True Knight

Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Ari curtsies at the sight of her father sitting on the throne, her mother and brother on his side, sitting on their own designated seats, her very own next to her brother's. Ari looks up and smiles as elegantly as she can, seeing as to how she awoke with aching muscles and a furious Nurse Sedina angrily storming into her room to get her ready for the day.

She notices her father's creased brow. His graying hairs overshadow his gentle features, brown kind eyes. She sees his calloused hands on the rounded edges of the chairs and in her mind, wonders once more where he had gotten them. No royals were ever allowed to work so hard, hard enough to receive callouses, but she knew her father. He enjoys working, even now in his older state.

Next to him is her mother. Her soft features and oval shaped face is slightly rounded. Her brown hair is tied into a tight bun with gentle curls flowing at the sides of her face and a bunch of hair wrapped in a spinning line towards the bun.

Her eyes meet her older brother's light brown eyes, different from the rest of them. Like her father and her, his hair is dark, dark enough to be accepted as black like theirs. His cheeks are hollow, jawline sharp, and smile caring.

"Good morning father, mother, brother."

She sees the familiar smile on her father, the one that reaches his bright eyes that never seem to die out.

"Good morning Princess." Her father answers.

Her mother replies with a gentle smile and her brother nods his head slightly in acknowledgement as they always do.

"I have heard." Ari says lowly.

"If, according to your memory, you do perchance have recollection of the last meeting whereas the leaders of the nearby kingdoms are to gather here, then you must have been preparing yourself for this event. They must be arriving very soon. We have prepared everything, set for their arrival. I only remind you of the sight you will see, knowing how you are. There will be another gathering when they arrive. Do not forget."

"Thank you."

Ari curtsies again, ready to leave after the warning she received. She remembers the last time she had bursted at a king, which nearly threw their companionship out the window, but that at that time, she was younger, and much more expressive and rebellious. This time, it may end with her bursting, only at a more less expressive way.

"And Princess," the king adds as she looks back up at him, "Do not upset Nurse Sedina. I have heard but a likeness of the sorts. I must not be the one to reprimand you. We have trusted you to be more responsible and you have shown that so far. Princess, do not make me regret the decisions I have made thus far."

Ari bites her lips slightly, not allowing it to show to her audience nor break her posture. No matter how much she loves and cares for her family, she knows that they can never be the way she dreamed a family would be. They would never be like the family out on the streets of their kingdom, and she envies that feeling of love and freedom. Instead of lashing out like she had done before, she inhales deeply with a slight sigh, not uttering a single sound they could hear.

"Yes Your Majesty." She complies.

"You may leave."

Ari curtsies once again and exits. Of course she knew the consequences when Nurse Sedina would come into her room to check if she was in bed and Ari would be gone. She doesn't doubt that Nurse Sedina won't come every night now. Ari knows her father knows, yet he does not say a thing.

As she leaves, she hears footsteps follow after her. Ari turns and notices that it is her older brother, Prince Eric. He casually walks over to her, a slight smile on his face.