Bloom: The Kingdom of Archer Series: Book I

by J Rose

  “Prince Parker instructed I stay by your side until he returns. Forgive my forwardness but I will not break that promise. Your safety comes first even if you are being. Protected by a cub,” Oliver said calmly.

  “Alright. You can join us. Just keep your distance,” Andrew said, his jaw tense.

  “We’ll be inside. Just. Call if you need anything,” Crystal spoke up. Offering a tight smile before everyone walked back inside and left Andrew, Oliver and I alone.

  “Take a walk with me,” Andrew spoke after a few moments of silence. His voice sounded calmer and gentler now that we were almost alone.

  “Alright,” I answered, and he simply smiled back extending his arm out to me to intertwine with my own.

  We walked along a small little-pebbled path around the small forest. I could hear the small birds’ chirp happily knowing it was because of Andrew’s song. Their soft little calls sounded like a soft encore of Andrew’s song which floated through the soft breeze like a beautiful after echo.

  “You didn’t tell me it was the Prince,” Andrew spoke after a few moments. His tone sounded accusing and caused my throat to dry.

  “They didn’t tell me. You know how this works.”

  “I know,” Andrew spoke sighed.

  “Are you happy? Afraid?”

  “I’m alright,” I said to him.

  “Parker. How does he treat you?” Andrew asked.

  For a moment I was unsure of what to say. Not for my sake but for his. Andrew had always been perfectly clear as to what his emotions for me were.

  “He’s nice. He’s. Not like before. I-”

  “You like him already don’t you?” Andrew questioned, pain evident in his eyes.

  “I’m not sure. I. He asked for a chance and I said yes,” I admitted to him.

  “Why? Because of Cray?” Andrew asked.

  “No. I. He’s my mate Andrew. I want to be happy and. Is it wrong to want that?” I questioned, and though his eyes reflected pain, there was also understanding in them. He sighed, shutting his eyes tightly for a moment before opening them again and speaking.

  “No,” He whispered.

  “But Lyric. He hurt you, he-”

  “I know,” I said to him.

  “But he also saved me. We talked and he. We. Both deserve a chance. I. I want to be happy Andrew.”

  “Maybe if I-”

  “You’re my friend,” I said to him.

  “One day you’re going find her. But that’s not me. I value your friendship Andrew but you need to understand.”

  “I know,” He admitted, more to himself than to me.

  “But that doesn’t change how I feel right now. For you," Andrew said taking hold of my cheek gently.

  “I know you’re right but. What if it was me? I keep thinking. Wishing-”

  “But it’s not,” I tell him.

  “You can’t change what was already written,” I say to him.

  “Besides one day when you find her you’ll think this conversation was silly,” I say to him.

  “Maybe. But it doesn’t feel that way,” Andrew says.

  “For now. You need me. And I’m not going to leave until you no longer do,” he says.

  “What do you m-”

  “Lyric.” His voice makes it clear to me. Parker. I turn to look at him but he’s not looking back at me.

  Parker’s face is completely emotionless and cold. For a moment I felt nervous, maybe even a little intimidated. This isn’t the Parker that I had given a chance to but the old Parker. Only he wasn’t looking at me that way but at Andrew.

  “Parker,” I spoke up to him, his eyes shift toward mine softening upon looking at me and offering me a lopsided smile.

  “Lyric. Can you wait inside? Oliver can go with you. I. Have a few things to discuss with Andrew.” Parker spoke up his eyes shifting toward Andrew once more, who now had a similar expression.

  “Come on Princess,” Oliver spoke up startling me.

  Oliver had indeed kept his distance so much so that I had failed to notice him until now. He didn’t say anything more but placed his hand on my lower back to push me along gently. When I turned to look back at Parker and Andrew, they were no longer there.

  “Don’t worry. This isn’t about you. They have things to discuss, important things,” Oliver spoke. I knew Oliver’s words should have put my worries at ease but they did nothing to calm me.

  #

  (Parker)

  This wasn’t something I was going to stand for. Not anymore. The council had let far too many things slide when it came to the Crays. The worse had been the attack they had planned. It had been a clear threat to the kingdom and a clear threat to Lyric

  As much as he wanted to stay with her and talk for the night. Maybe even stay in the same bedroom as her Parker knew that wasn’t an option. He’d asked Oliver to meet him in the courtyard after talking to his father about his next step.

  “I want you to stay here and protect her while I go talk to the council,” Parker told Oliver while they stood outside the courtyard.

  “Parker. Cray made it clear that-”

  “I know… War isn’t too far away. But I want you to stay behind and take care of her for me. She can’t know what’s going on. Otherwise, she’d blame herself for this," Parker explained to Oliver, who for a moment remained silent unsure if he should speak or not.

  “The Princess… Is quite fragile.”

  “Yes,” Parker spoke guilt eating away at him.

  “But she is not quite as fragile as you perceive.”

  “Maybe. But. I can’t lose her. I need you to protect her should Cray decide to attack while I’m away. It will only be a few days’ trip but even so. I need the best to protect her,” Parker said to him.

