Wracked with Loyalty

Prologue

      The sound of giggles and folk music filled the air around the woman as she played with her son. It was his birthday today, finally turning seven years old.
Kennuria smiled as she grabbed her son's hands, dancing with him to the tune of the music.
      "Mama! Up! Up!" the baby called as he jumped up, his hands outstretched. Kennuria leaned down to pick up her baby.
      Suddenly there was a knock at the door.
      "I'm coming!" Kennuria exclaimed as she perched her baby on her hip.
      Opening the door, Kennuria smiled at the stranger.
      "Hello, how may I help..." Her words died on her tongue as she immediately recognized the body of armor that stood before her, some knight.
      "Excuse me, is this the home of.... Kennuria Raeen?" The knight asked, his armor rattling as he spoke, his voice soft, lulling Kennuira into a small sense of security.
      "Yes, this is she, how... how may I help you?"
      Instead of immediately answering, the knight made eye contact with the boy and tilted his head, his face veiled with a look of awe.
      "Is this your son?" The knight asked, gesturing to the boy attached to his mother's hip.
      "Yes he is, he's just turned seven this week, can you believe kids grow up so fast?" Kennuria laughed as she spoke, bouncing her child as she spoke so highly of him.
      "Seven you say? Is he a native here?"
      "Yes... why do you ask?"
      "Ma'am... haven't you heard? At the age of seven, we take young boys to train to be the future's soldiers. I must ask that you bring him in at once." The knight said, his voice going from soft to rough as he insisted that she bring her child in.
      "What? No, you can't train my baby... He's just seven, who even are you anyways?" Kennuria protested.
      Abruptly more men came out from around the house and closed in on the little cabin that the two lived in.
      "I'm sorry, but I wasn't asking. You're coming with us. Let's not make this harder than it needs to be." The knight rumbled, grabbing the child from his mother's desperate grasp and signaling for the rest of the newly formed group to snatch the mother.
      "Where are you taking us?" Kennuria asked as she was blindfolded.
      "The castle."
      Time passed and they were still trudging through what felt like a heavily wooded area. Finally they came across a road.
      The blindfold on Kennuria was removed and before her stood the same knight that met her at the door previously.
      Much to her surprise, the knight looked genuinely apologetic.
      "Ma'am, I understand our means of getting you and your son here were rather barbaric, however this kingdom is very special to us," the knight said. "While your son stays and trains in our walls, you will be housed in one of our upper class homes to accommodate you and your needs.
      "Your son, however, will be housed among the rest of our young trainees. He will be fed and kept safe. You may visit him at any time, however he is not to leave the academy. Am I understood?" He inquired.
      Feeling rather cornered, Kennuria simply sighed and hung her head, there was no escaping this predicament now that they were on the King's land.
      "He will be safe?" Kennuria repeated, acceptance lightening her shoulders.
      "Yes ma'am. I'll make sure of it." The knight spoke before taking off his helmet and gazing into Kennuria's eyes. "If you ever want direct contact, ask for Captain Faris, that's my rank and last name."
      Once again, Kennuria looked down. "May I see my baby first?" She asked and looked back up at Captain Faris who beckoned the knight that held her son, also blindfolded.
      Letting go of the boy, Captain Faris reached over and removed the blindfold, gently nudging him to his mother.
      "Mama!" The kid cried as he ran to his mother and hugged her with love as fierce as a herd of buffalo.
      Kennuria explained what would happen from now on and held her child for as long as she could before Faris finally told her it was time to go.
      After being told that, Faris picked up the child and lifted him up into his hip the way Kennuria had done it an hour before.
      "From here, sergeant Wetherford will take you to our housing areas and I will take little... what is his name?" Faris started before ending with a question, glancing over at Kennuria.
      "Cassius. His name is Cassius."
      "I'll take little Cassius here to the student barracks. I hope to see you soon..." Faris said, immediately breaking away from the group.
      As soon as he rounded the corner of the gate, Kennuria was ushered to a small village within the kingdom's borders. Once inside, she closed the door and leaned her back against it, sliding down as she started to wail. Her son was gone and she wasn't sure when she would be able to see him again, not to mention the worries she had of her son being taken to "train," or the worries of injuries or diseases.
      After crying some of it out, Kennuria got up and started to create a home for her dear Cassius to one day return to, unscathed.