Like Eos and Caelum

Chapter: A Piece of Memory

Chapter 5: A Piece of Memory

March, 986th Lightyears.  (Reggie is 10 years old)

His eyes follow his father’s figure quietly. Reggie put down his book on his lap, placing it gently with his small hands on the coffee table in front.
Today his father let him in inside of the king’s office, telling him to study his Royal Laws diligently at the corner of his office. This place always smells like tea. Reggie wonder if his father likes tea more than coffee as he thought the king is. His dull grey eyes look at the hanging chandelier, it’s not small but not big either, just enough to lighten up the room brightly. When the king realize that his son is distracted with the chandelier, he cough knowingly at Reggie. Reggie, as quickly as he is, scramble as he pick up the law book and open it quickly from where he left them.

A palace keeper soon came in and gave the prince a couple of snacks to accompany him while he’s studying. Reggie munches on it happily─ that is until his father scoff at him. “Really Prince Regulus. Put down your book if you wanted to eat, focus on one thing at a time.” His father took a sip on his black tea, watching Reggie putting his books aside and now focus on eating the biscuit he was holding. After that, the king did not say anything anymore, he just focus on his workloads in front of his desk and Reggie did the same. Only sometimes he would lay down on his belly while reading on top of the leather sofa that fit his figure perfectly.

King Obice soon stop working when an imperial marshal came in to report the movement of Nifleheim’s soldiers getting nearer at the west port. Reggie wanted to look at the marshal but his father give him a chilly stare so he return back to his book but still listen to the conversation; “Your Highness, we’ve spotted two warships coming in our way but there is no sign of foot soldiers anywhere. I’ve send seven teams to investigate this matter.” The king rest his chin on top of his hands, thinking deeply. “This could be a distraction for them to sneak in and ambush our continents. Report this to every continents! Prepare them for airstrikes, take out the tanks, and refill their gun-power immediately! That’s an order, Marshal.” “Following your order, Your Excellency!” The marshal salute gracefully, he bow at the king and rush out of the room.
The red grandfather clock in the office make a loud ringing noise; marking that it is now 12 o’clock in the afternoon. His father stop writing and straighten his suit, walking toward the exit door without saying a word to Reggie. Reggie figure out that his father has a meeting with the councils so he quietly follow his father by the eyes. King Obice’s hand stop at the door handler, he turn his head at the prince, “Finish that book by evening.” Reggie nod weakly. He thought that his father would tell him where he wanted to go or maybe asking him to eat lunch. But his father is still his father and the older man will continue on treating Reggie like a crown prince, not as his son.

Reggie was left alone in the confidential office of his father. He knew all those papers stacking on top of his father’s desk are all confidential matter that should not be read by outsider. He didn’t dare to even come closer to the desk unless if he wanted his father to lock him up in a dungeon, so he knew better not to anger the grey hair man. Reggie however was brave enough to play with the royal messenger, Umbra Via Lactela, every time he study in his father’s office room. The silver fur wolf is resting quietly beside the metal bookshelf. The wolf was big and its ears were long and pointy like a fox, it had a very sharp set of fangs that poke out of it mouth a bit and umbra has an identical earrings at the corner of his left ear. The wolf was vicious as it was big and sometimes King Obice would bring him to war to eat daemons.

The young prince walk toward the wolf slowly. He patted the wolf head gently as to not wake it up from its sleep. The wolf curled its body but it still have enough space to let Reggie slip in between with his small body. Umbra is so soft and fluffy. Reggie thinks to himself as he stroke the fur-line on Umbra’s body softly. A few minutes passed, Umbra woke up from it slumber only to feel a small body press against its body in a comfortable way. The wolf knew it was the prince as it can smell the blood of the crown prince near it, it will not attack its own master and also the boy was sleeping peacefully that it did not dare to disturb young Reggie. Instead, Umbra lick Reggie’s hair gently without disturbing the boy’s nap, it’s like a mother cat caring for her kitten. Reggie was smiling in his sleep, peaceful, forgetting the book that his father told him to read and start to dream about his mother.