The Kindness of Kings

by Chelsea Ballinger

  Sedgwick unrolled it and he and his father read the fine print. Caius snatched it out of his hand and reread it.

  “It says it all there.”

  “You can’t even read,” his father spat at him.

  “I’ve been learning,” Louie said proudly and looked at Mina.

  Sedgwick watched them and stepped up to his brother.

  “You really think you can challenge me for the crown? A crown you don’t even want?”

  “Oh, I know I can I challenge you to a duel. But for the crown? No. I don’t want the crown. I want you to let Mina go.”

  “You have got to be kidding me. A sword fight for a woman?!” Caius snapped.

  “You can re-exile me and send me to wherever when you become King. I will stay away and never come back, but Mina gets to be free and happy. Also I want Michael Tabbith free.”

  “What!” Caius interjected. Louie continued.

  “And! I want your word and signature that you will not take this country to war with Magna.”

  “As King, I reject this idiot challenge,” Caius said.

  “You forget Father,” Louie smiled. “You’ve been denounced… and Sedgwick is not officially King yet. The Bishop didn’t finish the ceremony… there is no King.”

  “This can’t be true,” Caius said, looked to the Bishop for an answer.

  “It is true. And we have seven days to declare one or Henry rules temporarily,” the Bishop stated.

  “Of course, what you’ve always wanted, Henry.”

  Henry chuckled. “Oh Caius, still a presumptuous bastard. I don’t want to be King… but I don’t want the wrong person to be either. So Sedgwick.”

  Sedgwick glanced at Henry.

  “You should take what your brother is saying and leave the foolery alone.”

  Sedgwick looked down at his feet, then back at his brother. “Seeing I am still the Crown Prince and am higher than you, I reject your proposal for a truce. I accept your challenge to a duel, and if I win, you leave here forever, and lose your title as Prince of Serenity.”

  “You will fight to the death.” Everyone turned to look at Caius. “You really think he is going to leave her alone, Sedgwick?”

  “Sedgwick, don’t,” Mina stepped between the brothers and faced him. “Don’t do this. I will marry you, but don’t do this.”

  “You’re saving him?”

  “No! I’m saving both of you! You’re brothers. Don’t do this.” Mina’s eyes spoke to Sedgwick, but the image of his brother with her suffocated him.

  He nodded, then politely pushed Mina to the side, stepping closer to Louie.

  “Alright, Brother. We will fight…to the death.”

  Louie himself was shocked, unable to hide the hurt in his face at his brother’s words. Sedgwick walked away and Mina was escorted out with him by a royal guard.

  A tear dropped from Louie’s eyes and he stared at his father, choked up from the hurt. He cleared his throat.

  “I always knew you wanted me dead.”

  Caius smiled and stepped closer to him. “Yes… and tomorrow I will get my wish.”

  +

  Five hours later everyone sat, shocked and reeling from the turn of events. News spread about the duel throughout the world, while Serenians wondered why Louie would challenge his brother.

  “Why the hell is he doing this?” Mina cried, pacing in her room while Jezebel sat on her bed.

  “Louie is doing what he has to do to protect you. He loves you, Mina.”

  “I know, and I love him for that, but do you know what this would do him, Jez? To both of them? This is all that asshole Caius’ fault.”

  “I agree, but it’s also their choice.”

  “I can’t lose him.”

  “Who?”

  “Who do you think? Louie.”

  Jezebel eyed her curiously. “Have you told him that Mina? Have you told him that you’re in love with him too?”

  Mina sighed and sat on the bed next to her. She ran her fingers through her hair and breathed out, “No.”

  “Well, you should tell him. Do what you do best Mina.”

  “What?”

  “Inspire him,” Jezebel smiled. “Foy years I have seen that boy walk through fire for you. He deserves to know and I truly believe e that if you tell him… he will make the right choice in that duel tomorrow.”

  “How am I going to get to him?”

  “Let me worry about that.”

  +

  Back at the castle, Sedgwick was starting to regret his decision to fight his brother to the death. How could he do that to his own flesh and blood? He wondered how he could do a lot of things he had been doing. He knew he was lost. He was starting to wonder who he was.

  “You will kill Louie…” His father poured him a drink and passed it to him. “And you will be King and have everything you desire.”

