The Jewel of the Five Kingdoms

John Arthur Williams

  "Father!" I yelled after the king as he storms down the hallway. My voice was strong but desperate, something my father will not miss.

The carriage waits outside the castle, and Father doesn't turn at the sound of my voice. His mind is already at the capital with the royal family. We are running late.

"Father!" I yell again, anger laced in my tone. "King John the First listen to me!" I call, my voice quivered with my anger.

That gets his attention. My father, the king of the First Clan, turns.

From the profile, I almost think I am looking into a mirror. One that shows myself in twenty plus years. We share the same chin cropped blonde hair and strong jawline. People say that I look just like my father when he was seventeen, but even though we share the same eyes, a color that never seemed to choose whether it was blue or green, his are as hard as steel.

"I don't want to get married," I hiss, anger burning in my eyes and venom dripping from every word. I know my anger will be punished later, but adrenaline keeps me confident.

The king approached me with thunderous steps, bringing with him a cloud of anger. "You are my son and you are going to marry to the crown princess!" He roars, grabbing my bicep and pulling me towards the carriage. His fingers tighten around my arm, and I resist the urge to try and hit him, but I know from experience that is a fight I cannot win. Despite my training that allows me a great physical advantage on him, his loyal guards would take me down in seconds.

  "I am in love with another!"

The words escape my lips before I can think them through, and in a moment of surprise I am able to yank my arm from his grasp.

I am seventeen years old, not a child, and I certainly don't need to be treated like one by having him drag me around.

The king quickly spins to face me, his eyes wide. "What did you just say?" He asks, instead of his voice rising to a yell it quiets. The sudden change of volume makes a shiver run down my back.

  I pause, quiet. My sudden boldness and rebellious streak was gone at the crazed look in my father's eyes. My hands subconsciously went to my back which had suffered from the last time he had disagreed with my actions.

I felt the urning to stand up to him. He can't keep me under his thumb by fear forever, but my chance vanishes as he grabs my collar. "I asked you a question, boy," he says in a hiss of a whisper. "What did you just say?" He repeats, shaking me if only to rattle me more.

I push him away, gagging slightly as the pressure from my neck was roughly released. Once I have regained my balance I straighten, phantom pains around my back and shoulders shout silent warnings. Yet the words still leave my mouth. "I am in love with another, father." I take a deep breath and hold back my shoulders as if I could take authority over him.

  "For the past four months I have been meeting with a young maiden in the village," I expand hesitantly. "I love her." The words were quiet but true, and I find myself smiling. I look towards my father, who watched me with an expressionless face.

"I don't want to marry a girl I never met, and she is probably not wanting to marry me." I say, anger hardening my usually calm voice. He must understand how insane this sounds. How vintage the idea of a contest for her hand truly is!

  The king steps forward, eyeing me with a dangerous look. I stand my ground. "She is King Raymond's daughter." He hisses out, as if I was too stupid to realize that the Jewel of the Five Kingdoms was next in line for the throne.