The Kindness of Kings

by Chelsea Ballinger

  Martha: “I completely agree, Frost. But my question is ‘Where was Prince Sedgwick?’ Here he is, about to become the leader of this country in two days, shouldn’t it have been him standing there instead of his little brother?”

  Frost: “Yes! Granted, if I were there, I would have frozen too, but I am not the leader of this country! A king makes sacrifices and does what is necessary for the safety of his people, not hide away like a scared child who is afraid of the dark.”

  Martha: “Now don’t be too harsh, Frost. I will say this. The way this situation was handled is bringing up many questions, not the least of them being ‘Is the Crown Prince ready?’ My question also is, ‘Will he ever be fit enough to be the King of a country?’”

  Sedgwick shut off the television in the living room and threw the remote control across the room.

  “Calm down, Son,” Caius told him. Sedgwick, his chest heavy, infuriated, paced back and forth.

  “I have been embarrassed in front of the entire world. How am I supposed to have respect or be taken seriously? They mock me, call me a child!”

  “Well, right now you are behaving like a child!”

  Sedgwick’s footsteps froze at his father’s harsh tone.

  “Here is a lesson for you, Sedgwick. When you make a mistake, you don’t fret and whine, you grab your lightning bolt and strike harder. There will always be a fool that thinks they can destroy you. Every day I receive threatening letters from someone who mistakes their courage and right to free speech for stupidity. This man, Michael is just another thorn under a lion’s foot. He can only be handled one way.”

  “Well what about Louie’s way?” Sedgwick questioned him. “He is the one that saved us. He handled the situation perfectly, more than perfectly.”

  “Louie handled it blindly. He had no tact, no strength. Louie is weak. When are you going to get that through your head?”

  “Dad, just because Louie has changed and become a sincere person doesn’t mean he‘s weak. I like to think I have always treated people with kindness, does that make me weak?”

  “Sedgwick, every person has two sides to them. Yes, you have always been the giving and generous brother, but Louie is dumb and nice. He’s not as cunning as you think… well in different cases.”

  Sedgwick’s brow creased in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

  “All I’m saying is Louie has always cared more than you know for precious things that are yours.”

  “Dad, Louie does not care about the crown. Stop trying to label his intentions.”

  “I’m not talking about the crown. All your life, Louie has been accepted for his behavior. Forgiven by the limo driver’s son for the teasing, forgiven by the silly twits who lay in his bed for only a night, forgiven by the help for the cruel pranks, forgiven by the media for all his reckless behavior, even praised for it,” Caius paused and Sedgwick waited for his point. “Forgiven for his cruel treatment to the woman you love and embraced by her as a… friend.”

  It was there. Once the word ‘friend’ was emphasized by Caius, Sedgwick knew the truth. A glimpse of it flashed in his brain, but he quickly shut it out, as always, wanting to remain oblivious to the possibility.

  “Dad, I need you to leave Louie alone. Let him be. He’s my brother.”

  “Yes… but sometimes the ones you are bound to by blood… betray you the most.”

  Sedgwick shook out the glimpse again and turned away from his father, staring into space.

  “So what do we do about the Michael situation?”

  “We will do what we have always done with terrorists. We execute. But first we will celebrate tonight and the day after tomorrow, you my Son…” Sedgwick faced him. “You will be King.”

  +

  The annual royal ball is one of the many infamous functions thrown by a royal family, primarily when a new King is being crowned. Caius wanted the Republic and the royal court to see his legacy remain strong, but the mention of Louie, who no one had seen since the incident, set fire to his pleasure in a negative way.

  “So, no one has talked to him?” Christina asked Mina as they sat at the red-cloth table in the ballroom.

  “No,” Mina answered, scanning the crowd, hoping to see his face. “Bartleby told me he said he needed time to process things; his near-death experience.”

  “The fact that he is hopelessly in love with you.”

  Mina snapped a look at her friend.

  “Hey, don’t get pissed at me. I’m not the one that has thwarted you in this whole love triangle.”

