Traitors of the Realm - Kingmaker Book 1

Micah - A Gift of Gold Chapter 2

Micah stood before his sister with water leaking down his hair and clothes. He watched as Skyler lay covered underneath her cotton sheets, hiding her head and toes while listening to her soft breath. Her room was too small for a grown man to fit, lying down or standing up. It was however, large enough for a child as short and skinny as her to have comfort. Her bed and sewn dolls took up most of the space along with a cage near her feet where she kept her brown pet rabbit whom she called Shadow. He gently shook her from side to side as he stood on his knees, but no sound came from her. He knew she was awake, for the slightest sound she could hear from a distance. He pulled her blanket off her body while she turned and looked at him with a smile. Loud giggles followed behind. Almost half her face was covered in freckles, her hair kissed by fire.

"I almost fooled you, big brother."

"For years you've been trying to fool me, you were breathing too loud."

"Why are you wet?" she asked, staring at him with her innocent, dark brown eyes.

"I went to check on our uncle and the rain caught me."

"Did the soldiers toss him back into the cells?"

"No, not this time," he answered.

"You should dry off before you catch a cold," she told him as she sprung from her bed. She grabbed her towel hanging from the nail and she pushed her brother to sit while she dried his long, messy hair. "You look like a girl with that hair, you should shave it off. I heard girls like it better."

"You're lying because you're jealous mother gave me her hair, and you're stuck with that."

"I don't care," the little girl confessed, "I love my hair. The Goddess Artemis has beautiful red hair."

"She does," her brother replied. "You shouldn't compare yourself to the Goddess of hunt. She didn't have studies, you do. So go on and get dressed."

"Fine," she told him as he crawled out of her room.

Afterwards, she came out onto their kitchen where the dining room and hall were joined together. The burnt walls were covered in thick, yellow paint and the ground was still covered in black ashes. Skyler sat near the table, waiting for her morning meal, wondering what she might be given on this particular day. Her brother brought her a bowl filled with boiled mashed potatoes and onions with a piece of fried fish. She looked at it disappointingly for she had eaten the same for the entire week.

"You forgot, didn't you?" she asked, staring at her brother with watered eyes. "I knew you would."

"Forget what?" he asked, as the tears ran from her eyes.

"It's nothing," her voice breaking as she wiped off her tears.

"My darling sister, I haven't," he said with a smile. "Happy birthday Skyler. There'll be many more to come, I promise."

He took the bowl with the fish and he tossed it aside and he placed in front of her one of her favourite meals, baked chicken and tomato sauce mixed with sugar, chipped pineapples at the top, and a side of fried, buttered bread and brown rice.

"Thank you," she repeated three times, giving him a tight hug. "I love you. You're the best big brother ever."

She began eating her meal, savouring every flavour in each group of food, taking small bites, hoping it would last longer. After she was finished eating, Micah walked her out the door, taking her to the place where she would do her studies. As they took their time down the streets passing the market place, Skyler noticed all the sweets she had ever wanted, biting her lips as she walked past them all. Tables were jammed against the walls on both sides with people selling clothes, fruits, vegetables, armour, and everything else you could need. She would often ask her brother to buy just a few sweets for her to eat, but was often told no. But, she thought today would be the perfect day to ask, if any. Skyler stared at it all with her mouth dribbling for a taste. Micah noticed her staring. Even if she wanted it, she would never ask it of her brother for she knew his money was few. The thought of asking anything of him had vanished from her young mind. She stared at the bread baked with sugar and white chocolate bars that came from the east, along with baked raisin bread with cream fillings at the centre, and the tamarind sticks soaked in honey. Micah stopped in the middle of the streets while little Skyler looked at him strangely, wondering what was wrong.