Reeve

Part 1

I sit surrounded by the elders of the towns of the kingdom; each with a handful of scrap papers laying before, meetings like this only happen once in a lifetime. Vicar stands his cupping his hands together hiding them between his long red sleeves, his electric blue eyes look around the large mahogany table at each man ending on me.

"Gentlemen, as you know we sadly lost Carle last winter but we welcome his son Reeve to our table of masters." Vicar gestures to me smiling his long grey beard split now by shining white teeth, the other men greet me with applause. A man with a bald head covered in tattoos stood as Vicar sat down. His black shirt barely covers the faded wrinkled lion tattoo on his neck his true skin colour is hidden under all his faded wrinkled tattoos.

"Welcome Reeve, I wish it was under better circumstances but unfortunately we are here due to the lack of food and resources in our towns thanks to our new child queen, I believe we all have brought a list of names of those who we have sadly lost due to food shortages? And a list of things we need to bring up to her majesty?" Ihone asked the group, they all nod and Ihone goes on to brief me about the queen. I sit watching the men's mouths move all had angry expressions on their old wrinkled faces, I look around the table all the faces looked at Vicar except his he looked me dead in the eye; he gestured for everyone to hush and began to stand.

"Reeve, as the newest member I would like to invite you to speak to the queen, she might listen to someone closer to her own age." Vicar suggested the other men in the room growled and grumbled saying it was a bad idea and that they should just say goodbye to their families now.

"With respect Vicar I don't feel I am right for this task perhaps someone more senior than I?" I offer. Vicar smiled something tells me his mind had been made up 

"Nonsense, it was once your fathers' job why change things?" Vicar says 

"Again, Vicar with respect I am not my father" I tell him Vicar continues not taking my lack leadership skills into account. He ends the meeting telling everyone to meet here again by sunrise tomorrow. I walk through the old manor door towards my town. It's a long walk under the tree arches but its peaceful, no crying, no shouting the only sound is the wind blowing through the trees and birds singing it brings a smile to my face knowing there are parts of this kingdom that the queen hasn't affected. As I get closer to my town I see a girl sitting in the flowers by the stream; her head resting on her knees. I stop watching for a second as her red hair fly's in the wind as she soaks up the little bit of sun poking through the trees; It was my youngest sister out of the three of them Ninette was the most defiant and stubborn. 

"Ninette" I call, her head snaps in my direction and she smiles. She stands her white dress stained green from sitting on the grass, "Reeve, I wondered how long you would be" she says stepping towards me.

"Why are you out of the town? Didn't I say to stay intown with Otto where you'll be safe" I say as she gets closer her smiles disappears,

"I couldn't stay in there any longer there isn't anything to do why couldn't I come to your meeting with you?" she asks I smile that's just like her can't be in one place too long.

"I told you those old men wouldn't have liked it, they just tolerated me" I say putting my arm around her shoulder 

"Can't you change things now your one of them?" she asks, I laugh Ninette such the dreamer

"Not unless they all suddenly die and I become the elder of the group" 

"That can be arranged" she laughed running in front towards the town, I chase after her until she came to stop. The edge of town where the light meets darkness, I grab Ninette's hand and walk towards our house. I tell her to keep her head down and not make eye contact with anyone not even if they call her name, we reach home and I usher Ninette inside and find my mother and sisters sitting at the table they all look up startled at first then relief washes over them when they see it's me and Ninette. Sela and Ada stay seated when my mum jumped up and hugged Ninette then pulled me into it.