The Kings Son

Oats and Berries

I am REALLLLLY sorry for the delayed and very short updates, I am kind of at a minor roadblock, but I hope to overcome it soon! any ideas you may have for this book are welcomed and I would like to see three votes on this chapter if possible.... even though I know that it is not very good... anyway on to the chapter!!!!

Anthony POV

I woke early the next morning, just as the sun was beginning to show itself over the trees. I got up and walked over to the basin behind the divider in the room. It held steaming hot water that one of the servants must have just left. I cupped water into my hands and washed my face, reaching for a nearby towel. There was a gentle knock on the door and I walked over to open it. “Anthony” my mother said, “Since life here is new for Hazel I brought both of you some breakfast, nothing much, just normal oatmeal and berries” I took the tray and set it down on the nearby dresser and gave my mother a hug. 

“Thank you” I said, “I want to make this easier for her”

“You are trying your hardest, she will understand all of this eventually” she responded, we pulled out of the hug and she walked down the hall graceful as a gazelle. 

“I hope so” I whispered to myself. Shutting the door firmly I walked back over to the stone basin and grabbed another handful of water. There was movement behind the divider. I peeked my head out, Hazel had sat up and was looking around slightly confused, then looked at me and her face calmed down again. I felt a slight increase in my heart rate that just looking at me had calmed her fear. “Morning” I said.

“Morning” she responded.

“I was just about to wake you, my mother brought in some food, nothing spectacular, just oatmeal and some berries” I said, she smiled.

“That is what I would be eating this morning, except for the berries, I always saved those for Hugo” she said, then blushed and looked at the ground. 

“How about after you eat, we walk into town, we must post the wedding announcement on the door of the church and I wish to speak to the priest. After that if you wish we could go and collect your things and bring your brother some berries, we do not eat much fruit and they will go to waste if they are not eaten” I said.

“Will you eat something as well” she asked standing up then shivering as her bare feet touched the stone floor.

“Yes, but only after you have eaten as much as you wish” I said. I walked over to the fire and grabbed the socks that I had set there when a servant had started the fire and walked them over to her. “The mornings are quite cold, and I recommend putting your socks near the fire so that you do not get frostbite” I said. She slid the socks on her feet, and walked over by the food. The oatmeal was a light brown color, the oats only slightly browned prior to my mother making them into oatmeal. She grabbed a bowl and took two spoonfuls of the oatmeal, sprinkled some brown sugar over the top and slid a spoon into the soft oats. She walked over and handed me the bowl. 

“You are probably hungry” she said.

“How did you know that I like brown sugar on my oatmeal” I asked, taking the warm bowl from her. 

“The way you looked at it” she said, “There was some unspoken plea to not eat all of the brown sugar”

“Well then, I appreciate you noticing that I, like my father, have a bit of a sweet tooth” I responded, she smirked and walked back over to the oatmeal, grabbing another bowl for herself. I then noticed something about the person whom had caught my eye unexpectedly at the crowning. She put others before herself, giving her younger brother berries, giving me the oatmeal before hers even though I told her otherwise. 

“When will we be leaving” she asked, having already finished her breakfast, and changed while I was still in my own little world. 

“Now if you wish” I responded, she nodded and I held my arm out which she took. We walked down through the tunnel to the stables and then walked to the church from there. I handed the wedding announcement to the priest, who said that he would hang it up on the door. It was customary to hand wedding announcements on the door to the church, then the town could give any reason as to why the wedding should be annulled or canceled. In this case, there would be no say, it was the king’s order either way. We continued our walk through town, there was an older man who was bending over under the heavy weight of a bag of flour, I noticed that there were many other bags. I released Hazel’s arm and walked up to the old man. “Can I help you sir” I asked, he looked at me, his face was worn and weathered with age, there were wrinkles by his eyes that were at one point laugh lines.

“If that is your wish Prince Anthony” he said and I took the bag from his shoulders.

Hazel POV

I had never known a Prince or anyone of royal blood to help a commoner like this. He took the burden of the bags like they were nothing, which meant he was strong. There was a small splash at my feet, I looked down and found a doll with the yarn strand hair in the mud, I picked it up and looked at it, it looked very much like the ones that my mother had always made me. I knelt down to clean the hair in the clear puddle, when a little girl ran up, she looked at me and curtsied. “No need for the formalities” I said, she looked at me, she looked to be about my sister’s age. She had red hair and bright blue eyes, a very rare combination. “Is this doll yours” I asked her, she nodded sheepishly. I held it out to her and she took it, giving me a small hug before running off to join her family on the edge of the square.

“That was nice of you” Anthony said behind me.

“Every little girl deserves a doll like that, and somehow manage not to lose it” I said, he smiled and I took his arm when he held it out. 

“Just curious, what attracted you to the library” he asked as we walked at a slow leisurely pace through the town square.

“I loved books, and the library is a wealth of information, so much could be learned in those books, lives could be changed” I said, he looked down at me, “I know it is such a naive idea”

“No I think that it is something that you feel very passionate about, so therefore I feel the need to help you with it” he said, I smiled and suddenly felt as though I had found a soulmate, someone who shared my passion for helping other people. Thank you Jake, I know that you had some part in this perfection I thought, sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.