Kingdom of Thorns

Chapter 1 - Keifer

   “Keifer!” Someone yelled for me from behind.

    I stopped in my tracks and looked back. The wind blew softly in the direction I was heading, making my long cape flutter in the air as I turned around towards the source of the voice that called out to me. My serious facade faded into a soft warm smile as the figure of my little sister came closer towards me. 

    “Maple, what are you doing out of your quarter?” I asked her. Normally she would be stuck in her quarter due to her frail health. Why was she out here in the staples? And in this weather? Where was her nursemaid, Raina? Concern immediately washed over me as I noticed that all my little sister was wearing was a thin white dress that showed her collarbone and shoulders. God, what was I going to do with this girl?

    “I came to see goodbye,” Maple answered my questions as a bright but soft smile appeared on her face. “I may not be able to see you the next time you come home from war…”

    I sighed. 

    “Maple, don’t say that. Your health has improved over the last year and the imperial doctors have said that you may be able to go outside into the commoner grounds sooner or later. You’re not going to die or any of that sort.”

    “I know,” the girl interjected as the smile on her face never faltered away. Instead it just grew. Sometimes, it scared me of how this girl could still be so positive when speaking of death. If only I could be like that when I was in war. “But what if?”

    “Maple,” I taunt as I grab her shoulders, ready to give her another one of my rants. I felt her tense under my touch for a short while before relaxing. This alarmed me to how cold she was under my touch and of how much more frail she was than ever to me. I immediately unbutton the cape from my attire and wrap it around her shoulders. 

    “I won’t allow you to die…,” I muttered to her in a soft voice. “Big Brother will make sure that you will be healthy soon and stay like that for the rest of your life. Big Brother will never allow you to die before him.”

    Maple glared at me. “Keifer, I would appreciate it if you didn’t talk about yourself in a third perspective.”

    This made me chuckle. 

    “Got me there.”

    “Yes, yes.”

    I looked softly at her, and that was when I began to notice how much paler she has become from the last time I paid close attention to her. Even with the light red rouge on her cheek and lips, they could not hide her sickening pale complexion from me. I gained such an advanced observation skill from war, and the only way it could be of use for me other than for seeing enemies in the midst of war was to see how death-like my little sister was becoming. How wonderful. The thought of losing her was something that Mother and Father dreaded, and it was something I dreaded as well. It is painful enough to live with the fact that Maple may never get any better no matter how much imperial doctors examined and prescripted her with a new type of medicine that was said "to be the cure to her unknown sickness" or how many different doctors from all over the world tried to “fix her”, but the thought of her lying on her deathbed was a truly terrifying thought. I won’t allow it… 

    “Keifer,” Maple’s voice cut me off from my train of thoughts, “please be careful out there.”

    I must have lost focus because the next thing I knew, I was looking at her tear filled eyes. The sight of it baffled me and I wasn't sure of when tears welled up in her eyes. I mentally cursed myself for having my head in the clouds and not paying attention. Never lose focus in battle, Father’s voice resonated in my mind, that is how you lose to those inferior to you.