The Prince of Warwood and The War of Kings

by Clinton, J. Noel

  “Yeah, only Frankie and about every other boy in the school!” Beck piped up. When Court glared at him, Beck protested, “What? The girl’s freaking hot! Have you ever watched her walk? And she knows what it does to all us guys too. Go on, Xavier, tell us!”

  Xavier shrugged. “It was nothing really,” he stated.

  “There’s no way it could be nothing! Did she use tongue?” Beck inquired gleefully.

  “No, seriously. It wasn’t that kind of kiss. She doesn’t like me in that way anyways. I think she’s got a thing for my dad.”

  The other boys gaped at him. Beck was the first to break the silence. “That’s sick! He’s like… an old man!”

  Xavier nodded. “Yeah, I know. But on the walk to school, it was all she could talk about. She kept telling me how all the girls in her year think,” Xavier made a repulsive face, “that he’s hot.” He exaggerated the shudder running through him at the thought.

  All the boys nodded sympathetically.

  “Well, he is really buff, and girls seem to like that kind of thing,” Frankie commented.

  Beck stared at Frankie in disgust. “Francine, you scare me sometimes. Do you know that?”

  After lunch, Xavier followed Robbie around the courtyard. He planned to be close to her so when she finally came to her senses, she’d be able to find him. But from the looks of things, Robbie wouldn’t be doing that anytime soon.

  “Xavier?”

  He turned and nearly knocked Sara down. He grabbed her quickly to steady her. “I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

  She smiled up sweetly, her hands squeezing his biceps. “Wow, you’ve got some serious muscles under your uniform. I bet you could lift me without much effort, huh?”

  Xavier stumbled on the compliment. “Ah, well, there… there wasn’t a lot to do at the mountain by myself except work out and read.” He shrugged in an attempt to be modest.

  “Well, you look and feel really good,” Sara said, moving her hands so that they rested on his chest. “Do you have a six-pack set of abs too?”

  Xavier straightened and his chest expanded with pride. “Well, yeah, I guess I have a bit of one started.”

  Suddenly, Sara grabbed at his shirt, yanked it loose from his pants, and lifted it.

  “Hey!” Xavier blurted, jumping back and pulling his shirt free of her hands. “What are you doing?”

  “Just checking to see if you’re lying,” she giggled.

  “Hello, Sara,” Robbie stated stiffly from behind them.

  “Oh, hello, Roberta,” Sara greeted with a giggle and pushed at Xavier playfully. “Xavier, you’re so funny.”

  Okay, Xavier was officially lost. Funny? What did he say that was funny?

  “Yeah, he’s a riot!” Robbie blurted dryly. “Did you get a good look at my boyfriend’s chest or would you like another look?”

  Xavier felt a tingling sensation race down his neck. He knew that look.

  “Uh, no. She doesn’t need another look. She didn’t have permission to look the first time,” Xavier rushed to say, but he was too late. Suddenly he stood in the middle of the courtyard bare-chested.

  The group around them snickered lightly.

  “Robbie…” Xavier warned in fear she would go further with her act of revenge. “Robbie, don’t.”

  “Oh, you are so right, your highness. It’s not fair that you should show off your beautiful chest when Sara isn’t,” Robbie spat.

  Suddenly there was a collective groan of male appreciation around him. Xavier spun to a stunned Sara, who now wore only her bra from the waist up. Blushing from head to toe, Sara tried to cover herself as she ran to the entrance of the school.

  “He’s my boyfriend, Sara. You understand? He’s mine! So you better keep your slimly little hands off of him! Got it?” Robbie yelled after her.

  “Robbie! Stop!” Xavier demanded, grasping her firmly by the shoulders. “What is wrong with you?”

  Robbie shoved his hands away. “What’s wrong with me? Are you serious? Are you really that stupid, Prince Wells?”

  Xavier felt his temper rising but worked to keep it buried. “I must be because I have no idea what I did to make you mad and want to embarrass me like this.”

