Once they entered the palace gates, his eyes settled on Lana’s house. Sadness weighed heavily on his shoulders as he slumped past it, frowning. He missed her terribly and longed to go back in time to King’s Mountain when all was well between his father and Lana. He treasured the time spent at the mountain. There was always a sense of urgency among the citizens, but there was also a deep sense of belonging, loyalty, and family. It was as if the mountain ceiling held them all together. But, now that they were back in the kingdom with nothing but sky above them, those familial feelings seemed to drift up and away, lost. Lana was lost to them.
“Do you think Dad will ever make up with Lana?” he asked miserably before he realized he had spoken aloud.
Loren studied him before answering. “I don’t know, Xavier. That’s up to your father.”
He sighed despondently. “Great, that means no. He won’t apologize. He always thinks he’s right and that he knows best.” He looked up at Loren imploringly. “But, he doesn’t know best, Loren. Not about this! He needs her! I need her! Couldn’t you talk to him? Maybe if you told him what an ass he’s being he’d listen to you.”
“No, Xavier. No, no, no, no!”
“But, Loren…”
“No, Xavier. It’s not a good idea.”
“Then what am I supposed to do? Dad’s too proud…they’ll never get back together if they’re not nudged in the right direction,” he complained. “If you could just talk to him…”
“No! Xavier, I said no!” he barked, stopping and turning the boy to face him. “Your dad will have to decide for himself what to do about Lana. We have to stay out of it. I know it feels unfair to you, but this isn’t about what we can do! It’s not up to us to save their relationship. It’s up to your father and Lana. Stay out of it!”
“Okay, okay,” he moaned and stalked away.
“Come on, Xavier. Don’t be that way,” Loren called, falling into step with him. “I didn’t agree with his decision to push her away either! I understand why he did it, but it wasn’t the right thing to do!”
“But now that William LeMasters is dead, why isn’t he trying to get her back?”
Loren sighed and ruffled the boy’s hair. “Believe me, kid; when your old man decides he wants Lana back, he’ll move heaven and Earth until he has her. Just give him some time.”
“If I can survive life with him until then,” he muttered.
“Sorry about that. Your dad was never that great under emotional stress. He tends to get a bit cranky,” he explained, draping an arm over his shoulders. “Why don’t you spend the night with Court tonight? I’m sure I could swing it so you have tomorrow off.”
“Do you think he’ll let me?”
The general nodded with a grin. “Sure he would. Just because he’s miserable jackass doesn’t mean he wants you to be one too.”
“Can I quote you to Dad on that?” he snickered.
“You can try, but I’ll deny it. I sure don’t need the king on my butt more than he already is.” Loren’s deep laugh echoed down the long hall as they entered the palace, but it quickly evaporated as harsh, angry words bellowed out of the royal residence, echoing through the palace’s chambers and passages.
“Damn it, Mike! We can’t just pass sentencing without an executive session!” Jeremiah’s voice boomed.
Loren and Xavier exchanged a look of apprehension before bounding up the stairs and through the door.
“Don’t give me that, Jeremiah! If you hadn’t passed the amendment to limit the king’s authority, we could hold trials and sentencing in the same setting! But, no, you and your petty insecurities...”
“What in the hell does that mean?” Jeremiah spat.
“You know what I mean! You’re so afraid you’ll turn out like him that you make knee-jerk decisions!” Mike shouted.
“You don’t have the foggiest idea what you’re talking about!” he retorted viciously.
“You’ve got to be kidding me! I don’t know what I’m talking about? Lord, Jeremy, I lived in this palace too! I know how he treated you. I know the harder he tried to control you, the harder you fought to defy him. Even now, with Father long gone, you’re still trying to outrun his shadow!”
“Enough, Mike!”
“No! It’s the truth. But hear this brother, the harder you fight against becoming our father, the more you act like him!” Michael spat.
“I said, enough!” he shouted, lunging at him, but Ephraim and Loren jumped into action and kept the brothers apart.
“Well, done, Your Highness. You just proved my point, but of course, you’ve proven it repeatedly over the years. Starting with that stunt you pulled in Cleveland.”
