My Reflections

Marcel

I slipped my arms through the sleeves of my coat as I walked through the quiet halls of the castle. A groan escaped my throat from the motion with a stinging pain coming from my lower back. Luckily, it was only going to be a bruise or a sore muscle. I frowned as I buttoned up the jacket while thinking about how I couldn't put a single scratch on Theo. The most I could do was tire him out. That meant I still had a lot of work to put in.

I shook my head to remove the depressing thought from my mind. There were better things to be worried about. As I fixed the cuffs to my sleeves, I noticed a group of maids enter my mother's study. This caught my attention so I decided to follow them. 

The door was slightly ajar once I had reached it and I could hear voices chatting on the other side. I pushed it open and entered while shutting the door quietly behind me. My mother sat at her desk with multiple papers and letters sprawled across the top with the maids I had seen earlier standing in front of her. The window beside her managed to cause her blonde hair to shine a golden hue as it rested on her shoulders.

"If we can, I would like to have the ballroom spotless as soon as possible along with any necessary preparations," she said then handed a list to one of the women. The girl bowed with a "Yes, Your Majesty," then took notice of me standing against the wall. I lowered my head without a word causing smiles to be shown my way. 

"Please, make haste, there's no time to lose!" my mother said while standing up to usher them out. I moved to the side for them to leave as they each gave a bow before exiting with me returning each one. Once they were gone, my mother let out a big sigh. I smiled a bit then walked over to her as she opened her arms. Returning the gesture, she took me into her embrace and held me for a moment.

"It's good to see you," she said softly while cupping my face. 

"You just saw me this morning," I responded then took a step back for her to stop smashing my cheeks. She softly laughed.

"Am I not allowed to be happy to see my son?" she asked. I shook my head then turned my attention to the stacks of paper.

"Busy today?" I asked while picking a few papers up to examine. A sigh was released as I tried to stifle a laugh. She was always busy with something, but out of the two, I saw my father the least. That man was the busiest person alive. 

"Just a few things to do here and there," she answered and began looking through the papers as well. I continued to do so as well then something caught my eye. Towards the edge of the desk was a rolled-up piece of paper wrapped in a red ribbon with a golden seal. Out of curiosity, I picked it up then began examining it. 

"May I open this?" I asked while showing her the letter. My mother quickly took notice of the phoenix mark then nodded her head.

"Yes, and please read the contents out loud," she said while waiting for me to continue. I quickly, but carefully undid the ribbon and opened the letter and began reading it.

                                                       To His and Her Majesty of Eirlys,

It is to my deepest apologies to announce that His Majesty, King Leon, has passed. The Kingdom of Azar has lost a noble and respectful man, but his actions to lead this kingdom into prosperous times will never be forgotten. In order for his ideals to be kept, his son will now take up the position as the new ruler. Within a few days, he plans to visit the Kingdom of Eirlys in order to reestablish the bonds between the two kingdoms. If you were to welcome this new king with open arms and provide your wisdom onto him, then the Kingdom of Azar would be forever grateful.

I finished reading the letter then scrolled it back up while turning to my mother. She was quiet as she looked out the window with a sad look in her eyes. I walked closer to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She placed her hand on top of mine and gently squeezed my fingers. 

My mother and King Leon were close friends ever since their childhood. Once they both took up the mantle of royalty, the two drifted apart but managed to strengthen the bonds between the two kingdoms. Now that this man was gone, I could only imagine what my mother was feeling. 

"Are you alright?" I asked softly. For a moment, I thought she didn't hear me since she didn't respond, but gave a faint nod while patting my hand. 

"I'm alright, Marcel. No need to worry about me," she responded with a warm smile. I returned it and retracted my hand. This was probably the best time to leave her be. 

"I won't take up much more of your time," I said then did a small bow. When my head was lowered, she ran her fingers through my curly locks then brought me closer to kiss me on the forehead. 

"You are never a waste of my time. If you ever need me, you know where to find me," she explained with her smile never fading. I nodded in understanding then took my leave. The door softly clicked shut behind me as I began walking down the halls once more with thoughts of the letter clouding my mind. 

                              His son will now take up the position as the new ruler.

I never knew King Leon had a son, let alone a child. And if he had, it was strange I had never met him before considering how close he was to my mother. Perhaps maybe there was a reason why he was kept hidden from royal affairs. Or maybe there was something else. I bit my lip in frustration. A strange and unknown man was coming to my home within the next few days.

I'll just have to be on guard until then.