Kindred

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

When Esme arrived at the Palace, she knew exactly where she was going. She strode to the Throne room, determined to talk to the king in person. Soldiers guarded the doors to the room where the king sat for most of the day, listening to his people. The guards eyed her and completely blocked her when she headed to the closed doors.

"No one is to see the king today," one soldier told Esme.

"Well, he can make an exception," Esme stated.

"You can't go in," the other one said.

"I can, and I will," she argued. She tried to slip under their large arms but both men grabbed onto hers.

"Let me go!" Her voice raising by the second. She was already angry, and this only added to the flames. She felt the familiar heat growing in her abdomen and it snapped soon after. Power coursed through Esme's hands and she pushed back as hard as she could. The two men, twice her size, flew into the wall. At their "distraction", she slipped in the guarded room.

The hushed talking stopped immediately when she entered the throne room. Esme spun around to face the King. Her eyes landed on two men. One in a regal robe, with lots of jewelry on and the other looked like a high ranking knight.

Esme studied the two men. The one with the robe was the king, naturally. The robe he wore was purple with gold embroidery on the seams. He had black hair that brushed his shoulders and a thin beard. His skin had a light tan and he was tall, from what Esme could gather. His brown eyes were hard and rimmed with red from being tired. She could tell he was well built. He had a lot of weight that he carried on his shoulders from holding the responsibilities of king. He had matured throughout the years and was no longer the lanky awkward boy she met when she was young.

The knight was tall, towering over even the king. His brood shoulders and muscular build was menacing. Brown, curly hair sat atop his head, and hazel eyes picked up on every detail of Esme. She felt as if she were naked. His tan skin glimmered in the lighting, probably from training in the hot sun. There was no denying how handsome he was, but his face seemed familiar to Esme.

Esme was blatantly aware of how she looked in such important company. She had ridden for three days and had no time to clean up for the king. She was sure she had dirt all over her dress and leaves in her hair.

"What is the meaning of this? I asked for no visitors today!" The king stood from his chair. Esme would not be intimidated by him though. She stood her ground and stared at the king in defiance.

"If you would give me a few minutes, then I'll leave." Her voice was strong, not at all the way she felt inside.

The king groaned, recognizing her. "Get out, Esme." When Esme did not move, King Cassius rubbed his temple. Esme could see she frustrated him but she was not backing down.

King Cassius motioned for her to talk.

"The Raiders attacked my village and-"

"Raiders attack many villages, I can only do so much," King Cassius inserted.

"But this wasn't just any raid where they pillage and rape, they were looking for something, maybe someone. It is something very important, I assume, by the way they were talking about it. They need it to bring down you and your kingdom. Your Majesty ." I added at the end for effect.

"And you heard this with your own ears, yes?"

"I overheard them myself, sire."

The king nodded thoughtfully. "I will look into it. Now leave. We will discuss this later."