by P D Atkerson
Enrick nodded. "Sure," he mumbled. "But only if I kill everyone along the way. That's how my father works."
"That might be the way your father works, but that doesn't mean that's the way you will have to rule," Dasety said. "You are nothing like your father, you are much better. You learn from your mistakes and don't deny them."
"Yes, and I learn from other things too," Enrick mumbled, a thought forming in his mind. "Do you know if we have any books in the library about past kings?"
"Books, my lord?"
"Yes! Books about past battles and such things like that," Enrick said, grinning. "If my father plans on taking over Aleanare, maybe I should learn a thing or two about wars and battles to help him."
"A very good idea, my lord. I do believe we have a few."
Enrick nodded. "Good, then please have someone send them to my room," he said. "When I am crowned prince, I will know as much about wars as anyone else in this castle."
"I will see to it," Dasety said, bowing.
True to his word, Dasety had every book about wars, battles and kings, sent to Enrick's chambers. The days passed and Enrick was only partly through one of the big volumes left behind by one of the many Strangeheart kings. How sad their line ended with the death of King Ozony, nearly ten years before.
He was just about to put the book away and train with Dasety, when someone knocked on his door.
He growled, tossed the big volume down onto the table and stood. "Come in!" He called, straightening out his tunic.
"My lord," the messenger said, bowing as he entered the room. "I'm sorry to bother you, but..."
"Yes, yes! What is it?" Enrick asked.
"The King requests your presence in his private dining chamber," the messenger said, bowing again.
"And let me guess, you have no idea what he wants?" Enrick asked. "Does anyone know what's going on around here?"
"The king knows all."
Enrick rolled his eyes. "No, he doesn't, if he did, he would already be High King of Aleanare and he isn't."
The messenger's eyes grew wide and he took a step back. "My lord, that sounds a lot like treason."
"Well, it isn't!" Enrick snapped, throwing himself back down into his chair. "And if you tell anyone I was speaking treason, I will make sure you pay for it!"
The messenger quickly nodded. "Yes, sire."
"Alright. What do you know about my father wanting to see me?"
"My lord, I only know that the Lady Willow is here visiting again," the Messenger said, his cheeks turning slightly pink.
Enrick eyed him. He'd heard of Lady Willow from a few of the servants and from Dasety. But he'd yet to meet her.
The Messenger shuffled his feet, then cleared his throat. "Not to push you, my lord. But the King seemed to want you there right away."
"Alright," Enrick said, pushing himself up again. "I'll go to him right now. But only if you tell me one thing. Who is Lady Willow?"
"Let, me just say...if you don't mind me saying so, my lord, um...you might want to change into something um...clean?" The Messenger asked, raising an eyebrow. "She's quite the lady and I have a feeling you're going to want to make a good impression on her. That's all I can really say about her, my lord."
Enrick looked down at his clothing and groaned. His clothes were wrinkled and stained with sweat.
Though he didn't want to, Enrick decided it was best if he changed before leaving his chamber. It might be fine for others to wear that kind of clothing, but his father and everyone else in the castle wouldn't see it that way. They'd only see that Enrick wasn't dressing like the prince he was supposed to be.
The messenger left, leaving Enrick to find his way to his father's dining chamber. Walking through the endless maze of halls and doorways wasn't much fun alone. He'd lived there his whole life, yet it was still hard to find his way around. Every hallway looked the same as the last, dark and eerie.
Finally, he found the right hall and headed towards the room's main doorway. The guards stood to attention, as Enrick drew nearer, but they didn't move to open the doors for him.
"I am expected, am I not?" Enrick asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, my lord," the guard said, saluting. Then he glanced towards the other guard. "But... um... Lady Willow is already in there... just so you know."
Enrick eyed him. "And why would that matter?"
The guard glanced around again. "Never mind, forget I said anything, my lord," he said, his cheeks flushing a deep red, as he stepped back and motioned to the other guard to open the doors. Enrick felt uneasy, as he stepped past the guards and through the doorway.
