The True Northern King - James

Chapter 7

Any battle or war is never a pretty thing, and I had just returned home from one that had lasted two years. It was fought against forces from farther North, led by a powerful and brutal man who sought nothing but chaos.

They had cost us many lives, and we all felt the heavy blow as we entered the city. At least now the men could return home, and so could Will and I. I had been against Will coming. He was still very young, but my father had said he was the same age when he went into his first battle.

Will had changed, as had everyone else who had been forced to take lives. He rode beside me, and I moved a little closer, placing my hand on his shoulder. I gave him a small smile, and he managed a weak one in return, though he looked more in pain.

“Welcome back, little brother,” I said as we crossed the threshold between the city and the connected castle.

“It’s good to be back,” he replied.

We stopped in front of the entrance, dismounted our horses, and walked up the stairs. We had barely stepped inside when our father stormed toward us, first pulling Will closer to inspect him, then me.

“You two look exhausted. Come, let’s get something to eat, and you can tell me everything.”

We followed him to the next floor, where Henry and Carter came running. Henry was practically an adult now, and Carter was right behind him. They had really grown these past two years. They followed us into the dining room, where Samuel and Liam waited. They had grown a lot too, but we were missing one.

“Where is Laelia?” I asked.

My father sighed and shook his head. “In her room,” he said, then walked over to his seat.

We followed along, greeting my other two brothers on the way and then sitting down before I turned to my father.

“In her room?”

“Yes, and she is going to remain there until she has learned her lesson.”

I smiled a little, looking at Will, who sat in front of me. He was smiling too—the first smile I had seen in two years.

“What did she do?” I inquired, trying to act serious.

“She went into town and was found playing with the other orphan kids…”

“She did what?” I asked, unable to contain my laughter.

It felt good to laugh. It felt good to leave some of the blood and death behind and focus on my crazy family instead.

“That girl…” he sighed.

He reached for his cup just as the food was being served and took a sip to calm himself. Will and I shared a small look. We were both smiling. My father could act like he was mad, but I was sure he wasn’t.

“Shall I go get her?” I inquired.

“No!” he said, placing his cup down. “I’m teaching her a lesson here.”

“Come now, Father,” I said. “We both know you won’t last long.”

My father clearly disagreed. He shook his head and pointed at me. “I’m teaching her a lesson this time, and I’m not giving in.”

I held up my hands, signaling without words that I believed him, though in reality, I didn’t. I knew he wouldn’t last through half the dinner before feeling guilty and asking one of us to fetch Laelia.

As I had predicted, Will and I had barely begun to recount our fight with the leader Dastan when he said, “Someone go get Laelia.”

I laughed before rising from my chair. I hadn’t seen my little sister in two years, so I had to be the one to get her.

I walked out of the dining room, up a floor, and down the long hallways until I reached her room. Two guards stood on each side of her door, and they quickly stepped aside to let me pass.

I opened the door only to find the room empty. I stepped inside and closed the door, when suddenly I felt something sharp against my back. I smiled before glancing at the fireplace where two large swords usually hung. Now, there was only one.

“Who dares enter when the princess is mad?” she asked.

I laughed before replying, “Are you really going to kill your brother before he even gets to hug you?”

The sword suddenly lowered, and I heard it drop to the floor. It was a very big and heavy sword, and I had no idea how a five-year-old had managed to hold it, but she had. I turned around to see her looking at me in shock, tears welling up in her eyes.

“James?” she inquired, almost scared.

I smiled at her, and she immediately jumped into my arms, clinging to me and crying. I wrapped my arms around her and lifted her from the ground. I had missed her so much… and she had changed so much. I couldn’t believe I had missed two years of her life.

“It’s okay,” I said. “I’m home now.”

“Never leave again!” she cried.

I patted her back before setting her down on the ground and kneeling to her eye level. She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand, looking adorable with those big emerald-green eyes she inherited from our mother.

“Promise!” she said, grabbing my arm.

“Okay, I promise,” I said.

I knew I couldn’t promise anything, but right now she needed her older brother to tell her she would never have to miss him again.

“I thought you were dead…” she whispered.

“Me? Dead? Never!” I said, making her laugh at the way I said it. “Though I hear you’ve been playing in the dirty streets.”

I pushed her gently, and she laughed, trying to look innocent.

“I don’t know what you mean. A princess doesn’t play in the mud,” she said.

“Is that why you have dirt on your face?” I inquired, reaching out and wiping some of it off.

I held up my thumb to show how dirty it had gotten, and she just shrugged, pretending not to see anything.

“Must just be your hands,” she joked.

We both laughed at that before I stood up.

“Come, let us go eat,” I said.

“But Father told me to stay here. He said he was mad at me… so now I am mad at him,” she explained, crossing her arms.

“He is not mad,” I said.

“I am!”

“Come now, Laelia, he wants you to come eat with the rest of us.”

“Then he can come get me himself!”

She walked over to a couch in her room, climbed up, and sat down determinedly, crossing her arms again. She looked so cute that I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Laelia, he has regretted his decision,” I said.

“And why are you the one telling me?” she asked.

“You know how proud Father is, but he wants you there. I know he does.”

She seemed to consider this but remained resolute. I walked over, shaking my head and smiling before sitting down next to her.

As I sat down, I noticed a paper lying on a table beside the couch. I picked it up, read it quickly, and held it in front of Laelia, who still sat there with her arms crossed.

“Are you running away now?” I inquired.

“Father is being unfair!” she whined.

I couldn’t help but laugh hard as I looked down at the letter, where she had threatened to run away. It was filled with misspelled words and even featured a funny drawing of her looking mad.

“James, stop! I’m serious!” she said.

I nodded but continued to laugh. This was the funniest thing to come home to, and I hoped she would always do something crazy every time I returned.

“James!”

I nodded, trying to stop myself from laughing, and after a little while, I managed to. I put the letter down and then looked at her, adopting a serious expression.

“I know you’re mad, but Father was just worried. You know how he gets when he’s worried,” I said.

She sighed and slowly nodded, her anger fading a bit.

“So, can’t we make peace and go eat something? I’m starving,” I said.

“You are?”

I nodded.

“Okay. For you, because you’re hungry,” she said, and jumped down from the couch.

I smiled and got up, following the little dark-haired girl with silver strands in the front. She reminded me more and more of our mother. Even her wild spirit was like hers. In a way, it was as if Mother had never really left us.