The Kindness of Kings

by Chelsea Ballinger

  "You are a very beautiful woman, Denise," the King had said.

  "Thank you Your Majesty," A then-twenty-four-year-old Denise spoke nervously. He stood close behind her, inhaling her strawberry scent, gazing at her voluptuous body and thirsting for her.

  "I finished cleaning your office. I should be going," she said as he pulled a strand of her hair.

  "There is no rush, Denise," he whispered in her ear.

  "I can’t," she softly said as he slipped his hand under her maid's uniform skirt.

  "Are you saying ‘no’ to your King?"

  "No... I don’t..." she whimpered. "I don’t mean to be rude, Sir... I just... I just love my Queen very much."

  "Funny... so do I." He planted a soft kiss on her neck then turned her around to face him. He ferociously kissed her and Denise, with barely any self-control left, kissed him back.

  That day she became one of the King’s many mistresses. He had her come to his private room three nights a week and at one point she thought she loved the King, but it was only desire that blinded her. When fresh and young women arrived, he threw Denise away like a toy that was broken and damaged. She was damaged, with guilt for sleeping with a married man, for not being a better parent to Mina, and for having ever stepped foot into the sheltered society they called royalty. So after having enough of the pain, she drank and drank, never looking back at the reality of the world.

  Hours and many drinks later, Denise was passed out asleep on her couch until a knock on their door occurred. She forced herself up, realizing no one else was home and headed towards the door.

  “Your Highness,” Mina’s aunt opened the cottage door and was shocked to see Louie.

  “Hi Ms. Farren. I wanted to check on Mina.”

  “She’s with Christina and Bartleby.” Louie was shocked to hear that. After leaving the cottage he quickly called Bartleby.

  “Where are you?”

  “Yeeeaaahh, see what had happened was I was parking the limo for my dad in the garage and Christina was driving past, said she was getting Mina; wanted to cheer her up. We came here to Sky Bar and… yeah, Mina is here, drunk.”

  “What?!” Louie had his driver, Samson, speed through the downtown capitol until they reached Sky Bar. He stepped out and was ambushed by paparazzi snapping photos of him. With Wesley’s help, he pushed passed them.

  “Have Samson pull around the back. I want all security to block them from there, okay?” he told Wesley.

  “Got it.” Louie entered the club and Bartleby was already waiting for him.

  “Where is she?”

  “Christina has us in the VIP.” Louie started to make his way to the back where the VIP was located, but was stopped by Bartleby. “Now before you go, you should know… there are some guys up there. Big frat guys.”

  That only boiled fire into Louie. Once he entered the VIP and saw a very drunk Mina surrounded by four frat guys with their hands on her, he didn’t think twice about pulling one off of her.

  “What the fuck?!” the frat boy said once Louie pushed him against the wall. Louie stood tall and silently dared the guy to step up to him. He was going to until another frat guy stopped him, stepping in front of him.

  “Hold up man! Look at the ring! You don’t recognize his face?” The frat boy gazed at Louie’s gold crest ring on his right hand and then looked at his face carefully. His face faltered and his heart got stuck in his throat. The boys immediately bowed to Louie.

  “I’m so sorry Your Highness,” the guy apologized.

  “Carry on… somewhere else,” Louie nodded towards the exit of the VIP area and the frat guys quickly left.

  “You guys called him?” Mina snapped at Bartleby and Christina.

  “Mina, what else am I supposed to do, huh?” Christina said.

  “Whatever.” Mina could barely stand as she tried to walk past Louie.

  “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “I am going to get another drink.”

  “No, you’re coming with me.”

  Mina laughed. “Get out of my way, Louie.” Louie still stood in her way. “Get out of my way!”

  Louie didn’t try to reason, he just grabbed her by the waist and threw her over his shoulder. “What the hell do you think you are doing?!” she yelled at him, slapping his back. “Put me down, Louie!”

  Louie pushed through the side exit door of the VIP into an alley. He looked around and saw his security had secured the area. He walked towards the back with Mina still in tow, yelling and frantically trying to release his grip from her. Once in the back, Louie finally put Mina down.

