The silence that suddenly dwelled in the atmosphere was heavy. It felt like the cold ocean waves were dragging him under and plunging him back into their icy depths.
Reuben had led Kyros into the courtyard where the soldiers were at. They weren't clothed in any armor at the moment, instead, they wore simple clothing that bore the color of beige cloth and black boots. Swords were strapped onto their belts and some had crossbows slung over their shoulders.
All of them stopped at what they were doing and proceeded to stare at Kyros. They ceased their speaking, they put down their bows and arrows, time seemed to stand still.
Kyros stood next to Reuben, who had a big smile on his face. For Kyros, it felt uncomfortable to have all the attention drawn to him. He was used to blending into the shadows and going unseen like an elusive predator of the night. Privacy was something he was used to having, especially since he practically grew up in the forest, secluded from the outside world.
The courtyard was a large, rounded grassy area that was surrounded by tall walls. It was an outside area located in the castle, and Kyros felt overwhelmed in an area that held many people who analyzed him.
But they looked at him with not a hateful gaze, but a curious one. He didn't feel any animosity radiating from their gazes, nor anger or bitterness. Vengefullness was not dwelling within them, and they even seemed to be at peace, to some extent, in his presence.
He never would have expected what would happen next, though.
The soldier closest to him approached him until he was a couple of feet away from Kyros. His clear, blue eyes matched that of the sky and he boldly kept eye contact with him and he placed his fist over his chest.
Time seemed to be frozen in its tracks.
And then the soldier proceeded to kneel before his king.
Kyros took a step back in surprise and kept his eyes locked on the soldier pledging his loyalty and respect towards him.
But the soldier wasn't the only one.
When Kyros had gotten over the initial shock and looked away from the young man on his knees before him, he noticed that all of the other soldiers were falling on their knees as well. Men and women of all social classes and ethnicities. Young soldiers and older ones alike.
It didn't matter.
All of them were kneeling before their king.
He looked to Reuben who gave him a toothless smile in respect as he, too, fell to his knees before Kyros.
Kyros was king.
Kyros was king, and he stood there in silence for a few moments, taking in the sight around him. They respect me. They honor me. They acknowledge me.
But to Reuben's surprise, as well as everyone else's, Kyros lowered himself to the ground and knelt before the soldiers. He bowed his head in respect and kept his posture low. He humbled himself before his people and felt honored at their display of veneration.
"I have been put into this position to not only lead, but to serve as well," Kyros spoke, "You are my people, and shall be no different than I. You bow to show me your respect and loyalty to me and the kingdom. I bow to show the same. Please arise with me."
They all rose to their feet upon Kyros' request.
The soldiers, at first, seemed surprised that a king was bowing in their presence. They hadn't known of a king who would do so. Beautiful was a kingdom made up of people who not only bow to their king, but a king who bows to his people as well.
Kyros couldn't help but smile just a little. He felt like he was accepted. Acceptance was something he had always wished to have, even just a little bit. First, it was Asheria who showed him such things. And now, it was an entire kingdom. His entire kingdom. Their entire kingdom.
He smiled again. Our entire kingdom.
Reuben looked at Kyros with a warm, gentle smile. A few strands of Kyros' curly, charcoal black hair hung in front of his vibrant eyes and his frame stood broad against the gentle breeze that filled the air around them. This was the first time Reuben had seen Kyros look strong and healthy.
And he knew he was witnessing a king in the making.
"Tell me, did you know that they would react like this?" Kyros asked Reuben.
Reuben shrugged, and with a smile, he said, "Oh, I had my suspicions that it would go along like this."
The soldiers started to go back to their games and practices, while Reuben and Kyros walked around them. Kyros was interested in the way they worked with swords and other weapons, and he watched the sparkling blades slice through the air as they practiced with one another swiftly and nimbly.
A man with long, shoulder-length dark brown hair and tan skin battled with a younger soldier, no older than two decades, it appeared. The older soldier was extremely skilled in the way he handled the sword and dodged the attacks from the other. Their world seemed to be a blur, neither of them seemed to have any recollection about what was going on around them.
