The Final Days of Springborough

And then, there it was.

Laying in the middle of regurgitated berries, stomach acid, water, and a little bit of blood, was the Queen’s green ring. Lucky the Bear was still struggling, making an awful guttural sound as its back arched, its stomach bulged in and out, and it hunched over, its body digging deeply within itself to purge all contents of its stomach. The collection of people around it just simply watched, and Thomas could see, from the way the bear’s eyes darted around, that he was either scared at what was happening to it or embarrassed by being such a vulnerable beast. Either way, Thomas wished he was still seven, and could cover his ears at the sound of vomiting.

Patrick stepped forward first, putting his hand on the bear’s back and stroking its fur, trying to calm him down.

“Shh, shh, shh. It’s all right,” he whispered sweetly, much like their mother would do for them when they were sick, stroking their backs, helping Kyrstin hold her hair at the back of her neck. It was a maternal side of Patrick none of them had seen before, but comforting to know that during these times without their parents, they were slowly learning how to be like them, how to react like things in the way that they would. As the bear stopped heaving, and laid down, exhausted from being sick, Patrick settled with him, resting his upper body on the bear’s hind legs, and the two found comfort in each other.

Kyrstin went over to the puddle of vomit, lifted her skirt so it didn’t touch any of it, reached over, and retrieved the slimy ring. She brushed it off, and was just about to put the ring on her finger when Brynn spoke.

“Before you put on the ring, you should know something. Your grandma says that whoever wears the ring, will be the new ruler of Springborough. They will be seen amongst all things as their protector.”

Thomas did not understand why this made Kyrstin pause. For all of their lives, they knew Kyrstin was next in line for the throne. It was why she was taking more classes than him, and he was focusing primarily on combat. He would lead Springborough into any battle it must fight. He would help devise strategies and battle plans. He would talk with friends and enemies, and make sure the entire world tried its best to keep on the same page. And with all of this, he would talk with the people, and be the politician of the Lishens rulers.

Princess Kyrstin was to be Queen Kyrstin who ruled over Springborough and took over all responsibilities at home. She would make sure her subjects were well-fed and law abiding. She’d listen to their concerns, answer their questions, and try to make Springborough the best kingdom from the inside out. Patrick was their back-up, in case something happened to either of them, Heavens forbid. And if nothing happened to them, nothing would happen to him, and he could enjoy all the fruits of being a royal without any of the responsibility.

“Go on, sister,” Thomas said as she lost herself in thoughts. “Take what is yours.”

But, Kyrstin simply held the ring in her fingers, posed to go on the ring finger of her right hand. A tear came to her eye.

“Why do you wait? Put on the ring. End this storm, and take control of our lands.”

“Brynn,” Kyrstin said, ignoring her brother, “Can you ask my grandmother if the ring will bring our parents back?”

“Your grandma can hear you, Princess Kyrstin,” Brynn replied, and listened to the Queen Grace’s response. “And no. She’s sorry. The ring only protects from the supernatural forces.”

Kyrstin looked up, over at her brother Thomas who stood amongst his guards, sword in hand, staring back at her. The children looked so small compared to everyone else in the room, yet they commanded all the attention. Kyrstin stepped over to her brother, slowly, as if in no rush at all, and held out the ring to him.

“My dear brother, Thomas. I believe you should take this ring.”

“You were closest with Grandma, Kyrstin. You are set to be the Queen. It’s only right that it be yours.”

“I was close with Grandma because she understood I did not necessarily want to be a Queen. Queen Grace always saw that I wanted to be a child while I still could, that I wanted to be respected more than a ruler. She knew that I wanted to help people more one-on-one, where a leader had to manage from a position further back. I would like to walk the Kingdom without a caravan. I would like to be seen as more of an equal. A queen is bound by rules of the kingdom, rules that every day I’d strain against.