  “What are you doing here?” Mina snapped at the Prince.

  “Well, obviously saving you from getting a train ran through you at a frat house!”

  “Oh that’s rich coming from you!”

  Louie calmed down. “Mina, what are you doing? You’re supposed to be taking it easy.”

  “Easy? Really? And why should I take it easy Louie? Huh?” Mina’s eyes started to water up. “My ex-boyfriend won’t call me and when he does, it’s awkward as hell. My aunt is a drunk who works for a King that has insulted me in every way possible. Oh! And my baby is dead!” Mina paused, realizing that she had said it out loud for the first time. “My baby is dead Louie.” She repeated if more softly and quietly. “So yeah, excuse me, but I’m tired of taking it easy in this world full of bullshit!”

  Louie understood though. He knew the world had betrayed Mina and that she didn’t deserve any of it.

  “I‘m just… I’m tired. And I just want to know… I want to know why Sedgwick isn’t here. Louie, why isn’t he here?” Mina couldn’t hold it in any longer. The tears and the hurt finally just poured out of her as she fell to the ground. Louie rushed to her and hesitantly placed his arms around her. Mina grabbed on to his coat as he held her and she cried. Wesley came up to them, but Louie stopped him with his hand up in the air. He was going to wait until Mina was finished. She deserved the right to release her sorrows in peace. Once she calmed down, Louie easily lifted her in his arms and carried her to the limo. She was too drunk to move off of him once they were in the limo, so she just stayed in his arms all the way back to the castle. Louie never felt more uncomfortable then there with Mina in his arms. He felt he had no right to smell her hair and kiss her forehead or gently brush his thumb across her arm. This was his brother’s true love, not his. Even though his brother was being a dick, he still knew how much in love Sedgwick was with Mina. He was just too scared.

  Louie was scared too. He was scared as he tucked Mina into his bed. He removed her heels and placed them side by side next to the bed. Her dress had risen up over her thigh and flashed a part of her underwear and her dress strap was falling down the side of her arm. If Mina was in the wrong hands, she could be taken advantage, but the noble Prince Louie pulled the strap of her dress over her shoulder and pulled the hem of her dress down. He gently placed the covers over her and sat back in his chair, watching her chest slowly rise up and down until he fell asleep himself.

  +

  Mina woke up and looked around the room at the high theater-size ceilings and long dark gold curtains hanging around the dark brown walls. She turned to the other side where the night stand was and saw a glass of water and two aspirin. Raising herself up and causing her head to start ringing, she looked straight ahead and saw Louie sleeping in his chair. She started to remember last night and everything that happened, including the things she said.

  She had never been in his room before. It was similar to Sedgwick’s, but also different. It seemed more mature. A certain darkness existed in it, as opposed to Sedgwick’s dark blue and gold room.

  She looked at Louie as he slowly opened his eyes.

  “Hi,” Mina said.

  Louie sat up, rubbing his eyes. “Hey… How are you feeling?”

  “Like I’m probably going to have a severe hangover today.”

  Louie laughed a little. “Yeah, you probably are.”

  “You
brought me here?”

  “Yeah. I didn’t want to worry your aunt and Jezebel.”

  “Oh,” Mina said, carefully watching a nervous Louie stand up.

  “Yeah, well, I’ll have one of the maids bring you breakfast.” He started towards his door.

  “Louie,” Mina stopped him. He turned around and faced her. “Thank you.”

  Louie’s smiled. “No problem.”

  Mina couldn’t help but think about the kindness Louie had shown her. A part of her wanted to ask him about it, but Louie wasn’t there the rest of the day. He decided to not just sit there anymore. If his brother wouldn’t come to them, he would go to him. He called the pilot of their private jet and informed his security of his quick trip to Loren City, which was four hours from the capitol. By air, it was only a forty-minute flight.

  “How may I help you?” The receptionist asked before looking up to see Louie and Wesley. “Your Highness… Um, hello.”

