A Heart at Sea

From the City to the Sea

"Ssshhh...it's all right my love, we are almost there..." Queen Adira whispered into the ear of her youngest child who was clasped closely to her chest.

The young child, no older than three, was coughing and hacking into his small, pale hands. Snot dribbled from his nose and his eyes were bloodshot from illness. He started to sniffle again and whimpered into his mother's chest as she stroked her fingers through his white blonde hair.

"It will be okay...mother is here," she hummed to her son softly, his favorite lullaby and he immediately began to calm down. The young boy wiped at his nose and gazed up at his mother with wide eyes of adoration.

"You coddle him far too much," scoffed her husband who was seated across from them in the lavish and plush carriage.

Adira glared up at her dark haired husband and narrowed her own light blue eyes. "Hush right now Hagan. He cannot help that he was born sickly. Doctor Paddick didn't think he would make it past his first month of life...and every day he grows stronger."

The king scoffed again and rolled his eyes, "He is persistent to live, I will give him that. But compared to his brothers he is definitely the runt of the pack."

"Hagan!" Adira hissed at him. Her tone and tightening up of her body caused the young prince to whimper in confusion.

"Ssshhh....Alby, we are almost to the doctor. Everything will be fine..." Adira stroked her warm fingers across her son's forehead, soothing him. King Hagan just rolled his eyes in frustration and glared out the window of the carriage as they rode into the depths of the capital city.

King Hagan and Queen Adira had ruled over the kingdom of Nivarre for over twenty years. The marriage had strengthened the bond between the two neighboring kingdoms and brought peace to the land and seas.

The queen had upheld her duties by producing four strong, handsome and sturdy boys by her twenty-third birthday. However, Alby had come along as a complete surprise when she was almost thirty-seven! The queen definitely did coddle the sickly, young prince but only because she was so attached to him.

Her other boys had long since been sent off to military academies or other royal posts throughout the large country. The king's company was becoming unbearable as he aged and she found solace and comfort in her youngest child.

The king hadn't even held Alby when he had been born. He saw the sky blue eyes and tuft of icy blonde hair atop the infant's head and scoffed that such a child would never bring fear or respect with such effeminate coloring.

His other four boys all resembled him...dark hair and chocolate brown eyes. Alby definitely stood out from his four older brothers and the king resented him for that.

"And why exactly are we making a house call to this physician and not the other way around?" Hagan questioned his wife.

Adira let out a soft sigh of frustration and gazed up at her husband, "As I told you multiple times before we left the castle: this physician is the most highly respected and sought after in the entire capital. But he is also caring for his wife who just gave birth to twins. Therefore he rejected leaving his home and said any patients must come to him."

"Pft!" the king sneered, "I am sure he has a house full of servants who could watch after his wife while he was away. To think he was brazen enough to refuse a personal invitation from the monarchy..."

"Enough Hagan, we are here..." the queen interrupted him as the carriage finally came to a stop before a modest but comfortable size abode.

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