  “I’m… I’m not in a love triangle. I’m so tired of people thinking because Sedgwick came back that I…” Mina hesitated and Christina continued.

  “You what, Mina?” Mina smiled faintly and shivered as the cold chill of truth surrounded her body. “Chris… There is only one choice in my situation.”

  “What situation?” Their heads turned at the sound of Sedgwick’s voice. He stood over them in his blue suit, black tie, and gold halo crown on his head of brown hair.

  Mina shook her head and laughed nervously. “Nothing.”

  “Can I sit for a moment?” he asked her. She nodded.

  “I’ll go… to the bar.” Christina left the two former lovers at the table alone and an awkward silence overtook them. Sedgwick worked up the courage to speak.

  “I’m glad you came. It means a lot to me,” he said, staring at her, taking in her long emerald green gown. He didn’t know why, but the color reminded him of Louie’s eye color. “You look radiant.”

  “Thank you, Sedgwick… and of course I would come and support you. I know how much this means to you.”

  Sedgwick smiled at her and placed his hand over hers, signaling a chemical reaction within him. It had been a while since he had touched his true love’s skin; skin so soft that he dubbed her body as his pillow at night. He missed her. He missed them. But his touch made Mina uncomfortable, and she moved her hand, placing it in her lap.

  “Sedgwick,” she quietly said.

  “I know. You’re still thinking about it, but Mina, I have to tell you, I love you and I will wait for however long it takes.” Mina found it funny how easy the words spilled out of Sedgwick’s mouth. It was funny how easy it was for him to tell the truth, but so hard for her.

  Her lips parted, but the words would not come out and she was thankful when Bryan interrupted, informing Sedgwick that his father needed him.

  “I gotta go kiss ass,” Sedgwick joked, making Mina genuinely smile.

  Sedgwick left with Bryan, and Mina decided she needed a drink. Her nerves were getting the best of her and the need for alcohol was growing rapidly. She had only gotten a few steps away from the table when she finally saw him. Louie stood near the steps of the entrance, a Prince who had not been announced.

  Guests who noticed this were in shock at the Prince’s choice to not be announced. It was known to be an act of defiance against his title, family, and ancestors. Louie knew the royal court would not be pleased, but this was just the beginning for him and his life’s mission.

  For the past four days, Louie had been tucked in his room, sitting around in nothing but his underwear and his thoughts. He needed time to think and plan out what he was going to do with his life, what he was going to do about Mina, and what he was going to sacrifice. Every day he sat in his chair, staring at his gold family crest ring on his finger, thinking about his life and documenting every life-changing moment. The most important one to him was Michael. In life, we are given multiple paths to our destiny, and Louie realized his destiny was unknown, but his path was set.

  Louie met Mina’s gaze, and to her surprise, he granted her a slight smirk. This relieved her, and she noticed something different about him. He seemed more graceful and calmer. Louie continued staring at her, and her passion reflected his. Anyone watching could see the connection. And the person they both shared a close connection with, who loved them both more than the world and could never picture the betrayal he was now seeing,
noticed the look between them. The betrayal went beyond his heart to Sedgwick’s soul.

  The guests applauded Louie, congratulating him for being a hero. He broke his gaze with Mina as people approached him, bowing and shaking his hand. Caius hated to see Louie take the spotlight away from his brother, but he was confident it wouldn’t last long as he approached Louie who was talking to people of the royal council.

  “Your Majesty, you must be proud of both of your sons,” a member of the royal court said. The King forced a smile, deciding now was the time to make a speech about how proud of Sedgwick he was, shutting Louie out of the limelight.

  The crowd surrounded the stage as Caius and Sedgwick stood there. Mina stayed in the back of the crowd, searching for Louie.

  “Hey,” Louie quietly greeted her for the first time in a week. She spun around and was met by a lingering gaze that was not unwanted by her. Caius began his speech and Louie placed his hands on Mina’s waist, turning her around to face the stage.

  “Hi,” she said back quietly, confused at what he was doing.