King Munay sat on his throne, whispering to a woman standing next to him. They both laughed, then stopped when they saw Enrick.
The woman was young with ink black hair flowing down her back. She held her head up high, and looked about her, as if she thought the world existed to amuse her. This had to be Lady Willow of Salake.
Enrick hadn't meet her yet, and already he didn't like her. She wore a flowing, lacey violet dress, adorned with diamonds and gold. The dress brought out her piercing purple eyes.
Taking in a deep breath, he moved forwards and stood at the bottom of the steps.
"Father," Enrick said, quickly bowing his head, then he saluted and stood back up. "I was told that you wanted to see me?" He asked, glancing towards the woman.
"Enrick, my son, this is the Lady Willow," King Munay said, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.
She stepped forwards, smirked and held out her hand to him, palm down.
Enrick hesitated, not quite sure what to do. He glanced towards his father. Were they expecting him to kiss her hand?! Well, he wasn't going to! He was a prince! He took her hand and shook it.
"What is it you wanted to speak with me about, my king?" Enrick asked, standing up again, his hands behind his back.
King Munay's eyes flashed, but he said nothing about it. He cleared his throat and sat up a little taller. "As you must know, Lady Willow is unmarried, and I wish to change that."
Enrick glanced between the two of them. "I don't understand."
"I thought you should be the first to hear of our engagement," Willow said, smiling as she bent over and kissed King Munay on the cheek.
"Engaged?" Enrick whispered, barely loud enough to hear his own voice. His stomach tightened and he suddenly felt light headed. His father was remarrying? Already? And he was marrying this... woman? He couldn't believe it! "You're marrying her?"
Willow laughed. "Yes, that is what being engaged normally means!" Already, Enrick hated her!
"Yes, Enrick. That is what I mean. Now that your mother is gone, I thought it best that I remarry," King Munay said. "Who better than the enchanting Lady Willow?" He asked, turning towards her. "She is the most beautiful woman in all the realm!"
"Mother's only been gone a short month!" Enrick yelled, fighting the urge to slam his fist against his father's chest. How could he? After everything! How could he do this to him?! Without thinking about it, Enrick's hand reached for his sword. "My mother is barely cold in the grave and you're already talking about remarrying?! How dare you!"
King Munay's eyes hardened. "She was dying for months, my son," he whispered. "You can't let her death get to you like this. How do you think it makes the people feel? To see you so distraught just because your mother died."
"I don't care how they feel! My mother died! Am I not allowed to mourn her?" Enrick asked, fighting the urge to draw his sword. If he did, it really would be an act of treason. "Some of us can't get over their loved one, like... like a headache!"
"Your mother is gone and she's not coming back," King Munay said, standing up and moving down the steps towards Enrick. "You're weak if you think otherwise! She's dead and she's never coming back!"
The want for Enrick to draw his sword was almost too strong to resist.
"Oh! One more thing, my darling has forgotten to tell you," Lady Willow whispered, her voice like silk. "Since I will be que
en, there is no reason for you to be crowned prince. I do hope you have a good birthday, though." Her lavender eyes mocked him. "I will be crowned queen, in your dear departed mother's place."
Prince Enrick turned back towards his father, his eyes ablaze. "You're a monster!" He spat. "And I hate you!"
King Munay's eyes flashed red. Flames licked between his fingers and he slapped Enrick across the face.
Enrick stumbled back, his cheek stinging where the flames had bitten him. But stronger than the pain, was the burning anger inside of Prince Enrick.
"Another outburst like that, and I will be forced to do more than slap your cheek," King Munay spoke forcefully, his eyes still glowing red. "Now get out of my sight! You are a disgrace to this family!"
Enrick stood up tall, pressing his lips together. "I wish I wasn't part of the same family as you!" He hissed. "What good has it ever brought me? Better to be born a serf than a son to you!"
Before his father could respond, Enrick saluted, spun around and marched out of the throne room. He dared not allow himself to stay in the same room as that man for a moment longer than he had to.
