12 Training Rudolph

"Prince Theon?" the king called next.

"The Crown Prince!" the chief eunuch repeated shrilly.

Prince Theon turned round and got down on one knee.

"I await your decree, king father!"

The king rose from his throne for emphasis. Everyone in the hall bowed.

"Theon, my second son and third child, accept my decree -- from henceforth, you are in command of the Northern Border, under the title of General Husaad,"

"Yes, my king!" Theon rose, "I depart at once to take command at the Northern Border as General Husaad under your majesty's command!" he exited the hall immediately, as a solider should.

***

"Concentrate, Rudolph," I said for the fortieth time that day, "I'm telling you, you're too playful!"

"But, sister Nei," he was looking so cute in his new clothes I'd saved up to make for him-- I had bought the materials but sewed it myself, the carefree comfortable tunic of a magic user.

"An housefly landed on my nose, and it tickled!" He smirked.

"Shut up now. Be calm,"

I took his clammy sunburnt palms in mine. We travelled from our gloomy surroundings to a place I had created in my mind-- a stone carved fountain in the center of a hedge maze.

"Can you see it?" I asked softly, lest I disturb his concentration. My eyes were shut and so was his.

"No-- it's hazy, sister,"

"Concentrate, then!" I snapped.

I heard him moan.

"Aaah-- my heart! Sister, is--"

"You're almost there? Don't break off now!" I said excitedly, gripping his hands tighter.

"Aaaarhhh-- I-- I can't bear it! Aahh!" Rudolph panted, " sister, I'm going to faint!" he gasped all of a sudden, "why, it's gone!"

"I told you!" I did my best not to open my eyes in my excitement. I was so happy. Two years, and my little brother had passed the Icy Heart stage.

"Can you see it now?"

Out of the blues a woman sashayed up to my fountain. She was wearing robes of white and green. She had flyaway silvery hair...

"Who's that?" Rudolph blurted out.

"Ahh-- umm--" I was startled, for a second forgetting that Rudolph was connected my mind image. She was my mother. Not his mother. I didn't want to lie to him, but the truth would be too cumbersome. Both would hurt.

"She's-- that's mother," I muttered, justifying myself that I had at least not mentioned whose mother she was.

"Mother--" there was something in Rudolph's tone. Something that wanted to trigger my tear glands. "Wow. She's so beautiful. She looks so much like Iria -- or rather," he laughed at his mistake, "Iria looks like her obviously. Wow. Hey, sister, can you bring father here too?"

But I wasn't listening.

"Why do you call me sister but call Iria by her name?" I asked in a severe tone.

I could imagine him shrugging. I was so sure he shrugged.

"Whatever. Sister Iria then. But I like you more, sister. You take so much trouble to train me, but Iria-- she just doesn't care,"

"Oh -- and that reminds me!" I opened my eyes, breaking the connection.

"No!" Rudolph still had his eyes closed, "no, sister! I really want to see father!"

"Another time," I snapped.

He finally opened his eyes and it was full of regret and longing.

"When?" He pouted.

"Listen to me, Rudolph. I have something very important to tell you. I realized it just now,"

He looked skeptical and brushed his hair out of his eyes and wiped beads of sweat from his face.

"Okay, sister. I'm listening. Fire away,"

"Rudolph. Do you know that you are the last man alive to come from Clan Hakorhi?"

"Boy, more like," and he was silent for a while.

"Does that mean I'll have to marry Iria or you to repopulate our clan?"

I gaped.

"Oops-- that will be incest. Aah-- what will we do about it, sister?" he looked at me with his clear but maturing gold eyes.

"I'm not talking about repopulating Clan Hakorhi," I was pissed by his suggestion, but only I knew that it would not be incest. But, he was still our brother, and younger.

"What then?" he asked.

"You have to learn the ways and culture of the Hakorhi clan-- and when you grow up and get married and have kids, Hakorhi blood will flow in them also,"

He just stared blankly at me. After a while, he asked.

"Bit what about you and Iria? Aren't you also the last women of the Hakorhi clan?"

"We are. But we were older when-- when it happened. We had been born and raised in Hakorhi and we know the culture."

"I don't see you practicing it," he said suddenly.

"Rudolph!"

"Sorry, sister,"

"Iria and I can't brag about being Hakorhi on the streets. We'd be executed,"

"Hmmm." was all he said, looking into nothingness.

"I have only a year to teach you. Boys come of age at eleven,"

"Sister, I want to ask you a question," Rudolph fixed his golden eyes back on mine.

"What?"

"How old are you?"

"Hunh?" no one had ever asked me that question before."And another thing-- before Clan Hakorhi was wiped out, did you have any boys you were dreaming of marrying?"

"Rudolph," I gaped, then collected myself, " these are ridiculous questions!"

He shrugged.

"I knew you wouldn't answer me,"

....

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