"Nile!"
My mother ran up and hugged me. It had been two years since my parents last saw me. Prince, now King, Gale invited them to the castle for our corination.
"Hello, mother. I've missed you guys so much! Where's father?" I hugged my mother tight now on the verge of tears at the sight of her beautifull face.
"What do you have to say for yourself boy? My only son running off to be queen! Who's gonna run me shop?" My Father complained as he reached me. He lifted his hand to deliver a firm cuff to my ear but a hand stopped him. I swallowed nervously at the sight of Gale towering over my parents. One hand on my fathers arm as he glare daggers at him.
"I know commen folk are a little less civilized but make no mistake, you are in my home visiting my queen, you will keep your hands to yourself." Gale growled dropping my fathers arm as if it were dirty.
I quickly went to his side to calm him. I didn't want my father getting arrested, beaten or killed for something so minor. I winced at my fathers next words.
"I will not be told what I can and can't do to my son. Your father never punished you as a child my king? I find that hard to believe. " He argued.
Gale frowned and was about to reply but was interupted.
"Sadly no, my son was a good boy until he turned thirteen. Once he realized he didn't need to do everything I said he became a little brat. If it were up to me he would already be married to princess Iona, not to some street urchin." The former king of Aldura sighed.
"You will not disrespect my queen father!" Gale growled, his anger shifting from my father to his.
"Yes, yes, calm down boy. At least your urchin is better looking than the princess, I'll give you that. She was probably a spoiled brat like you anyways, it would have never worked." King Charles winked at me behind his sons back making me smile. He loved riling his son up. Once he met me in person he confessed he liked how I had changed his son. We have gotten along quite well since, although Gale doesn't know it. His father made me promise to keep it a secret so he could have his fun.
"Come Nile, you don't need to hear this. And as for you shoe maker, you are no longer allowed on the castle grounds." Gale barely got the words out before his gaurds had my father in custody.
"Gale please, thats not necessary! My father meant no harm I promise you. It was only going to be a smack on the head nothing more! Please let them stay." I begged. I wasn't sure what power I held over Gale but he seemed to listen to all my requests thus far.
He looked down at me then sighed. "Fine, let him go but stay out of my sight for now."
The rest of the corination went smoothly other than my father sulking in the corner and my mother gushing about how her son was queen.
At one point the jubilant music stopped and a slower song began to play. The dancers all left the floor and Gale approached my mother and I.
"If you don't mind I would like to dance with my queen." He addressed my mother with a small bow. He then turned to me with a slightly deeper bow, this time holding out his hand for me to take. "My queen?"
I didn't hesitate to take his hand in mine. It wasn't until we reached the floor that I realized something. "King Gale?"
"Yes my love?"
"I don't know how to dance." I blushed as we reached the center of the floor and I noticed all the eyes on us.
"Thats ok. We will stand close together just like this and sway to the beat of the music. No worries. And remember Nile, you are the queen of everyone in this room. Not one of these people can poke fun at you. I would have them beheaded." He said the last part in the same sweet tone as the first part. As if he weren't talking about murder that I knew full well he would go through with.
