13 My Father, the King

Lynne:

As we walked through the town with guards lined up beside us I felt more like a prisoner than a prince. They didn't shackle me and when they attempted to shackle Clay I saw his eyes go dark. One quick order made them leave him alone.

Heads turned to see what the commotion was as we were escorted, people buying items from outdoor vendors seeming to freeze in time like they were worried they had been doing something illegal. It was like every citizen believed that the giant group of guards could be coming for them or their family. This was not peace, that was not the reaction of citizens who trusted their king or his army. In theory, innocent people should feel safe around a group of guards, but this was anything but a feeling of safety. It was like these guards brought danger and unrest with them, like a disease floating through the air and contaminating everybody in their path.

The walk felt long, probably because everybody was completely silent the entire way. After marching for what seemed like hours we came across a field of green. On top of a hill in the distance stood a huge medieval castle. It was made of stone and shaped like a square with giant circular pillars on each corner. In the middle of the structure was a stone pillar that even towered above the pillars on the corners. On top of the tallest structure, was a huge flag fluttering majestically in the wind, a clear picture of a sword stretched across it.

I glanced over at Clay who looked to be in pretty bad shape. He was panting and holding his shoulder tightly, his hand stained with blood. "We… finally… made it…" He grumbled, glancing over at me with dimmed eyes.

"Yes. Now before we do anything else... guards! Take him to get his wounds treated." I demanded, trying to make my voice sound stern even though I was exhausted from the long walk.

"As you command, prince." The guard who was leading us responded. His voice sounded flat like he was purposely trying to come across as indifferent to my request. "However, prince, the king awaits you. We will not keep him waiting any longer."

I knew what that meant. They were going to split us up… but there was no helping it. "Fine," I said, now it was my turn to attempt to sound indifferent but the idea of leaving Clay with these sketchy guards made my stomach turn. "See ya in a bit," I said to him, giving Clay a delicate smile. I was worried that if I didn't make some sort of promise like that I would never see him again.

Clay's lips pulled into a cheeky grin. "I needed a break from you anyways." He responded. Maybe that was some insult I should have been angered by, but his light tone and that amused smile made me relieved. Maybe I was getting too attached… or maybe I had every right to be untrusting of this academy.

Two guards from the group split off with Clay when we reached the castle, going through what I assumed must be some sort of side door since the other guards and I stood, peering through the giant wooden front gates. With a bit of effort, the guards pushed against the giant doors and they creaked open.

The castle opened up to a giant entranceway with winding stairs and stain glass windows lighting up the corridor. On the ceiling hung a giant chandelier, big enough to crush an entire group of people if it ever fell from the ceiling. It made me feel a little anxious to walk under it, unsure what sort of binding I would trust to hold that thing up.

I was taken up the stairs and through another, now much smaller door. Past that door was a very long, winding stairwell. The space was tight and the steps were steep. There were only very small slats in the stone as we climbed, no real windows, so even though it was daytime the inside of the stairwell was dark and dreary. My legs felt like lead as I climbed the steps, I wondered if we would ever stop walking at some point.

It seemed like my prayers were answered when we finally came across a very small entranceway. In front of us were wooden doors that had been painted in brilliant red colour, gold weaved into flower patterns and a golden doorframe. There was no mistaking it…

This was the king's room.

"King Charlton, I have brought the prince." The guard announced through the door. My heart stopped as I listened closely in anticipation. I was about to hear what my father sounded like, I was about to see him for the first time. All of my questions about what he was like, all of my dreaming and wondering… it was all about to come to an end.

"Enter."

That was all he said. His voice was raspy and low, I could barely hear it through the door. The guards pulled open the door and the wood parted, revealing a very red room. There were red banners and red carpeting, the walls covered with swords of all different shapes and sizes, all crafted out of pure gold. In the middle of the room… there he sat, his chair looking like a throne with its gold plating and red cushions, but a table was placed in front of him that was cluttered with papers.

My heart almost stopped beating when I saw the man himself. He looked nothing like I had imagined. His hair was long and blonde, straight and silky like my own. To my surprise, instead of his eyes being green, like mine, they were a supernatural bright purple. So bright they were almost pink but had a blue tint that kept them grounded, looking like bright, beautiful Iolite gems. He looked older than I had imagined, his face slim, I could tell he must have looked a lot like me in his youth, but how his skin was no longer smooth but filled with wrinkles.

"Your name, boy." The king demanded. He spoke to me like I was just another one of his subjects. Not like a father to his son, but like a king to somebody beneath him. It made my skin crawl, but I took a deep breath and chocked down my disappointment.

"I was given the name Lynne. Which I see now was a name given to me by my mother alone." I spat, unable to keep the edge of sarcasm from my tone. Despite that, I attempted to sound as formal as I could. I still wanted to come across as dignified, just like my mom had raised me to be.

"Lynne… Seems that women have given you the name fit for a little girl more than a prince."

That's when I knew... I would hate this man.