  “You… are… flirting… with… Sara! You let her kiss you! Everyone is talking about it. And, just now, I stood there and watched while you let her put her hands on you!”

  “I didn’t let her do anything, Robbie! I might have a lot of powers, but I don’t have the power to control what other people do!” Actually he did, but somehow it didn’t seem very helpful to mention that.

  “Roberta Minnows!” Headmaster Spencer barked from the doorway. “Get yourself to my office immediately!” When Robbie didn’t move and continued to glare at Xavier. Michael Spencer barked, “NOW!”

  With a huff, Robbie stomped to the door and brushed angrily past the headmaster.

  “Sire Wells? Go to the nurse’s station, and she’ll give you another shirt. Then I suggest you get yourself to the Governing Hall. Your father will be expecting you.”

  “Yes, sir,” he responded. He avoided eye contact with the group who had witnessed the exchange, entered the school, and made his way to the nurse’s station.

  Chapter 10

  Xavier teleported onto a stone platform reserved for just that purpose in the center of the garden located in the palace’s enormous horseshoe-shaped drive. Nearly a year ago, William LeMasters had slaughtered countless victims in this very spot. A few feet away from the platform stood a beautiful white marble memorial with the names of all the lives lost during the invasion. Dublin’s name, Robbie’s father, was among them, as was Milton’s, his father’s personal assistant, who had been like a father to him. He tore his eyes away from the memorial and started across the drive to a large cylindrical shaped building with dark tinted windows. As he approached the entrance, he became more and more aware of people stopping to stare at him. He hated when people did that. He wasn’t an endangered species in a zoo for God’s sake! Instead of cowering and shyly hurrying away from the prying eyes as he had done in the past, Xavier tried a different tactic. After straightening his tie and combing his fingers through his hair, he looked at a group of women boldly and greeted them jovially.

  “Good afternoon! How are you beautiful ladies today?” he asked, giving them a devil-may-care grin.

  The women grinned back at him. “We’re doing lovely, your highness. Thank you,” one woman responded before the group turned and, with a giggle, continued with their business.

  Pleased with the reaction, Xavier continued toward the Governing Hall in this fashion, greeting those who openly gawked at him. When he entered the building, he was grinning broadly and strolled confidently down the first floor commons to a pair of large wooden doors. He opened the door and bounded up the large marble staircase, taking two steps at a time until he reached the second floor, where his father’s office was located. He opened another pair of doors that led into the commons for that floor. The Governing Hall was beautifully designed and decorated. Each floor had its own purpose and function, and the artwork in the commons reflected that purpose. The first floor was the judicial level and handled disputes and trials, so the mosaic artworks along its walls were of men and women in robes presiding over a court of law. The second floor served as the legislative department of the Governing Hall, so the artwork here depicted men and women writing laws, debating, and voting, and in the center of each mosaic design was the image of the king. Although people didn’t stop and gawk here, they did nod to him respectfully as he made his way down the hall toward his father’s office.

  “Sire? You can’t go in there right now. King Wells is in a confidential meeting,” the secretary informed him when Xavier started toward the office door.

  “Oh. Okay,” he muttered and grinned at the secretary. “Hi, Alexandria. How are you doing?”

  Alexandria smiled at the boy hanging over her desk. “It’s going well, just busy.”

  Xavier’s grin br
oadened. “Yeah, King Wells is a slave-driver.”

  “I think I have the right to remain silent on that charge,” she snickered with a wink.

  The office door opened.

  “If you have any more problems with getting the votes to pass it, let me know, Marcus. It’s a worthwhile legislation. It needs to be law.”

  “Yes, sire. I’ll keep you posted,” Marcus replied as he stepped out of the office and briskly walked away.

  “Hello, son. Alexandria, we are not to be disturbed for the next hour unless it’s an emergency.”

  “Yes, sire.”

  “Talk to you later, Alexandria,” Xavier told her with a wink.

  Alexandria giggled. “Oh, Xavier, you are such a flirt!”

  Xavier frowned at the comment as he entered his father’s office. Flirt? Was that what he was doing?

