I stepped into a puddle, my leather boots causing it to splash in every direction. The rain was pouring now, and I was eager to make my way to the pub to meet up with my friend. The streets were bare, everyone having found a place inside to wait out the rain. I kept going though, no rain was going to stop me from spending some much needed time with Martha.
I pulled my fur cloak around me tighter, careful not to allow any of my silver hair to fall out. If it did, everyone would surely know I was a royal, and that just wasn't the plan. The last thing I needed was for someone to say they seen me heading toward the pub in a hurry like I am. Mother would kill me as a matter of fact, considering she has assigned guards to follow me at a distance. Too bad for her, I know how to slip them. That's what she gets for allowing Father to take me out into the woods and teach me Princely things. Hence why I do not go by Princess, but by Prince Maud. It was a sign that I was the heir to the Kingdom of Skye. The only family in the entire world who's hair is silver like mine.
I thought about what that meant as I continued running down the drenched, and forsaken streets. My Father had always told me that our silver hair was a sign from the River spirit we originated from, who married the first King of Skye. Her name had been Ayleth; as the story goes she was once a river, of which King Nathaniel sailed upon, his ship eventually capsizing and pulling him and his entire crew into it's depths.
The King cried out, not for himself, but for his crew who had families at home. He begged the river to take not them, but himself. Ayleth heard his pleas, and was touched by his love of his people, and lifted the boat once more to the shoreline, where it was gently washed upon the sand. Afterwords, she took the form of a human, and immediately the King fell in love with her. He begged her to marry him, completely bewitched by her beauty. She agreed on one condition, that he never look at her while she bathed. To which he agreed, and very quickly they were married, making Ayleth Queen. Soon, she was a Mother as well, to a Prince named Reagan. Their descendants rule Skye to this day, up to King Philip I, my Father.
Finally, I reached the pub; a favorite of mine named the Horny Unicorn- a pun I was all too obsessed with. As I entered, I noticed immediately that nobody turned a head; people knew how to mind their own business here, and that's something you come to appreciate when you're royalty. There is no privacy in anything you do because you are technically government property. There is only freedom in being King.
Walking into the familiar setting, I sat on the stool at the bar, deciding to go ahead and order a drink while I wait for Martha to get here. I raised my hand, flagging the bartender- John. He seen me almost immediately and stopped what he was doing.
"What can I get for you, Prince?" he teased with a chuckle. His short brown hair shined with sweat, and his usual mustache had been shaved, giving him a younger looking appearance. I barely even recognized him.
"The usual, please," I said looking around the bar.
"Coming right up," he said before turning around to get me my pint of peach mead. When he came back with it, he sat it in front of me, "a pint of peach mead- for the peachy prince," he said, causing me to raise my eyebrow.
"Lame, but thanks I guess," I said taking a sip of the familiar sweet drink.
"Oh, that's good," I said quietly to myself as I continued to sip more than courteously at the drink before me.
This was a common occurrence for me to meet Martha here, it was one of the only places that would allow me to just be myself without worrying about people talking, or gawking at me. This place was a treasure trove of life, and fun away from the castle where Mother has been running rampant for the last 6 months.
Mother...
She would no doubt find out that I am gone again soon, having slipped my guards a long while ago I am sure people will be looking for me soon. Good thing I was well hidden here among friends, and drunkards who didn't want to deal with politics either. A good drink of some Peach Mead every now and then- or whenever you possibly could in my case- will take the blues away at least a little bit.
I seen the familiar black cloak fly past my peripheral vision, taking a seat in the stool next to me, before turning to face me, a smile on her round face.
"Martha," I said with a hiccup, "how nice of you to finally join me."
"Wow," she said flagging the bartender, "drunk already, Prince?"
"You know how it is," I said, taking another sip from my cup, "being a Prince is hard work when your Father is missing."
She was silent for a moment before John came back over and took her order- another Peach Mead.
"He's going to come back," she finally said, "he always has. Your Father is a mammoth of a man, and the strongest of us all. His magic is strong and old and wise, he will come back. You will see."
John came back with her drink and she gave him a smile as he walked away. I let her words roll over me, only half believing them.