  “Hi… I’m here to see my brother?”

  “Certainly, Sir.” She quickly pressed the speaker button and spoke into it. “Jan, Prince Louie is here to see Prince Sedgwick.” She smiled at them. “You may go up Sir.”

  Louie entered the elevator and once up, he didn’t wait for his brother’s secretary to let him into Sedgwick’s office. “Your Highness, the Crown Prince is in a meeting.”

  Louie, ignoring her and Wesley who was trying to keep up, opened his brother’s glass office door and looked at his older brother who looked different, with his hair cut differently and wearing a blue suit with a red tie. Sedgwick gaped at his brother in shock. He turned toward his two coworkers who were sitting at his conference table.

  “Give us a moment, please,” he told them.

  They greeted Louie and left the office. Wesley closed the door and waited outside of it.

  He stared at his brother up and down and smiled. “You could have at least dressed up,” Sedgwick said, referring to his little brother’s attire: jeans, black combat boots, grey shirt and black trench coat.

  Louie smirked. “Well, you know suits aren’t really my thing.” Sedgwick smiled and pulled his brother in for a hug. Louie sighed and hugged his brother back.

  “I know it’s only been three months, but it feels longer,” Sedgwick said.

  “Yeah, it has,” Louie quietly said. The fact that he missed his brother made him forget he was pissed at him.

  Once the hug ended, Sedgwick stared at him, confused, though deep down he knew why his brother was in Loren City. “What are you doing here?”

  “We need to talk.” Sedgwick pointed to two seats in the middle of the office insisting he and his brother sit in them.

  “What’s going on?” Sedgwick asked once they sat down.

  Louie’s attitude increased at his brother pretense of being clueless as to why he was there. “It’s Mina… She needs you.”

  Sedgwick looked away from his brother and stared at the brown marble conference table that had the Serenity initial engraved in the middle of it. “I’ve been meaning to call her… but I’ve been busy.”

  “Busy? That’s all you can say? When I say Mina needs you, she needs you.”

  “I’ve been trying to get her to come here.”

  “Okay here is a new idea, why don’t you bring your ass home? God Sedgwick, she lost the baby.”

  “I know that.” Sedgwick winced and stood up, walking over to the window that stared across Loren City.

  Louie followed. “Well, act like you do.”

  “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do, Louie.” Sedgwick lowered his head. “I feel like I just need to give her some space.”

  “Again, this is not about you, Sedgwick. It’s about her and what she needs. No, scratch that, it’s about what you need too and what you need is her. I thought making her happy made you happy, huh?”

  “Of course it does.”

  “Then be happy, Sedgwick. Come on, this isn’t you.”

  “Things change.”

  “Oh really? So you’re just gonna go back when you’re ready, huh?”

  “I don’t know what I’m going to do. I just know she needs space and so do I. And I’m getting it. Loren City has given me all the experience I need to get ready. This is more than love Louie. This is the future of a county, and frankly, if Mina loved me as much she would have chosen me. She knows how important this is to me. I am going to be King.”

  “I get that, Sedgwick, but you shouldn’t let Dad get to you. Don’t let his manipulation take over you.”

  “This is not about Dad. This is about me. You weren’t in the classes, remember? You weren’t getting taught to be a leader. I was.” Sedgwick pointed to himself. “My whole life, I have known one thing and that I was the Crown Prince, meaning next in line. How can I be King if I don’t have respect of the people? A King who gets the maid’s niece pregnant and…”

  “And what? Marries her? What is the big deal? And when you say ‘respect from the people,’ you mean the rich, don’t you? News flash: the poor and middle class out populate the rich. Did you ever think that maybe you would gain more respect if you would just be yourself?” Louie paused for a moment. “Were you ever really going to marry her?”

  Sedgwick sighed and clenched his jaw, trying to block the tears from falling. “I don’t know. I didn’t really have hope for it until we were in college. But when she got pregnant, I knew it was over. I could only probably hope for her as a mistress. At least while being in an arranged loveless marriage, I could have some type of happiness.”

