Fan Fiction ❯ A Long Journey ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Small feet quickly scurried down the brightly lit halls of the pure marble castle, the small form weaving through the people that filled the wide walls.
Suddenly the small child stopped in his mad dash as a particularly large, fat man came into his way, not leaving any space for him to squeeze through. He stood there tapping his small, sock covered foot on the cold floor, waiting with a child's patients, hoping the man will move on his own. No such luck. The child let out a heavy sigh as he glared at the back of the bulky bald head above him.
      The child looked down at the large feet below him and grinned a sly smile. He slowly pulls his food back and lets it fly forward, hitting the man directly in the lower led. The large man let out a gasp of startlement and spins around. He looks left than right, let's out a puff of frustration and then down, eyes widening as they spy the small child.
      The small boy gives the man a lopsided smile, eyes shinning innocence. The man's small, half flub covered eyes narrow even more at the boy, his meaty hands going into round fists. The boy stops smiling, hand going to the left instinctively, grabbing the first thing that comes into reach, which happens to be some business man's pants leg.
      “Did you kick me, you lill' brat?” The large man growls, taking a step closer to the boy. The child cowers away from the large man, pressing his body to the other man's leg. The dark haired man looks down at the child pressing himself to his leg, then up to the man towering the child.
      “What are you doing?” the man's deeply accented voice asks the other in parental protection.
      “Is this yur brat?” the man growls eyes averting to the smaller man. The business man was about to reply when an old chambermaid suddenly runs up behind the fat man, affectively pushing the man away. The fat man stumbles to the left, catches himself and was about to yell at the impudent woman.
      “Young Master! I finally found you! And you're not even completely dressed! Those no good, lazy lasses! Come her-” she begins to bicker only to fall silent as the young boy rushes up to her, throwing his arms around her chubby legs as best he could.
      “Tha' big man tried to hit me, Nama!” the child cries out looking up at the round aging female face. The old woman bristles, face going as crimson as a tomato as all her angry blood floods her face.
      “You did what!?” She bellows, pulling the boy behind her as she turns to look at the fat, infuriated man. Even with the significant size difference, the angry man takes a slow step away from the enraged woman.
      “That lill' piece of shit-” he began to yell pointing at the small child hiding behind the chambermaid's many folds of clothing. The child pokes his head out from around the cloth, the small group of arguing people getting a ring of spectators who watched the scene play out as they waited for the Lord to see them.
      “Is Lord Uscevren's youngest child!” the woman sneered, crossing her round arms over her too large breasts. The man stopped his ranting, his face going ash white as all the blood drained from his pudgy face. The hall was filled with gasps and soft murmurs of gossiping people as the woman's words filled their ears. “And if I were you, I'd apologize to the young Master, and maybe he'll tell his father it was just one big misunderstanding! Though, I highly doubt that he will, since you're probably not a person he likes just about now! And if it was up to me, I'd have you EXECUTED!” Nama yelled, spinning on the balls of her feet, grabbing the boy's small hand, leading him down the hall, the crowd splitting into one long row as they passed.
      Once the first turn came up, Nama turned into it, leading the child down the narrower hall, her red face fading to a soft pink as her anger subsided slightly.
      “You know that was dangerous and you probably thought it amusing…” the woman says with a sigh as she turns her head to the right, looking down at the child. She runs a wrinkled hand through his shoulder length, naturally bouncy platinum-blonde hair.
      “I know, Nama! But I didn't think he'd get sooooo angwy!” the child says in a sad innocent voice. “Honestwy!” he says, making a sniffling sound putting a small, pale hand to his face, running the side of it over his watering eyes.
      The old woman gasps and turns to the young boy.
      “Oh, honey! I know you didn't do it on purpose!” the woman coos, kneeling down in front of the softly crying child. “Oh, Baby! Stop crying! I know it wasn't your fault! That big man's just a big meanie!” she tries, hoping the words would sway the child to silence and smile at her.
      “Now, now, Nama! You should know better than to give into that little one's water-works!” a soft, amused female voice whispers behind them. Nama stands up, spinning around quickly.
      “My Lady! I didn't see you there!” Nama says with labored breaths as she clutches her heaving chest.
      “I'm sorry, Nama. It was not my intention to startle you!” the red haired woman says with worry, though her amusement has yet to subside. “But you should know better, you have been with him since he was borne!” she smiles warmly at the old woman, and then her eyes shift to the red eyed child. “Baby, come here…” she says, kneeling down onto the ground, opening her arms in an invitation. The small child smiles and runs up to the woman, wrapping his small arms around her slender waist.
      “Mamma! Yur back from Grammies already?” he asks looking up at his mother with a big toothy smile, eyes shinning with childish joy.
      “Yes, I am. But it seems that you have been getting into trouble…” the woman says with a soft chuckle softening the stern expression on her face. The little boy bows his head, looking up at his mother through thick black lashes. “But you know, I did not hear this from your Father, meaning you are not in trouble.” The woman says with a soft smile, grinning at the child.
      “How has your small adventures been like, my little one?” the smiling woman asks, eyes shinning with mirth. The small boy grins a toothy smile, and was about to reply smugly but was cut short by Nama's words of anxiety.
      “We must hurry, My Lady! The Lord desires all of his Children to be present at the Chamberlin Meeting, and he is yet to be decently ready to attend! He is bare footed, even!” The chambermaid whines, ringing her hands within the folds of her cleaning apron.
      “He is but a child of mere 5… and he will have the right that his Brother's and Sister's have had before him to ware whatever attire he wishes to whatever meeting that he is forced to attend.” The woman says sternly, standing to face to elder woman.
      “And if he so wishes to ware his royal robes and his white socks, then so be it! He does not have to ware shoes and he doesn't have to ware his cloak and he doesn't have to ware his head piece and he doesn't have to ware that cursed crest.” The woman says sternly, her eyes hard with determination.
      “Of course, My Lady!” Nama says softly, her head bowed in respect. “I spoke out of place.” She whispers, looking at the floor beneath her.
      “Oh, don't worry about it, Nama.” The small boy says with a big Cheshire gin on his little face.
      “But…”
      “No, he is right, Nama. You were only doing your job as the head Chambermaid. Now, let us go to the meeting before my husband has a hissy fit and sends the whole swat of Royal Guards out to find us!” the woman says with a warm smile. The little child cries out as his mother gently pats his butt. He turns around giving her a little glare only to turn around and run away screaming as his mother chases him down the hall.
      Nama giggles softly behind the back of her raised hand as she fallows the other two people.

