With his wife, his eldest and youngest daughters gone, King Augustine took comfort and solace in his favourite area of the palace, the library. He sat in his usual armchair, isolated from the rest of the family, reading book after book. However, as he was engrossed in yet another book about the history of KodaCait, Posy had entered.
Like her father, Posy also enjoyed going to the library. In fact, she was the only daughter who truly appreciated this area of the palace. Feeling awkward, Posy stared at the ground, avoiding eye contact with her father and wringing her hands.
"Oh, hi Dad...sorry for interrupting your...um...reading time, I just needed to find a book and I'll leave-"
King Augustine laughed heartily, "No! No! Posy, darling, don't go! Come here, come read with your father, don't you think you and I deserve some father-daughter bonding time?"
With a small smile, Posy nodded, and came to nestle on her father's lap.
"I'm really sorry for ruining the performance at the Chroma Ball dance by the way-" Posy muttered, nervously wiping her glasses with her shirt.
"Oh Posy, you really need to stop apologising so much, sweetheart, everyone makes mistakes, and I know that routine didn't look easy" King Augustine sighed.
Attempting to change the subject, Posy was enthralled by the beautiful painting of the horses plastered on the large book King Augustine was reading.
"Those horses look gorgeous"
"They indeed are. Horses are the greatest creatures to grace the earth, so majestic and glorious...every time I see a horse, I think of your mother...she was an amazing horse rider, unlike me, it's the reason why I fell in love with her instead of your Aunt Lovisa"
King Augustine reached out to the nearby small wooden table and pulled out a picture frame. It was a picture of Queen Pandora when she was around Evie's age. For a second, Posy thought it was Isa in the photo, because with her enchanting beauty, her dark olive skin, cat-like brown eyes, and long, flowing dark brown hair, she looked almost exactly like her eldest daughter. Her charming smile graced the image as she confidently sat atop a horse, the embodiment of grace and skill. The photograph captured a triumphant moment in her life, showcasing the Queen's prowess in equestrian sports as she celebrated a victorious win in a horse race, a testament to her multifaceted talents and the spirit of youthful exuberance that defined her early years. Posy was extremely impressed. Her mother was beautiful, and still was to this day at the age of forty five.
"That's amazing...Mum was so pretty...I see why you love her so much, and I see why everyone says she looks like Isa"
"She was...anyway, horses aren't what this book is about. I've been interested in the history of our kingdom recently, and it just fascinates me. I haven't had a good conversation about the Five Kingdoms with anyone in ages, probably because they all find it rather tedious..."
"Ooh, I would like to know, it sounds interesting!"
As the flames danced in the fireplace, King Augustine- with a gentle smile- delved into the tale of the Kingdoms' origins, a narrative woven through generations. Posy, entranced by her father's storytelling, listened intently.
"A man blessed with four older sons and a daughter undertook the ambitious task of establishing kingdoms across his vast domain. His four sons were the founders of KodaCait, LoveLock, Xeracea, and Zetril, while the daughter founded Casmen. The brothers who had founded KodaCait and Zetril were always butting heads as kids, kind of like you and Mari, or Isa and Evie, so that's why we've never gotten along with Zetril. Of course, Casmen has always been there to resolve the conflict. The peacemakers- that's what Casmen people are generally like, just like the founder of Casmen was.
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YOU ARE READING
8 Sisters of KodaCait: The Original
Teen Fiction"For the first time in the seven years since she first arrived, she began to think the Orphanage was a better place for her. She just hated herself, hated her life, hated everything. " King Augustine and Queen Pandora make a life changing decision t...