“You, my brother, are a true King. You came after me when you thought I was in trouble, not once, but twice. You found your way to me. You have trained under Corson, you have walked the streets of Springborough, you have shown a maturity and a strength fit for a ruler. You can continue on with the defense of Springborough, through human enemies and supernatural, with this ring, and I will continue with my lessons, my learning, and my outreach, with Patrick as my protector. We can rule Springborough, as our parents would have wanted, with the help of our friends, until our parents come back.

“This is your ring, Thomas. Take it. Become the king we need.”

Thomas looked down at the ring. Such a simple item that could fit in the palm of one’s hand, with a green jewel that seemed to swirl a complete universe of stars within it. He picked it up, relieving Kyrstin of its sentimental weight and twisted it in his grasp. Thunder clapped outside, as if sensing the end was near, giving one last bruising of wind and rain. They could hear shouts from outside. Villagers were getting weary of the storm.

“I don’t believe in such fanciful things as magical rings,” Thomas said, looking at his sister who was crying.

“You don’t have to,” Brynn spoke, and Thomas looked over at her. “Once you put on the ring, they will all go away.”

And so, Thomas slipped the ring on his pinkie, as it was obviously the only finger that the ring was going to fit on. He looked down at the ring, the sparkling green jewel, and he felt no different. Thomas thought that he would at least have a tingling running through his body if the power of becoming King of Springborough was physical. There was no sign that any power had shifted. None inside the building, that is.

Outside the castle, the clouds dissipated into a smoke in the sky, and then curled up on themselves. The rain let up, but it took awhile for it had collected on everything high up, so nobody noticed that the rain had stopped for quite some time. Water fell from roofs and trees and gutters and leaves sprinkling on the ground making it seem like the storm continued on, although, there was no thunder or lightening anymore.

When a storm stops during the day, the sunlight lets one know it is safe to come out, but when a storm ends at night, the calm feels rather temporary until the morning sun lets the world know its a new day. Until the people could see that there were no clouds on the horizon, a break in the rain only seemed like a pause, so most people stayed inside, hoping to sleep, putting off dealing with any damage the storm had done until the next day.

Back inside the castle, the six foot, nine year old, royal prince named Patrick rested his head on the bear’s leg, and looked over at his brother, the new King.

“Nice piece of jewelry,” Patrick said, “makes you look like you take lavender baths.”

Thomas smiled at his brother, and looked over at Brynn.

“What of the Queen? Has she disappeared?”

“No. She smiles upon you, Thomas. And you, Kyrstin.”

“And, Jimmy?” Corson asked.

Brynn laughed, looking over to the corner, as if catching Jimmy doing something funny which no one else could see. “He’s still here as well, happy to be back in the castle.”

“Speaking of which,” J.J. said, stepping forward with Jimmy’s finger in his hand. “Perhaps we should leave this here so he can be home.”

“Leave it here?” Kyrstin asked. “Where are you going?”

“I thought we’d be heading home to our hut on Quakenfalls, no?” J.J. asked, confused, looking between Kyrstin and Brynn.

“The hut on Quakenfalls? After all of your help? I insist you stay with us at the castle. At least, until your parents come home. Or ours. We’ll leave a note in your hut that if they come while you’re here, they are to meet us at the castle.”

Jage looked like he was about to refuse, not necessarily knowing how to refuse an invite of the King and Princess of Springborough.

“We have food. I think the first order of business would be to have dinner,” Kyrstin suggested, and that immediately stopped Jage from refusing.

“Or breakfast,” Brynn suggested, lamenting at the fact she had not eaten all day.

“Breakfast,” Thomas agreed.

“Breakfast for everyone, I guess it is, then,” Kyrstin said, and laughed.

Everyone was hungry, ready to eat.

Except for Lucky the Bear who snored in his sleep, even as the members of the royal guard helped the knights up who had fought and survived the royal giant child and his pet bear. Lucky slept even as the housemaid mopped up the Great Hall, trying to return its floor to its greater glory of grey stone.

Even after that, when he was alone in the great hall, in front of the thrones, underneath the burning torches, as the sun shone through the stained glass windows that told of the history of Springborough, Lucky the Bear slept, protecting the castle from enemies unknown.