Chapter 11
Seth
In the two years since the death of my grandparents, my father spent a lot of his time alone wallowing in his thoughts. He was King, making everything change for all of us. It was time to start doing things his way and mentally preparing me for my future.
I was walking through the halls of the palace looking for our King but found mother instead. “Have you seen father anywhere?”
She smiled gently to my interest. “He’s in the temple again.”
“Oh, maybe I should wait.”
She came to me and gave me a comforting touch on the shoulder. “It may take some more time to recover for him. It was sudden but maybe you should see him. He could use something else to think about. We both know he’s been seeming more distracted lately.”
“Okay, mother. Can you keep an eye on Rift? He’s napping in my room again.”
“Of course I can. He enjoys his naps these days.”
“Faults of getting old, I guess.”
“He’ll still be around. Go see your father.”
I turned from her and used my speed to get to the entrance of the temple but slowly walked in. I passed the statues of my many great grandfathers and found father sitting with his back up against the base of grandfather Izin’s statue.
“Father?”
He was sitting still and maybe even emotionless but turned his head. “Seth. What is it?”
“Just came to see what you were doing. Not talking back?”
He smiled by my expression and turned his head back. “I know he wouldn’t be able to. Like he would say anything that will help anyway.”
“I think I knew him well enough that he wouldn’t have wanted you to be in here all the time.”
“That’s a very wise thing to say for one so young.”
“I’m more grown up than you think I am.”
“Oh, are you? Well, I need a long vacation. You take over.”
My eyes got wide and I took a step closer. “What? I didn’t say I was completely grown up.”
Father laughed which only told me that he was actually joking and he started to stand. “Only kidding, Seth. I was about to go back in. I have to go over a few more things before dinner.”
“Oh.” That meant work and I was a bit disappointed.
“Why don’t you come?”
“Really?!”
“I don’t see why not. You’re growing up faster than I’d like to admit. You should be learning these things with me.”
“Okay. Where to?”
“Conference room. That’s where they were supposed to have some papers ready for me.”
“Race you?”
“Oh, not completely grown up, I see. On the count of three. One. Two. Three.”
We both used our speed at the same time and raced back into the palace. A few people were startled as we passed but there wasn’t time to stop and apologize. I wanted to win and we headed straight for the conference room.
Darius was carrying a stack of papers through the door and it would have almost been impossible to stop so suddenly so we maneuvered around him, making him drop some of the papers. “What the fuck are you doing?”
We stopped by the table and were both laughing.
“Well, good to see both of you in a different mood.” Troy said, already standing by the table and probably glad we didn’t run into him too.
“Sorry, Darius.” I said. “I’ll clean it up.”
I used my other gift and picked up all the papers we made Darius drop, putting them all on the table.
“Thank you. What was that about?”
“My fault.” Father said. “I agreed to the race.”
“Well, I hope you’re done playing.”
He cleared his throat and tried to become more serious. “Yes, of course. Totally done.”
Darius just looked at him strangely and moved the papers across the table to where my father would be sitting. “Well, these are going to need the King’s signature. They’re just the basic transfer papers for reassigning ownership of a few properties in the south.”
His mood changed with a sigh. “Oh, all right. Seth, take note. These are the kinds of things you’ll be responsible for in the future.”
I smiled and sat in a chair at the table. “Really?”
“Not until you’re sixteen though.” Troy smiled. “Your father will be dealing with it until then.”
“Yes.” He sighed. “Just something else added to the list. Thank you. I can take it from here.”
“Okay.” Darius nodded. “That should be it for today. We’ll see you at dinner.”
He nodded and they walked out, leaving us alone.
“So, son, how was your day?” My father sat in his chair, signing papers without looking up at me.
“Boring as usual. It’s been too hot to want to train.”
“I see. It has indeed. Well, let me just get through this and we’ll head off to dinner, shall we?”
I nodded and we sat here while my father was going through and signing every page.
I leaned on the table in front of me, tapping my fingers on its surface from boredom after only minutes.
“I hope you don’t expect this to be a glamorous life.” My father must have noticed my mood without even looking.
“I clearly know it’s not completely but there are perks.”
“Oh, you think so? Like what?”
“You know, just the attention. Mostly from girls.”
His smile got bigger and he finally looked across the table. “Oh, I see! The girls! You’re worried about that already? Well, you’re absolutely right until you find the one you’re going to stick with.”
I laughed like it was some kind of cruel joke. “I don’t think I should have to think about that for a long time.”
“You’re probably right. Anyone I should know about?”
“No.” Now I was getting an attitude. “I hardly get to go beyond the walls.”
“Well, we’ll try and change that, huh? This is about time you should get the people more acquainted with you. You are twelve years old after all. It’s the starting age for taking up study at the Royal Academy. I was going to have a talk with your mother about having you attend.”