  “Yes, but my brother will still be dead,” he pleaded with his father. “Do you really feel nothing for him?”

  “It’s nothing personal, Sedgwick. It’s just the way things are.”

  “No, it’s the way you made them,” Sedgwick said angrily, standing and walking to the window, staring at the sky that was clearing up from the rain.

  Caius walked over to Sedgwick and turned to him. “Everything I have ever done, Sedgwick… has been for you. I love you Son, and I am telling you, Louie is the enemy, not me. He strolled around like he was high and mighty and then took the one thing in the world you loved more than anything in this world.”

  Sedgwick twitched at the reminder of Louie and Mina.

  “This is how wars are won, we cannot feel, we cannot hesitate. We must show everyone tomorrow the King you are.”

  He wrapped his arms around Sedgwick, holding him tight. “I love you Son. Remember that. I love you.”

  +

  Louie watched from his hotel suite window as the full moon gloomed over downtown Serenity. He held the bottle of whiskey in his hand, but didn’t drink it. He was so full of anger and pain, he didn’t have the stomach to binge like he usually did when he felt alone. At this moment, he felt the loneliest he had ever felt in his life. Suddenly, his doors opened and he turned to see Mina walking into his suite, dressed in a dark blue hoodie and black jeans. She closed the door and removed the hood.

  “What are you doing here? How−"

  “Jezbel… she has connections,” Mina giggled and walked up to him. “I can’t stay long.”

  “Mina, I…”

  “No.” She pressed her fingers against his lips. “You’re always talking. Telling me how you feel… and I suppose it was selfish of me to ask you about your feelings without telling you mine. So I need you to just listen, okay?”

  “Okay,” He said softly, her fingers sending a rush through her.

  She lowered her hand and smiled at him.

  “When you challenged Sedgwick today, your terms were just for me to be free… without the both of you.”

  “Yes… I just want you to be happy, Mina. Away from all this bullshit.”

  “Wow.” She gazed into his eyes. “You really don’t know, do you?”

  Louie’s eyes crossed with confusion.

  “Well, I guess you wouldn’t. You’re so used to not being good enough Louie, and it’s because of this misguided feeling that you don’t see the truth and you shut people out. Just like you did when we were kids.”

  Louie looked away from her in shame.

  “You know why Sedgwick went insane that night? It wasn’t because he found out about us…. It was because he found out…. that I am out-of-this-world in love with you.”

  Louie quickly turned his head, looking at her in shock.

  “All your life you just wanted to be chosen. Well I chose you, Louie. When Sedgwick gave me an ultimatum, I chose you. I choose you. I love you for all the things you do. You challenge me. You accept me. You get on my nerves half the time, but that makes me love you more. I think I have been falling in love with you every day since the day I met
you and this year it finally just devoured me. You make me fill infinite, Louie. That’s what falling in love with you did to me, it changed me for the better and it made me feel alive in more ways than one. Every stare, caused me to shiver, every touch made me explode, and ever since the moment we kissed and turned it into something more, my whole world has just… stopped. Frozen, giving me time to truly see what my heart has been trying to tell me for so long. I don’t regret any of it. Everything happens for a reason. I don’t regret my time with Sedgwick and I don’t regret the fact that I love you with every breath I have. You say I inspire you... Louie, you inspire me.”

  Louie clenched his jaw as tears streamed down his face.

  “You are destined for great things. I’ve known that since the day I saved your ass from falling off a cliff.” They laughed and Mina calmed down to finish. “But if you choose to kill your own brother tomorrow, you will lose everything. Don’t worry about me. Love always prevails somehow, and you’re the one that taught me that.”

  She grabbed his hand, placing a flowered silk scarf in it. He recognized it instantly.

  “This was your mother’s favorite scarf. One day I was sitting in her closet with her and I saw this and said how pretty it was.”

  “I remember… she gave it to you,” Louie said.

  “Yeah… and I have kept it sacred forever, but I’m giving it to you as a reminder of who you are. You are Louie… the brave warrior… the good brother, the good son… the great Prince.”

  She pressed her palm against his cheek. “Don’t lose it, Louie. Don’t lose that halo I see in you. I love you.”