Until the one with long hair briefly moved his eyes to Kyros' in acknowledgment before engaging back into the fight with the other soldier.
It was clear that the pair wasn't serious, in fact, it seemed as if the older man was training the younger, who was obviously a bit more clumsy and unsure of himself with the sword.
The older warrior easily dodged the younger's attacks, who swiped with quick precision with his sword. But his moves were predictable. The older one side-stepped his attacks and used his sword to block the blows which were directed at him. With haste, he turned his sword around and aimed the blunt end of the handle at the boy's kneecap and struck him, causing him to fall to his knees.
He hit the ground and felt the cold edge of the blade gently touch the skin under his chin. The older warrior forced the younger one's head up so he could look him in the eyes as he spoke to him.
"You've improved. But you must tend to your weaknesses and be intuned with the outside world. Don't lash out at me with one blow after another. Focus on my form and constantly observe my movements so you can have an idea what my next attack might be. Don't only defend yourself for the sake of striking me, be offensive in your mind as well, looking for opportunities to weaken me by watching my form." He told the younger soldier, whose scruffy brown hair was unkempt from the wind.
"Thank you." The younger one replied genuinely and bowed his head and smiled at the older soldier's words. Kyros also smiled at the way the older soldier taught the others. Something told Kyros that the soldier was close with all of the others.
"You are dismissed." He said to the young man, to which at once he rose from the ground and scampered off. The older soldier then turned to the two men who had witnessed the account and introduced himself.
"I am General Durriken who oversees the Queen's Royal Army." He said with a bow. He was a tall man, his stature was not only strong and muscular but broad as well. Durriken was fit and able-bodied, and wisdom twinkled in his black eyes like that of stars stretched across a bruised sky.
Kyros, too, bowed slightly before straightening his posture. "It is nice to meet you. You are very skilled in your work."
General Durriken smiled. "To be a good soldier, one must not only have the proper skills and tools while engaging in a battle, but also be aware of the world around them as well. One must not lose focus on the outside world only to be trapped and destroyed by the outside world simply because they weren't aware of their surroundings. I am happy to please you, my king."
Kyros was still getting used to such an important title. It sounded foreign to his ears, but he nodded in acknowledgment. "How long have you been the general for?"
"Oh, for about twenty years or so. I watched Queen Asheria grow up through my years in the army, and it's lovely to know that she has found her mate." He looked Kyros in the eyes. The two men were about the same height as each other, and both seemed to radiate power.
Reuben noticed the uncontainable smile that Kyros wore on his face whenever someone brought up Asheria. He found it endearing, and Kyros didn't even realize just how much he liked Asheria.
"I am pleased to have found her as well. I certainly wasn't expecting such a thing to happen in my life, but I've noticed it's been a good surprise," He replied, "Have you found your mate?"
Durriken shook his head and looked at the ground. "No, no I have not. But I'm not in a hurry, I am a busy man and work often."
Durikken must've been in his middle thirties. It was very uncommon by then for wolves not to have found their mate yet, and Kyros wondered if he, perhaps, could be mateless. Some wolves simply were meant to be alone for the rest of their lives, but those deemed mateless often were born for a romantically solitary life. They had no real urge or longing to have a mate and often found themselves busy in jobs such as willing servants, the military, or positions in which they remained celibate and served kings or queens as advisors.
They could always choose to marry another lone wolf if they wanted to, but the vast majority of solitary wolves didn't care to.
"Anyway, you'll have to teach me the tricks of the sword," Kyros said, "I find it fascinating."
General Durikken smiled. "It would be my honor to do so."
"Do you practice in the courtyard every day?" Kyros asked.
"Nearly. Sometimes we will go into the forest on the outskirts of the town, or go to the beach and practice there. It is good to work in different terrain and places that are unfamiliar so we can grow more confident and adapt to differing areas."