  “Did you have a good morning at school?” his father asked as he shut the door.

  “Honestly? No. It kind of sucked,” Xavier told him. “Dad, is it okay for a guy to talk to another girl when he has a girlfriend?”

  Jeremiah’s eyes jumped to meet his son’s. “Yes, it’s okay. What’s going on, kiddo?”

  Xavier shrugged. “Robbie is really mad at me. She says I’m flirting with Sara Jefferson, but I’m not. I think Sara’s flirting with me. At first I thought she was just being nice to me because you’re my dad, but after lunch today…” Xavier’s words faded, and he looked up at the king. “What do I do to get Robbie to understand that I’m not interested in Sara, that she’s the only girl for me?”

  The king smiled. “Problems with the opposite sex can be very difficult and confusing, but if you told her what you just told me, I think that would go a long way to soothe any hurt that might be there.”

  Xavier nodded. “Yeah. All right. I’ll talk to her then. Thanks.”

  “Any time, son. So, are you ready to get started on telepathy training?”

  “Yes, sir,” he answered. For the first time, he was actually looking forward to the lesson, but that enthusiasm quickly dwindled.

  The king’s surge into his thoughts was strong and robust. Within seconds, Jeremiah skimmed past Xavier’s memories like he was reading a picture book, leaving Xavier winded and scrambling to stop him. His father saw every thought and every memory. Xavier felt his entire body blush when the king stopped and studied the memory where he kissed Robbie and glowed pink in the process. He turned to Xavier and gave him a small smile before continuing deeper into the boy’s emotions, thoughts, and memories. Xavier showed little ability in stopping or ejecting him from his mind.

  By the end of the lesson, Xavier was left with a headache and the sinking feeling that he would never be able to block his father from his thoughts. But if he didn’t learn impediment, the plan the prophet had for saving his father would be useless.

  “Dad? What can I do to get better at this? Are there exercises or something?” Xavier questioned.

  “I’m afraid not, son. The only way to get better at blocking telepathic advances is practice. You’ll get there. Don’t worry.”

  Xavier sighed heavily and hoped he would get there in time.

  The rest of the afternoon, Xavier shadowed his father around. He learned that the kingdom’s electricity, water, sewer, TV cable, and trash were all outsourced from a neighboring common community. His father paid these utility bills for the entire kingdom from taxes he collected from Warwood citizens. Xavier’s jaw dropped at the bill amounts for the services.

  Later that afternoon, Xavier followed his father down the common corridor and into a large conference room. A large oblong table filled the room with about twenty-five chairs circling it. In front of each chair lay a manila folder. The king led him around the table and sat at the head of the table, patting the seat next to him.

  “Here, son. Have a seat, and I’ll fill you in on this process.”

  Xavier was excited to be able to sit in on a delegation meeting for a new legislation with the Delegates of Warwood. He found the idea fascinating and was curious about how it worked.

  “Now this is the first phase of the law process, son. This is a proposed law that I’ve not seen yet. So at this point in the process, I listen to the proposal and provide suggestions and make sure it doesn’t infringe on current laws.”

  “Can you… like… kill the proposal if it’s a really bad idea?”

  The king nodded. “Yes, I can. I’ve only done it twice in my reign. One of the proposals I vetoed was a knee-jerk idea following William LeMasters’ assassination of my father and stepmother.”

  “What was the proposal?”

  The king sighed. “The proposal would have banished all non-native citizens—those not born in Warwood. I understood that the people of Warwood were afraid, but I couldn’t allow fear to be the catalyst for a law. I vetoed the proposal and managed to talk sense into the delegates.”

  Xavier nodded just as the door opened and a group of men and women filed into the room. They stopped to greet the king and prince before finding a seat at the table. Once everyone was present, Jeremiah motioned for the conference room door to be closed. He stood at his seat and simultaneously the group fell silent.

  “Good afternoon, delegates. My son will be attending our meetings in the foreseeable future. He’s beginning his apprenticeship today.”

  “Good afternoon, Prince Wells,” the group chimed.

