Chereads / Tails of Acalarah - The Young King / Chapter 5 - Chapter 5: Return home

Chapter 5 - Chapter 5: Return home

At that, they all bowed to each other and the kings left to their respective kingdoms in peace. The former queen bowed her head in thanks to Leon and Radeon and welcomed Proto as the governor of the kingdom and palace and showed him the palace with Leon and Radeon, as they settled him peacefully into the kingdom. Leon also left an number of soldiers with Proto, as he was the governor of Brogan. Leon also decreed an education system for the girls and boys of the kingdom, free education so that they could get along in society of that time. If there were orphaned children, he would make them young servants however they would be entitled to an education, food, shelter and clothing to be provided by the palace of Brogan, to which he put a head master servant, trustworthy to train servants and ensure the servant children were taken care of, as was the custom in those days and anyone who were jobless and had no homes, he made servants in the palace to give them some type of income. Leon ensured that the people of Brogan were taken care of. "Send me a report in six months' time, Proto, I trust you to take care of this new place." Leon said, putting both his hands on Proto's shoulders, as they were childhood friends growing up and had the same education together, "you can trust me, your Majesty… leave this to me…" Proto smiled gently at Leon. Both shook their heads together in agreement together and shook hands as brothers in arms would do. Then, Leon turned his back on Proto, as his kingly cape fluttered in the breeze walking off to hop on his horse and lead his men back home to Acalarah. Radeon, on the other hand, said good bye to the former queen and ensured all formalities had been met, before Leon and Radeon and their remaining band of men head back to the kingdom of Acahalarah. "Please thank the king for his mercy upon me and my children, and bringing order to the kingdom, despite…what happened…" She bowed in respect to Radeon, "Don't worry, I am sure he is aware, highness..." Radeon said as he bowed and left her presence, leaving royal officials in the newly conquered nation with Proto, to govern the land. The people cheered on the new king as he left, Radeon joining Leon on their war horses, "What took you so long?" Leon asked in curiosity. "Just took care of the final pieces of the puzzle and now we are set" Radeon smirked, "Good to hear…" Leon smiled bowing his head at Radeon. "Traitors" the daughter said, the former queen said nothing. "Most kings, would have killed us all, including you, Delta. This new king has shown us mercy…." The former queen sternly told her daughter, watching their new king leave from the safety of the palace tower balcony. The daughter grunted and walked off to her room to sleep in sorrow.

Meanwhile, Leon, Radeon and their men returned to their kingdom, fully triumphant, welcomed by the people of their kingdom, women dancing in the streets of the kingdom to welcome the king home in celebration of their victory. "Ahh, it is soo good to be home" Radeon said with a smile on his face, smelling in the fresh breeze of the Acalarhan kingdom, feeling the warmth of the sun on their faces as they enter the kingdom. "Yes, it certainly is" Leon said softly smiling, looking and waving at the people as they returned, as they both rode on their horses in the kingdom, looking and waving at the people of the kingdom on a warm and bright sunny day, the sun gazing on their faces as they ride into the kingdom, looking at the people of his kingdom, looking to the palace, seeing the royal elders welcoming them home, along with the servants, ready to serve and attend to the triumphant king and his brother, Radeon, as they return on horseback in the streets of the kingdom.

Returning to the palace, the king gets to complete the paperwork of their latest victory and new kingdom conquered, Radeon requests the servants to prepare the evening banquet dinner to serve that evening.

Meanwhile, Maia (one of the servants) was running late and didn't know what was happening in the kingdom, as she had a late night the previous night with her friend, Kusava. As she is running in the palace, she didn't see where she was going, putting on her servant attire correctly as she was running, and bumped into the king, thinking it was Kusava, "Kusava, stay out of my way I am running late!" Maia in a grumpy and moody tone of voice, in a hurry. "Oh.. " the king grasped, as it scared him as he had his back towards her, looking at his administration papers then turned around to see his servant, as she grasped as she looked at the king, then bowed suddenly and looked away, not to look at him in his eyes, "Oh.,,, my…. Goodness… My Majesty, I mean, your Majesty, A thousand pardons… Please forgive me…." She said with fear in her voice, bowing down so low to show the most honour and respect to her king.

Leon looked at her with an eye brow raised, with a smirk on his face, "It's alright, rise, servant…." He said softly to her, to which she straightened up and smiled gently, "welcome home, your Majesty." She said softly, "Thank you…" Leon said softly, "Honour is all mine, your Majesty…" She smiled gently at him, at that, he walked off softly to complete his paperwork in the room of the kings, which was where the kings of the palace would complete their paperwork and their deeds to the palace and the kingdom and settle affairs and matters of the kingdom. Leon took a deep breath, looking at all the paper work he had to complete as king, "is this why father was always so frustrated when he would come into this room?" Leon sighed within himself, thinking of his father, as the warm sun gaze reflected upon his face, feeling the warmth of the sun's embrace as he sat back in his chair to take a little break from the paperwork.

Meanwhile, Radeon began to worry about his brother, as he was overlooking the palace preparations for the ambassadors, knowing that what had happened to Leon at the battle of Brogan, had an effect on him, as Radeon recalled what happened at the palace in Brogan, with Leon having an emotional break down because of En-Ved's family. That night at the king's banquet, which Leon hosted for his royal officials and army and soldiers to thank them for their work and their battle alongside the king, women dancing to raise the morale of the soldiers and entertainers of the king to amaze the palace were implemented to ensure the king and the royal officials could relax and had a good time at the king's banquet. The king is there, Radeon by his side with their mother, and his royal officials with him, telling stories how they won the battle/war and praising the king for his strength and power in battle and power over their enemies.

The king, being cheerful and merry with his men on the outside physically, however on the inside, internally in his thoughts and in his heart, he was silent throughout the whole evening, hardly a celebration he thought within himself, knowing he had to kill in order to bring peace to the kingdom to avoid an all-out war with other nations, however the fact that he, now a king, had blood on his hands, as a man of war.

After the dinner, the royal officials left, one by one, their mother left for the evening to go to bed, it was just Radeon and the king at the table left, the servants cleaning the table before them.

"you alright…? Radeon asked softly, yet not wanting to appear too concerned, as he didn't want Leon to think he was pitying him, being a man at the peak of his time, Leon didn't want to appear weak in front of everyone, and Radeon knew this. Leon, being a little startled, as he was beginning to fall asleep, looked at Radeon, as Leon could not get out of his mind the children of his enemy, the way they looked at him, the sadness in their eyes and the way they bowed to him. "Yeah, I am fine…" The king smiled as he responded, not wanting his brother to know something was bothering him. At that, Radeon got up, retired for the night, and left Leon there to himself to gather himself together.

Leon just sat there at the king's table, slowly started to fall asleep. As he slept, he dreamt of the children of his enemy, growing up and then got their revenge on the king and killed him and his kingdom. "Majesty…" the servants woke him up suddenly, to which jumped wide awake, breathing heavy in cold sweats, "Majesty, would you like us to bring you someone to help you to your room, Majesty?" they asked softly, thinking that perhaps the king had drunk wine, "No, I will be alright, thank you servants." He said softly, got up and walked to his bedroom chambers, taking off his outer attire, leaving on his black pants and opened white kingly shirt, revealing his full bodied torso, looking out the balcony of the window of his bedroom, "Home sweet home" He thought to himself, smelling in the breeze of the night sky as it was a full moon, taking in a sigh of breath, feeling good to be home, knowing he had business to do over the next couple of days.