The king instantly stilled and gaped at his brother.
Michael sneered. “What? Did you honestly think I wouldn’t find out?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he muttered unconvincingly as he shrugged out of Ephraim’s hands and walked over to the bar to pour a drink.
Mike shook Loren off of him and stepped toward his brother. “Bullshit! I know that after you verbally spanked me about leaving my kingdom and shirking my responsibilities, you returned to Cleveland and coerced Natalie into leaving the city. She left! She left and there wasn’t a trace of where she went!” Michael yelled, barely taking a breath between his words. It was obvious even to Xavier that Michael had been stewing over this for years. “I asked her to marry me, Jer! I could have brought her back with me!”
“You were only nineteen! You had no business getting married!” Jeremiah snapped.
“THAT WASN’T FOR YOU TO DECIDE!”
“Yes, it was Mike!” Jeremiah slammed his drink onto the bar, its contents sloshing in the glass and spilling over the rim. “It was my responsibility to look out for you after Quinton died. Only God knows why, but you were hell-bent on self-destruction, and I thought it was best that you returned to the kingdom where I could keep an eye on you. You weren’t mature enough or in the right frame of mind to get married! Besides, you’re my brother...and I needed you! My family was gone! I was grasping at any splinter of family I had left, damn it.”
Michael stared at his brother, incapable of responding to the truth and emotion he felt behind the king’s words. The fiery anger in his eyes extinguished, and he looked away.
“Jer,” Loren whispered. “Maybe you should...”
“Loren,” Jeremiah hissed in a tone that was clearly a warning.
Michael’s head whipped up. His piercing glare darted between the two men before settling and boring into Loren. Suddenly, he exploded with fury and tackled Jeremiah. The abrupt movement stunned Loren and Ephraim, catching them off guard. Although Michael had a maimed leg and the king outweighed him, he managed to ambush him with two good thumps to the face before Loren and Ephraim hauled him off. Jeremiah slowly got to his feet, wiping his bloody mouth with the back of his hand.
“God, Jeremiah! I take it all back. You don’t act like Father! Hell, you ARE him!” Michael spat with raw anguish. “You should have…you should have told me about the baby! Where are they? Where did you send them? Have you been sending them money?”
“I only know where she used to be, Mike. She moved on before the baby was born and refused to accept any money,” he whispered.
Michael looked at his brother in disgust. “I’m leaving.”
Ephraim nodded and muttered, “That’s probably a good idea. I’ll stop by your place tomorrow morning so we can discuss the trip, Mike.”
“No, Ephraim. I’m leaving the kingdom. I’m not going on the scouting mission to Coasta. I need to find Natalie and my kid,” he growled and looked at his brother, who still avoided his eyes. Then without another word, he stomped to the door.
“Uncle Mike?”
He looked down at Xavier with surprise. He hadn’t realized the boy was there. He tried to smile as he ruffled his nephew’s hair. Then, without a word or a backward glance, he left the residence.
“Jeremiah, I’m sorry...I didn’
t change my thinking fast enough. Maybe you should have told him...”
“Loren!” Ephraim interrupted, giving a slight nod toward Xavier.
Loren nodded with understanding before changing the subject. “Sire? The boy worked hard today, but with his hand still healing I think it would be for the best if he rested tomorrow. He shouldn’t overdo it. Why not let him spend the night with Court? I think both boys have earned a day off.”
“Thanks, mate,” Ephraim muttered dryly. “I noticed you didn’t volunteer to let the hooligans spend the night at your house.”
Loren grinned. “There’s no way I’d trust your boy with my daughter. I have to protect my little girl.”
Ephraim coughed as he winked at Xavier. “Protect Erica? It’s the lads who need protecting from her! That girl is too much like her father.”
“Thank you, buddy. That’s the best compliment you’ve given me in a long time.”
“It wasn’t a compliment,” he muttered before addressing the king. “But, I agree. The boys deserve a day off. Xavier is always welcome at my home.”
The king smiled down at his son. “I heard that the gatehouse has been completely reconstructed. Well done, son.”
“Thanks. I had a little help,” he answered snidely, nodding at Loren.