  They watched a smiling Caius place his hand on Sedgwick’s shoulder, praising him, but they could not hear his words. Mina was too focused on Louise being close to her and his hand on her waist. Louie was too nervous at the words he was about to say.

  “I… I thought you hated me,” Mina said, staring at the stage.

  Louie laughed lightly and stared at Mina. “No matter how hard I tried… I could never hate you. Hate isn’t in me, remember?”

  “Well, when you trust someone and they hurt you in the way that I did, you never know what could happen.”

  “Yeah.”

  “You didn’t have the Herald announce you, why not?”

  “It’s a sort of… protest. My father wants Michael Tabbith executed. I do not. I’m working on getting the royal council and the Republic to vote for an insanity sentencing. My dad or Sedgwick don’t know it, but I have already met with some of them.”

  “I saw it. I saw what you did. I could never be more proud of you, Louie.”

  “Thank you.”

  “And I’m sorry and…”

  “Can you do me a favor?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Just listen.” Louie grabbed Mina’s hand and held it. With one slow breath, he parted his lips and began to speak softly. “I’ve never… I’ve never been good enough to be a Prince. I’ve always just flown by with the title, never truly did something with it. The center was the first step… and that was because of you. You inspire me, Mina. I aspire to be what you think is the definition of a man. A man you can see to be just as great as my brother, but I can only be me. I’ve come to realize that no matter what the title is, I can do better. The incident during my father’s announcement opened my eyes to something so pure and good that I needed time to myself to process it. I’m not used to good things, and it scares the shit out of me when my heart is full. I was happy being the hero. I was happy helping someone and being able to stand my ground in the midst of chaos. When my brother becomes King, I am going to fight my father for his soul if I have to. I won’t let him jeopardize the King Sedgwick can be. I won’t let him hurt my family anymore. And you… you will be Queen. You will be Queen Mina, the woman who was a lover for a moment in time, but a friend for an infinity. That’s how much I love you. I love you enough to know the truth. You and Sedgwick have this connection that goes beyond anything, and I do believe he will give you all that you desire. And it will be hard, but I’m okay with letting you go. I’ve practiced it since I was eight years old. I needed to be prepared… just in case my dreams came true. So I say to you not to dwell on your guilt or hurt because I’ll be okay. Sedgwick needs you. He needs us. So… be happy… be brave…” Louie raised his hand and in a trance grazed the back of Mina’s hair. “Be Mina.”

  Louie leaned in and placed a kiss on the back of Mina’s head and stepped back, letting go of her hand and leaving Mina with tears streaming down her face. She exhaled the breath she’d been holding for so long and gripped her stomach at the notion that overwhelmed her. The crowd applauded Caius and Sedgwick after his speech, and smiles gleamed throughout the ballroom for Sedgwick, but he could only see one thing. From the moment he saw his brother approach a distracted Mina, his eyes remained on them. He put on a smile, but did not hear a word of his father’s speech, as he watched the way his brother stared at her and the tears that plastered Mina’s face. He saw the love that revolved around him; a love that once belonged to him; a love he wanted back.

  Chapter 24

  Snap

  After the King’s speech, Mina quickly went to Louie’s bedroom to find him, but he was not there. She searched as far into the castle as she could, asking the help to inform him that she needed to speak to him. She went to her cottage too tired to keep looking, and when she got there, she was surprised to see Sedgwick sitting in the chair in the corner of her bedroom. He already had the lamp on and Mina’s heart dropped at the sight of the blank expression on his face.

  “Sedgwick. What are you doing here?”

  “You left,” he quietly said.

  “Yeah… I was tired.”

  Sedgwick’s eyebrows arched and he nodded. “Really? Well that was thirty minutes ago that you left, so where did you go?”

  “For a walk.” Mina glanced at Sedgwick’s hands clenching the arms of the chair. Mina felt uneasy and scared by the calmness that glimmered over him.

  “A walk,” Sedgwick repeated to himself.

  “Sedgwick, are you okay?”

  “I slept with someone… while I was away, I slept with someone.”

