The Foreign Reign

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"Your Highness," called out a middle-aged man as he tried to chase after a ten-year-old boy. He sprinted through the courtyard, shouting after the boy as he barged through servants and thanes, and when the child disappeared from view, the man halted and hunched over, exhausted from the chase.

"He sure is giving you a run for your money, isn't he Alwin," lightly chuckled a nearby servant, and the man stood up straight when his heart had finally stopped pounding in his chest. He laughed along with them, nodding in agreement, and he rushed off after the boy.

Surely enough, he found the child running towards the main gates of the City of London, and before he could do anything, the child slipped past the guards and continued to run towards the nearby stables stationed near the city walls.

"FA," the boy called out, "FAEDER!" He ran past the knights, who were saddling up their horses, reached his father and immediately hugged him.

The winged country looked down at the boy clinging onto him and smiled, glancing up to the entity in front of him, who shook his head in amusement. The one being hugged ruffed the boy's locks, chuckling that the boy hugged tighter. Both of them were wearing their armour and prepared to ride away soon.

"Don't go, Fa," the boy pled, but then the winged country crouched down and explained to the boy.

"England, my son, you need to understand that your Faeder and I have to go. Kingdom of Denmark is heckling the coast again so now we need to deal with the problem." He pulled the boy into his arms and hugged him, "but do not fret. We will come back soon."

The entity smiled down at the two of them and then turned around as Alwin ran into the stables, huffing from being out of breath. The human saw the countryhumans and bowed, "Lord Anglo. Lord Saxon. I see that Master England has found you."

"Surely," Saxon spoke, "you can outpace a ten-year-old," but his voice didn't have a hint of anger.

"Your son is quite nimble," replied the servant, and then added lightly, "and I am an ageing man, my lord."

Anglo stood up and said to Alwin, "You are to look after our son while we are out campaigning," to which the servant nodded and replied, "as I always have done."

The winged country nodded and went to his horse to get ready. England watched longingly as he watched his father walk away, so Saxon went down on one knee and rested his hand on his son's shoulder.

"This is our home, our land, and we will do anything to protect it and its people," spoke Saxon, watching as England faced him, "and we are preparing a world for you, where you will be safe and happy, free from the threat of invaders. We both love you, England, as any parent would do to their child."

The entity flinched slightly when England suddenly tackled him into a hug but soon returned the embrace. "Bidde (please), come home safe," begged the boy, and the father patted him on the back.

"We will, my boy, I guarantee it. No invader is going to beat us."

No invader is going to beat us...

"SE LEVER (GET UP)," shouted a Norman knight, splashing a bucket of cold water onto England's face. The country jolted up, his eyes wide open as he shivered, only for the Norman knights around him only laughed at his predicament.

Sitting in the back of a cart, covered in hay and now water, England longed for the days where his biggest concern was if his father would be able to see him after his kingly duties, but now seeing the Normans around him, the only thing he wished was their demise.