A Beginning: Part 1

He was awake again as usual, before the first bell sounded. The servant bell, which would have cooks, small waiters and cleaners scurrying about on bare feet to prepare for the morning meal. He was awake before the rooster could rouse the courtyard and bring it to life with merchants and peddlers and folk rushing off to feed pigs and horses. He was always standing at the window watching the night guard patrol the wall of the castle when it all happened. When the first merchant opened shop and the smells of eggs and fruit swirled their way to his nostrils.

He felt better to be there and watch it all. Being awake made him feel like he was actually in control of things. And not playing it completely by ear like everyone else was. He had responsibility, he needed to have a master plan. It was his job.
The clank of the door to his outer chamber sounded as it did every morning at this time when his personal servants made they’re first rounds of the day. Shortly thereafter the sound repeated itself as the boy left again.

Sitting back on the wooden bench at the end of his bed, he pulled on his knee-high boots and ran his fingers over the fine leather. A brilliant, red stained hide with a golden buckle on the shin. He took off all his rings placed them in a drawer in his armoire. They were heavy things and quite useless for all his concern.

The room was huge, rectangular for the most part, with a large canopy bed along the right wall. Four windows, opposite the door ran from knee height, to just below the ceiling with silk curtains running their widths, and two glass doors on each window lead out to the balcony overlooking the courtyard and a beautiful view of the Krin far of to the east, and the walls, coated in pine wood held paintings of landscapes and waterfalls that most could only dream of.

He opened the door to his outer chamber slowly and peered out. Convinced that he was alone, he stepped out into the round entry room. He wasn’t in the mood for any advisors with political issues or for his sister complaining to him to shackle the servant boy who might have looked at her the wrong way. He crossed the room and found the tray the servant boy had left for him. Breakfast. It was cluttered with plates of eggs and oranges, and several small loaves of bread. He took the silver goblet and drank its contents slowly. It was goat’s milk, his favorite. The rest he left untouched and stood before the window.

He couldn’t eat. Not now. Not with her like this. He just strolled about the castle dreamily and prayed. Prayed to liM, for the power to change things. For the ability to say, "Lenowe my love, you’re going to be alright.”

He stifled back a yawn and straightened his red tunic. Almost dawn. She’d be calling for him soon. He filled the basin sitting on the oak washstand with the large ornate pitcher and splashed the water on his face. Thankfully realizing how cold it was, he ran his wet fingers through his hair and gazed into the table’s small mirror. It showed the face of a handsome man who couldn’t have yet been thirty, but with wrinkles of worry and stress about him that deserved an old man. Plump, heavy bags of flesh hung under his eyes. Deep blue eyes full of truth and even a childish innocence, they seemed distant or isolated right now. He either didn’t notice, or didn’t care enough to.

He felt his chin and the bristly new growth from the night before. He didn’t bother shaving. It seemed trivial right now. He didn’t want to shave, or sign forms or deal with the problem of rats in the cellar. He just wanted her to call him. He wanted to see her. To hear her say something off topic again, like,
“Daniel, stop fussing over me and fix yourself up. You’re a king, act like one.”
She was so unbreakable. He had nearly lost his mind the first night the fever started. She had been losing consciousness and vomiting heavily. The healers said her life was growing weak, but she seemed unscathed. Except, except for Tal.

Tal’Melias’Serin. It seemed ironic how true it was that it really did happen to the best of people. That was the only solution he could think of with all the time he put into thought upon it. It was beyond him as to what an unborn baby could have done to deserve the wrath of liM. He was also baffled as to how he could love someone so much he’d never met, or will never meet.

He took another slow sip and let the silky liquid linger in his mouth. Tilting his head back and closing his eyes he realized he had a headache. It was rather painful, but only when he moved his head. The pain subsided as he looked back to eye level. He swallowed, and almost smiled. He somehow had forgotten everything for just that instant and went to his own world. The one in which nothing was happening, nothing at all.

There was a loud and rapid knock on the door interrupting his thoughts. Bringing him back to life. It was almost nervous, and then there was someone clearing their throat. He stared blankly at the door and sighed as he made his way across the room. The anxious knock had thudded twice more before he reached the heavy iron handle and tugged the door open.

It was a servant, not one of his personal crew. Which was probably why he couldn’t remember the boys name. Rather short for a boy who by his look, couldn't have been short of 16. The boy was showing sprouts of new whiskers coming in under his nose and on the bottom of his chin. No more than a dozen in each area. Clad in the dress for a standard servant of the castle. A dull gray shirt tucked into a short pair of trousers of the same color. His own servants had red sashes over their uniforms and didn’t take part in the cleaning of the castle. But judging by the sweat on his forehead and the stains of mud and other filth on the knees of his pants, he was probably a kitchen aide.

“My liege…” he quickly got out before realizing he was forgetting himself. He knelt to both knees until being told to rise and then continued. “My liege, I was stopped in the hall on my way to the pantry, some terrible rats down there now you know, well of course sire, of course you do. Well its being taken care of now sire, as we speak sire. So you’ll need not worry about anything like that sire.”
“What is your name boy?”

“Florn, m’lord.”

“Listen Florn, I’m sure your doing a wonderful job with the rats and when I get the chance I will have a talk to supervisor Cherub on your performance, but I have a dozen things to attend to before the sun comes up, and a hundred thereafter. So if you would be pleased to get to the point.” The boys jaw touched his chest and his eyes widened.

Daniel liked the boy. He had a sense of dominance about him that could be seen through his attempts at humbleness. The boy continued to stare for a moment until Daniel gave him a slight twist of a smile and a nod to continue.

“Y-Yes m’lord, of course…” he cleared his throat and started over. “I was on my way to the cellar and the healers stopped me. It seemed all of them were there sire. And one of them, Kerlic the head healer I think, grabbed me and told me to bring you this note with all haste.” He produced a small folded scrap of paper and handed it to Daniel with a another deep kneel. “Sire, they were in a frightful hurry and told me to stay with you after you read it.”

Daniel didn’t need to read the note to know what was happening. He dropped it subconsciously and pushed by the servant. Milk from his goblet spilled to the floor as he dashed down the red carpet that spanned the width of the hall. The ceilings ran about 30 feet above his head and came to a point. Huge oak rafters span 10 feet apart in the peak and from each one, hung tapestries that reached almost to the floor. Each one displayed scenes from a battle, with armies of thousands on each side of a battlefield, and arrows and flame being tossed about in the sky above them. Other tapestries showed the relatives of Daniel and previous kings of Corenne, some of them just bright shades of green, blue or red. All made of fleece or silk and etched with beautiful threads and twine. The castle seamstress was a very talented woman and her apprentices were all very worthy.

Daniel scarcely noticed any of the beautiful works now. He didn’t notice anything, just go down the hall to the right and the second door on the left. All that mattered was getting there. He took the turn without slowing and hit a small table holding a glass vase full of bright blue flowers. The vase flew into the air and shattered on the floor. Daniel didn’t slow until he reached the second door. He skidded to a stop and grabbed the doorframe for balance. Florn appeared to his side still running, almost hitting him and then stopped also and sat on the floor next to the door.