“A little help? I’d say it was more than a little help, you little brat!” he spat playfully, chasing him around the receiving room.
Chapter 3: Family and Friends
Xavier exited the royal residence, dragging an overstuffed backpack and carrying his pillow. Ephraim stood just outside the door with Henrick.
“Ah, Xavier. Good! Rebecca is holding dinner for us.” he announced, draping an arm over his shoulders and steering him down the royal staircase. “I must warn you, your highness. In a household with four growing boys, food doesn’t have time to get cold. So if you plan to have any dinner tonight, you better grab it when you can.”
The moment they walked through the door, Xavier was struck by how loud the residence was. Mrs. Hardcastle was yelling for Caleb to get his shoes out of the dining room. Drew and Court were arguing about the latest rugby match.
“Oh, come off it, Drew. It wasn’t a foul, and you know it! You’re just sore that your team lost and you lost a bet with Jonas!”
“Bloody hell I am! It was a foul as plain as the pimple on your ass!”
“ANDREW EPHRAIM HARDCASTLE!” Mrs. Hardcastle yelled. “I will have your father wash your mouth out with soap if you don’t clean up that language!”
“OW! Mum, Courtney hit me.” Caleb whined.
“And I’ll do it again if you keep waving that foul sock in my face, you git!”
“Boys! For the love of God, would you act like you had some sense! Your father is due home any minute with Prince Wells, and he doesn’t need to witness how barbaric you lot truly are!”
Ephraim looked down at him and winked. “It’s not too late to back out, sire.”
Xavier grinned and shook his head. “No way.”
“Okay. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Still smiling, he followed Ephraim into the living quarters and took in the chaos of a normal family preparing for dinner. Loren was right. This was exactly what he needed.
“Hey, X! Just in time!” Court bellowed from the large dining room table. “Here, sit next to me.”
As Xavier shuffled his way toward Court, Ephraim detoured into the adjoining kitchen, swept his wife into his arms, dipped her, and planted a noisy kiss on her lips.
“Hello, love,” he whispered.
“GET-A-ROOM,” Drew coughed loudly.
“Hey now,” Ephraim growled playfully, as he threw an oven mitt at his oldest son.
“Dad?” the Hardcastles’ second oldest boy, Dennis, called from the table where the boys sat waiting. “Terry invited me to spend the night after the bonfire celebration. I told him I’d have to run it by you first. Is it okay?”
“Sure, son. I don’t see why not,” Ephraim told him as he settled at the head of the table. “But the celebration is still a week away so I want you to keep your nose out of your books long enough to help with your chores and duties. Understand?” Dennis nodded as Ephraim continued, “We must all pull our weight to get the kingdom back in order.”
“Yes, sir,” the boys chimed together.
Once Mrs. Hardcastle was seated, Ephraim took his wife’s hand and then Drew’s as he announced, “Let’s give thanks.”
The boys all joined hands and bowed their heads in near unison.
“Bless us, O Lord and thy gifts, which we are about to receive from thy bounty, through Christ, Our Lord, Amen.”
“Amen,” the family chimed, crossing themselves with the sign of the cross.
Ephraim began dishing out helpings of roast beef and passing plates around the table to each person. “How did your day go, sweetheart?” he asked his wife as he passed Xavier a plate of roast beef.
“Good. The hospital wasn’t damaged much, but a lot of the supplies have been destroyed or stolen. So, Healer Dorne and I will be making a trip to the mainland tomorrow to replenish our stocks.”
Ephraim nodded as he passed another plate to Drew.
“Dad? Can Xavier and I go camping at the lake tonight?” Court asked.
Ephraim paused briefly, his gaze fluttering between Xavier and his son. “Who’s going to be there?”
“Beck, Garrett, and all the guys.”
“I don’t know, son. King Wells gave Xavier permission to spend the night here in the residence, not in the woods.”
“Come on! We haven’t had much time to be with our friends and to just goof around. We’ve been working our tails off; we need a break. Please?” he pleaded.
Ephraim passed a plate to Dennis.
