The Arrival
"Fetch Lady Marissa," ordered Lord Gregory. "We will be arriving at the docks soon, make sure she looks presentable. She must make a good impression on the Royal Family." The ship carrying the diplomatic convoy from Camiro was rapidly nearing the Toran shores, bringing a wave of trying politics and difficult decisions with it.
On the other side of the country, a tired father was trying to explain the importance of making a good impression on people and of being obedient of one's parents. "Jarred, we have talked about this again and again," Leif, once again, lectured his young son, scrubbing him in an attempt to get the thick, brown mud off his face and hands. "When we have important visitors coming, you have to make a nice first impression on them, and part of that is…" "Drething nithely and being good and not getting dirty," finished Jarred tiredly, he had obviously heard this lecture many times before.
Leif looked at Jarred, wondering if he was expecting too much from his very young son. He decided that obedience was a virtue that he could expect from his three-year old and continued, "yes and you have not done any of that, well you were dressed nicely, but then you disobeyed your Mother and myself and went downstairs and started making mud-pies and got yourself completely filthy. You are a prince of Deltora and you have to start acting like one." " But…" Jarred interrupted, "I know you are only little Jarred, you remind me of that constantly, actually you remind me of that every time you do something wrong." Leif's over-strung nerves were starting to get the better of him, he was starting to yell at Jarred, "But you know what my little boy; Endon is exactly the same age as you and he manages to stay clean when he is told, he manages to stay put when your Mother tells him to. Now, by the Gods, if you do not start behaving I will belt you so hard you will not sit down for a month of Sundays." Now angry at himself for yelling at Jarred, whose tearful expression was not helping him feel any better; he pulled Jarred out of the bath and started drying him off. He roughly pulled a nice, clean shirt over Jarred's head and helped him into a loincloth and tan breaches, he dragged a comb through his son's hair and helped him into his shoes and socks, double knotting the laces on the very small boots. "There," he said roughly, "now go down to the Great Hall and wait there with your brother and sister until your Mother and I get down there." Jarred wavered for a moment, "Now," yelled his father. Jarred ran, tears in his eyes, his father had never yelled at him like that before.
Jasmine was already at the Great Hall when her son came in with tears running down his face. "Jarred, sweet, what happened," Jasmine was very concerned, she swept him up into her arms and held him, he rapped his arms around her neck, "Daddy told…me…that if…I…I….wath not….good that he would….he would…..thmack me," Jarred sobbed out. Jasmine sighed inwardly, Leif was very stressed about this meeting and both the court and his family were suffering for it. Jasmine had not been feeling happy lately, she felt as if her husband did not trust her with something, that he was hiding something from her. He was acting exactly as he had seven years ago, when he was trying to protect Marilyn by hiding her identity and what he was doing during those long hours in the palace library. Jasmine closed her eyes and took a deep breath, reminding herself that her husband had a lot of responsibility and that she should not yell at him when he walked through that door. She opened her eyes and looked at Jarred, "Daddy did not really mean what he said. He is just…..." Jasmine searched for a word that Jarred would understand, "scared," she finally finished. Jarred's sobbing relaxed, "Thcared?" he asked. "Daddy ith not thcared of anything." "Are you sure?" Jasmine asked. "I think that he is. I think that he is scared of something going wrong with this meeting and these people not liking us and trying to hurt Deltora. He worries about you and he is scared of something happening to you. That is why Daddy and I get mad at you when you disobey us because, most of the time, what we tell you to do is for your own safety. To make sure you do not get hurt," she added noticing the confused look on Jarred's face. "Oh," said Jarred the tears completely gone now. "He ith thcared of thomething bad happening to me and Deltora and Donni and Annie. Ith that why he hath been angry lately?" " Yes," Jasmine said with a smile. "He really loves you very, very much. Do you feel better now?" "Yeth mummy, much better!" "Good," Jasmine smiled and held him tighter.
Leif walked through the door and spotted Jasmine giving Jarred a hug. "Jasmine, he is in trouble put him down. Jasmine felt like slapping Leif, and Jarred's tears threatened to erupt again. "Shhhhh, sweetie its okay," Jasmine soothed him as she placed him on the floor, "go and play with Donnie, hmm?" Jarred nodded glumly and walked over to where his brother and sister had been gawking at him.
Suddenly, a messenger walked in, "Announcing the arrival of the convoy of Camiro, Greetings to His Majesty King Leif of Deltora and his Wife, Queen Jasmine from Lord Gregory of Rulent and his niece, Princess Marissa of Camiro." The door opened and a man who had a hawk nose and mistrusting grey eyes walked into the room, carrying a small toddler who was wearing a very lacy dress and a big smile, followed by various important persons. Jarred immediately stiffened, he did not like this man, there was something wrong about him, and children are usually right about these sort of things. Perhaps Leif should have listened to his three-year old when Jarred said he did not like Lord Gregory of Rulent.
A/N: Hello everyone!
I promise that the story will actually start in the next two chapers,I hope you enjoyed this one!
Thankyou all SO MUCH for your reveiws! It was really encouraging!
'.'.'.Jesslca'.'.'.: Thanks for your reveiw! I'm really glad that you liked it so much. I will look forward to your next reveiw and I hope that youlike this chapter!
PJ Blindclown: Hi! I know Jarred and Endon are twins but one does have to be born soon! Thanks for your review, I hope it stays interesting!
BartmanX: Here's the update you asked for!
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