If all of life's questions had simple answers then there would be no point in living for tomorrow for the answer would no longer be the motivation that the sun needs to rise…
For a long time now I've been afraid to close my eyes for there was always the chance that they would never open again. Innumerous nights have I spent simply staring at the ceiling wishing I had something…someone that could protect me from the darkness that I felt massing just beyond my visual comprehension. Soon now I will not be able to resist the temptations of rest for my eyes have grown weary of this conscious reality and crave some time behind closed eyelids…save me, whoever you are, keep the darkness at bay…protect me…forever.
These past few nights I have felt…alone. Knowing that something is out there waiting for me to enter the realm of dreams has alienated me from the rest of the world. Meanwhile, as I cope with these frivolous phobias of the dark the outside world is at war. My kingdom of the northern island has been attacked countless times by the king of France. My father, King Julliard, has exhausted his efforts at making peace with the bigoted king, but to no avail.
It angers me that I sit here cooped up in these linen confines by an useable enemy while my father, who is in real danger, moves willingly throughout the castle when he has an army of spears and arrows aimed at his heart. I honor my father for all his courageous attributes, but with each passing day I do grow envious. If only I could banish this demon and feel alive once more then maybe I could lend my youthful essence to the cause of my father's war.
As I sat there ascertaining the reality of myself and my bow upon a steed in the midst of combat a streak of pale orange light ran across my leg and I saw that the sun had begun to rise.
"Prince Reynaldi, your father has summoned you to his quarters." Said Brunhilda as she walked into my room and opened the drapes. I always loved her as a mother, for she basically has been just that. At a young age my mother was murdered in the city square by an assassin of the French kingdom while she was out with some servants looking for food in the market. Since then Brun, my nickname for her, has been my motherly guardian. It's been about seventeen years since my mother's death and although it saddens me to think that she was taken from me I am thankful every day for Brun and her loving tenderness.
"Why Brun, you and I both know that father wants nothing to do with me this morning."
She gave me a quizzical look as she lit the fireplace. "Reynaldi I will pull you out of that bed by your ankles like I did when you were little. Now get your rump out of that bed and get yourself respectable to go see the king."
I smiled as I pulled aside the covers and stepped onto the warm rug that adorned a great amount of my bedroom floor. Then, with the ushering of Brun, I walked into my closet and picked out a light winter coat with some warm breeches and a light undershirt. As I stepped out to model my choice for Brun she looked me up and down and smiled to show her approval.
"Why, you have just grown up to be so handsome these past few years my young prince."
"Brun! You know I hate it when you say such things."
"But it's true! Look in the mirror and tell me that I be lying, I dare you."
I did as she asked and saw what I had seen everyday of my life. A young man with light brown hair with bangs that fell to the lift side of his face, a pair of jet blue eyes, a small feminine chin, a freckle here and there, and finally a toned physique that came with years of training. I knew I was dashing to some degree, but it counted for not when the ones who looked at me were the ones who I had absolutely no attraction to. Women from all over England had come to seek a romantic audience with yours truly and I denied every single one of them.
"Alright Brun, you win…I look handsome."
"There, now was that so hard?"
"I would have rather walked over a mile of hot coals…"
"Oh hush up you spoil sport. Be on your way before I make you wish you had walked on coals."
"Yes mummy." I replied playfully as I kissed her cheek and ran off to the west hall of the castle.
Father's study was adorned with hundreds upon hundreds of books that ranged from the founding of the scientific theory to that of the common constellations. I had read quite a few of his collection but still it seemed that I was nowhere near reaching the end of the vast sea of literature. As I walked along the bookcase I spotted a few that I had already read and happily began to recount the adventures that were held within their pages when I felt his hand grab my shoulder.
"Reynaldi, my son, good morning."
"And to you as well father. Now what do I owe the pleasure of being summoned to your study?"
"Always to the point…well as you know my legion of dragoons has repelled the brigades of longbows and horsemen in the western front of France. While my company of magi has devastated the main forces that had made landfall on our southern ports by creating a nasty firestorm that consumed the forces and the frigates that brought them here."
"Yes. I know of your victories father but I still do not see how this pertains to me."
"I was getting to that if you would but just let me finish."
"My apologies."
"There is one problem that I have been unable to mend that has long been left unchecked. In the northern woods on the outskirts of Paris there was a sentinel post I had built just before the war broke out. It was protected by enchantments that had been procured by my most elite magi, but recently it has failed to report in. I fear that it has been captured and my men taken to be tortured, no doubt, by the prison warden of Paris."
"Father, did those men know anything of import that could be used against us?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact they did."
"Would you mind sharing with me what exactly that would be?"
"Reynaldi, they knew the location of underground tunnels."
"Blasted, father! Why would you leave men with such information so close to the borders of our damned enemy?! As we speak King Jacques could be sending thousands of his men through those tunnels to our very castle and you sit here calmly discussing your victories?!"
"That is why I brought you here my son."
I took a few deep breaths and took a seat in the nearest chair to recollect my composure. "And what would you have me do father?"
"You are my most elite spell-caster and one of the best archers I have ever seen. I know that you can hold your own if need be, so I must ask of you my son that which I cannot ask of anyone else. I need for you to head into the tunnels and close off the entrances that lead to our home."
"Father, those tunnels are like an underground maze. Not even Odysseus himself could navigate them and hope to reach the end." I replied as I buried my face within my cupped hands.
