The other Kingdoms

Chapter 2

"Why did you wake me up this early" I asked as I walked towards the curtains to pull them apart. I didn't want to show how affected I was by the nightmare, it felt childish and embarrassing. "Miss it's almost lunchtime, your father told me to check up on you since he didn't see you during breakfast" Marina was right it was already noon as the sun was at its peak." I didn't realize I slept in this late, I should go and see Father, he must be worried sick by now," I said suddenly rushing to get ready. I have always been really close with my father since it has only been the two of us ever since my mother passed away. However, his constant overprotectiveness has become suffocating lately. He always says that he couldn't bear to lose me like he lost my mom. But I need to remind him that I am not a child anymore. If he thinks that I'm sick, he needs to understand that he cannot worry himself sick as well. I care for him deeply, and I couldn't bear to see him suffer because of me.
After completing my task swiftly, I changed into my riding attire. I carefully selected a loose, airy white blouse that I always kept tucked into my sleek black trousers, which hugged my curves perfectly. I laced up my dark knee-high boots, which provided ample support and protection, and finally took out my helmet - the most crucial piece of equipment for any rider. I wanted to dry my hair before putting it on, but I completely froze when I saw my reflection in the mirror.
On a normal day, I had golden hair which was long and wavy, everyone I'd ever met had something to say about my unique beauty, whether it was how my hair looked like it was made from real melted gold or my blue eyes which were like the very image of the sea or my smile which looked bright enough to light up any room on a dark day. Regardless of what people said about me, I never let their compliments get to my head. I wasn't a fan of people who tried to use flattery to climb the social ladder.
My hair used to reach the middle of my back, but as I stared at my reflection in the mirror, I noticed that it now extended way below my waistline. The most surprising part was that there were little streaks of blue in my hair. It didn't completely cover up my natural hair color, but it was quite noticeable. I didn't know what to do, first I had the dream better called a nightmare, and now this? 'Maybe I should tell Father' I thought then I dismissed it almost immediately. If I told him then he would try to take me to either the sorcerer or physician. The sorcerer was very creepy and was always mumbling one thing or the other while the physician had the most horrible herbs that smelt like feces and tasted even worse. I felt disgusted just thinking about them. Moreover, I was the one telling him to stop treating me like a child, he would never take me seriously if I ran to him with any problem I faced.
I tried using a towel to dry my hair and to my surprise, the blue parts went back to normal but the length remained the same and I didn't want to cut it, I had always admired long hair anyway, but it meant I wouldn't be able to leave my hair down for a few weeks or else there would be questions about the sudden growth. I looked at the towel and it was still pure white 'Then how did it disappear?' There was only one person I could think of telling right now and that was Don.
Don was my study mate and also my best friend, I've known him practically all my life. He was the crown prince of Gladovia despite being the third son. The king and queen of Gladovia had five children, three sons and two daughters. The eldest son of the royal family was next in line to inherit the crown. However, he refused to ascend the throne and chose a different path. Instead of being a king, he decided to become a knight, which he believed would allow him to serve the kingdom differently. He felt that being a king meant carrying a great weight of duties and obligations, which he likened to a boulder on his shoulders. As a knight, he could still contribute to the betterment of the kingdom, but without the immense pressure of ruling a nation. The king knowing his son didn't bother trying to convince him instead he put him in the hands of the strictest commander in the hopes that one day he would also lead his army. The second prince was denied the crown due to undisclosed reasons that will be revealed later.
The King, who was a good friend and ally of my father, the King of Canneria, asked if he could provide Don with the best tutors in our kingdom. He wanted Don to observe how our kingdom was ruled so that he could learn from it and use it to make their kingdom prosper in the future. My father understood the King's request and honestly explained that, despite their efforts, it would be impossible for Gladovia to match the progress and success of Canneria. This was because our kingdom's success was not only dependent on the people's minds but also on our abundant resources. Gladovia was a seaside kingdom with fishing as its major occupation, while Canneria had fertile land and perfect weather giving us boundless opportunities, but their kingdom would progress, nonetheless. The king of Gladovia understood this and insisted that Don should at least come for the physical aspect of training as Canneria was also known for having the best soldiers and fighters, my father agreed to this and since then Don has come over for training sessions on certain days, and on others, he would come just to spend some time with me and have a good time.