Queen

XVIII.

Kitten slurped at the stream. We had finally been let out of our rooms and everyone who saw me knew I had taken Kitten out to the garden, so it was just the lion, Arne, and I. The lion was being avoided. Arne lay beside me, running his hand over the grass. The blades bent under his hand, two sliver bracelets jingled on his wrist. A peaceful morning.

Which soon turned slightly less peaceful when Nevi and a few other children ran through the garden. Clearly no one told them there was a lion on the loose.

I eyed Kitten. He seemed content on laying on the stream's bank, napping in the sun. I'd let the children play until something changed with my lazy king of the jungle. Besides, there was truly nothing like a child's laughter.

"Children?" Arne asked, looking up at the sound of Nevi and her friends laughing their heads off as they chased each other.

I chuckled. "Nevi and a few of her friends are playing a game," I explained. I let out a sigh as I remembered how many of the 'friends' I had played with as a child I lost when I became queen. I hoped the same thing wouldn't happen to Nevi. Such things hurt. "They're happy," I said, "Oh, to be a child again."

I didn't really want to be a child again, but things were much simpler before I took on the title of queen. Arne probably wished to be a child again, he could see as a child.

Nevi and her friends ran back again, shrieking with laughter as they chased a little boy who'd lost his shirt. They may not understand what happened the night before.

"You're it," a girl with a lisp said, having tagged the shirtless boy.

"You didn't get me," the shirtless boy said.

The girl tagged him again. "I did now," she told him. A girl after my own heart.

"Hey guys," another little boy with a shaved head said, his eyes on us, "We're not alone."

The group of children turned to face Arne and I, only Nevi smiled. "Arne!" she cheered, running to him. Arne barely had time to sit up before Nevi tackled him with a hug. I smiled at the sight of our world's former greatest warrior felled by a child's hug. "Wait," Nevi said, pulling off of Arne, "Are you really blind? Prince Kiken said you were, but Vel says I can't believe everything he tells me and Queen Mathilda said you're blind so I don't know. Are you blind?"

Arne sighed and sat up again. He stared off, not looking at her or anyone at all. "Nevi," he said, "Prince Kiken was right, I am blind." I did not envy Arne not being able to see Nevi's sad little face. "I lost my sight six years ago."

"You've been blind since I was born," Nevi hissed.

Arne lowered his head. "I'm sorry," he whimpered.

"Baby," I said gently, sliding up to him and draped an arm around his shoulder, "It's not your fault, you have nothing to apologize for."

Nevi cupped Arne's face in her tiny hands and lifted his head up to look into his eyes. Nevi, the adorable angel child, let out a giggle. "Your eyes are funny looking but they're pretty," she said, "Like the sea in a storm."

Arne cracked a smile. "Thank you Nevi," he said.

The other children glanced at each other and I felt my heart dropped down to my toes. I knew those looks in the young children's eyes. I saw those looks in the eyes of men and women I had known since we were boys and girls who suddenly felt that I was above them and how they were no longer comfortable around me. I had been nearly grown when I saw those looks for the first time. Why were those children capable of such looks and thoughts?

"Nevi," the boy with the shaved head said, "They're royals, we can't talk to them."

Memories flooded my mind. What was happening to Nevi had happened to me years ago and it still hurt to think about it.