It was true, my Father had impressive water magic, another sign of that the blood of Ayleth runs in our veins. While most people were born with gifts in small amounts it was always only enough to ever help them with their jobs. In the past, when the first King established Skye, he held tournaments to determine nobility. Those with the strongest gifts would serve him and be given titles as well as lands. These games were called The Gift Tournaments, and nowadays only the elite compete for a place within our ranks since it had evolved into somewhat of a death match- something I was forbidden to partake in. Sigh.
I longed for adventure, and as I looked at Martha next to me I realized she was more free than even I was at the moment. Right now, Mother had all the power as she was now acting as regent in my Fathers disappearance, but soon they will determine him to be missing in action- in other words, dead. This would give me power, but at the loss of my Father. Something I knew I wasn't ready for even though I had been prepared my entire life. The crown was a very heavy burden, something that I could only ever look at but never reach as it graced my Fathers head. His shoulders had become strong enough to carry them, his Father before him had been merciless in his attempts to make him in his own image, but Father came out stronger than Grandfather could ever imagine. I am told, that after his coronation, my Father did things his way from there on out, and there has been perpetual peace since.
"If this goes on much longer they will declare me King," I said quietly, my word slurring as I leaned in closer to her, taking in her big green eyes, and curly black hair.
"I know," she said taking another sip, "and you'll be great."
"I won't and you know it," I said grumpily, and she sighed.
"You have prepared for this your entire life, you will do great. You are your Fathers heir, and he raised you like he would a son, I know you consider yourselves close, but he would want you to have confidence in yourself, and in his teachings."
"You have no idea what my Father would want," I said, "he would want to come back and allow me many more years of watching him closely before he would want to throw me into being King."
"He would want you to be strong, I know that," she said looking forward.
"I am strong," I said, remembering all the nights we spent training under harsh weather, Father pushing me until my limbs succumbed to weakness and I had to be carried back home nearly everyday for a month. I would get home, Mother would be upset that he was pushing me so hard, reminding him I was a girl after all. To which he would deny it, and say I was neither, I was his Prince and heir, and I would be strong no matter what.
"How's your water magic coming along?" she asked.
"I excel at so many things, but for some reason I can not master my water magic yet. Ayleth must be disappointed, she must be punishing me," I flagged the bartender down again, getting another refill before turning back to Martha.
"You have to practice then, there is nobody else that has the type of abilities you have. You have to master them no matter what," she said.
"Easier said then done let me tell ya."
"You just need practice," she said, "but enough of this negative talk. Tell me, has your cousin- Tamyin said anything about his courting the Lady Blount?"
"I suspect they are still together," I said half interested, "but give it time, shes pompous and he won't be able to deal with her for much longer."
"That's what you've said for 2 years now, when is this guy going to be single?"
"You know you can't court him right now," I said.
"Right now? I am a peasant, I won't ever be able to court him, but oh, it's so sweet to imagine."
"When I am king, I will make you a Duke," I said finding a smile to offer her.
"You would really do that for me? What about The Gift Tournaments? Won't there be a lot of people pissed off that you allowed a weakling like me into your ranks without proving myself?"
"I will be King, they will not question my raising of people who are important to me," I said before sighing, "something as simple as making you a Duke shouldn't cause a big stir."
"Okay, if you think so Prince, but I don't think they'd allow me the title Duke, either- considering I am a woman, your circumstance is different. It's symbolic."
"And if I raised you, and gave you the title of Duke, it would be symbolic for you as well," I said, smiling at her. She smiled back, wrapping her arm around me and pulling me closer to her.
"You've always been so set in your ways," she said leaning against me, "promise me that being King wont change you."
"I promise, it won't. You will always have my ear, as my friend, and as my greatest ally."
"Thanks, Prince," she said with a sigh, leaning back into her own space and taking another swig of her drink before raising it before her. "To the future King, long may she live," she said quietly, and I raised my drink slightly as we watched each other take a generous swig.
We sat there for another hour discussing what we had done that week. Martha being the deputies daughter, was expected to help take care of the household chores, but when she could she would send me a note- and we would meet here. Something both of our parents had forbade us from doing, we spoke of how ridiculous it was that we couldn't even meet in private without our parents having to have their noses in it. Before long, we had drunken too much of the Peach Mead and forgot what time it was.
Eventually though, we were busted, as we normally were when we got together like this.