His cheek still stung, as he held his chin up high and calmly left the throne room. As he passed through the doorway, he dug his nails into the palm of his hand and gritted his teeth. I hate that woman! One day he would make her pay for doing this to him! He didn't care how long it took.
A smile grew on Enrick's face.
Those two foul people were going to pay for this! He would see to it.
Chapter 27
Wedding
The following days were hectic. The Dark Castle was in an uproar, as everyone ran about preparing for the ceremony. But it was no longer for Prince Enrick's crowning, but for King Munay and Lady Willow's wedding.
Enrick's fourteenth birthday came and went without anyone noticing. The day of the wedding arrived, and servants ran around everywhere inside the Dark Castle, Enrick's chamber was no exception.
His servants scrambled around him, like ants.
Fixing his clothing, his hair and everything else about him. He doubted he'd recognize himself when they were done. Several times he had to fight the urge to strangle one of them.
After what seemed like hours, someone knocked on the door and the servants froze. Enrick sighed, and shrugged off the servant fixing his hair. He quickly moved towards the door and opened it.
Dasety stood in the doorway, dressed in his best. When he saw Enrick, he stifled a smile. "What... what did they do to you?" He asked, biting his bottom lip. Quickly covering his mouth with his hand.
Enrick glared at him. "Don't even ask. They've been working on me all day and I'm sick of it." One of the servants yelped as Enrick ran his hand through his hair and shook his head around. "There, that's much better."
"How are you feeling today?"
"How am I feeling? Oh! Just great!" Enrick spat. "I'm just loving this day!"
"I know this day isn't going as planned, but..." Dasety started, Enrick quickly cut him off.
"Dasety, you have no idea what I'm going through, so please do not act like you do," Enrick said, pressing his lips together.
"Alright, I'm sorry. Are you ready, my lord?" Dasety asked, holding out Enrick's sword to him. "The king expects us to meet him in his chambers beforehand."
Of course, he does!
Enrick sighed, and nodded. "I am as ready as I'll ever be, let's go," he said, taking the sword. Quickly, he tied it around his waist. Was it a good idea to give him a sharp blade for this? He didn't think so. But who knew what his father was thinking! He was 'in love'. Gag! It made Enrick sick. "Let's go," Enrick said, again.
"But, my lord!" One of the servants cried, moving towards them. "We haven't finished yet." Before the servant could reach them, Enrick grabbed the door and slammed it shut, quickly locking it and shoving the key into his pocket.
"There! Punishment for making me look like this!" Enrick hissed, turning back towards Dasety. "Let's get this over with."
King Munay stood on the other side of the chamber, staring at himself in a mirror.
The second they entered, Enrick felt like the air inside the chamber was stuffy and hot. He tugged at his collar, but it did no good. It was still too warm for him.
"How do I look, Dasety?" King Munay asked, straightening out his jacket as he turned towards him. "I don't know why, but I feel like a child right now," he said, letting out a long breath.
Enrick had never seen his father this nervous before. It was strange to see. His father was normally so calm.
"You look fine, my king. I'm sure the Lady Willow will not even notice what you're wearing," Dasety said, smiling.
"Is she an Oddity?" Enrick asked, cutting in.
"What?" King Munay asked, glancing towards his son.
Enrick cleared his throat. "I asked if she was an Oddity."
"No. She is not," King Munay said. "Why do you ask?"
"I was just wondering what kind of gifts she might have," Enrick said, shrugging.
"Only the power of being a wonderful woman!" Munay said, with a sigh.
For a second, Enrick was sure he was going to throw up.
"Oh! I nearly forgot. Enrick, you'll stand next to me, during the ceremony," the King said, pulling on his jacket.
"Yes, sire," Enrick mumbled, looking past his father to the wall that lay behind him.
"What did you just call me?" King Munay asked, turning towards his son. "Did you just call me 'sire'?"
"Would you rather I called you, 'my king'?" Enrick asked, tilting his head. "I can do that, if you want."
