Little King

Ashe

I run a brush through my hair, which is tangled and messy. I can hear bustling from the Healer's room, people running around with decorations and food. King Talon arrives in two days and the ball is the day after, so the castle is abuzz with preparations. Azi and Kopa are in the other room, sorting through papers and other things that easily bore me. Once my hair is presentable I go to join them, and Azi smiles.

"Excited for the party?" She asks, passing a document to Kopa. I shrug.

"I hear Princess Alyssa will be there." Kopa says, putting the document in a box. I try to picture King Talon's daughter. She's an only child and her mother died when she was born. I've only seen her once, when King Talon came on a business trip. Azi had been tasked with watching her, and I think she was about ten at the time. She's only two years older than me, and she has ginger hair and green eyes, just like her father. 

"I'm sure she's just another Royal, given the best possible life while the rest of us are forced to do their bidding." I mutter, grabbing a few books and stacking them on a shelf. Kopa smirks and Azi bats her hand. 

"We are not to speak rudely about them. King Sawyer has given us shelter" Azi scolds us in her amazingly mother-like voice.

"Oh no, I would love to hear the rest of your opinions about me." Somebody says and I freeze. I turn around  and stare at Prince Rae, leaning against the door frame with a smirk on his face.  Azi immediately bows, nudging Kopa to do the same. I take the hint and lower myself into a curtsy, staring at the floor. 

"We are so sorry your highness. Ashe meant no harm, she's just rather bad at controlling her words." Azi mumbles, and I glare at her. Rae just laughs, coming to stand right in front of me. 

"I don't mind. I like it when my subjects speak the truth." He says. "And you don't have to bow." I stand up too quickly and my head slams into his nose. He curses and steps back.

"I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean to." I stammer, trying to find a cloth to stop the blood. He holds his nose, then takes the cloth I pass him and presses it against the bleeding. Azi pushes me aside and I frown. 

"It's alright." He tells her, looking down and clamping his nose shut with two fingers. Azi nods and steps back. After a few minutes the bleeding stops and he pulls away the now blood-stained cloth. Azi steps forward to take it. "See, I'm quite alright." He says, handing it to her. 

"Still, our deepest apologies." Kopa says, and for a second I see a flicker of a grimace light up her face as she bows again. I sigh with relief as she smiles again, and I realize it was probably my imagination. 

"And I didn't mean that thing about you being self-centered." I mumble. He laughs again.

"I can admit, some of us are a little self-centered." He jokes, and me and Kopa smile. He laughs just like Wynter used to. The sound seems to dance around the room. He smiles like her to. 

So many mixed feelings in the upward twisting of his mouth. It's like he's excited, surprised, content, worried, friendly, and fierce in one look. Like he's capable of loving and losing so much more than other people. "Oh, yes." He says, as if remembering something. "I came here to ask you something Ashelyn." He tells me. 

"Oh, what do you need?" I ask. He motions for the door.

"Walk with me?" He wonders. It's amazing how he's the most powerful person in this castle, and he still says everything as if he's somebody's servant. 

"Sure." I tell him, following him as he leaves. I turn back to Azi and Kopa. "Will you guys be okay?" I ask. Azi nods, so I follow Prince Rae down the hall. 

"So, the ball is in three days." He tells me once we're out of earshot. I nod, wondering where this is going. "I'm sure you know King Talon will be there, and I'm sure he'll be using this as a chance to intimidate me. He thinks I'm young and naive." He goes on.