  She pressed her mouth against his. Louie held her tight, granting her full access to his mouth, and his heart; in return she gave him hers. That moment wasn’t about the kiss or the fact that they made love in the time they had left, it was about the way it happened. The way Louie unzipped her sweatshirt, the way Mina unbuttoned his shirt, the way he brushed her hair back, how they planted tender kisses on each other’s bodies, how they laughed, cried out their I love yous. It was the way they loved each other in a way everyone longed to be loved. A love Louie never had until now. He was enough. He was finally enough.

  Chapter 28

  Dark Before Light

  Today was a dark day for Serenity. The Republic and royal court sat in the balconies of the throne room. The red carpet had been lifted, revealing the black and gray marble floor with a gold dove centered on it. The Bishop waited on the throne stage with his hands linked in front of him. Royal guards surrounded the main floor. Mina sat in the balcony with Christina and Jezebel next to her. Everyone’s hearts raced as they waited for the brothers who were in the wardrobe room down the hall in their separate sections, getting ready. The duel uniform consisted of a white wife beater, black fitted sweats, and black cross trainers.

  “You don’t have to out there with me, Bartleby,” Louie told him as he wrapped his mother’s scarf around his right hand.

  “Hey, I’m your right-hand man. There is no way I’m letting you go out there by yourself.”

  Louie smirked and placed his hands on his friend’s shoulders.

  “If this doesn’t go as I plan, and I… don’t make it…”

  “You’re going to make it,” Bartleby spoke in a tone that told Louie his friend had faith in him.

  “If I don’t make it… I want you to know that I have loved you as a brother since the first day your fat ass came to us.”

  The two friends laughed and shoved each other playfully, finally coming back to reality. Never in a million years would they have thought this could happen.

  “I can’t believe it’s going down like this,” Bartleby shook his head.

  Louie nodded and hunched his shoulders up and down, trying to relax although he was really scared.

  “All we can do is pray and hope that it won’t end in bloodshed,” Louie said, bowing his head and silently praying for the first time in years. He brought his ring to his mouth and spoke the Serenity Prayer.

  “May God lead us to peace and prosperity.” He kissed his ring and exited the wardrobe room with Bartleby behind him. Wesley was waiting for them. He stood behind them as Sedgwick, his father, and another royal guard appeared. They didn’t acknowledge Louie. Sedgwick stood next to Louie with his father and guard behind him. The brothers were told that everyone was ready. They walked in sync to the very tall double-wide red doors, which opened when they approached them. They stepped inside the throne room as everyone watched. Sedgwick and his father walked to one side while Louie and Bartleby walked to the other. In the center, two rapier swords, freshly sharpened and polished, waited. They had gold handles and long blades with Serenity’s prayer engraved in them. The Bishop walked to the center in front of the weapons and signaled the Princes to come. Before Sedgwick went, his father placed his hand on his shoulder.

  “Remember, Son… No mercy. Cut him down ‘til there’s nothing left.” A hint of emotion showed in Sedgwick’s face at his father’s words.

  He walked up to Louie and the Bishop. The brothers stood facing each other, with unreadable expressions. The Bishop glanced at both boys and reluctantly announced the rules to everyone.

  “The Prince Sedgwick has chosen to fight to the death! Therefore, there will not be any armor. These men will fight with nothing but their honor and hopefully… with mercy! May God be with you both,” the Bishop spoke.

  He stepped away and Sedgwick and Louie, eyes never leaving each other, bent down and grabbed their swords.

  “We don’t have to do this, Sedgwick,” Louie said, genuinely, making a final plea.

  Sedgwick struggled to keep his hatred for his brother, but when he glanced down at his brother’s hand and saw the scarf his mother had once given Mina wrapped around it, he knew she had seen his brother last night and more importantly, the love his mother had for Louie hammered the nail in the coffin where his love for his brother resided, and he wanted to bury it. He wanted to bury his brother for taking the two people he loved away from him.

  Sedgwick breathed through his nose and straightened his face and shoulders.

  “May God have mercy on you… because I won’t.”

  Louie’s jaw and eyes twitched and he bit his lip, nodding while staring at the floor. He looked back at Sedgwick with tears forming in his eyes and said, “I love you, Sedgwick.”

