Young Writers Society

Do not read if you had not read the previous parts.

Seventh Crown XIV

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"Can someone explain me what is going on here? You both talk and do nothing. What is wrong?"In the end, Skye spoke out. He could not bear the silence. The Queen answered instead of Cage who was lost in thoughts. "Well, Sam is in the leader's house. This is what we know. Cody did not have enough energy to let us know more about the situation. He is still sleeping. But I am sure it is no good. The night is already coming. Good that we have torches now."

They closed the windows when they started to hear the sound of the thunder and the storm that was coming. "Do not come out, Queen." Skye said to her, giving her a warm blanket to put over herself. She accepted it with a smile, knowing that one warm blanket is not enough to save her from the coldness that was arriving. She decided to leave the men alone and go upstairs to the small room which she thought is the best place to sleep over the night. The room looked like the one she had before years when she was younger. The pink wallpapers on the walls and the small teddy bears all over the place. It made her smile and look around for some things that could bring her back to that time. A small mirror with flowers drawn over it on the floor which was already broken. A kid was using this room before years and it looked like that kid was someone who loved the colour pink, just like her. She was acting tough most of the time because she thought this is how a ruler needs to act in front of their servants. She could not be more wrong. That attitude made the slaves hate to be in her presence but still serve her so they do not get punished. She knew that but she still could not change it. Before she officially became a ruler of three kingdoms, her father wanted her to think twice before taking this decision. He was right for this. She understood it years later. Nothing was alright.

The people of my kingdom are dying. My army is not an army anymore. Only group of injured man who can not fight anymore. I can not do anything. Oh, dad, why aren't you here to give me an advice?

She held the small mirror in her hands, thinking about what may happen tomorrow. The door opened suddenly and she jumped surprised. "Do not scare me like that, please." She looked at the one who scared her and sighed. It was Skye. The man was with wild black hair and deep hazel eyes. They did not know each other so much but she knew what was bothering him. He was the one was in love with her sister, Kanara. She did not look like Rebecca at all. An innocent girl with pretty face and weak body who could not make one step by herself. On Rebecca's twentieth birthday Skye and Kanara met and fell in love but they could not be together in the end. Her condition was getting worse and she needed to move far away to be cured by famous healers. Skye waited but in the end she did not come back. Since that day he cursed himself and promised that he will not fall in love again. When he was looking at the Queen, he was remembering about the girl he fell in love with. "I am sorry, Ma'am, I just wanted to make sure everything is okay." He did not want to answer and she felt it in his tone. "I understand. You do not need to worry about me. I will be okay. How is Cody? Did he wake up? This is becoming a problem."

"Cody? He woke up but then fell asleep again. Jon said that Cody has a fever since several days and he had not told us about it. If we knew, he was not going to come with us at all."

"Why do I not know about this? From when does Jon know about Cody's condition?" She could not believe it. Cody was always the silent type of a person but he needed to tell her about his condition earlier. One more problem she needed to solve. "I am sorry, Queen. I know from half a day and I did not tell you even if I knew I needed to. I promised not to. I think you know that Cody will do everything possible to protect you, Highness. Please, forgive him." Skye bowed in front of the Queen and asked for her forgiveness. Cody was his beloved best friend, and he was going to protect him. "Do not talk like that, Skye. It is not your fault. It was Cody's choice to not tell me anything about this matter. We will send him back. My father wanted one of the guards to come back anyways. It is still early to do this but it is needed. We can not take care of him if we stay in this city."

"I feel like his condition will get worse if we do not send him back to the kingdom soon. Tomorrow is the right time?" Skye sat down on one old wooden chair and looked at the scenery from the open window of the room. The moon was bloody red and he felt that this night will not be as peaceful as he wished it to be. Bloody red. The same colour as the dress she wore the night he saw her...for the last time. He looked down and tried to stop the thoughts of his for her.

"We can talk about it." Suddenly, the Queen said, seeing the pain Skye was feeling. The wound he had was still fresh and making him suffer. He lifted his head and gave the Queen a gentle smile. "You look like her but act differently than her. You are very smart, Highness, so I am sure you know what I think about when I am around you even after so many years."

Right, already years have passed.

These words made her remember. She was not twenty and her sister was not with her anymore. "Yes, how many already passed before I realize it?"

"Seven or more. Who knows. I do not count then anymore. More than 5 for sure. You were only twenty then, Highness."

"I got older so fast. I am already twenty six. Six years had passed so fast. I feel like yesterday you were running after Kanara to give her the flowers you had stolen. She was really mad when she understood but still...she smiled. I miss these days." She said, without looking at the young guard who was smiling while thinking about the same. Even if these days were connected with painful memories, she wanted to talk about the past with him. She was not the best person who could try to make him feel better but this did not stop her from trying.

"Hey, do you remember when she tried the red dress for the first time? She was so nervous, wearing a dress like that for the first time." Skye suddenly started laughing. "She even tried wearing your heels which matched her dress. I needed to hold her hand so she did not slip and fall." He stared off into space for a moment. "I remember the first time I saw her," he started, "I had really wanted to be a guard back then, it was pretty much my dream job. My older brother was a guard already when he and his troupe were asked to guard the palace on the night of your eighteenth birthday, he let me tag along. I was standing off to the side with him in the ballroom when I saw her talking with you. You two looked a lot alike, with your dark redish hair, and your bright green eyes, you were also built a lot the same. But where you had a level, serious look in your eyes; she looked so sweet, so happy with the world." Sky broke of, his eyes tearing up a little. "I asked my brother what her name was, he smiled and told me, 'Kanara,' he said, 'She is the Queen's younger sister.' I had repeated her name, I loved it. I watched her dance with you, you were both so happy. "

Rebecca smiled, a distant look clouded her eyes, "I remember. She saw you with your brother and was very concerned, she asked me if you were one of the guards and she thought you were much too young to be one. I told her I did not know, that she should go talk to you if she wanted to know so badly. She had started over but then walked out of the room."

Skye nodded, "I remember, I wanted to meet her so bad. My brother let me follow her, she had left on her own and he wanted to make sure she stayed safe. While I was following her, I saw a bed of flowers," he scrunched up his nose in thought, "I think they were tulips. But they were bright fiery red and matched her dress. I picked a bunch of them and then ran to catch up with her. She almost yelled at me, but she didn't. She smiled and took them, I remember how happy she looked. She asked for my name and I told her. We sat at a fountain and talked for a long time, I liked her a lot. That was the first time I had ever talked to her..."

Rebecca and Skye were both lost in thought for a few moments, remembering that fateful day so long ago. Rebecca could not believe her sweet, dear little sister was not around anymore. They had always been close, and it had been hard to let her sister go so far away to the healer mages in the mountains. Her father had sent her to bed early, and when she awoke; Kanara had been sent off. Her father said it was for the best, but Rebecca had never forgiven him for it. Skye had been able to say goodbye to her, but he still hated it.

Rebecca looked up at him, "Remember when she left? You were there, weren't you?"

Skye nodded. "She didn't wanted to leave without seeing you; your father had the guards traveling sedate her. She kept screaming something about it not being right. She said, 'This will end badly, if you steal the key from the lock then the door will forever be shut.' I wonder what she meant by that.

Rebecca didn't know either; but she planned to find out, and soon.

-to be continued-