The king was in a room glancing out a window; June strolled up to join him, "are you waiting for Arber to bring back the last Guardian?"
The beautiful women grabbed onto the man's arm and leaned her head on his shoulder, "Arber will be back soon."
"I know," the king agreed, distant.
"There is something else on your mind then?" June questioned.
"I can't get anything passed you, huh?" he closed his eyes and chuckled to himself.
"You can try but remember your talking to a skilled warrior, I'm on the royal council for a reason!" she teased him with a smile.
She lifted her head to get a better view of his expression and saw that his eyes where set on the sights beyond the window with a hurt look. She sighed knowing the true cause of his emotion, "it's because he's roaming. Isn't it?" June concluded
"I don't know what you mean," the king said, not looking at her.
Her gaze soften, she turned his head to look at her, "You haven't seen the boy in so long, you forgot how much he reminds you of her."
"How can it be? I don't understand why looking at him has such an effect of me," the king started. "Why does he make me feel hurt and sorrowful, when he looks like his father? Shouldn't that make me hate him?"
June leaned her head back on the man's shoulder, comforting him, "He has her eyes."
"And just that little feature has this much power over me?" The king asked leaning his head on Junes.
"I wouldn't call eyes being a 'little feature.' you know, they are the gateway to the soul," June explained.
The king scoffed, "What are you, an eye reading expert?"
"professional," June nodded, causing the king to grow a light smirk.
"Then what do my eyes tell you?"
Lifting their head up they look at each other and put their heads together so that their eyes where only a couple inches away, "I can't make out the writing, your heads up in the clouds."
"Really now?" they both closed their eyes and after a pause the king's demeanor went back to sorrow. "Does it bother you when I talk about her?"
"I know how much you loved her and how much you miss her. I'm not jealous or anything if that's what you're thinking," June said.
"I just don't want you to feel like I don't care about you because I—"
June hushed him up and gave him a peck on the lips, then backed away, he opened his eyes and saw her looking at him with a smile, "You might want to start heading down to greet the last Guardian."
Watching her walk away, the king looked out the window and saw from a distance General Arber and his group walking through the town.
---
Looking at the huge castle ahead, Jackson didn't even realize the people watching her with interest as the general, her parents, and the rest of the knights that accompanied him rode on horseback through the village. The village they were in was in front of the castle since it was a farming town; it was to assume this is where all the castles supplies were created. Approaching the castle's gate, two knights from atop the castle wall called out, "General Arber is back! Raise the gates! Raise the gates!"
The young girl watched as the gate lifted from the ground, the general and the group went through the entry and entered with in the castle wall in what seemed to be a courtyard. Coming to a stop the general got down from his horse and offered a hand to help Jackson, "here let me—," however before he went through with the movement, the young farm girl jumped down with no trouble at all. The large castle doors opened and out came the king, with a welcoming smile on his face, "You found the last Guardian!"
"I did, I told you I would have them all gathered by the end of the week," General Arber said meeting the king half way, the arriving group following behind.
The king looked to Jackson and her parents, "who are you all?"
"They are Tobias and Heala," the general introduced them. "They are the Guardian's parents."
Realizing they were in the king's presence, Heala curtsied while Tobias bowed, "your majesty, it is an honor to be in your presents."
"Please, the honor's all mine. I never thought I would be the king who would have to gather the Guardians," the king looked to Jackson. " she's--"
"Yes," the general confirmed the king's thoughts.
Jackson smiled nervously, with a short curtsy the young girl introduced herself, "My name is Jackson."
The king nodded to her respectfully, Surprised, the king looked to Arber, "another child?"
General Arber shrugged, "coincidence?"
"What's wrong with being young?" Jackson questioned nervously.
"Nothing, it's just out of the five I expected at least one adult, but it seems you are all roughly the same age," the king explained. "But enough talking, I will have one of my knights escort you and your parents to your rooms, so you can get comfortable before the meeting."
---
As the trio followed a knight down the hallway, Jackson's parents couldn't help but to be awed with everything they saw in the castle. Jackson's heart was not so happy with the situation, she didn't like new places, and she was too nervous about the king finding out they lied. She was also nervous about why the king had gathered the Guardians in the first place. Being distracted in her thoughts, Jackson crashed into a suit of armor. Falling on her knees and hands Jackson got up quickly, "Jackson!" her father worried, "what did you do?"
"I—I'm so sorry," she stammered. "I—I—I"
"It's okay," the knight who was leading them spoke. "It was an accident; I'll have someone else handles it. Let's keep moving."
Heala and Tobias looked at each other with relief painted on their faces, continuing to follow the knight. Jackson looked down at the armor laying on the floor, she then scooted around it carefully not wanting anything to do with it, once she was safely on the other side, she continued with the group. The knight and her parents had stopped at a door, "this will be your room for your stay," the knight said opening the door for them.
Tobias walked in with an amazed expression on his face, "this is bigger than our whole house!"
Heala joined in and also cheered with amazement at the new room. Jackson stood at the entrance and watched as her parents rivaled at the fanciness of it all. Annoyed, Jackson didn't want to go in with her parents, she admitted the castle was nice but it wasn't worth acting like they were. "Please tell me I have my own room?"
The knight looked at her looked back at her parents, Tobias was lying on his back on a furry rug near the fireplace moving his legs and feet as if making a snow angle, "honey! You need to feel this! It's so soft!"
Heala took her head away from looking up the chimney of the fireplace and looked at her husbanded. The knight looked back to the girl, "you do actually."
Absolute relief came over Jackson, "thank you!"
"Follow me," the knight said starting to walk away from the door.
Fallowing the young girl continued to look around, "Is it far away from them?"
"It shouldn't be too far," the knight reassured.
Groaning in disappointment, Jackson caused the knight to chuckle, "forgive me for finding your actions funny," he apologized.
"Your fine."
"Here you are," the knight held his hand out to a door.
The young girl opened it and walked in, she looked around and saw it was like the one her parents had, except; it was her own. "Thank you," Jackson said to the knight.
"Don't thank me: thank the king," the knight bowed to her and said before taking his leave. "It was an honor serving a Guardian."
The knight closed the door as he left, leaving the girl and the room alone.
Setting her bag down on the bed, Jackson plopped down; she finally had a moment to herself. Thinking, she processed all that was happening and the feelings she had for it. The feeling of guilt ached at her, she was happy that her parents where happy and would get a better life, but at the same time she hated herself for lying and tricking somebody, especially if that somebody was the king and could have her head at any moment! Jackson took a deep breath to prevent her from having an anxiety attack. She didn't know what to do, what could she do? If she told the truth now her parents might be punished for trying to fool the king, but if they don't tell the truth and the king finds out... it will end badly either way. Jackson closed her eyes, trying to relax her body and to put aside her worry.
She got a weird feeling as if someone was watching her, opening her eyes she looked to the window and saw nothing. Sheepishly, Jackson reached into her bag and pulled out a book, she wanted to take a nap, but her mind was too wrestles, and now she was becoming so paranoid she thought someone was watching her. She opened the book and read it, the troubles of her thoughts slowly being taken over by the story she read.
A knock on the door startled Jackson awake, jumping out of bed the girl stood staring at it, "wh—who is it?" she asked drowsily.
"It's Harass, the knight that escorted you to your room," a male voice told.
"Oh, hi," Jackson greeted.
"Hi... uh—the king is requesting all Guardians and family members to meet in the conference room."
Jackson walked to the door, "what about?"
"The quest for the Guardian's, he will explain why he gathered you all."