The True Northern King - James

Chapter 6

“James!”

As I entered the second floor and turned a corner, a small girl came running toward me, escaping from the servant who was supposed to be watching her. I bent down and opened my arms, and she dashed into them. I lifted her off the ground, her laughter filling the air as I held her close. Her face was one big smile.

“I’m so sorry, Your Highness,” the young woman said, bowing slightly. “She always manages to run away from me.”

Her apology only made me laugh. Since Laelia had learned to walk, she had a knack for escaping, hiding, or venturing into places she wasn’t supposed to be. Despite this, none of us—neither our father nor her brothers—could ever stay mad at her.

“It’s fine. I’ve got her.”

The woman nodded and walked away as I carried Laelia with me to the stables. I had noticed her deep affection for horses. Seeing them always brought her immense joy.

Entering the stables, Laelia immediately pointed at the black stallion, my horse. I had taken her riding once, and she had laughed the entire time. Her enthusiasm was clear, and I knew she would become quite skilled at it with time.

I approached Sky’s stall. The horse poked his head out while munching on hay, likely hoping for treats. Although Sky was known for being wild and difficult to handle for anyone but me, he was always gentle with Laelia.

She reached out to pet him, her smile broadening. Sky seemed content to let her stroke him, even while he continued eating. I watched the two of them with a smile, touched by their bond.

“Sky!” she said in a soft voice.

“Yes, that’s Sky—my horse. And soon, you’ll have your own too.”

“Yes, when I’m dead.”

I turned to see my father standing in the entrance of the stables, watching us for a moment. Then my father approached and extended his hands for Laelia. I passed her to him. I was now as tall as he was, so we could look each other in the eye. Laelia wrapped her small arms around his neck.

“She’ll turn five in under two years,” I said, leaning against Sky’s stall.

Sky had returned to his hay, showing little interest now that Laelia wasn’t paying attention and I hadn’t given him any treats.

“She will,” my father replied. “But I won’t be giving her a horse.”

He turned and began walking away, leaving me perplexed. I decided to follow him.

“Why not?” I asked as I caught up and walked beside him.

We crossed the large courtyard at a leisurely pace.

“Because it means she would need to learn how to ride.”

“Yes, which is a valuable skill.”

“It also means she could get hurt,” my father said.

So, this was about her safety. I thought I was overprotective, but my father’s concern for Laelia was even greater.

“She needs to learn to ride. You know it’s important, Father,” I said.

“She will learn,” he said as we entered the building, “but only when I’m dead.”

I smiled and shook my head. “But, Father, you always claim that you’ll either die in battle or never die at all, meaning you’ll live forever.”

“Exactly. So, she never learns,” he replied, glancing at me with a smile.

I shook my head again. “Come on, Father. We’ll keep an eye on her,” I said as we walked up the stairs to the next floor.

“That’s exactly what worries me.”

“We’re good riders.”

“You’re all reckless. Just like I was at your age.”

“But we’ll be careful with her. We won’t take any chances,” I assured him.

“No, you won’t, because she won’t be learning to ride.”

“You’re being overprotective.”

“And you have training,” he reminded me, a teasing glint in his eyes.

I sighed and rolled my eyes, knowing he was right. “This discussion isn’t over!” I called after him.

“Of course it is, James,” he responded, walking away. “Remember, I’m still king!”

***

We were all gathered for dinner, sitting around the table. Laelia was with our father, making him smile even as she accidentally tossed some bread aside. Serina’s family was there too, and naturally, Serina herself.

She was seated beside her mother, directly across from me—no coincidence, of course. I had purposely chosen the seat in front of her, smiling at her from across the table when I thought no one was looking. At least, I assumed no one noticed.

But then Will came and sat beside me, likely to keep an eye on my behavior. I loved him for it, yet it irritated me at the same time. He shot me a sharp look, and without a word, I understood exactly what he meant.

I glanced at Serina and knew she was aware of why Will had positioned himself next to me. She gave me a secretive smile before reaching for her cup and taking a sip of wine. The red liquid left a slight stain on her lips, and all I could think about was leaning across the table to kiss it away. Did she have any idea what she was doing to me?

“Ah…” I tried to stifle the sound as Will kicked me under the table. My damn younger brother shot me another harsh look as I turned to glare at him, rubbing my shin to ease the pain. Could he seriously read minds, or was I just that obvious? I glanced around the table. Thankfully, it seemed only Will had noticed.

“Stop it,” I muttered quietly.

He simply turned away, acting as if nothing had happened. I shook my head and turned back to Serina, who was clearly trying not to laugh. I couldn’t help but smile at her, and she returned one of her beautiful smiles.

“So wonderful of you to have us over once again, my King,” Serina’s mother said.

“It is my pleasure. Our families have always been good friends,” my father replied.

“We are very much looking forward to next year,” Serina’s father added.

I glanced at Serina, and like me, she seemed saddened by her father’s words. I had forgotten they were leaving tomorrow.

“We look forward to seeing you all again,” my father said.

“Yes, and hopefully by then, our daughter will have found herself a husband,” Serina’s mother added.

We both looked from her mother to each other in fear… No! No husband! If Serina was going to marry anyone, it would be me!

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Serina said, her voice trembling slightly.

Her mother turned to her, looking confused. “What do you mean? You’ll be eighteen by then.”

I glanced nervously between Serina and her mother.

“I know, but I still have much… to do,” Serina replied.

“Like what?”

Serina struggled to come up with a reason to delay marriage, but what could she say? “Like… well…”

She looked at me, clearly scared. I knew what she wanted to say—I wanted to say it too. She still needed me to propose, to say yes, and to become my queen, but to convince my father, I needed more time. She finally lowered her eyes and looked back at her mother.

“We’ll see what happens,” she said quietly.

Her mother looked puzzled but turned back to my father and her husband, resuming their conversation. Meanwhile, Serina and I exchanged silent promises with our eyes. This wasn’t the end.