"I'll have to come along sometime, then. I'd also like to get to know the troops as well." Kyros replied. Reuben was pleasantly surprised by how well Kyros seemed to be speaking now. He didn't seem nervous anymore, he seemed more relaxed now that he was getting to know more people.
Kyros had dreaded talking to others, but once he had done so, he had found it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be, and found he had even partly enjoyed doing so. He liked getting to know people and their way of life. He had missed out on so much growing up that it felt refreshing to see other people simply live.
It was refreshing.
"They would like to get to know you, too. They are a little hesitant after....the trials and a little nervous, even, but they trust that their queen makes wise decisions." General Durriken replied.
Kyros smiled. "I want to be the best for my people. I wish no harm upon them."
"I can see that," General Durriken said, "It is clear within your eyes."
Kyros nodded, and he felt grateful for those who did not oppress him for his wrong-doings but embrace him. They accepted him when they had every right to reject him, they honored him when they had every right to curse his name to the heavens.
He was surprised that he wanted to learn more about the people he would rule over. He wanted to not only talk to the soldiers and those who bore high positions of power, but the common citizens, the misfits, the orphans, and all who dwelled in his land.
He no longer wanted to be seen as a stranger in their eyes.
He wanted to clear up misconceptions about himself, and he wanted to talk to the very same people who chanted for his death months ago.
* * *
The soft glow of the candles that night lulled Kyros into a gentle sleep on the couch he still slept on in Asheria's room. She was still working, and he awaited her return so he could tell her all about the day he had. He looked forward to talking to her and was also excited to see her again, though he would never admit it.
But by the time she returned, he was already fast asleep. Asheria smiled but sighed when she saw the uncomfortable angle in which he was sleeping. He sat with his head completely leaning to one side, his legs spread, and his arms on either side of him.
His neck has got to be aching. He must've tried to stay up for me. Her heart felt warm and tingly.
She gently tried to adjust his form, but he awoke upon her touch, which sent warm tingles through his body. Their bond was getting stronger from simply being around each other, and they were becoming more in-tuned with one another.
"Hey," Asheria whispered, "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."
"Hm?" His voice cracked and was uneven from sleep, "Oh, no...it's okay. Hi." He said awkwardly when he realized just how close Asheria's face was to his. She was leaning down over him when he had woken up and she hadn't moved - seemingly frozen in her place.
"Oh, oh! Uh...." She giggled awkwardly and proceeded to back away and sit down on the couch next to him. Physical contact was something they both wanted but didn't know how to approach since both of them were unsure about how either of them would react.
Asheria had no experience in romance at all, and Kyros was confused as to how romance works exactly since Candie had twisted the meaning for him. For Kyros, he was timid about engaging in such things. Candie had ruined him to an extent.
But he could be healed.
"So, how was your day in the courtyard?" Asheria asked him.
Kyros smiled, and Asheria's eyes couldn't help but be drawn to his lips and the way his eyes lit up whenever he did so. "They bowed to me. They bowed to me, Asheria. They...they accepted me."
Asheria felt elated they had done so. She wouldn't expect less from her people, and she felt proud that they trusted her in making the right decisions. They knew that she would never mate with a man who was truly evil and destructive. They knew she would never crown a man king who displayed any sinister qualities.
They were giving Kyros a chance.
"I'm glad they did, Kyros. That's spectacular." She looked at Kyros with admiration. He had come so far, and though he was still traveling the road to recovery, she was proud of him. He was strong.
He told her all about the swords, and General Durriken, and how Reuben was kind and honest with him. Kyros liked how both Asheria and Reuben told him the reality and truth when giving advice instead of speaking words that sounded like honey to the ears, yet held no value and were as empty as the desert when no rain fell.
Asheria listened to all he had to say with a smile on her face. He seemed so happy and relieved, and Asheria loved it.
But her own heart yearned for something else.
Her memory took her back to the previous conversation they had earlier, while Reuben was present.
When Kyros was done speaking and they in silence for a few moments, she spoke. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, a little concerned about how Kyros would react.
"There's something I need to talk to you about."
Happy Thanksgiving!