Short stories

Arabella queen of Vendia (continuation of the kingdoms story)

"You can't hide from your duties forever you know." I flinch at Kai's soft spoken words, as much as I hate them, I knew they are true.

"I know, I just don't know how to do this. Kai, I've never married before, nor have I chosen suitors. I don't want to mess up and start the fighting again." I sound weak, and I hate it. Even in front of Kai, who was the third person who saw me after I was born, before even my own father, I don't like to sound like a baby.

"Oh c'mon Bella, it's not that hard, choose an equal number of suitors from the north and south, then marry whichever one stands out to you." I sigh at the growing pile of envelopes on my desk. There has to be at least a thousand, if not then more, filled with wealthy men who wanted a shot at the good looking queen and to be named prince-consort.

I hate men like them, marrying themselves or their sons off to a pretty, wealthy woman to gain fame and money.

"But what if none of them stand out to me?" I ask, my sight drifting to Kai's dark, glittering eyes.

"There will have to be at least one in the twenty-five you have to pick that you can at least tolerate. You don't even need to really talk to him once your married, just keep him around for appearances. Once your retired you can find someone else that will accept you for being you and not your reputation."

"Or maybe I can get myself kicked off the throne." At my musing, Kai's lips press into a thin line, his eyes turning hard.

"Arabella, don't think like that, you could be the best leader this country has seen in a century. Don't you dare screw that up now."

I smile. "Look at you, ordering me around like you're the king." One reason I love Kai, he grew up with me, meaning he knew everything there is to know about me, destined to be by my side until death. His whole job is to die for me if needed, throw himself on a blade for me and all that. It pains me that his whole life is only to die for me, but I'm glad I have him around. I need the emotional support.

Kai looks taken aback for a second, and I roll my eyes. "I'm joking Kai, I'm not going to send you to the stake for setting my priorities straight."

He smiles his wide, warm smile, and chuckles. "If you did, I think I would have been dead a long time ago."

I glare accusingly at him. "I still haven't forgiven you for that." A long time ago, when I was only about eight years old, he was ten, he read from my diary. Taking a royal's personal things as an elite guard is forbidden and could result in death, of course, I never told anyone, I never wanted Kai to die, a punch in the groin works better. I never did forgive him though, I wrote some embarrassing things in there...

He laughs, and my glare melts away, replaced by a smile. "Trust me, I know." He looks down at me, face suddenly hard again. "But stop stalling, do your work." I huff a breath of frustration, I don't have until the next month to get them all in, what's all the hurry for?

"Because you're a procrastinator." Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, Kai is also a supernatural, someone who has supernatural abilities. Why the royal staff put Kai as my Elite, he can read minds. He can go from just knowing what I need before I even have to ask, to knowing his enemies next move in an attack. But only if he wants to, he can turn it off and on at any time.

"Am not." Kai's eyebrows raise at my words.

"Liar." I roll my eyes, he's right, I just have too much pride to admit it. "Doesn't matter, do your work anyway."

"No." I spit.

He sighs and picks up an envelope. "Barton Rutldge?"

"No."

"Vernon Siny?"

"No."

He sighs again. "You don't even know them."

"I know." He frowns at me. "I don't want to."

"Arabella, look at me." I listen, and look into his dark eyes, "You don't have to be scared. I'll be here if you need someone."

"I know." I smile. "Thanks Kai."

He smiles back, "Yeah no problem your majesty."

I sigh and look down at the envelopes. "Alright, who's first?"