Chapter 4

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     Nazim went into a bow right away, while I stayed standing. "Hello Father," I greeted him.

     "I told you to stay home," his deep voice sounded exhausted, but of course it was laced with annoyance.

     "Yes, you did. But you spoke to me as my father, and well," I shrugged, "children rebel all the time. And according to everyone I'm still in my teen rebelling immortal years."

     My father opened his mouth to reply to me when he doubled a look down at Nazim, who was still in a bow. He huffed a frustrating breath, "Nazim you may rise, and leave this room. I need to speak to my daughter alone."

     "Yes your majesty," he said clearly. And as he rose he gently took the Spring book from were I was holding it behind my back. My grip on the book tightened slightly, but he lightly dug his nail into my skin telling me to let go. So I did.

     He gathered the rest of the books I had finished reading and without looking back he left the room. My father didn't have his usual guards following him, so we were truly alone in my summer room. I looked at my father, and it was like looking in the mirror. Sure his skin was darker than mine, but our eyes and the way our face was shaped, were the same. For the few times he's laughed, I've realized that I had his smile. But ever since I saved him, he seemed to have lost that - joy. But I'm guessing being a statue prisoner for one hundred years can do that to a person. Even a king.

     "Why didn't you announce yourself when you came?" Is what he said, but I heard the undertone of his voice, he wanted to know why I went to his brother first.

     "I needed to know what was going on here in Summer. That's why I came. And Elis is the only one who tells me anything - no matter how bad it may seem."

     "Well I'm sure he told you that this doesn't seem like a Spring issue after all, so it seems like you should have stayed in winter and waited patiently for the next letter I sent you."

     "And what would that have said?" my voice started to have a hint of annoyance, "Dear daughter, everything is fine and safe. Every thing is right in the world again, love Dad. No, because it's not. Just because the quakes might not be from Spring themselves, there is still issues with them and Autumn."

     "They won't even let you go into Spring or Autumn without making it a cause for war, yes this issue is because of you, and how they fear you. But there is nothing you can do to help at this point. You don't know them, but I do. I have known them for as long as I can remember, and right now they are still grieving their king."

     I looked at him, how the sun favored his skin and made him glow, "You think I don't regret what happened to their king?" I asked, "I tried to save him, you know that very well. But it was either him or the innocent lives of my people and every time I will go with the choice to protect those who cannot protect themselves."

     He hasen't moved from his spot near the door, and neither have I. "If they want to be petty and hold an immortal grudge that their king was killed by my mother and not I then they need some growing up to do," I sighed through my nose, the smell of smoke was still lingering through my nostrils, "But I will also be the bigger person if that means avoiding a war."

     My father just looked at me, like he wanted to say something, but didn't know how to word it. And that's how it usually was, he tended to pick and chose what the right words were to say in front of me. And I hated it. He never yelled, never let his true emotions out. 

     I sighed again and let the frustration from this broken father daughter relationship leek out of my skin, " I am going to write a letter for Spring - again. I'll send it through Lovell if I have to, but one way or another I am going to have them listen to me."

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