  Sedgwick didn’t show his surprise at his brother’s kindness in response to his cold, harsh words. They turned their backs on each other and walked back to their places.

  Louie looked behind him and gazed at Mina who was holding Christina and Jezebel’s hands. Her heart beat fast, and tears of fear for the unknown fell from her eyes. Louie smiled faintly and nodded. He looked back at his brother from across the room and gripped the handle of his sword. Sedgwick did the same.

  The Bishop looked at both men. He then did what he hoped he would never have to do. He raised a small red flag in the air above him, and, closing his eyes, dropped his arm, signaling to the brothers that it was time for them to kill one another.

  Louie and Sedgwick charged each other, meeting with their swords. Louie realized that Sedgwick had been practicing, for he was quick. Everyone watched as the Princes tried to catch one another at their weak point. Sedgwick pushed towards Louie, moving his sword quickly and relying on his footwork, a skill in fencing Louie could never quite grasp. Louie stepped back more and more until he was up against the wall. Sedgwick swung his sword towards his head. Eyes wide, Louie ducked and circled around him. He backed up slowly as Sedgwick walked towards him with rage in his eyes. Sedgwick struck again. Louie met every blow with his blade. Mina leaned against the balcony rail watching them, clinging to the bars. Jezebel and Christina had their hands on her shoulders as Louie forced his and Sedgwick’s swords that were intertwined, to the floor. Sedgwick grunted in frustration and elbowed Louie in the face, triggering gasps from witnesses. Louie stumbled back, touching his lip and seeing blood on his fingers. The mercy in him disappeared a
s he stared at Sedgwick, his brow creased and his fists clenched. Sedgwick charged at him, and tired of his brother and his rage, Louie ducked again, this time kicking his brother hard in the leg. Sedgwick felt a painful vibration. Gripping his leg, he glared at his brother, who was ready to fight now. They turned their heads toward the swords on the floor across from them and back at each other. Together they started for them. Sedgwick was closer and reached his first, turning and swinging it too late as Louie slid under the blade to his sword. Louie grabbed his sword and the Princes continued battling with their blades colliding. Caius sat on his throne, nervous as Sedgwick’s leg dragged. Everyone’s heart jumped each time a blade came near flesh. Sedgwick ended the close call with one swift move to the right, slicing his brother’s arm. Louie winced at the clean cut to his arm. He held onto it with his free hand, as blood seeped through his fingers as he pressed harder. He looked at Sedgwick, shocked at having made Louie bleed, giving him a wound that could easily have been somewhere else on Louie, somewhere that would lead to his death. Louie, more hurt than angry, charged at his brother. He yelled as he struck repeatedly, letting his emotions get the best of him and losing his concentration as Sedgwick saw an opening and swiped him on his side. Louie yelped as the pain burned through him. Sedgwick didn’t waste time as he took his sword and waved his blade across Louie’s back, sending him to his knees, screaming in pain. Louie became dazed and his sword slipped out of his hands beneath him. Blood appeared on his back and a woozy feeling overcame him. Mina’s heart stopped as she saw Louie on his knees with his head hung low. Caius, relieved, grinned and Sedgwick’s face faltered as he realized what was going to happen. He was going to kill his brother. Louie lifted his head and turned it to the side, staring up at his big brother with tears in his eyes. His brother’s eyes caused Sedgwick’s heart to drop, and he looked at Caius, who nodded, signaling him to finish. Sedgwick looked back down at his brother. The hand that held the sword trembled, and so did Mina’s hands against the balcony. Louie stared straight across the room at the tall window and saw the sun that was bright as day shining on him, the beauty of it granting him permission to die. Anyone debating whether life flashes before your eyes before death could get the answer from Louie. He saw his life flash before him− from the cruelty of his father to the love of his mother, the friendship from Bartleby and Christina, the guardianship of Jezebel and Wesley,to the times when the bond between he and his brother was unbreakable, and the everlasting kiss and love from Mina− as Sedgwick shook off his heart and raised his sword in the air. He realized in that moment that the sun shining on him was not comfort before his demise, it was his wake-up call; the eye opener to everything that had made him the man he was. The man who was better than a man on his knees waiting for his death.