  “Hello,” Xavier greeted bashfully.

  Jeremiah smiled at the group. “Let’s get down to business, shall we? Who’s the spokesperson for this recommended legislation?” the king inquired.

  “I am, sire,” announced a heavy-set man with thinning hair and large eyes behind thick spectacles as he stood.

  Jeremiah nodded. “The king recognizes George Force as speaker for the delegation. Delegate Force, are you prepared to present the legislation at this time?”

  George paused, his eyes flickering nervously to another man sitting across the table. Finally, he answered, “Yes, sire. I am.”

  The king leaned back in his chair and settled in for the presentation.

  “You have the floor, Delegate Force. You may proceed.”

  The beefy man cleared his throat and opened his folder. Then, after an uncomfortable glance at Xavier, he began, “King Wells and fellow delegates, the legislation I am presenting to you today on behalf of the Wellington Interest Group will have profound benefits and protection for all of Warwood citizens. As a result of the events that took place October 11th of last year, I make the following proposal.”

  King Wells stiffened, straightening slowly in his chair as a muscle in his jaw rolled. Something the man said had angered his father, but Xavier didn’t understand what until George Force’s next statement.

  “We propose to organize a small group of powerful men to act as a task force for justice. The role of this group will be to subdue and control high officials who are found by this body to be a danger to Warwood and/or its citizens. In order to provide this task force with the appropriate abilities for combatting and subduing any person in question, we ask to be given the authority to grant the use of the King’s Key at our discretion. The details of this proposal are outlined in the packets in front of each of you. I’ll allow you a few minutes to skim through the contents before I open the floor for questions or suggestions.”

  Xavier’s eyes darted back to his father, who was staring darkly at Delegate Force. After a moment, the king opened the folder in front of him to scan through the contents. Xavier craned his neck to look at the file, but his father leafed through it too quickly. After a couple minutes, the king tossed the folder onto the table in front of him, sighed bitterly, and irritably rubbed his face.

  “Dad?” Xavier whispered.

  But the king cut him off with a simple, jerky wave of his hand.

  “Dad, is this because of me, because I attacked the kingdom?” Xavier questioned, using telepathy.

  The king turned to him and whispered his response close to Xavier’s ear
. “I cannot discuss this here. I’ll explain later. Please do not use telepathy again during these proceedings.”

  Xavier nodded, sat back in his seat and continued to study the group. Everyone was still shuffling through the file, except one man who was studying Xavier and the king. The all-knowing scrutiny of the man’s gaze was uncomfortable, and he quickly looked away to the rest of the group. A few delegates had finished examining the details to the proposal and closed the file with disgust.

  Once everyone had completed reviewing the file, George opened the floor for questions and suggestions.

  “I don’t understand the need for this… task force,” a petite woman with red hair began tightly. “The people of Warwood already have means to prevent the problem you’ve presented here. King Wells himself proposed and lobbied for a change in the responsibilities of the High Council to include evaluating the king. Why would this be necessary?”

  “Ms. Rowan, this proposal will expand the power of the people further in a way the High Council cannot. It will provide additional protection and means to handle tyrant leaders.”

  “By handle do you mean to overthrow?” another man asked.

  “If necessary, yes. Look, ladies and gentlemen, this isn’t a popular topic to consider. I understand that. But what if, God forbid, in the future we have a king who is powerfully endowed with abilities and wishes to oppress his people for his own gain and power. If we do not have this task force, a physical means of stopping him, we would be at his mercy.”

  Several of the group around the table nodded thoughtfully at Force’s words.

  Then Governor Bracus stood, his face scarlet with anger. “So, by passing this legislation, we will trade the possibility of one tyrant king for a group of tyrants on steroids! Delegate Force, explain to me who will be responsible for regulating this group? Who will rescue the people from this task force if they chose to take the power of the throne for themselves?”

  The group began whispering feverishly at this question, and soon the whispering grew into heated discussions before exploding into a shouting match. Disconcerted, George glanced anxiously at the man across the table again. King Wells saw the exchange this time and stood.