at me with my gray eyes and brown hair and his own eyes widened. He had the greenest eyes like my mom's and beach blond hair, something my mom didn't have. 

"Mommy! It's a soldier!" he called into the house.

I saw my mom scamper down the hallway and grad the little boy. "Austin, what did I tell you about opening the door?" She didn't wait for an answer before she placed him back down and hurried him away. When she saw me, she stood completely still.

"Mom?"

She stared at me and examined my eyes, my hair, my stature, the crest on my shoulder. "Are you my Arianna?" she asked, her green eyes scanning mine. I nodded slowly and she gave me a hug, embracing me tightly. The last person I hugged was.. Prince Zuka. And my mother was blessed by Flitter, the love goddess. She could smell a man on a woman or detect love nearly immediately. Her beauty made her desirable when I was younger, but she wouldn't pay attention to any other man until Dad died when I was four. But anyway, I knew she would be able to detect that Zuka hugged me with intentions to comfort me.

She stiffened all of a sudden and I knew she detected something. "Come inside," she says quickly. She pulls me inside and shuts the door behind her, eyeing me suspiciously.

"You detect Zuka, don't you?" I ask, sitting on the stairs. She nods and sits beside me.

"That poor prince, so cold. I can feel his love though. Never met him in real life, but I can feel it coming from you. Yours and his. But enough of that talk, we need to catch up," she grunts, getting to her feet and lifting me to mine. "You need to meet Jack."

As if on cue, a man stepped into the hallway from the kitchen, pecking my mom's cheek and smiling at her like she was the only girl in the world. "Well, hello. You must be Arianna."

"I am, and you must be Jack," I say, holding out a hand. He shakes it and nods at me. "That's your little boy that opened the door, right? I knew he wasn't my full brother when I saw his blond hair."

Jack smiled and nodded. "Yes, Austin is mine and Ellis'."

Both fell silent when they looked behind me to the window and I felt a tug. Mom was sending me a message. "Jack, why don't you go into the kitchen and check on the bread? I have to speak to-"

Another knock at the door.

Mom looks at me, her eyes knowing. I was slightly confused. She opened the door, and all I saw was Zuka, his eyes showing desperation and a part of him was trying to not be impatient. His lips parted to speak to my mother but then his eyes landed on me. Mom let him in and Zuka closed his arms around me, holding me to his chest. "Zuka, don't crush me!" I yell, trying to get my sound out from his chest smashing my face. 

"Ari, never scare me like that ever again," he said, talking into my hair and loosening his grip. Jack laughed at me trying to get free and mom smirked. I knew she felt something radiating from us. "I searched the whole castle for you when I noticed you weren't behind Tyson and I. Then someone said Mighty was gone and I went out to search with Toothy. I found Mighty and people were pointing me in a direction so I followed them and-"

"Zuka, you're going crazy. I just went to see my mom and her husband Jack. And my stepbrother, Austin," I explain. "I haven't seen them in eight years and I missed them quite a bit.

Zuka released me and looked over at Mom. She smiled. "Well, hello," he said nervously. "I'm Zuka." Awkwardness rolled off of him and he fidgeted with my fingers and the hem of his shirt. "Sorry for nearly suffocating your daughter, but I.. um..."

"I know," Mom laughed. "I am claimed by Flitter."

I saw Zuka's expression and I laughed, taking his hand and leading him outside, saying goodbye to Mom and Jack. "Maybe you should have told me that your mother was claimed by Flitter."

"I didn't think you would meet her," I admit. "Anyway, now you know. Were you scared when she told you?" I ask, smirking.

His ears turned red and I laughed. "Zuka isn't afraid of anything."

"Well Zuka and Ari should probably get back to the castle before they called a search party for Zuka," I say, patting his shoulder and dragging him back to where Toothy and Mighty were. He mounted Toothy and I did Mighty, but he didn't leave.

"Could you stay with Zuka?"