Diamond In The Rough

Trapped Bird

The next morning King Shiro was making his way to the gardens. Currently, Princess Ezor and Keith were meeting in the garden to sort out a marriage deal. Shiro jumped as the garden doors slammed open and out stomped Princess Ezor, rage clear on her face.

"I have never been so insulted in my life!" she shouted, Shiro ran up to her.

"You're leaving so soon Princess?" Ezor stopped and turned to Shiro with a glare.

"Good luck marrying that thing off!" she shouted before continuing and meeting up with her guard. Shiro caught sight of a hole in the back seat of her dress before Acxa covered it with her cloak. Shiro sighed and growled to himself.

"Keith!"

_______________________________________________________

Shiro entered the garden spotting his son sitting on the fountain his back turned to the doorway.

"Keith!" Shiro called out again trying to get his son's attention. Keith ignored his father's cries and kept his back turned. "Keith!" Shiro shouted once more before jumping as a grown lion jumped in front of him with a snarl. "Confound it Red!" Shiro shouted pulling the cloth of Ezor's dress out of Red's mouth. Though Red decided she wanted to play tug of war and pulled back ripping the cloth even more than it was.

Shiro landed on the ground a piece of the dress in his hands. Red headed back to her master as Shiro glared at his son. "So this is why Princess Ezor stormed off in anger!" Keith smiled at his father.

"Oh dad, Red was just playing with her," Keith said as he pulled the remaining fabric out of Red's mouth and petting her fur. Keith gently squeezed her cheeks playfully shaking her head left and right "you were just playing with that self-absorbed Princess Ezor weren't you?" Red laughed and smiled, Keith joining her until he glanced up noticing his father's angry stare.

"Keith you've got to stop rejecting every suitor that comes to call," Shiro straightened himself up. "The law says you--," Keith joined his father will a roll of his eyes.

"--Must be married to a prince or princess," Keith stood up and headed to the birdcage. Shiro finished his statement.

"By your next birthday," Keith nodded.

"I'm aware, I'm also aware the dumb law is wrong," Shiro glared at Keith as Keith opened the birdcage.

"But you only have three days left!" Keith sighed pulling out a bird gently Red watching from her spot where she laid down watching the bird.

"I just hate being forced into this," Keith gently pet the birds' feathers smiling as the bird curled up to his finger. "If I do marry I want it to be for love and not some old dumb stupid law that says I have to," Shiro sighed and walked up.

"Keith it's not only this law," he said holding his hand out, Keith handed him the bird and headed back to the fountain where he sat earlier. Red laid her head back down and closed her eyes. Shiro put the bird back in the cage and turned to face Keith who stared into the water.

"I'm not going to be around forever, I want to leave this world one day knowing that you're safe and provided for." Keith rolled his eyes turning back to his father.

"Then try to understand, I've never done a thing on my own, the only thing I've done on my own is hold my own sword and train with it," Keith turned back to the fountain putting his finger in the water the fish swimming up to it and rubbing against it gently. "I've never had any real friends," Red lifted her head and growled playfully. Keith smiled at his lion "except you Red." Red nodded and laid her head back down. Keith stared at his father's reflection in the water.