  Mina would not be human if she didn’t feel something from this revelation. She felt some relief knowing they’d both fallen into the arms of others, but then again, Sedgwick had not fallen for Mina’s sibling.

  “Did you hear what I said?”

  “Yes,” Mina answered softly.

  “So… how do you feel about that?”

  Mina sighed and shook her head. “I’m okay with it.”

  Sedgwick laughed harshly and stood up. “So, how about this? I love you. I love you, Mina. You are my world and I want us to get married and rule beside each other. I want you and only you, nothing else matters.”

  Tears fell down Mina’s face and she just had to do it. She had to tell him what she had been longing and dreading to tell him.

  “I love you, Sedgwick. I always will because… we taught each other to love…” Sedgwick’s mouth started to turn up. “But I’m not in love with you anymore.”

  The knife in his chest went so deep that he couldn’t fathom it. Had he been so selfish and self-centered that he could not see the possibility of Mina falling out of love with him? If so, he did not care, especially knowing that Mina’s heart was now in the hands of his little brother.

  “Okay, Mina,” Sedgwick nodded and clenched his jaw. “Then who do you love?”

  “There is no one else.”

  “Bullshit. You say it.”

  "Sedgwick."

  "Say it!" he screamed, causing her to step back. She had never seen him so angry before.

  "I saw you two tonight. I saw the way he looked at you. He’s always looked at you that way, but I just shut it out because hey, Louie is a fuck up. I never thought you of all people would become one of his whores."

  Mina's hand slapped Sedgwick's face and the hard sting on her palm felt nothing compared to the pain and anger inside of her.

  “How dare you say that, after everything you put me through?!"

  "I made a mistake!"

  "Yes! You did and instead of being a man about it, you acted like child. A spoiled kid who couldn’t stand up for himself! You left me like I was nothing. After everything we had been through, you left and... I changed. I grew up. For a while I waited for you, dreaming of the day you would be there, but time passed and I let it go. As much as it hurt, I let it go. You broke me and I built myself up."

  "With Louie's help, of course."

  "
Yes... but not in the way you think. Louie... he saved me by being my friend. And then things happened. It only happened recently."

  "That makes me feel so much better." Sedgwick frowned and spoke in a sarcastic tone.

  "Well it doesn’t matter, Sedgwick. I used to think I needed you to love me, but I never did.”

  "Oh and I guess you need Louie, huh?"

  "No... But I want him... I love him.” She hesitated only for a moment. “I'm in love with him. I love him... more than you could ever imagine. I’m sorry that I had to tell you this, because Sedgwick, I forgive you and I hope you can forgive me and move on. You have to go."

  If there was ever a way to describe a broken heart that was so broken that it turned to stone, Sedgwick could. He had already been depressed from the pressure of leadership and the feeling of loneliness, and Mina was his way out of becoming what he never wanted to admit he was becoming, his father.

  Mina started to walk past him, but Sedgwick grabbed her wrist, pulling her to him and forcing his lips on hers. Mina turned her face away and tried to get out of his grasp, but he squeezed tighter.

  "Sedgwick, stop! You’re hurting me!"

  He squeezed harder. "Don’t you understand?! I love you. You can’t do this to me."

  "You’re hurting me!"

  "You can’t do this!"

  "Stop!"

  "You’re going to love me again. We are meant to be. You will see, even if I have to make you." Sedgwick moved his hands over Mina's breast and waist, planting unwanted kisses on her neck and collarbone while she struggled to get away from him. Mina balled up her fist and punched Sedgwick in the mouth. He released her and stood back, touching his bottom lip and seeing the blood on the tip of his fingers. After that, there was nothing left for him to see but red as he imagined his brother and Mina together, their hands all over each other, kissing, making love, being happy.

  Mina wasn’t prepared when Sedgwick backhanded her, sending her falling back on the bed. She looked at him and saw the terror in his eyes. Never in her life would she have thought she’d see Sedgwick with so much rage and hatred inside of him. The Crown Prince had finally snapped, driven over the edge by his ex-girlfriend telling him she was in love with his brother.