How to be a King

The Princes of Alomida

A/N I think I'll put some more effort into putting in some backstory for Annika's brothers!

Henrik sat boredly, watching. His two youngest brothers, Gustav, and Fridolf (who were five), played around. Gustav and Fridolf were twins. Jacques, the second oldest brother (who was seven), was reading. Henrik took the scene in. Their caretaker, Eryka, was reading a history book. She was only sixteen and still in school.

Studying perhaps, Henrik thought

"Henrik, are you doing anything useful?" Eryka asked.

"No," Henrik mumbled.

Glancing outside, he saw the snow. Henrik was glad he was inside the palace. The palace was in the center of the city of Dridtol. Alomida and their neighbors, Lidora, were in the mountains. Every year, there was snow. The harsh weather never seemed to cease. When the snow had stopped, the view from the top of the palace was stunning. The sunlight always made the snow sparkle. Alomidans were tough, but the Lidorans were always tougher. Lidora was in the rockier areas of the mountains.

"It is pretty isn't it," Eryka said.

Henrik jumped.

"It is!" Gustav said. "I wanna go to Zlofield!"

Zlofield was a town in Alomida that was along the coast of Wolfver Bay. Zlofield Harbor was seldom used, but still useful. Warstone Sea was where almost all accidents happened. Sometimes, those at the Palace would recieve a notice saying that either sailors went down at sea, but that was because Alomidans weren't exactly the best sailors in the world. Sometimes, a tourist here or there would fall off a mountain. That never happened to an Alomidan.

"No!" Fridolf yelled. "I want to go to Iglando!"

Iglando was a town that (always) earned the award for "Highest Elevation". It was exactly 17,362.757 feet above sea level. It was where everyone who hated the sea lived.

"What about Joit?" Jacques asked.

Jacques, being the bookworm he was, loved Joit. It was the town with the biggest library. Jacques had once said that he would live there if he weren't a prince. Their parents always scolded Jacques for "reading too much and not focusing on princely duties". It wasn't Jacques' fault though. He had gotten into reading so many books at the age of two years by their grandmother, Anneke.

Grandmother, Henrik thought.

Jacques was only four when she died. Gustav and Fridolf had been one month old. Henrik was six. His sister, Annika, was eight. Grandmother was kind and gentle. She had taught Henrik, Mira, and Jacques manners. Sadly, she wasn't around when Gustav and Fridolf needed it.

Oh Annika, Henrik thought. Please, please be safe.

*****

Henrik! Annika thought. I hope he's doing alright.

Thinking of her little brother, she felt homesick.

Gustav, Fridolf, Jacques.

Annika sighed. She'd never thought about how she missed her brothers. Especially Gustav and Fridolf. Those two needed Grandmother's guidence. A pang of sorrow and grief stabbed Annika in the chest.

"Annika," a voice behind her said.

She turned around. The sailor, Luis, was grinning. He had a young boy with him.

"This is my son, Arthur," he said.

"I didn't know you had a son," Annika said, surprised.

"Yup!

Arthur grinned.

"Wanna see something cool?" he asked.

"Uh, sure," Annika said tentatively.

"Watch this," said Arthur excitedly.

He bent down, grabbed a paintbrush that Annika just noticed, and flicked green paint at her.

"Wha-" Annika spluttered. "I'll get you back for that!"

Arthur just laughed and ran. Dipping the paintbrish in the green paint, Annika chased after Arthur, brandishing the brush like a sword.

*****

Zongas and Atheath sat, talking with Kogam.

"Annika is the oldest and my only daughter!" Atheath yelled. "How could you think of letting her go into battle?"

"She told me she wants to fight," Kogam protested.

"I won't allow it," growled Zongas. "I am taking my daughter back to Alomida this instant! Alomida is now no longer involved in this war!"

No! Kogam thought. This beautiful alliance. Gone. Shattered like glass.

"You can't go!" Kogam blurted.

"I'll have you know, Captain Kogam, that I can withdraw my army any time," the Alomidan king said. "Let us go in peace."

Kogam sighed.

"As you wish," the Hylian Captain mumbled.

"Good," replied Atheath icily.

The Alomidan king and queen stormed out of the room, leaving Kogam feeling dejected.

How could this have happened? Kogam thought.

Just then, Emili walked in.

"Are you okay?" she asked as she sat in the chair next to him. "I saw Atheath and Zongas storming out."

"I told them that Annika wanted to help by fighting, they denied it, and stormed out, saying that they weren't going to help us any longer," said Kogam.

Emili wrapped her arms around him.

"It will be okay," she whispered. "Don't worry."

Emili took his hand in hers.

"We will be okay," she went on. "Don't lose hope."

Kogam pulled Emili into a greater hug as he wispered into her ear.

"I won't. I promise."

~~

Later that day, Kogam was thinking about what the future could hold.

Maybe I'll propose to her, he thought.

Walking around the Market, a flash caught his eye. A gold ring with an aquamarine gemstone set into it.

"How much is that?" he asked the merchant.

"Forty rupees," the merchant replied.

Kogam pulled a purple rupee out of his pocket and gave it.

"Keep the change," he said.

"Thank you," said the merchant, bowing.

Kogam picked up the ring.

It's perfect.

Hehe! I've done it now. Things are going to get bumpy now!