“Well, I don’t see why you couldn’t go, but Xavier needs to ask his father. He needs to know about the change in plans.” Ephraim passed the remaining plates to Court and Caleb before looking at Xavier. “If your dad tells me you can go, then I have no problem with the camp out.”
“Yes, sir,” Xavier responded before turning to Court. “I’ll ask him after dinner.”
The moment the last plate of roast beef was distributed, the boys immediately scrambled to fill their plates with potatoes, green beans, rolls and butter, and fruit salad. Xavier had little experience when it came to large family dinners and found himself watching in awe at the sights and sounds. Everyone was talking at once, and the silverware clatter was like a chorus of wind chimes. If Court hadn’t kept prodding him, he wouldn’t have had a crumb to eat but the meat on his plate.
“Xavier, here mate. Have some potatoes before Drew gets a hold of them,” Court called, nudging him.
“Mum, tell Caleb to stop doing that!” Dennis complained as Caleb stuck out his tongue coated with a mixture of half-chewed food.
“Caleb Walter Hardcastle! Mind your manners or you’ll go to bed without dinner!” Rebecca chided.
“Dad? Can I go camping with Court and Prince Xavier?” Caleb asked, shrugging off his mother’s reprimand.
“NO! You’re not going, bogie miner!”
“Courtney! Don’t call your brother that!” Rebecca snapped.
“But, Mum! If Caleb goes, it won’t be a break for me, and that’s the whole point of the campout! I’ll have to babysit him so he doesn’t drown himself,” Court argued.
“Dad! I need a break too! Can’t I go camping?” Caleb persisted.
“Dad!” Court whined.
“Dad!” Caleb mocked, and Courtney thumped him on the arm.
“Ouch! Mum!”
“Ouch, Muuuuum!” Court mimicked and a shoving match between the younger sons ensued.
“You know, for once, I’d like to have a peaceful meal without a major row at the table!” Rebecca stated.
“That’s enough, boys,” Ephraim called firmly, and his sons fell silent. “Caleb can go.”
“But, Dad!” Court bellowed.
“Courtney! I’ve given my decision,” Eph
raim stated, his eyes pinning his son into silence.
Court ate the remainder of his meal without another word, sulking and throwing murderous glances at his younger brother.
After dinner, Xavier followed Court into his room that he shared with Caleb.
“Blimey! I can’t believe Dad’s letting Caleb go! I swear to God, if that little git...”
Caleb entered the room with an enormous grin. “Hey, guys. What should I take?”
“Your bible and rosary,” Court hissed. “You’re going to need them to pray that I don’t kill you in your sleep.”
Caleb rolled his eyes dismissively and looked at Xavier. “Did King Wells say you could go?” he chirped.
“Oh, ah...not yet,” he muttered and looked at Court. “I better go ask.”
Court nodded as he began scrounging in his closet for his sleeping bag.
When Xavier entered the residence, he found Mrs. Sommers restocking the wet bar in the receiving room.
“Hey, Mrs. Sommers. Where’s Dad?”
“Hi, sweetie. What are you doing home so soon?”
“Well, there’s been a change in plans. The guys and I are going camping at the lake if it’s okay with Dad. Where is he?” he gushed.
“Oh, that sounds like fun. He’s in his room, I believe,” she replied, continuing with her work.
Xavier bounded up the steps two at a time and hurried into his father’s room, but he was nowhere in sight.
“Dad? Dad?” he called, moving toward the open patio door. He found the king leaning against the patio wall watching the sun set.
He looked up at him in surprise. “Hey, kiddo. What are you doing home?”
“Well, Court and the guys are going to the lake to camp and I was wondering if I could go with them. Please?” he pleaded.
“I don’t see a problem with it, but you’ll need a good sleeping bag,” he answered, leading the way back into the bedroom and crossing to his closet. “Here, take mine. It should keep you dry and warm.” He pulled the bag from the closet and handed it him.
Xavier hugged the sleeping bag against him, smelling his father’s scent on the fabric. He smiled up at him. “Thanks, Dad. I’ll see ya in the morning, okay?”
The Prince of Warwood and The Rise of the Chosen Page 2
