Burnt

Punishment

Noah and I found my father in the throne room with King Charles and Ezra. King Charles was sitting on the gold throne while Ezra was standing in front of him, going on about their travel plans outside of Merli. My father was standing to the right of the throne, knowing that he was going to accompany both of them. 

Ezra was the spitting image of King Charles, but with brown hair instead of white. The King and Ezra had the same type of hair and the same type of body type, but of course, Ezra was a lot more healthier with age. I had seen Ezra shirtless a couple of times while he was training, just to say, his wife is one lucky lady.

I followed Noah across the large throne room, the shoes that we were wearing did not even make any noise on the beautiful floor. We stopped just short of the stores where the throne rested on top of. 

Noah stood at the bottom of the stairs fuming. "Why is it a secret that the only blacksmith in the town is making our weapons for the guard? Because that is absolute ludicrous." 

King Charles stopped his focus on Ezra and sat up from the throne. "You do not barge into a meeting, Noah, you already know this." He started to walk down the stairs up to Noah. He glanced from him to me, taking a once over on our clothes. "What the fuck are you two wearing?"

I took a quick look at my father, he lowered his head, shaking it at me. But I could see that my father was smiling at the clothes that I was wearing. 

Noah stood taller when confronting his father. "Amelia and I went out into the town to look at the black smith shop," he explained. "The blacksmith told us that no one should know that they were making our weapons." He threw his hands up, "So why is it a big secret? It seems obvious to me."

King Charles was on a step over Noah, but was stood at his height. "Boy," he spit in his face, "our enemies don't need to know where we get our weapons made. It may seem obvious to you and everyone in Marli but people outside those gates don't know if we get them shipped in, which we do too, or if we have multiple black smith shops." 

A slap rang out in the room. The sound echoed off the marble columns and marble floors.

Noah was holding his cheek. 

"You also don't talk a lady out into the town," King Charles spat again. "A lady such as Amelia, who has not been married yet can have several different horrible things happen to her like being raped, kidnapped, or killed. Do not talk Amelia out into the town again, you hear me?"

Noah nodded slowly and grabbed my hand and lead me outside the throne room. 

We walked quickly through to hallways to my room and stopped in front of it. 

Now that I was in the castle, I could smell the stains that the clothes held. I need to get out of these clothes. 

I went to open my door but Noah but his hand on top of mine. "I'm sorry, Amelia," he let go of my hand and brushed a strand of hair behind ear. He leaned down and put his forehead against mine. "You shouldn't have gone with me into town."

I shook my head, knowing what Noah wanted to do. 

I was looking out my window, at the town who was celebrating my sixteenth birthday with me. When there was a birthday in the royal family, or in the family that serves them, the royal kitchen gave free food and clothes to the people of Marli. The clothes were ones that the people who lived in the castle stopped wearing. It was more like a free-for-all for the common people to become the owner of the new clothes.

"Happy Birthday Amelia," I turned around and saw Charlotte entering my bedroom, closing the door behind her. 

I sighed as she walked closer to me. "Yes Charlotte?" She leaned her head against the wall, gazing out the window. Her blonde hair had fallen out of her bun and the strands were all over face. I noticed that there were hints of tears on her face.