"That is why you will be given a map and a squad of rangers so that you may reach the end of those tunnels and seal the entrance to our home."
"But father…what if I fail?"
"Then all will be lost, for I will have lost you. Even if I were to win this war it would be for naught if you were not here. I lost your mother and I could not bear to lose you as well."
My father was an iron-willed man who rarely ever cried but there standing before me was a vulnerable man who needed my help. "Alright, I will do this for you."
"Thank you Reynaldi. Your efforts will save this kingdom and our people."
"However, there is a cost at requesting my aid."
"Oh and what would that be?" Asked my father as he stood there genuinely intrigued at what I had to say.
"When I return I would like for Brun to be given her own piece of land in the countryside, for she has been long overdo for retirement and has been kinder to me than any person should ever have to be."
"I see…Reynaldi; she loves you as if you were her own. To ask her to leave would most certainly break her heart."
"Leave? Who said anything about leaving? All I asked was for you to give her some land so that she could leave whenever she wanted to. Ask her to leave blah…you must be mad from all this fighting to even think I would suggest such a thing."
We both laughed out of hilarity and also to relieve some of the tension that had built up while we were discussing the near future.
"Alas, I must return to the matters at hand. Go and do as you will Reynaldi, for you leave in two days time."
"As you wish father. May Ares grace you on the field of battle."
"And may Hera watch over you…" he whispered as I walked out of his study on my way to the gardens.
One of my favorite pastimes while I was growing up was to spend time in the gardens that resided behind the castle on the southern boundaries near the farmlands. It is here that I spent many of my days walking among the shrubberies and various floral decorations in the warm sunlight that seemed to forever fill my country. However, lately I have neglected my time in the gardens and I was unaware of how badly this affected me until I was there amongst it all. Able to take in the age old fragrances that had once filled my senses with a daily regularity.
As I was lost in the smells of my yesterdays a young man came from the other side of the walkway and placed his hand upon my shoulder. Startled, I threw my hands up and struck the man square in the jaw…I instantly regretted my actions. There, massaging his damaged jaw was the dashing captain of the guard Sir. Nicholas.
I rushed forward and tried to lend aid wherever it would be of use, but it was to no avail for he took my hands in his and leaned forward to gently capture my lips with his.
"Nicholas!" I blurted out as I rammed my hands into his perfectly sculpted chest. "You know better than to openly display your feelings for me."
He smiled a calm grin of seduction as he ran his fingers down the side of my face. "Well what if I were to tell you that I don't give a damn about what other people think? Huh? What would you say to that?"
"I would say that you have lost your mind, I am the Prince of England and you are the Captain of the Royal Guard. Both of us have positions that require the utmost care when it involves our personal lives, so I would appreciate if you would hold off on those kinds of actions until we are both safely hidden in my room."
Nicholas stepped closed as he whispered into my ear. "Is that an invitation my dear prince?"
I smiled as I placed my finger upon his lips and nodded my head slowly up and down. "Later on this evening I shall me alone in my room, and I expect you to be there my dear captain."
"Well then I shall do my best to uphold my civic duty of keeping the prince pleasurably content."
We then went our separate ways and with the thought of the evening that was slowly approaching my breeches tightened slightly. It had been a while since I had had the captain to myself and I fully intended to enjoy the night's festivities.
It was mid-afternoon when Brun came to find that I had fallen asleep under one of the great oaks that provided shade for the eastern grounds of the castle. On many occasions she had found me in this exact position and every single time she did the exact same thing. She placed the tray of food on the floor and walked over to take a knee at my side. After a few moments of silence she took the pitcher of water from the tray and poured the contents over my head and I awoke with a sudden jolt.
"Damnit Brun! How many times must we go over this? When I'm asleep simply nudge my side and I'll wake up! There is no need to dump a gallon of water over my head so as to get my attention."
"Yes I know that. However, why would I skip a chance to dump chilled water over the young prince's head? Especially when the action promises such a fun reaction out of you as you awake with a fright."
I looked at her with furrowed brows and spoke in the lowest voice I could muster. "So you do this for self-enjoyment?"
"Mhmm." Was all she said as her reply.
"Oh, well in that case I suppose that makes everything all better. As long as it makes you happy then I'm alright with you dumping water over my head…YOU INSANE WOMAN!!!"
I stood up and tackled her to the floor, but I was, as I always was, for Brunhilda was trained in almost all arts of combat and she easily guided my body to the floor so that she was on top with her knee digging into my back.
"So, you thought you could pull a fast one on old Brun did'ya? Well surprise surprise, you still can't best me at hand to hand combat and I'm over twice your age! Ha, next time you plan on pinning me to the floor make sure you have the skills to follow through."
A few moments of silence followed as she removed her knee from my back and allowed me to sit upright. Then as we looked at one another we both laughed until our sides hurt.
"Brun, I love you."
"And I you, Reynaldi."
I reached out with both my arms, as I had done since I was a child, and she welcomed me into hers. When Brun and I hugged I felt an overwhelming sense of security as if nothing in the world could harm me, and I wouldn't trade that feeling for anything in the world. It was an emotion that let me know that I was alive, that I was loved, and that I had a mother. I also realized that I needed Brun to come with me to the hidden tunnels, but whether she came or not was entirely up to her.
Chapter 2