To Love My Alpha King

Chapter 36

~ 17 years ago ~

"Oh no, are you ok?!" Pascal shouted as he rushed over to kneel beside a crying Kohl and inspected the five-year-old's knee.

"It hurts," little Kohl whined, looking at his bleeding leg.

"It's ok, Kohl, it's just a scratch."

Tears drew clear lines through the dirt on Kohl's cheeks. Pascal smiled. "Look at you. What were you doing anyway? Rolling in the mud like a little piggy? You are all dirty." Pascal pinched Kohl's chubby cheeks, making the younger boy smile again. "Let's go home and have someone clean you up," he suggested.

Kohl looked at his knee again. It still stung a little. "O-ok..."

"Can you walk on it?"

Kohl shook his head. "I don't know, Pascal. Maybe I'll never be able to walk again." Kohl's lower lip began to tremble again.

Pascal chuckled. "Cry-baby." He turned around. "Come, you can climb on my back, I will carry you home."

Kohl jumped on his big brother's back and quickly pushed his little nose against the back of Pascal's neck. His big brother smelled so nice and safe to him.

"You know this was probably the last time I could play with you, right? I will start fighting practice soon," the older boy said. "And I'll have to leave then..."

Kohl held Pascal tighter in his embrace. He didn't want that. He wanted to play with his brother in the garden forever and always.

~

When they came home, Pascal brought Kohl to one of the servants.

"Oh, child! What have you done this time!" an older woman shouted at Kohl.

"He didn't do anything. He just fell during playing," Pascal answered. He didn't understand why everybody was always yelling at his little brother, including his own parents. Kohl was only little, he couldn't be blamed for looking dirty after playing outside or for hurting his knee.

A younger woman asked the grumpy older servant if she could clean Kohl's wound instead. The older lady nodded and walked away.

"I am Isoldi," the young woman said, as she sat next to Kohl on his bed and lifted the smaller boy on her lap.

"I'm Kohl."

"Oh, I know. You are the prince. Everybody knows who you and your brother are," Isoldi explained.

"I have seen you too. You always smile at me. But I didn't know your name before."

"Well, now you do," she winked at him and started to clean his knee.

"You're pretty," Kohl said shamelessly.

Pascal and Isoldi laughed. So did Kohl. Until they heard someone clear his throat. All three pairs of eyes looked at the door and found the King standing in the doorway. He didn't seem pleased.

Isoldi put Kohl beside her again and bowed to her King.

"Servant, Pascal, leave," he commanded. He had heard that his youngest son was weeping again today. He needed that boy to toughen up.

"But father, Kohl only--"

"You want to feel the back of my hand again, boy? You want to disobey your father and King?" he spoke with a calm voice, cutting Pascal off.