  Louie laughed harshly. “You know what I got from that answer? You. It was all about you. Never would have thought you’d do this.”

  Sedgwick scoffed. “That coming from you is very rich. Someone who has never committed to anything in his life.”

  “Well, you are right. But things obviously do change, Brother.”

  Sedgwick adjusted his tie and exhaled. “I have a lot of meetings to tend to, but I will consider what you said, seeing you flew all the way here just to reassure me about my problems with Mina. I guess you do care… Brother.”

  “Yeah… I guess I do.” Louie walked up to his brother and pulled him in for one last hug. “At least call her… take care of yourself, Sedgwick.

  Louie felt he had left his brother in Loren City as a changed person. Seeing his brother made him realize Sedgwick’s faults and the strengths in both of them. Maybe it was because Louie didn’t know what it was like to be the Crown Prince, but he couldn’t help say to himself that if it was him and he had the choice between Mina and a kingdom, he would choose her in a heartbeat. But it was only an “if” for him. A kingdom he did not want, and a woman he wanted more than the world was far out of reach for him. But that didn’t stop Louie from wanting to help her.

  +

  Louie arrived at Mina’s door wearing a white button up and black slacks. She noticed he looked handsome and that the sun reflected off his light green eyes.

  “Hey,” Mina said.

  “Hey,” Louie said in a chipper way that frightened Mina. “Are you busy?”

  “Um, no not really. I haven’t seen you in a couple of days.”

  “Yeah, I’ve been working on some stuff.”

  “Oh, that’s cool.”

  “Yeah, which brings me to you. I want to show you something.”

  Mina was hesitant. “Remember the last time you told me to come with you? We were eleven and you brought me through the haunted room in the castle and locked me in… in the dark.”

  “Ummm,” Louie stalled and lied. “No.”

  Mina smirked and arched her brow. “Sure you don’t.” Louie opened his mouth, then paused trying to get his words out.

  “Okay, maybe I remember, but I swear to you on my life that there will be no dark haunted rooms or any other shenanigans to put you in harm’s way.”

  Mina smiled and rolled her eyes. “Okay, let me grab my coat.”

  +

  Louie led her to the cliff where they had almost lost th
eir lives when they were little. Christina and Bartleby were waiting for them.

  “What’s going on?” Mina asked, confused.

  “We are paying our respects,” Louie said.

  “What?”

  “We’re paying our respects to your baby,” Christina said.

  Louie pulled out a jar of sand from the beach.

  “Louie, I don’t think…”

  “No.” Louie stopped Mina from protest. “When our mom died, you came up here with us in the pouring rain, so I could throw her flowers off, thinking they would carry her into Heaven.”

  “Yeah, even though you called me very angry names,” Mina pointed out, remembering the first time she was ever called a bitch.

  “Yeah, you didn’t give up on me. You showed kindness to me, even though I didn’t deserve it. It didn’t matter that you felt sorry for me. You still did it. This is the first part of moving forward.”

  He passed her the jar of sand and the four friends stood close to the edge of the cliff.

  “So, I think we should all say something, something that we would have done for the baby,” Louie suggested.

  Christina went first. “Well, if you were a girl, I would have taught you how to not apply too much makeup and that women are right and men are wrong. Oh and to never fall for the guy who claims his father is a talent agent.” The group stared at her curiously. “And if it was a boy, I would have taught him that women are always right and you guys are always wrong.”

  The group laughed. Mina laughed with tears in her eyes.

  They looked at Bartleby. “Oh me?” He cleared his throat. “Well, if it was a girl I would have taught her the key to every man’s heart is a girl who can play Madden and NBA 2k… oh and Mario. And if it was a boy… I would have had his back… and taught him to play Mario, NBA 2k and Madden.”

  They laughed and shook their heads at Bartleby. They glanced at Louie who sighed, trying to gather the words.

  “If you were a girl, I would have taught you… how to never give up on the things you love most. And if you were a boy, the same. Either way, I would be Uncle Louie and I would love you forever.”