Sentria: The Age of Adventure (Book 2)

Chapter Nine: The Fountain

We woke up in the morning to the sounds of a boastful rooster and the smell of fresh eggs and pork meat. The servants took our clothes to clean, and we dressed in Stargonian garb from our chest in the carriage and we went downstairs for breakfast.

We sat at the long table in the morning room with long windows that let in the morning light and paintings of Lorian royalty including King Mark and Queen Carla Lins from Clover Castle in the southern realm of Loria, and the three sisters, Vala, Malorie, and Kudrow. Missing among this lineup was Queen Parilla, who was the wife of Malorie and the daughter of King Cain and Queen Dua Gardner, from the main house of Loria. There was still bad blood between the family Lins outside of Loria who were cast out because they sought marriages outside of their realms, though it wasn't spoken of. My mother marrying the High Prince of Stargon was a thing of scandal and so was Kudrow marrying Finwin from Balgore. It was expected for the sisters from Loria  to marry someone from one of the houses in Loria, but they married for love and the separation between them broadened.

 Kudrow wasn't imprisoned by customs and she allowed "Topher" to sit with us. We were joined by my ten cousins, most of whom I hadn't seen in many years. Some summers they would stay at the Sentrian court, but we had never been close. The two eldest, Willow and Finwin II, were the ones who oversaw the town of Deter.  

"How has life been in court, Prince Darren?" asked Elladine, the second eldest daughter who was freshly out of her pre-teens. She was tall with a long neck and  her dress was covered in hundreds of little red roses. 

"Yes, tell us?" Maisie said. She was twelve-years-old with big eyes that hardly ever wanted to blink.

"I'm sure he doesn't want to talk about that," said Willow. nineteen and demure in a shiny black dress that complimented her shiny black hair. "He spends all his days in the Sentrian court dealing with royal matters, let him have this vacation."

"What a worry to have?" said Finwin II, named after his father, and he was tall like his father too. He was twenty-one-years of age and frowned constantly and even sat stiffly, like his buckled gray vest confined him. "Wish I were to have the problems of a prince." He drank from his juice.

"It's fine, Willow," I said, sipping my tea. "The court has been most welcoming since my return. We are preparing for war but everyone is in hopeful spirits."

"And you say that you are on your way to Loria?" asked Willow, clasping her hands together on the table. 

"We are," said Prince Lucas. "All of our knights in our company perished from the lake monster at Lake Aksum. After breakfast, we must get back to the road and on our way to Loria."

"Nonsense!" said Aunt Kudrow at the head of the table. "You must see Deter. We have made so many modifications over the last few years."

"While it's appreciated, we haven't the time." Prince Lucas was firm.

"I think it would be a nice thing for you to do," said Finwin, his straight black hair covered his right eye and punctuated his moodiness. "You stay at our home, you eat our meal. Prince Darren will be lord of these lands, he should see the work of his Bannerman. Many homes were devastated by the ice that fell from the sky."

"You are right," I said with a smile to hide my frustration. "We can spend some time seeing the town after all the hard work they have done securing the realm."

"Why hasn't he eaten the meat?" asked Elladine, pointing at Eldwyn.

Eldwyn looked up from his plate. He had only eaten his greens and none of the meat that was prepared for him.

"Topher hasn't been feeling well," I said quickly. "He hasn't been able to keep down anything solid since the lake."

"Understandable!" said Aunt Kudrow with a laugh. "If I had seen such a thing I don't think I'd ever be able to eat again."