Seven: Prince Aiden
903 Words
Seven:
Prince Aiden
Lucy was in the castle now. She would stay there until Anam Cara was over. Which if I had anything to say about it, wouldn’t be until she was married to me. When I finished my classes, I had to go to a meeting with my father with the housing board to discuss ways to help with the housing crisis our country had been having. Ireland had constantly struggled to maintain its power, and my family had been in and out of control for ages.
It wasn’t until the 90’s that our power was fully restored to us by the English. Now, it was all about trying to rebuild. As my father and I came out of the meeting, I could feel him staring at me.
“So,” he said finally, “Anam Cara. Are you sure that wee Lucy Lark is worth it?”
He had brown hair, and his beard was slightly greying. His eyes were the same, exact shade of blue as mine. Since my sister had died, I couldn’t remember the last time he had had any shine to them.
“Lucy’s one of my oldest friends,” I said, “she’s the first girl I can ever remember treating me normally. Her and Penelope Peters are the only women in my life that don’t look at me and see….” I trailed off. In the grand scheme of things, it seemed insipid to be complaining about being a Prince. But there were times, like when my loved ones were in danger, that everything became too much. Sometimes, I wished I could be like the former Prince of Wales, Cadoc and give everything up. But I wasn’t near as strong as he was. Nor did I have anyone worthy waiting in the wings to take over like he had with his sister.
“She sees the man, and not the crown,” said my father, “I understand, Aiden. It’s something all men like us struggle with. Authenticity in a partner is very important. However, no one ever expected that Coleum would fall the way it did. Wales is doing its part to pick it up, but The Guillotine are still out there. Then there’s the matter of the Sun and Moon Alliance----”
“They still exist?” I said, surprised.
My father nodded. “They’re in England, and they’re causing trouble. Apparently, Cecelia Porter was kidnapped by them at one point. There’s still pushback over uniting Coleum and Wales, too. Rose James and Prince Apollo are still out there. They’ve an heir, and people still believe that one or both should rule. If you bring Lucy into this world, she might not be the same girl that you know and love. It could make things very difficult for you.”
“I almost lost her once,” I said, “and I’m not going to do it again.”
“Well then,” he said, “you know what that means don’t you?”
My gaze darkened. “To what are ye referrin’, Da?”
“You’re going to have to give it up.”
I stiffened at his words. I liked to think that there was no way that the old man knew about my extracurricular hobbies, but the King knew everything. I leaned back in my chair. “I’m a grown man, father. I don’t do such nonsense anymore.”
“Of course not,” said the King, “just as you don’t pay your guards not to tell me about what it is that you do late at night when you’re sneaking out of the castle.”
“I’ve never snuck out of the castle,” I said, huffing. “I’m not a teenager.”
“Son, the first scandal you ever had was being caught sneaking back into the castle naked after your first girlfriend threw you out. I’m not a fool. I know the kind of shenanigans that you get into. Anam Cara isn’t a joke. If you don’t convince Lucy to stay because she loves you, she won’t be allowed back into Ireland. I don’t think that she’ll be very forgiving either if she finds out the death wish that you’ve signed yourself up for either.”
“It’s not a death wish,” I growled, “you boxed when you were in the military. It’s the same thing.”
“Underground, illegal fighting is not the same thing,” my father said, “and you should be thankful that I haven’t shut the whole establishment down. The only reason I allow it to remain open is because I know the kind of anger that you’ve got swirling inside of you. I’d rather see it released than pent up.”
I smirked. “The only reason you keep it open is because you’re frightened of the O’Broin brothers. For reasons you still have never told me.”
“Yes, well,” he said, “when you’re king, you’ll understand the need to keep somethings secret.”
“Then, perhaps in practice of being King, I should keep my hobby a secret from Lucy.”
My father laughed. “Mark my words, son. That girl is a smart one. If she’s stayin’ in under our roof, there’s no way that she’ll not find out. When she does, there will be hell to pay. Do you understand?”
“She’s Lucy,” I said, “what’s the worst that she could do to me?”
Father smirked. “I don’t know. She did push you in the pool that one time.”
I frowned. “I can handle Lucy.”
“Can ye though?” he asked, and for the first time I saw a twinkle in his eyes that hadn’t been there since my sister had died.
- Writer
