Chapter 27 Little Secrets

Chapter 27
Little Secrets

 

                Sarwar looked at Nicole with both pride and fear in his eyes. This was something he had always wanted her to do but yet it was unexpected of her, at least with the way she’s been in the past. His smile turned serious then he turned to face everyone else within the room.

 

“We’ll this meeting is getting nowhere. Everyone is dismissed. We will return to this topic in due time. But until then we have a ceremony to prepare.”

 

                Nicole felt a combination of happiness and nausea. Sarwar’s comment gave her his answer. She was going to take over her Father’s portion of the country at least what’s left of it. Rudro sat quietly at his seat as member started to leave the room. He had no idea what to do or say. He’s always loved Nicole as a sister, but at the same time he hated the attention she was always given by his Father and Mother. True, they love him. They tell him often and always have been there with him when he needed them most. But whenever they weren’t paying attention to him, she was the one they tended to. A bastard daughter he considered her. Which she is, but she’s been stronger than him always. Weather it was in history lesson, archery, Horseback riding, or even sword fighting. She would be better at it. His chance to take his father’s throne was the only thing he could have had over her. But now even that is gone. Rudro drops his head on the table without realizing that Nicole was now leaning on the table next to him.

 

“You know, you can relax right? I’m still the same Nicole you know.”

 

“Yes madam, you are.”

 

“Stop being formal… It’s strange.”

 

“How do you wish me to refer to you then?”

 

‘Nicole… Rudro, I know you, you didn’t mean anything you said. The meeting was already heated by your father and you normally take your stress out on me. I’m ok with it. Just be yourself. Please.”

 

“I’m sorry Nicole… I still shouldn’t have said any of that. It’s just. The army has let my father down. In over 18 years no one’s been able to get anything about them. It’s as if your father’s death removed all ability we had.”

 

                Nicole looked away from him and gripped the hilt of his sword. Sarwar watched the two of them, and realized she held the hilt the say way her father did. Her hand started to glide up the length of it and stop at the guard, tracing the etched designs of it. Watching her do this, he noticed how she was leaning on the desk, how she held herself up, and the expression on her face. It was as if she was Ricardo. It never occurred to him how much she was like him. Her habits, actions, gestures, all him, considering she never met the man, it was a nice surprise to see him in her.

 

“Nicole, you’re like a sister to me. And I love you. Just promise me, once you take the throne. Don’t die like your father did. We need you.”

 

                Nicole looked at him, slightly thrown off by his comment but at the same time happy he’d said it. She got up and placed a hand on his head. He was slightly younger than her, about a month or so, but he’d always been an older brother to her. Rudro stood up to salute her, but she stopped his arm as he started to raise it. Then she embraced him in a hug. He stood confused, but then wrapped his arms around her and held tight.

 

“Stop being so formal you idiot…”

 

“Sorry Nicole, but hey you should be getting ready. The ceremony is going to be a big one.”

 

“Do I have to wear a dress?”

 

“I’ve no idea.”

 

“First thing I’m doing when I take the throne is getting rid of that custom. I hate dresses. Who the hell came up with that idea?”

 

“I’ve no idea.”

 

                Rudro realized her was still hugging her and quickly leg go and grabbed the papers on his desk. With a smile he walked out of the room leaving Nicole with Sarwar. She walked over to where he was sitting, watching the two of them. His eyes scanned her. It was unsettling. She approached him and gave him a hug, then sat down in the open seat next to him. As she sat, she released a heavy sigh.

 

“What the hell have I gotten myself in to?”

 

“Plenty, but hey, Rudro, Brona, Jorn, hell even I will be here to help you. Just like we all helped your father.”

 

“Father… Tell me Sarwar, what was he like?”

 

“You’re Father. Maybe I should tell you the story about him no one knows… Save me, and his parents. Or, I should at least say his adoptive parents.”

 

“Adopted? So my father wasn’t a true heir?”

 

“No he wasn’t. You see, our lord at the time, he had attempted several times to create an heir. His seed… wasn’t the strongest. And after months of trying nothing ever came to be. Once he did manage to plant on in his wife. But she had lost the child after about two months. So he turned to adopting one. The funniest part was my father had two sons, me and my younger brother. My younger brother was alive at the time, and my father offered the idea. But it was as if he knew what was going to happen.”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“No don’t be little one. My brother died when he was 10. Disease took him. I was sixteen at the time of his death. I loved my brother, but he went peacefully. So do not worry. But that still meant an heir was needed. Hundreds of kids came to the castle, their parents all trying to get the lord to adopt their child. Some kids were skilled artists, some skilled archers. One of the kids even knew his prayer book by heart. But none of them caught his eye.

 

                It wasn’t until I was 18 that we walked by the orphanage. We were going to pick something up for my mother’s birthday and we passed the place. Out front sat a kid, he was a bit smaller then everyone else, but unlike the other’s he was alone. As we walked by he stood up and walked over to us. We stopped because my father enjoyed talking to everyone that would approach him when he went for walks. The kid stood there and stared at us. My father bent down and patted him on the head, but he just looked at us. My father asked him for his name and he shrugged, telling us he doesn’t remember ever having on. He asked him how long he’d been here and the kid said forever. My father felt sorry for the kid. The lord at the time looked at the kid and asked him if he’s like something to eat. The kid was eager to agree. He jumped in joy as he said yes. We took him along with us to pick up my mother’s gift then heading to the castle. He held the lords hand the entire time we walked around.

 

                We threw a party for my mother, many people came. The kid sat next to me at the table. He met everyone in the castle and heard many stories. We also learned about him. How we was 12, that he couldn’t recall ever being treated so nicely. He was much smarter than we thought. He could read and write. That some something that not many kids could do at his age, and the way her wrote. Nothing like I could at the time. He wrote in script, and it looked as if it was flowing. I remember my father asking him if he’d like to spend a night. The look on his face was amusing. It was as if you had offered him the world, and he gladly accepted the offer.

 

                We all went to bed. But it wasn’t a normal night, not at all. I remember waking up to the sound of thunder. It seemed a storm was brewing. I got up out of my bed and left to get a drink. In the hall, as I returned to my room, I noticed a light in one of the rooms. I headed over and noticed it was the kid’s room. Inside, sitting on the floor, there he was. I was going to open the door do to tell him to go to bed. But before I did I noticed that standing above him was my father and the lord. They were watching him. I looked carefully and saw that he was drawing. I had no idea what it was until he stood up and looked at the two of them. When the two of them nodded, he walked on top of the drawing and clasped his arms in prayer. He closed his eyes and just stood there. Soon a small flame appeared on the floor. Slowly the flame grew and once it was at the boy’s height, it started to swirl around him, licking him slightly. The two of them started to mumble as the flames died down. Some random kid knew how to use magick.

 

                It wasn’t a surprise to me the next morning when my father said that the kid was going to be adopted. I mean after what happened last night on only figure it was going to happen. The papers were filed and he was adopted. His name, Ricardo Talson, a few weeks later, Ricardo and his new parents left to start the city of Talson.”

 

“My last name isn’t Talson. “

 

“I know.”

 

“Why not.”

 

“Your father didn’t want you to have it until we reclaimed Talson. “

 

“Then that’s the first thing we’re going to do after the ceremony.”

 

“I hope we can do it Nicole. I really do…”