  “I’ll send some of the best with you to the council,” Oliver said to him.

  “Though I doubt Cray will attack right when we have our guard up even if he’s desperate to take her,” Parker said to him.

  “She means a lot to you. Doesn’t she?” Oliver questioned him.

  For a moment Parker found himself contemplating this. Of course he loved her and cared about her and somehow there really wasn’t a way to describe everything she made him feel.

  “The world,” Parker answered him.

  “I’ll do my best to protect her. Prince Parker,” Oliver spoke to him.

  “Thank you,” Parker said to him.

  “But Parker. You should not act drastically because of Cray,” Oliver said to him.

  “Like my father, I don’t want to start a war. But I won’t stand for Cray taking Lyric from me.”

  “The council can only help so much but there’s really nothing they can do,” Parker reasoned.

  “Then why do you-”

  “To inform them of this simply. But it’s become obvious that Lyric will probably cause this war,” Parker thought realizing that this would only distress his mate.

  “I don’t understand what you feel right now. But. Fear of losing someone you love is quite torturous… Losing someone you need. It’s like never being able to breathe again,” Parker couldn’t really say much to Oliver about it. Sure he had lost his mother, and while that was a great loss, Oliver had lost both his parents and there was nothing Parker could compare to.

  “I leave tonight,” Parker spoke to him after a few seconds of silence.

  “Stay outside her door and at her side at all times,” Parker said to him before walking away.

  #

  Traveling to the Nova council was much easier to do in Nova form. There was no need for stops only to run and let instinct take you as fast as you could. When it came to the matter of Lyric, the faster the better. Flanking me in my run there were two Nova flyers, the best in Oliver’s army, along with one Nova wolf, and a wildcat. The trip only took a day and a half and by the time we reached the council the guard was already awaiting my visit.

  “Stay here,” I ordered the Nova officers who only answered with “Yes Sire” and stayed o
utside to wait for me.

  It took less than a few seconds for the council guard to allow me inside to meet with them. So there I was, standing in front of the council once again feeling irritation aside from anger and frustration. Still, I realized there wasn’t much they could do with what happened between Cray and I. Even so, there needed to be a line drawn. And if they couldn’t draw that line then I had to do so.

  “They have not crossed through to Archer and unless they,"

  “What do you suppose we do Councilwoman Jameson,” I spoke up to her.

  It was useless to reason with the council to go against the Crays. Just like it was unreasonable for them to go against us. Though I realized it was their job to remain neutral against both Kingdoms, sometimes their so-called “Neutral line” became nothing but useless to both kingdoms.

  “Cray’s threatened my Kingdom. And he’s threatened my mate.” I spoke anger slipping through my voice and echoing loudly across the room.

  “How much longer will you continue to look the other way? They have killed hundreds of our people in futile attacks to take over the Kingdom of Archer. Not to mention the conditions of poverty that their people live in.”

  “We realize you’re frustrated Prince Parker,” Councilmen Green spoke up.

  “But you must understand that our hands are tied,” He spoke. His words only confirmed to me that he really couldn’t understand the frustration I was feeling. Because this wasn’t just about Lyric. It was also about a Kingdom that should have never been dispersed into two sections in order to avoid war and bloodshed. The bloodshed that had still happened because of the Cray’s who craved power.

  “As long as he did not go through Archer there is nothing we can do. We could punish the Novas of Cray that passed the line but it would only anger his people more," Councilwoman Jameson spoke up.

  “Then what do you suppose I do? Should I wait until they attack my Kingdom? Should I have to wait for more bloodshed?” I asked.

  “For now I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do.” Councilmen Green spoke. Unlike Councilwoman Jameson who kept her cold composure as did the rest of the Nova Council, I could hear sympathy and understanding in Councilmen Green’s voice.

  “And if a war is to start?” I questioned them.

  “Then what would you do?” I asked.

  “We would remain as we are Prince Parker. There is a reason why we were chosen by the first Novas and why your father himself has kept his trust in us.” Councilwoman Jameson said.

  “I guess I came to waste my time,” I said to them.

  “All we can do is give the Cray’s a warning and try to negotiate a new treaty with them in order to avoid war.”

  “Unless I hand Lyric off to Cray, he’ll never stop. And even If I were to do so, he’d still want the Kingdom.”

  “Are you declaring war on Cray?” Councilmen Green questioned.

  “No,” I answered them before walking out of the room.

  “But should the time come I will.” I thought to myself.

  #

  It was frustrating to think that when it came to what was right, there wasn’t much the council could do. Maybe it was fair of them to keep things the way they thought was best. Still, things could only get worse after this.

  Going back to Archer though I felt relief simply because I needed to make sure that during my time of absence Lyric was alright, there was also frustration. Part of me was afraid when I realized that any moment there could be a chance of Cray hurting her or trying to take her away. I could see the mansion in the distance and somehow that made me speed up knowing I could see her again. However, it was the Nova council flags on the side of a large car that rang alarms in my head. Had someone come and given news to my father ahead of time? Had Cray already decided to attack?

