This story follows the life of Princess Maiena, the second and youngest child of King Thaddeus-- the strong, wise, and uncompromisingly orthodox ruler of Reidonia which is a kingdom set in the modern age with customs, laws and traditions that seem t...
It was almost 2 am. The palace was quiet and I was making the last sweep of the East wing on the third floor of the modern medieval five-story castle where the royal chambers are. The King's bedroom is the biggest one at the end of the hall, Prince Nikolai's is the one on the left next to it, the Queen's chambers in front of it remains empty while Princess Maeina's room is the one on the corner.
After I gave final instructions to the two guards posted on the Crown Prince's door, I made my way down the hall to the West wing of the same floor where the main security room and the Elite Order's quarters are. Each of the sixteen of us take a turn to stay in the palace and stand guard for the night. At least one Falkurina man was to stay with the royal family at all times. That was part of the oath we made to the Order.
As I walked past the Queen's room, I saw the door to the Princess's room open slightly, the light from it spilled to the dark hallway. I stopped and stepped back to the shadows as I watched her sneak out. The guards who were just there a minute ago and who were supposed to be posted by her door were gone for some reason. She somehow tricked or outsmarted them again for sure. Her cunningness was both amusing and frustrating and I've just had enough of it.
She wore a long white satin robe on top of God knows what. I forbade myself to wonder. Her black shoulder-length hair was loose and it bounced as she sprinted past the moonbeams that lit the corridor through the huge glass windows. If I was to be completely honest with myself, it was mesmerizing to watch her. She was like a goddess of the moon, ethereal and graceful as she skimmed towards the doors that lead to the balcony.
"What are you up to now, Princess? Do you really think I can't see you?" I thought as I followed her.
When I saw her going out of the door, I walked faster. It wouldn't be safe for her to go out there alone.
I stopped dead on my tracks and hid behind the shadows of the doorway at what I saw. I couldn't believe my eyes. My heart beat so loudly in my chest I could hear the blood pump behind my ears. My whole body tensed and my fists clenched.
What the f...
The Princess was not alone. She was meeting a man amidst a pastiche of moonbeams and shadows, she ran into his arms. He caught her and held her tightly, keeping her, protecting her.
"Gali..." I mumbled to myself as if confirming the truth to what my eyes were seeing.
After a few seconds she broke free and playfully grinned up at him. He was smiling just as wide and I could not decide what to make out of what I was watching.
"Thank you. I really needed that hug." She said. "It's been quite a night." She giggled.
Gali smiled softly at her as he brushed her cheek gently with the back of his hand. Then he signed his response to her, "You're welcome. I'm just happy to hear your laughter again."
She stopped laughing and sighed. "I wish I can hear you laugh too."
My brother's eyes became sullen and my heart ached for him. She was wishing for the impossible.
According to my father, Gali's mother had a heart attack and died during childbirth while he was just halfway out of the birth canal. Her cervix closed around the baby's neck and choked him. He could have died too if not for the quick response of the doctors. They saved his life but not his voice. The incident caused permanent nerve damage and paralysis of his vocal cords.
The Princess must have realized what she said and bowed her head in regret, "I'm sorry."
Gali gently lifted her chin up with his thumb and smiled at her. He then drew a smile on both ends of his mouth with his index fingers to say, "Smile" as he grinned exaggeratedly himself.
She pouted then giggled. She wrinkled her nose in a poor attempt to pretend that she was annoyed with him. "I can't believe that works every time."
His shoulders shook and he clutched his belly as he laughed soundlessly.
She watched him with warmth in her eyes and I could tell how genuinely she cared for him.
I was glad to see someone care for my brother almost as much as I did but I also felt an inexplicable pang in my chest at what I saw in her eyes. For a moment I wished she looked at me the same way instead of hating me ninety percent of the time.
"I should go back before Aidan finds out I'm gone." She pouted.
See? That's all I am to her.
Gali feigned a panicked expression then signed, "Go. You know how he turns into a lion when he's angry." He grinned.
"I'm not scared of him." She frowned. "I'm a dragon." She giggled.
Why these two?!
"Goodnight, little sister." Gali signed. I wondered if he really meant that. That she was nothing more than a sister to him. I doubted it.
"Goodnight, fratello." She smiled, calling him her brother, and gave him another hug before sneaking back inside.
When I was sure she made it back safely to her room, I stepped out of the shadows to show myself to my brother. He looked at me like he knew I was there the whole time.
"It's dangerous what you're doing, Gali. Loving the Princess. There will only be heartache down that path for you. You can't be together and you will have no choice but to watch the woman that you love marry a King or Prince she barely knew." I told him.
He smiled at me. It was a thin half-hearted smile. He signed, "I appreciate your concern, little brother." He walked closer to me and patted my shoulder as he looked into my eyes. He signed, "But you should take your own advice. It's your heart you should be watching out for."
With that, he went inside and I was was left wondering what he meant by that.
***
A/N:
We got to know more about Gali tonight. What do you think about his friendship with the Princess? What do you think he meant by his response to Aidan?
What do you think will happen next?
I guess we'll have to find out together next time.
Here's the prompt for this chapter.
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