The Kingdom of Secrets and Ruin

Ruairi

“It was never my intention to like it here.” Odelina confesses reluctantly while pouring us both a cup of peppermint tea.

I keep hearing the servant whispering about how the weather is getting warmer and the sun is travelling higher each day, but with being from the southern side of the continent, this is nothing compared to our spring and I’ve lost count on how many blankets I’ve needed to distribute between my people as we adjust to this new climate.

We’ve barely spoken one-on-one since she arrived with our mother, which is unusual for us, even during war time as I love my sister and enjoy our conversations together.

“And why is that?” I raise my eyebrows, waiting for her reply.

“It’s cold here, it’s… theirs.” She shivers slightly, likely thinking of the Leverer family who lived in these chambers before us and haunted the kindgom with their poison alongside the other disposed royal families. “But I realise now that it’s ours… it’s comfortable.” She shrugs, something she’d have never dared do in front of our mother.

I may have been 13 years old when this war started but she was already a woman in training. 16 years of age and being taught the ways of how to be a perfect bride, betrothed to another powerful Erdeo family, our neighbours in both wealth and land.

Now that we have the continent at our disposal, her opportunities have doubled compared to what they once were, but after her first husband died when fighting with us and taking Khoba, she’s shown no wish to re-marry at all.

She loved him and every day I still feel as though I failed her for not shielding him better. It’s one of the reasons I wanted to push her towards Avery, to see her settled and protected and maybe then she might actually start to heal, but that’s not going to happen. It was a pipe dream and a fool’s wish so I’ll just need to learn to live with the guilt.

“Unfortunately there is little I can do about the cold, but I was hoping that you would like it here… We’re close to the coast!”

She snorts, another gesture for my eyes only as her ’unimportant younger brother’ which she still likes to call me, king or not. “I was wondering why you picked the north,.. You’ve never been one to care about the size of a keep or the amount of land.”

I tilt my head with knowing that she does speak the truth, but I have priorities now, responsibilities and I suppose even if it wasn’t the coast, this would need to be the place for us. I need land to grow food and build houses, I need those for my people and I need my people because without them, what’s the point in it all?

It’s taken these past few weeks just to be able to understand their customs and how they function before I could do much else. I feel as though there’s a pressure inside of me, wanting to remake the wheel but in order to do that I need to see how it all works first.

Tax was the first thing to be addressed, I didn’t realise how much Apheya seemed to pay compared to the other kingdoms. It was ridiculous and as I have plenty of cash to fund my new crown while we merge them all together, it hardly makes sense for Lovia to pay 10% while Apheya pays 25% now does it?

This seemed to help me close the gap between the two nationalities a bit and after that, I simply opened the doors. All six of them to be precise as the courts started allowing visitors, requests and favours to be granted.

We used to have this all the time back in Eradeo but it’s clearly a foreign concept here as only a few have taken me up on it so far. It was disappointing at first, all I managed to do was solve a fight between neighbours over a scrap of land but slowly but surely attendance is increasing each Friday and I hope that it will actually help.

It’s something my father and uncle will have done anyway.

“Do you- Do you think he’d have done the same?” I ask her, knowing that I probably shouldn’t but I can’t help it.

We don’t talk about those we’ve lost, it tends to hold us back as we try charging forwards, only adding it to our list of reasons for revenge, but now that peace is among us, it’s as if the grief has finally had the chance to catch up.

“I think he’d be proud and that’s all you need to worry about.” Odelina’s back stiffens at the mention of our father and I nod my head, accepting that this is not something she wants to dwell on.

“Well, now that it’s over and we’re finding our feet, I’m hoping we’ll be able to take a trip to the coast… maybe even fish for our supper again with Mother.” I grin at her, wondering if she misses it as much as I do.

“With what time? You’re always out hunting and gathering with your men anyway… I couldn’t possibly distract you from your vital duties. ” She teases but there’s no denying the sparkle in her eye as I mention the old tradition she had with our mother.

She is right though, I have been spending most of my town out of the castle, but I’ll be damned if I let her think it’s affecting my duties. I just get a bit restless after a while and there’s only so much a ruler can do in a day if I don’t want to make things too different too soon.

Besides, it gives me a chance to get to know some of my newer additions to my guard and some of the local woods and streams really are beautiful. It would be a crime to live so close and not make the most of it.

“Is this your way of saying that you miss me, dear sister?” I mock and fill my cup again, as the dregs at the bottom have long since grown cold from the air in the room.

“Hardly.” She says too quickly and I shake my head while laughing, knowing that I’ve got her.

It’s not always been easy for Odelina to show emotions but I know how my sister thinks, I know that she loves me and she knows that there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for our family.

“Well if you can spare the time I’d be more than happy to take you both out there in a fortnight or two… You could even stay there for some time if you wish, with an escort of course.” I offer, wondering if this will appeal to her more than walking the halls of a castle that were once walked by those monsters.

Does it bother her as well to sleep in the rooms they once lived in? Or am I too sensitive to it, too hateful?

She narrows her eyes straight away, “If this is your way of pushing me to spend time with Avery again you can forget it.”

It’s my turn to snort this time and the tea goes up my nose in the process, making me wish that I left it chilled.

“If I wanted that I’d just make him your personal guard, but no, he’ll be watching the keep while we’re away and let’s just say that you’ve been heard. You both have.” I raise my eyebrows, daring her to question me again, though I wouldn’t put it past her.

“Am I really that bad for wanting my family taken care of if I were to fall in battle?” I add, less serious now but also wanting to know if I’ve pushed things too far.

“I know why you wanted it… I just- I just wished you wouldn’t speak of such things. You’re my little brother and if anyone is to fall first it should be me.” Her voice almost cracks and silence falls between us at the show of emotion we both know she hates to display. But at least it calms me in knowing that I did the right thing.

Am doing the right thing.

But if only running a kingdom was as easy as it is to keep my older sister happy, maybe then I’d stand a chance at doing it well.