  “Sire,” One of the officers spoke up while he ran beside me tension somehow high around them as well once they saw the flags of neutral ground in Archer.

  “We’ll go straight in. Should anything seem out of place then we move, otherwise, there’s no need,” I said to them.

  However, there seemed to be no need because from outside in the courtyard I could hear a guitar playing.

  “Son,” My father spoke coming out of his study.

  “What’s going on?” I questioned him. After shifting back, my father simply waved his hand at the Nova officers who quickly retreated away leaving us alone.

  “You should go change and come downstairs afterward. We have a few things to discuss,” My father spoke, something in his voice sounded strange but yet, not enough to cause an alarming worry.

  “The Councilmen-"

  “Go change son. We’ll talk afterward,” He spoke.

  “And Lyric,” I wanted to ask but instead I headed to the guest room where I had placed all my belongings in and changed. Call it instinct maybe, the pull that was Lyric. But somehow I could sense her near and simply approached the window after I’d changed.

  She was standing there with her friend Jane, and there was also Spencer, Crystal, and Oliver. That’s when I saw him. Andrew Green. I’d seen him simply because whenever my father had some sort of gathering there was always the Nova Council that would be invited. He was the son of the Lion in the Council and in my opinion, the more reasonable in the ranks among them. Still, I couldn’t quite understand why it was he was there. It was only when Green hugged Lyric and her friend Jane; that there was something deep inside my stomach that churned. Almost like I’d seen something I was not supposed to.

  He seemed to be talking with Spencer or rather arguing, then he proceeded to do the same with Oliver. Still, in the end, I saw Green reach for Lyrics’ arm tangling it with his own and then, she smiled at him. Maybe it sounded possessive, maybe even immature but at that moment I truly did feel jealous. Had she smiled at me? Yes. Had she allowed me to hold her even once? Yes. Even so, there was something about all this that told me there was more to it. I realized Lyric had to force herself to like me, or even want to try to be with me and that bothered me. I knew that nothing would ever erase the past fully between us. Our life and our connection together would always be tainted with specs of the past that were unerasable. I was aware of who he was, of what he’d done or rather what his father had done for Lyric and her mother. They’d given them sanctuary at a time that I couldn’t provide comfort to her. During a time that I had been part of what had been causing her such great pain.

  I couldn’t look at the scene in front of me, not at the moment. Even if I wanted to go after Lyric and she’d agreed to give us a chance. I wanted Lyric to love me and jealousy would not work in my favor. There was not much I could do other than let her be. For now, I would simply go talk to my father who was waiting in his study as he always did when he needed to talk.

  #

  As always, my father sat patiently at his desk reading a book only to close it once I’d sat down in front of him. Only this time, there was a long pause before he actually set the book down, leaving it open to the page he’d been reading.

  “I suppose the council has called you father,” I said to him.

  “They haven’t but. I suppose they will,” He answered back calmly.

  “Though there’s not much they can say that I don’t already know son.”

  “What’s the point of having a council if-”

  “To keep the peace. Maybe right now you don’t believe there is peace. And it is true that the way we live isn’t perfect. But the council does its purpose which is to keep The Kingdom of Cray in line. At least until there can be a fair solution,” He said. Still, I couldn’t quite understand it and maybe that conveyed in my eyes because my father simply chuckled lightly.

  “You may not understand it son. In fact, maybe you’re still a bit young to do so. But in time you’ll learn to see the purpose of what the Council is for. In the meantime, I suppose you’ll have to wait.”

  “And the Cray’s?” I questioned him; because I couldn’t understand his calm. There were times like w
hen mother left, or when Oliver’s father and so many of our people died that I could see the distress in his eyes.

  At the moment, however, his eyes were calm which only confused me.

  “In due time. I’ve learned that what should happen shall eventually take its course. But for now, something else needs your attention.” He spoke, his tone shifting from calm to stern and professional.

  “Mr. Green. Would like to have a word with you. Regarding your mate,” He said. At the mention of Lyric, I could automatically feel myself tense.

  “What does he want with her?”

  “He wouldn’t say only that. He wanted to discuss her with you in private,” My father spoke.

  “Fine,” I told him. Standing up to walk out of my fathers’ study I was stopped by his words once I opened the door.

  “Allies are always good son. Don’t let your own insecurities and desperation cloud that,” He spoke. His words stuck in my head as I made my way out of his study.

  #

  It was easy to know where Lyric was. It was always easy for me to find her. My heart always did know the direction her own heart went. Though I realized I should have been comforted by the fact that Oliver had accompanied them on their walk; that didn’t much ease the tension in my heart that I felt or the nervous tingles my fingertips felt thinking about the way Green had looked at her. They hadn’t gone that far into the small woods and I could hear Green speaking to her. The closer I got the more I could hear what they were saying.

  “One day you’re going find her. But that’s not me. I value your friendship Andrew but you need to understand,” Lyric spoke to him. Part of me couldn’t quite understand what it was she was telling him but his next words to her confirmed what I had already felt.

  “I know. But that doesn’t change how I feel right now… For you… I know you’re right but. What if it was me? I keep thinking. Wishing-”