I huffed. “Good luck. Not that I disapprove. I would love to go but mother has her reasons.”
“Yes, but I also have mine. She will see to them. I promise.”
I smiled, hoping he was actually right this time and he finished up with the papers.
“Let’s get to dinner.” He stood up and I stood up after him. “How about we do something tomorrow? Just us.”
“What?”
“I think I’ll keep it a surprise but don’t tell your mother.”
“Something I can’t tell mother about? I’m in!”
“Come on. Meet me in the stables tomorrow morning after breakfast.”
“I will.”
“For now, let’s just focus on dinner. I’m starving. I haven’t eaten all day.”
“Race you?”
He laughed. “Oh, no. Too many breakable things in the dining hall. Your mother would not like that.”
“Okay.” I was a little disappointed. I liked it when we raced but then my father took off out of sight and I smiled, following with my speed.
The dining hall doors burst open as we passed. My father proceeded to his chair, saving a glass from falling while he waited for me.
“What took you so long?”
“You didn’t win. You cheated.”
He laughed. “Next time be prepared.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow.”
Chapter 12
Adele
We were all happy to see them bonding like this through everything Zayden’s been going through these last couple years but no one said anything. I was most happy to see his mood change. I was getting worried for him when he was spending all of his time alone. The loss of his parents put a dark shadow over him and I didn’t know
when it would be lifted. It’s been two years of it but it would seem Seth’s youth helped with his desperate desire to be connected to his father and I was glad for it.
I went up to Seth’s room after dinner and went right inside. “There you are.”
“Mother?”
“So, you have plans with your father tomorrow, huh?”
“Ah, yeah.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear. What’s on the schedule?”
“I’m not sure. He said it would be a surprise.”
I smiled to see how excited he was. “Oh, well, better keep it that way.”
“I’m going to get to bed, mother, so tomorrow comes faster. Come on, Rift.”
I smiled when he jumped up at his request and laid by his side. “All right. See you in the morning.”
“Goodnight, mother.”
I left his room after a quick kiss on his head and walked through the halls to get to mine.
“Just see Seth?” Zayden asked.
“Yes. He’s going to bed and very much looking forward to spending time with you tomorrow.”
“So am I.”
I went over to him and stood in front of him while he sat on the bed. “I know you are. I knew it wouldn’t last forever. He never hated you. He just wanted your attention.”
“How long are you staying this time?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Summer is just coming to an end. We might go back for a couple of weeks so the boys can get focused back on their studies.”
“I actually wanted to talk to you about that, his studies.”
“What about them?”
“Well, he’s twelve now and I thought maybe he could stay around here with me and continue them at the Royal Academy with other kids his age.”
I heard what he said but I only thought of one thing. “And with girls?”
My look was nervous, making Zayden laugh. “Oh, come on, Love. You can’t keep him from that forever. He’s growing up. He needs to be exposed to those kinds of things. You don’t want him to turn out to be a nervous fool every time he tries to talk to a girl.”
“Yeah, and I don’t want him to be like you were either. I think I remember telling you that.”
“I know but nothing is wrong with being like me. I was a good kid. I had respect. I think it will be good for him. It’ll give him a chance to get more involved with the people and have them get to know him.”
“You know what I’m going to say.”
“He needs this, Love. You can’t keep him little forever.”
“I know.” I didn’t like it to be true but he was right. Seth was growing up. He was the perfect image of blooming life and I knew what the right thing was but I was hesitant to get out my next words. “All right. Fine. He can go but only as long as Dirk and Bryce are with him. I don’t want him pushed into a world of strangers.”
“Okay, we can probably work that out but you’ll have to be on my side when it comes time to convince Ruby and Jaylyn it’s the right thing.”
I nodded and leaned into him. “I’m on your side.”
Zayden smiled as he leaned in the rest of the way.
Chapter 13
Seth
I got right up bright and early with the sun and got myself ready for the day.
“Come on, Rift. I’ll let you out.” He got up rather slowly but followed me down to a side door. “I’ll get you in a few minutes.”
I went straight to the dining hall from there for breakfast to see father already in there with Troy and Bryce.
“And I thought I got up early.” I jested.
They laughed and I took a seat next to my father.
“Been waiting for you.” He said. “Where’s Rift?”
“I just let him out.”
“Then we’ll get someone to let him back in. He should stay here for this.”
“Okay.”
“So, where are you off to today?” Troy asked.
“Just taking a little trip into the city. You know, meeting with someone.”
Troy’s look got serious. “Zayden, you know she’s not going to like that.”
“That’s why no one’s going to tell her, right?”
“You know I won’t so don’t look at me when she finds out which you know she will.”
“I think I’ll be able to handle it. Come on, Seth. Let’s go.”
