Roald frowned slightly as he looked at the letter in his slightly calloused hands. He kept rereading the piece of parchment, not quite understanding how this could have happened.
His wife, Keladry, had gone to the coast with their close friend, Nealan, to welcome and escort, along with a aquad of men, some Yamani diplomants back to the palace. About a weeks ride from the capital, they had been attacked by bandits. Of course, his wife was alive, but she and some of the men and a diplomant had been injured and it postponed them from travelling. So now, instead of arriving in a week, it could take up to two weeks.
Now, that didn't bode well with him. And if it didn't go with him, it sure as hell wasn't going to settle well with their six children. They were causing enough trouble with her gone for two days, much less fourteen days.
They had three children, all under five, a seven year old, a ten year old, and a twelve year old. Their eldest were all ready pages in training. Their youngest were extremely horrid and wouldn't listen to anyone but their mother, they only listened to Roald himself when Kel told them to. The other three were, for the most part, behaved. They did as was told, but they seemed to always want to get the last word in and Kel was the only one able to order them without the lip service.
Roald sighed as he wearily dragged a hand across his face. Kel was injured, but not nearly as injured as the diplomat and some of the men. She just had a long gash going up her leg, that was it.
The door to his study opened up and a girl came in. She was dressed in the red and gold of their formal page uniforms. She walked up to the King and stopped right in front of him. Her neck craned slightly as she looked at his tall stature, even though he was sitting.
"I heard from Aunty Yuki that mamma got hurt. Say it ain't so papa!" Her voice cracked as her lips quivered. Her bright blue eyes stared back into the blue of her father's eyes. "She said that nothing was going to wrong!"
Apirka grasped the edge of the royal blue tunic as she shook her head. Roald bent over and picked up his daughter and held her. He nuzzled her black, shoulder length, hair and whispered,
"She's fine, just a few cuts and bruises, but their group is going to have to stay put for the time being. She's fine Apry, she's fine."
"Brom, Cavan, and Cay are going to throw tantrums at not seeing mamma for a while." She sniffed after gaining control over her emotions. "We want our mamma, papa."
"I know, but she, like me, is a knight. When we have to go somewhere for the crown, we go. You'll learn that within a few years."
"Okay, do I go tell Sloan to not expect mamma?"
Roald could only nod as she climbed off of his lap. She kissed his cheek before running out of the room. Left to his own devices, Roald sighed again.
He and Kel were married for thirteen years. She was thrity one, he was thrity three now. When they first got married, they had nothing to worry about, really. It was when she was pregnant with Sloan, did they begin to. He, and the rest of the realm, wanted her to stay at the palace, away from danger. She wanted to fight until she was nine months pregnant.
Tortall, the Yamani Isles, even the Copper Isles had all told her to stay in Corus.
The end result, while in a battle on the northern border, she fell into labor. What made the whole situation funny, in a sort of stupid way, was that when she fighting for the right to fight, she had promised everyone one thing.
I promise, you can't prevent me from fighting! Mark my words, I'll have this child on the battle field if I have to.
Needless to say, Kel had never gone back on a promise before. True to her word, the heir to the kingdom was born the battle field, among death and blood.
Two years later, she was with child again. She finally agreed to do as the three kingdoms had advised and stayed in Corus. That time, Roald went up to the border. Kel had practically choked him before he left. He had to promise her a thousand times that he would come back alive.
Obviously, he did.
Most people looked down on his choice of mate. A Lady Knight, with a tall, stocky build, rough and scarred features, was not a regal queen.
But alas, she was a late bloomer. Roald thought wistfully.
They had married when she was nineteen, but it wasn't until she was twenty two, when she began to transform.
From giving birth to Sloan, and choosing to breast feed him, had given her fuller, much fuller breasts. Her waist had become slimmer, her hips to flare out. Her legs had become tanned and endless. And caught between raising a family, being a knight, and being a princess- she hadn't cut her hair; which now reached the small of her back. It rolled down in waves of sun streaked blondes and light browns. Her hazel eyes had taken on a more green tint, her long light brown lashes had completed her dreamy look. High cheek bones, full pink lips, a delicate nose dusted with freckles; all of this had given her a regal, beautiful, yet deadly look and grace.
