Royal Blood

Royal Blood

“The king, the king!” The chorus of shouts echoed through the paved streets. Immediately, people rushed around, hurriedly wiping shop windows and lining to the sides of the road as the shining carriage came into view. A man with gray hair streaked with white stepped from the carriage, also known to citizens as King Frederick VII.

“My dear subjects, I come to make an announcement that not even my herald is to be trusted to make. One that involves the future of England.” Murmurs broke out through the audience.

The king gestured to someone else inside the carriage, and a handsome young man emerged from the inside. He was definitely of royal blood, dressed in an exquisite robe, but his looks were even more defining. His hair a wavy, sandy brown and glass bottle green eyes that mirrored the king’s. All the people gasped.

“My son, Prince Edward, the future king of England!” A great roar resounded from the crowd as they fell to their knees in front of father and son.

“Please rise.” As the people rose, the boy stepped forward.

“I, like my father, want the best for this country. I want a country that does not feel tyranny of a ruler, and to do that, I will work to be just and fair to the people. In the few days to come before the throne is handed over, I want to get to know the people I will govern.” Cheers rose into the crisp blue air.

“Please,” muttered a girl in the front.

“I heard what you said.” She looked up in fright at Edward, who was standing right in front of her, suddenly and noiselessly.

“What’s your name?” Edward looked at her pretty face and brown eyes, though it was obscured by locks of gold hair, which was falling from the handkerchief she’d tied around her head.

“Anise Brookes, my lord.” She fell to her knees. “Your Majesty, I’m sorry if I said something to offend you,” she mumbled.

“You can just call me by my name. I’ve heard of your foster family, Anise. If only you knew…” He leaned down, and looked her in the eyes. Her face flushed at his closeness. Luckily, no one was watching at the intimate action.

“Do you know who my real family is?” She was curious now.

“I’ll see you later, Anise,” he whispered, making a chill rush through her body. Then he broke away from her and brushed one of her golden strands behind her ear, then walked back to his father, giving her a wink before the carriage disappeared into the dust.

“Anise, can you clean the dishes, please?” A middle aged woman wearing an apron watched as her daughter grabbed a wet cloth and started wiping at the dirty platters.

“Mother, do you know anything about my real family?”

“Why would you want to know about them?”

“Well, I think I should know, now that I’m eighteen and adult.”

“It’s my house, my rules, child.”

She frowned. “I’m done,” she announced, and went up to her small room and received a surprise. A white dove was perched on the ledge, a white letter tied with red ribbon in its claws.

“Oh, are you lost?” Anise said softly. The dove cooed and raised its leg, handing over the letter.

She untied the letter and immediately felt small when she saw the beautiful handwriting.

Dear Anise,

Please meet me at a place at the right of Peer Street. I would like to meet you there. If you need more persuading, I have vital information for you. The bird can show you the way. It has been specially trained by me and can show you the way if you perhaps get lost.

Sincerely,

Edward

Anise gaped at the writing. When the prince had told her he’d see her soon, she had thought he didn’t mean it. Apparently, he wanted to meet her someplace, unless it was some other Edward.

She carefully took the dove in her hands and rushed down the small cottage and hurriedly, releasing the bird once she was in the cold outdoors. Winter was just beginning, and snow had already blanketed the gray stones of the town. The snow white bird blended into the background, so she had to focus to see the bird. All the while, she was raging with curiosity. What did he mean by “vital information”? Was it information about her parents?

“There you are.”

She heard the phrase before she slammed into a wall. When she looked up, her face heated in embarrassment when she realized that the “wall” was not actually a wall.

Edward chuckled as he pulled her at arm’s length.

“You look excited,” he murmured.

Anise gave a nervous laugh. “No, just anxious.”

“Anxious for what, if I might ask?”

“Umm….why did the prince of England decided to meet me here?” she suggested, looking around and realizing they were standing near a large lake, frosted over by ice.

He laughed. “Just call me Edward. I really don’t like the ‘prince’ pseudonym.” The he became serious. “The reason I called you here is that, despite it being a bit early until my crowning, I want you to know your actual heritage, something that you are only supposed to be told when I take the throne.”

“What is it?”

“Your mother is Queen Adele IV of France…” He trailed off at her shocked expression.

“What?”

“It’s true.” His gaze was solemn. “She requested that you be taken away because of a coming war and my father has watched over you, although you haven’t noticed. A good job, I guess. His spies have been trained well. I was supposed to be one of them,” he added dryly.

“You were?” Anise was startled yet again. “Why didn’t you stick to your job?”

“I kind of am. After all, I’m supposed to give my father information about this meeting.” He grinned at her. “He failed to mention the fact to not tell my target, though.”

“Well…Why did you decide to tell me?”

“I’ve been watching you ever since you were five.”

“What?”

“Remember that boy that always followed you around the plaza when you did errands for your mother?”

“That was you?” Anise couldn’t believe it. She remembered the boy, patting her hair and telling her stories about the court. He’d been very good entertainment while she talked to various shop owners and picked vegetables, or played in the town plaza.

“Even then, I was to report back to the castle and tell about what you did every day. I have to admit, it was kind of sad to just suddenly disappear when you were ten. Life was kind of boring after that.”

“I do faintly remember not seeing you again after my tenth birthday.” She remembered the pang of sadness when her childhood best friend didn’t show up with one of his exotic presents as she lay back and stared at the stars, alone. “But I guess you couldn’t risk exposing me anymore.” Her voice cracked a little at the end.

“I’m sorry.” His voice was sincere, apologetic. “I wanted to stay, trust me. But it would have been dangerous.”

“But you would have stayed? If it hadn’t been dangerous?”

“Yes.” The answer was short, but it made the world tilt. So he wanted to be with her. He actually had wanted to stay with her.

“Oh.” She pondered the answer.

“And you would have wanted me to stay?” There was a note of fear in his voice.

“Yes.”

He sighed, whether in relief or agony, she couldn’t tell.

“As much as it pains me, I must go. My father is bound to suspect my absence soon. But first…” He leaned in and planted a kiss on her cheek. “I’ll see you soon, Princess Anise.” He smiled and walked in the other direction, toward a black horse tethered to the rickety wooden fence.

Anise thought of it. Unbelievable, but so true. She was a princess, and she was a possibility to take the throne of France. If Edward was with her also, it would be the answer to her wildest dreams.