I immediately stopped eating and got up. “Ready. Bye, Bryce, Troy.”
“Later, Seth.” Bryce replied.
Troy just waved and I walked with father out of the dining hall and outside to the stables. My father started readying my horse for me and I was curious with questions.
“So who are we meeting and why won’t mother like it?”
“Just some friends of mine. Here. Get on your horse.”
He handed the reins off to me and started readying his.
Together we rode out of the stables and my father took us into the city. People bowed and greeted us with respect as we slowly walked the white streets. It was interesting. I usually don’t get out of the palace much and when I do, mother is taking me back to the mountains so usually, I’m not looking around.
“Where is this place?” I asked while we were walking in parts of the city I’ve never even seen.
“Just up here. There’s a little park. Oh, and I did get the chance to speak to your mother about you attending the Royal Academy.”
“Good. I’ve been prepared for the rejection.”
“Well, that’s too bad because she’s going to let you go.”
“Really!” I was both surprised and excited.
“Yes. I promised, didn’t I?”
I smiled. He was starting to live up to his promises now and I was enjoying it. “Thank you, father!”
“No need. You need this.”
It was true and I was glad for it.
We came into view of a little patch of green amongst all the white with a couple of trees and a little pond off to one side. That’s when I spotted a young girl with golden brown hair shining in the sun. She was sitting up on one of the rocks overlooking the pond with her knees up into her chest just soaking in the rays of the sun on her face.
“Wh—who is that?” My voice stuttered nervously.
“Her name is Cadence, daughter of a dear friend of mine. She’s on the list to becoming your mother’s successor someday.”
“Really?”
“Would you like to meet her?”
“Yes.” I answered without hesitation.
We reached the park at a slow walking pace and got off the horses.
“Well, hello there.”
The girl looked up and smiled as she jumped down off the rock. “Good morning, your majesties.”
“I’d like you to meet my son, Seth.”
“Yes, hi.” She held out her hand to shake mine. “I’m—”
“Cadence.” I said, taking her hand.
She smiled. “That’s right. This is such an honor.”
“No, I believe the honor is all mine.”
Cadence smiled again and bit her bottom lip. “Wow. You’re sweet.”
“Where’s Meg?” My father asked, interrupting the moment.
“Oh, she’s in the suite packing our things. We’re going back home tomorrow.”
“Then I better go see her and say my good-bye. Will you be all right out here for a moment, Seth?”
“Yes, father.”
“Then I’ll be right back.”
He got back on his horse and started riding down the street while I got the chance to stay behind with Cadence.
“Well.” Cadence said, breaking the awkward silence and climbing back on the rock. “I haven’t seen you out here before. They must like keeping you locked up tight in the palace, huh?”
“Oh, ah—do you mind?”
I stepped closer to the rock and Cadence made room for me on it. “Of course not.”
I climbed up next to her and continued the conversation. “Well, sometimes but I don’t actually live h
ere in the city.”
“You don’t? I wouldn’t have guessed that.”
“Not many would. I was born here but raised in our other palace within the mountains.”
“Oh, yes. I’ve heard about that place. I hear it’s nice.”
“It is but I think that’s all about to change, well, for me anyway. I’m going to start going to the Royal Academy so I’d have to stay here.”
“That’d be nice. We come here every year, well, try to in the summertime. I live in Kalu with my mother.”
“I think I knew that. My father said you were going to be my mother’s successor in the Kalu Assassin thing.”
“I hope to be. No one will ever be as good as Adele but I’m sure I can come close.”
I laughed. “If she’s teaching you than you will.”
“That won’t be for a few more years. She can’t start training us until we’re fifteen so that gives us three years to find another member. We’ve picked one already.”
“That doesn’t sound too hard. Three years is a long time to find one more.”
“I know.” Cadence groaned and laid back on the rock. “I hate it. It doesn’t even feel like we’ve been here for two weeks but we have.”
“Yeah, it’s too bad that you’re going back. I would have liked to see more of you.”
Cadence smiled and sat back up, looking into my eyes. Hers were beautiful like a lavender flower. “Me too but I’ll be here next summer. I’ll try and let you know when I arrive and we can get together.”
“I’d like that.”
I could have sat here forever with her. She was very easy to talk to but of course something was going to end our time here.
“Cadence, your mother wants you.” My father approached and stopped his horse.
Cadence sighed and hopped down off the rock. “All right. I better go.”
“Yeah, me too.” I got down off the rock as well.
“Nice seeing you, your majesty.”
“And you, Cadence.” Father smiled. “Have a safe trip home.”
“Thank you, I will. And Seth, I won’t forget.” She kissed me quickly on the cheek and ran off.
I was completely speechless as I watched her run out of sight.
Blooming Life (Fate's Intent Book 10) Page 4
