II. The Impact of Her

~ Eleven ~

It was a good day to fish.

There was nothing to hear but the gentle current of the river, the wind gently blowing around us. There were frogs close by, a few of them croaking loudly. The sun was out but it wasn't that hot as the clouds slowly passed under its light, giving us shade every once in a while.

James and I had been sitting on a rock for quite some time, waiting for something to bite. The guards had their own time together, not far but close enough to keep an eye on us and to make sure of our security.

The silence between us was so thick, you could pierce a sword through it and it would bleed. But for the first time in such a long time, the silence didn't feel hostile. We were spending time together but not in the way where we needed to talk. Somewhere, we understood one another, read each other's minds that it was better if we kept our words to ourselves.

My thoughts were interrupted when James finally spoke, "I trust that you have taken care of all the needed work for today."

My inner thoughts groaned, irritated that we were to talk about royal duties during our time together but I wasn't surprised as well. James has occupied himself with everything about responsibilities towards the crown. However, I did hope that he would talk about something different.

"Yes, Your Majesty," I said, not wasting my time to even look in his direction. "Before I do anything else, I make sure that my duties come first."

"You have learned a lot, Robert. You don't know how proud I am of you," he replied with pride. "Every kingdom in our realm has been raving about you. If only you could hear their praises, you'd be glad that I chose you as heir and I raised you the way a future king should be raised."

My mouth turned into a firm line on what he just said. I didn't know neglect and making sure a child was stripped off of relationships was the best way to rear a child, especially a monarch that would soon take the throne.

"I've also made the arrangements for our celebration for your victory over the pirates on the Sea of Gliss," he added. "The kingdom has been very pleased with your heroic gestures during your voyage."

"James, what happened at the Sea of Gliss was your success and my failure," I answered, trying not to sound irritated. "I put Mother's life in danger and almost got myself killed. I don't think that's considered to be my victory."

"Don't be so harsh on yourself, Robert," he adjusted his position, putting his right knee close to his chest. "Leading men to battle and in such an unexpected situation isn't an easy feat for any princess of your age to achieve. What you did was worth celebrating."

I kept silent, biting my cheeks to prevent myself from saying anything. It wasn't worth it to fight about. I should be more thankful that James was finally giving me some kind of recognition for my efforts. IT was something that I've been asking for and it has arrived. Or maybe I should just let him do what he thought was necessary and let this conversation end here.

"Have you planned your celebration with them?" he asked, changing the topic.

I cleared my throat. "I'm yet to get into the details. I have so many things to take care of, too many aspects to consider. I want that day to be special, not only for the crew but also for their families," I explained.

"If you like, we can hold both celebrations on the same day. Therefore, we can plan everything in one go," he suggested.

"That won't be necessary," I quickly protested. "I want them to have their day of celebration, a day where they're the ones who are honored, praised."

"I completely understand," he nodded. "Everyone deserves their own time to be in the spotlight. Have you decided when you will be holding the event?"

"Having it before mine would be a good idea," I said as I adjusted my fishing rod. "The captain and his crew are the true heroes of the battle. They have fought valiantly and they deserve the recognition for their bravery and loyalty to the kingdom."