Sergio's Flowers

~2~

Seeing someone you care about deeply after 6 months seemed like the most rewarding thing. But now as I stare at the queen laying in bed I rethink that. She no longer has her welcoming glow or bright smile. She looks pasty white and her normally bright red hair has lost its vibrancy. But none of these are as bad as her weight loss. She is almost completely skin and bone. 

I rush to her side and grasp her hand tightly. Involuntarily I start to cry. She was my mothers best friend before she died. That's the only reason me and my father get to live here. When my mother died she acted as one to me. I sit in the chair next to her bed, probably where the servants sit while treating her. I rest my head on her bed and hold her hand, caressing it. I close my eyes and think about why no one told me she was sick. I would have come straight home. That must be why, they knew I wouldn't finish training. My thoughts wander around this for roughly a half hour. 

A gentle knock brings me back to my current situation. Wren sticks his head in. "Sorry Sergio, but King Meryll is going to be in soon, and he's requested no one sees the queen besides his selected staff." 

I nod, although I don't agree, or understand for that matter. I stand up and pull the queens hand up, kissing the back of it before setting it down gently and walking out the room. Wren meets me at the door and swings his arm around my shoulders. He used to do this when I was upset, although it's more awkward now that I've grown so tall. 

"Can we expect you at dinner? We're postponing it to 8, so your father will be able to attend." Wren brings his hand into his pocket pulling out his phone. "It's only 6:15 right now." 

I look at Wren, wondering why he hasn't brought up my father's girlfriend? He usually has an opinion on everything. "Who will be attending?" I ask. 

Wren gulps silently, but enough for me to pick up on. "Umm well the King and Princess Aaronita of course. You and your father, some guests." Aaronita, Aaron, I nearly forgot about her. I haven't seen her since a party two years ago where we danced and kissed. The King was so angry about our relationship that he'd sent her to boarding school. She must've come back while I was away. 

"King, dad, Aaron, and what guests Wren." I push as we continue to walk to my room. 

"Ummm, well," he looks at me and his face shows defeat, "Oh Christ you already know don't you?"

I stop in front of my door and inspect the door. "Of course. I met Miss Kohler, and I can't say I'm impressed. Why didn't you tell me Wren?" 

Wren's face goes red. "Because I knew you'd just get all upset! She's been making your father very happy, and the King likes her too. Although I can't say the same about her daughter. Princess Aaronita does not get along with her, and the King has been very upset with her behavior... Oh I'm rambling, see Serg, this is why I didn't tell you."

I take in this information, but manage a laugh. "Oh Wren you haven't changed at all." I slap him playfully on the back and he laughs too. 

"There's something else I need to tell you Serg, since the Evangeline got sick, the King has been very strict. He's been accusing much of the palace staff for treason, and I honestly don't know how much longer I'm going to be here either." His eyes are full of worry, something that breaks me a little inside. 

"Hey, Wren it's fine. They need you too much to get rid of you. You aren't going anywhere and I'll ensure that." I speak kindly, in a way you would almost never hear an Officer talk. 

Wren's eyes glaze over. "I'm not worried about myself Sir, it's you I'm worried about. You know that Evangeline and I, I mean the Queen, love you like a son. But you just need to watch your back around the king for now. He's not in the right frame of mind yeah?" I look away and Wren bows a little and scurries away. 

I need to watch my back? I'm an officer and the King has known me for so long. What would I need to be worried about? I shake off Wren's words, but they linger in the back of my mind.  I enter my room and look at the time. 6:45, time to get ready for dinner. 

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

The Officer suit I pick out is for special occasions, and since it's my homecoming I deemed it appropriate. It's white, the color of most dress suits in Utopia, but it has silver strips on the arm showing my authority and a few badges on the chest. Under the suit is my gun, always at the ready. I have a knife stashed in my combat boots as well. I comb my hair, although it's not to long to comb. I check my self in the mirror. I look good, very Officer like. 

I take out my tablet and open up the officers log. It's meant to document everything you did every hour of the day, to ensure you used your time "productively". Really it's just so Ohmes can make sure we're following protocol. I type up everything I did and saw today, but I skip out a few things. I don't mention the girl in the garden, and I leave out Wren's warning. Instead I fill it with some useful nonsense like I went on a training circuit and I fixed someones broken tablet. 

By the time I have finished my log and submitted it, it's already 15 minutes until dinner. I leave my room and head to the Dinning Hall promptly. The closer I get the faster my heart beat picks up. It pounds in my chest to the point where I can't breathe. I rush down a stair case, flying down it at an alarming pace. I suddenly am forced to halt and my vision begins to blur. Before I fall I see him, Tallon, reach for me and yell my name.