"Don't test me, Enrick, not today!" King Munay hissed. "I've had enough of your attitude!"
"I would never," Enrick mumbled, crossing his arms. "I will be a perfect, prince," he said, rolling his eyes.
"Well, we'd better get going. I'd hate to be late for my own wedding," King Munay said, laughing as he headed towards the door.
The three of them went straight to the throne room, where the ceremony was to take place. But when they reached the door, one of the servants hurried to them and told them there was a problem they needed to deal with.
"Stay here," King Munay ordered Enrick, as he and Dasety moved to the other end of the hallway and spoke with each other.
The guard next to Enrick eyed him. "Are you alright, my lord?" He whispered, glancing towards King Munay.
"I'm about to be part of my father's wedding, a month after my mother's death. When I should be crowned prince, but instead must watch as this woman I don't even know, takes it from me. Am I supposed to be okay?" Enrick asked.
"I didn't mean to upset you, my lord."
"You're not the one who's upset me," Enrick said, glaring at his father's back.
"Is there anything I can do?" The guard asked.
"Not unless you have some Fulu handy." Enrick instantly regretted saying something that might be taken as treason. "Not that I would poison anyone with it!"
"Of course, my lord," the guard said, bowing his head. "They are... um... beautiful flowers to have around, if you don't touch them, that is."
Enrick grinned. "Yes, maybe I should have suggested them for the Lady's bouquet."
"I think they would look beautiful with her dress!" The guard said, coughing back a laugh. "You know, sire, the guards and I will always have your back. No matter what you might ask us to do."
Enrick turned towards the guard and stared at him. What was he saying?
The guard glanced towards King Munay, then bent towards Enrick. "All I mean, my lord, is that we will follow you, no matter where and no matter how."
Before either of them could say anything else, the King turned around and walked back over to them. They both fell silent and Munay noticed.
"What are the two of you talking about?" King Munay asked.
The guard went rigid and quickly dropped his gaze, his lips pressed tightly together. Why was he acting so strange? Enrick wasn't sure. Maybe it was the fact they'd been speaking 'treason
' against the Lady Willow.
"Nothing, father," Enrick said, his face turning hard again as he looked back at King Munay. "He was just asking about my health, that is all."
"Was it? I thought I heard you laughing."
Enrick gritted his teeth. "I don't know what you heard, but it wasn't us."
"Fine!" King Munay said. "Be that way! If you want to act like a little child, who am I to stop you?!"
"I'm not doing anything!" Prince Enrick mumbled. "If anyone's doing anything, it would be you."
"How dare you! You're not doing anything?! Please!" King Munay said. "You've been acting out and growling at me all day!"
"Well, I'm sorry if I'm not all giddy over you getting remarried!" Enrick said. "I loved my mother."
"Enrick Delroy Moone, I'm..." Munay let out a long breath and clenched his fists. "I'm getting sick of your acting out." Is that what he thought Enrick was doing? The ignorant fool! "If you do not start behaving yourself, I will have you confined to your chambers, do I make myself clear?" He asked, glaring at his son.
"Extremely!"
"Good," King Munay said. "Enrick, I want you to know..."
"My lord, it is almost time." One of the servants said, hurrying up to them. "Lady Willow is ready and the guests are waiting in the throne room."
"Good, good!" Munay said, rubbing his hands together. "Then let us get on with it! This has already been a long day."
"Yes, my lord."
"Come, we need to get going," King Munay said, straightening out his clothing. "Dasety has already gone on ahead of us."
Nice! So Dasety ditched him. What a great friend.
"Come, let us head inside," Munay said, waving Enrick forwards.
"Yes, sir," Enrick mumbled, fighting the urge to salute his father. He turned towards the guard. "Thank you for the talk... um...?"
"Fray, my lord," the guard said, bowing his head.
"Enrick, we need to get going!" King Munay growled.
"Goodbye, Fray. It was nice to meet you," Enrick said, moving to stand behind his father.
