Royal Strings {DISCONTINUED}

~{•Chapter Three•}~

Curiosity sparked in Esmeray as her father sat down next to her. She looked at him with wide eyes.

"So.." He started the conversation. "Me and your mother know you didn't necessarily ask for a brother but..-"

"I'M GETTING A BROTHER?!" Esmeray screamed so loud it echoed over the bushes like another Esmeray was over the horizon. Esmeray smiled more than she ever had before.

"Shh" The king said between chuckles. "He'll be here in a few months, for now we must prepare his quarters and-"

"His room, Dad" Esmeray corrected. She didn't like very formal terms for things. But she couldn't help but laugh afterwards.

"Come, Esmeray. We must start before he arrives"
Esmeray hopped up and ran for the castle.
I'll finally have someone to play with!
She thought to herself.

When they got to the castle, Esmeray's mom was waiting inside of the throne room. She looked more tired than Esmeray remembered. Her eyes had slight marks under them and she had a few bumps and wrinkles on her face. Esmeray chose to ignore these.

"Hello, Mother!" Esmeray said, distracting herself from the obvious truth that her mother was aging.

"Hello, Esmeray" Her mother said calmly and quietly.

An akward silence fell on the family and Esmeray was close to leaving but one of the chefs called for dinner.

Months went by quickly. Too quickly. Esmeray found both of her parents had gotten older and the new prince was on the way. Esmeray perfected her guitar and vocal skills, even though no one listened.

They will soon. Esmeray told herself.

Into autumn they went. The leaves turned amber and a blazing red and the weather got colder. Esmeray spent her hours, when she wasn't practicing guitar or being yelled at by the gold plated guards, staring out her window, watching the leaves glide down to the courtyard's sidewalk. She found this calming. She was alone and she could think and process everything and wrap her young mind around the heaven and the hell of life. Her mother and father will die, but Esmeray and the new prince will live, until they die. Esmeray didn't want to think about it. But she felt like she had to. Like she was abliged. But now she must await the new Prince's arrival.

"Esmeray!" She heard Margret call.

Esmeray got up from her window and unlocked the door.

"Yes?"

"The king and queen would like to see you" Margret said with a hint of exitment in her shaky yet sturdy voice.

Esmeray found herself walking the corridors, on her way to the throne room once again. She made this walk many times before. Over and over, everything was basically the same. That's why she loved playing guitar. It let her escape from the hell that is reality. Once she got to the room, she stood before her parents. She examined the room. Her mother's tired eyes, her father's dry face, the guards straight face, and a stranger in the corner. Before she could get a good look at the stranger, the king spoke.

"Esmeray." He began. Esmeray met his eyes. "This is Drexel." He introduced the stranger.

This was when Drexel stepped before her and Esmeray could look at him.

He had fluffy dark brown, almost black. He had the most beautiful and intriguing eyes Esmeray had ever seen. They were the most vibrant golden eyes with chocolate brown going inward and had freckles scattered around his face. He was wearing dark clothing and he had multiple weapons on his belt. Two large swords were in an 'X' formation on his back. Drexel have Esmeray the coldest stare she thought was known to mankind, it startled her. But then, unexpectedly, he bowed. (He clearly only did it out of respect for himself so he didn't get in trouble with the king. But it was so..unflawed like he had rehearsed it.)

"He will be your new sparring tutor-"
Esmeray cut her mother off with a groan.

"Young lady!" The king scolded.

"It's fine Alaric, Esmeray, we expect you to treat Drexel with respect." She said in her queen voice. She had to have a mom voice and a queen voice. There was a difference in timing. The mom voice signified mother daughter conflict. The queen voice signified-well-queen and citizen conflict.

"Yes." Esmeray said blankly. She often did that to get her mother off her back.

Drexel stepped in front of Esmeray and stood over her, looking down with a look Esmeray couldn't pin. Disgust? Hate?

"We start tomorrow." He said simply and he just walked off. Out of the throne room. Out into the hallway, off to somewhere no one but him and the gods above knew.

Esmeray looked at the king and queen with a look that said "did he just do that?" The king rolled his eyes but not in annoyance. In helplessness.

--------------------

It was about nine-thirty, Esmeray was in her room when she heard her mother scream, then a heard of footsteps and overlapping voices. She shot up from her bed (where she was studying sparring positions) and ran to her door.

"Mother?!"

She saw her mother being walked quickly to the emergency bay. She was screaming in pain and holding her stomach. Tears were rushing from her face and she was struggling to catch her breath.

"MOTHER!" She repeated desperately.

Drexel came out of nowhere and restrained Esmeray from running out. He was surprisingly strong. Though, Esmeray never saw his arms. Esmeray gave up and became limp and only let Drexel hold her up. She looked at him and was close to tears when Drexel spoke.

"Your mother will be fine, your-" He paused, trying to find the right words. "She's- uh- the prince is coming. We just need to give her space for the night and maybe tomorrow."

Esmeray realized that her brother would be here soon and smiled as she got up.

"See you tomorrow." He said simply and walked off again.