I just have two or three more of my own chapters, and then I will get to the ideas submitted to me.


Photo #16: En Garde!

Kaden was the little brother who could literally do anything. If anything, he could be the next King of Illéa. He was perfectly qualified in every way - he was exceptionally smart in the books and the brawn (for someone of his young age).

Eadlyn once thought that Kaden would also make the perfect guard.

The next picture shows Kaden holding up a sword he made with, probably Josie's, arts and crafts. He stands parallel to Aspen, who holds a broomstick and their mother, who holds a feather duster with the handle pointed out. All three of them stand against each other, with their items pointed at each other - as if they were fencing.

-o-

"Aspen! Aspen!" Kaden calls, running to approach the guard.

Thinking there's trouble, Aspen immediately sprints to Kaden, only to see the child as calm as a cloud.

"What is it?" Aspen huffs.

"I made a sword," Kaden says. "Look at it!"

Aspen looks down at the small, cardboard, cylindrical toy painted silver with a red handle. Kaden beams with pride at his craft. Aspen opens his mouth in surprise, deeply touched that the little boy made a fake weapon and wanted to show him.

"That is amazing, Kaden!" Aspen exclaims, holding the fake sword in his hands. "Maybe if we had this a decade ago, the rebel attacks would've ended sooner."

Kaden smiles a toothy smile, taking back his fake weapon. He then holds the sword out towards Aspen, pointing it at him as if he was a rebel.

"En garde!" Kaden exclaims.

Not wanting to drop the kids energetic spirit by declining the fight or mentioning that the guards' weaponry has further evolved from swords to guns, Aspen spots Lucy down the hall with her maid cart and gets an idea.

"Lucy," Aspen says. "May I take your broomstick?"

"Sure...?" Lucy replies, not further asking for a reason.

Aspen takes the broomstick from the maids cart and smiles when he hears Kaden cheering.

"En garde!" Aspen exclaims.

The two begin their play-swords fight. Kaden uses all his strength and energy for every strike whereas Aspen only looked like he was (to give the boy more amusement).

Lucy watches from the side, refolding towels on her cart. A small, sad smile crawls onto her face as she watches the two of them. It's a warm imagination as she pictures Aspen doing that with their own son.

"What on Earth are they doing?" America asks, looking at the two boys.

"Sparring," Lucy guesses.

"Mommy, join us!" Kaden exclaims.

America hesitates. Lucy happily hands her a feather duster (which is debatably the next best option from the maid cart). America accepts and prances over to the two boys. She holds out the handle, just like a sword.

"En garde!" America says.

A three-way battle between cardboard, a broom, and a feather duster commences. Lucy giggles a little, especially since the cardboard is winning - on purpose.

"Lucy," Maxon calls, approaching her. She bows her head for respect. He looks over at the scene and then back at the maid. "What is going on?"

"Would you like a weapon?" Lucy asks, opening her arms to her maid cart.

Maxon grins as he passes. Instead, he holds his camera up to his eye and snaps a photo of America, Aspen, and Kaden. They kind of reminded him of The Three Musketeers.


I really wanted more of Kaden in the series.

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