Conservatives shut their mouths with an audible clack when they saw her.
Music floated through the air as couples twirled and danced along the perimeter of the grand dance floor. The Princess of the realm, who was wearing a silk gown and was green and silver, leaned against the wall in the hall( gods that rhymed!) while sipping from a glass of apple juice. She twirled the golden liquid in the glass held by her long fingers. Over the years, the scars she had accumalted from her griffin had faded to nothing.
She sighed, yes she was a knight, an active knight at that. But, did she really want to be queen someday? At first, when she and her husband had told his parents of their courtship, they seemed adamant that she was to be queen. But, Roald was kind. He said that he loved her so much, that he would give up the crown for her. And he nearly did just that.
She must've called him a million kinds of dumbass, but she had told him, she could handle it.
The grand doors opened and light poured onto her form. People had gasped as they looked at her. Her husband walked to her and took her hand.
"You look beautiful darling."
"Hush you! I don't you to embarrass me in front of the whole court!" She whispered quietly as they walked back into the ball room.
"I only say it because it is true. You are," he whispered back, his bold sapphire eyes looked down into her warm hazel eyes.
"I'm going to let this one slide, but you know I don't like publicp displays of affection."
"Yamani habits die hard, don't they?" He laughed quietly as a hint of a blush appeared on her tanned, golden, cheeks.
"Yes, they do." They both laughed quietly, up to their thrones near the current monarchs. Sloan ran up to them, his bright hazel eyes were wide at seeing his beloved parents.
Neither noticed the disbelieving looks sent toward the future queen.
Outside of the hall, where Kel had been standing, was a portrait of Thayet when she was the same age as Kel. Thayet's beauty was radiant, but compared to the new princess, the queen's beauty paled in comparison.
Roald went back to signing some documents to keep the worry from his mind.
Kel was always the stronger of the two. Well, they were pretty much equally set, except she was more level headed. She didn't let her emotions control her actions. No, she let cold, hard logic do that. That's what he admired about her, since the day they met.
When his father, Jonathon, had been killed he was devastated. Even though his father was dead, Roald would not have taken over until his mother died. Sadly, not even three days afterwards, Thayet's body was found in the King's Gardens. A noose was hung around her neck and she hung a meter above the ground. She had hung herself by stepping off of a stone bench.
Roald had been secluded for a bit over a month. He was so broken. Depression had grabbed hold of him. But it was his Kel who had brought him out of it. She had told him of how their kids missed their father. How his kingdom would soon begin to falter. He snapped out of it, he had told himself,
Enough of this grieving, I'll miss them, but their deaths won't stop life from continuing.
She was always there. She was always there for him.
When Sloan was five, and Apry was three, Kel became pregnant with Seoc. Not even two years after that, she had Cay, then the twins- Brom and Cavan.
Sloan, Apirka, and Seoc all had their father's jet black hair and blue eyes. While Cay, Brom, and Cavan had their mother's light brown hair and hazel eyes. Together they had a boy, girl, boy, girl, then twin boys.
Most people had doubted that she would even yield one child, let alone six. Kel always made him proud. She had shown that one could be a woman and a warrior.
Her fierceness and determination on the battlefield earned her the name of not only The Protector of the Small, but The King's Demoness.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Roald walked out of the study and to his children's play room. His seven year old, four year old, and two year olds were all playing with their family fox kits. The boy had a blue leather collar and the girl had a big pink bow.
"Daddy! Look! I'm playing wit d'fox!" Squeeled Cavan as his chubby hands rubbed the fox's tummy.
Yes, his wife made him proud. She had given him these wonderful kids and this wonderful life.
He loved her, he loved his life. That was all he needed.
Pix's Chatter Corner©
So, I don't own anything. Except the kids. The characters, and you know which ones, belong to Tamora Pierce. Thank you and review and I shall baketh thee 'cybruss cookies'!