Blood King

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

            It was the day before Xavier’s coronation; everyone seemed to have gotten the finishing touches prepared when something rather unexpected happened. Celina had been dwelling over the contents of the book, which was now safely tucked away in her room so she could look at again if needed.

When she felt a sudden shaking, a vibration through the stone that went over her feet.

            Celina frowned, what on earth was this all about?

            “You’re Majesty!” Ann clambered over to Celina’s chambers with Maria close behind, Ann was gasping for breath while Maria remained rather calm. “You must come and see this right away!”

            “What is it? Does it have something to do with the ground shaking?”

            “You’ll understand when you see it Princess.” Maria said, with a surprisingly existed expression on her face.

            Filled with confusion and wonder Celina then quickly followed her handmaidens down the halls passing others who were gathering by the windows looking out to the walls of the kingdom that was reaching closer and closer to the castle.

            “What in the world is that?” one of the nobles said to another person in an astonished voice while gawking out to the far lands of the kingdom.

            Celina paused to try to peak over the nobles shoulders to see what they were talking about only to be grabbed by both Ann and Maria grabbed Celina’s hands and yanked her further down the hall with great haste. All she could do was allowed to be taken along until the three of them reached the balcony where they saw something they never expected.

            “Are those…” Celina breathed with wide eyes.

            “They are.” Maria said.

            “But why in the world would there be elephants here?” Ann said, from where they were they could see at least three of them, they weren’t sure if there was more, but because of that there was a large commotion throughout the kingdom. Thankfully though the main gate and streets were large enough to accommodate for this, many of the people rushed back into their homes as many cheered with seeing those of olive tanned skin made their way slowly to the castle doors.

Celina couldn’t believe what she was seeing, but she knew what this meant, this was all by the people from the lands of Sader, her brother had told her many things about the people from those lands that were of vast deserts and mountains. She always thought that it would be extremely difficult to live in those lands, but her brother told her about how vast the kingdom was and showed her drawings and paintings of those who had traveled to Sader, part of her wished she could go to those lands to see things that she had only seen within books and stories. Even now she thought about it.

“Celina,” Celina looked behind herself and saw her brother who smiled and waved her over. “I came to get you, we have to get ready for our guests originally your handmaidens were supposed to help but…” he looked over the top of Celina’s head to Ann and Maria who seemed to drawn into what was happening by the people of Sader. “I suppose that’s not going to happen, you don’t mind if I help you before they arrive do you?”

She only looked at him confused.

In silence Xavier took Celina’s hand into her’s and led her away from those who gawked at the coming patrons of Sader.

            “But Brother why are you here should you not be in the main hall with the knights and ministers of our lands?”

            “There is a ways to go before they reach our doors,” he said as he led her down the hall back to her room. Then politely tugged her to sit in her chair in front of her vanity table and mirror before brushing her hair. “It’s been a long time hasn’t it?” he said softly. “Since I brushed your hair for you, last time I did this was four, five years ago?”