 

***

 

As the twin doors slowly open a little whitish blonde head pops out from around it, looking into the large room and directly at the face of his angry father. He slowly walks into the room; the normal clip of soft heals on marble floor not present as his white sock covered feet scuttles over the floor nervously.
     “And where have you been all this time, Keiji?” his father's voice booms over the whispering of the other members hushed tones.
     “I-I… ” Keiji says, twirling his long white hair around one of his small & slender fingers.
     “He was with me, My Lord, Kyne. Please forgive me for keeping him away for such a long period of time.” Keiji's mother says loud enough for everyone in the large room to hear as she comes into view. Keiji's father's eyes widen and his mouth opens a gape as he stares dumb founded at his wife.
     “Querida!” Lord Kyne gasps out. “Your return was not notified!” Kyne says as he moves away from his chair at the front of the black stone table.
     “Well, the guards wanted to tell you of my arrival but I told them no. I wanted my return to be a surprise!” Querida says smiling at her approaching husband. She wraps her slender arms around her husband's neck, smiling even broader as he squeezes her.
     “We've missed your presence…” Kyne whispers into her ear, nuzzling his face into her neck. Querida looks down at her small son whose large eyes shine with the innocents that only a sheltered child can possess. With her eyes, she makes movements to the table and the little boy caught on instantly.
     He smiles at his mother and runs over to the empty chair next to his elder brother. He tries to lift himself into it, only to fall back down onto the ground with a soft thud. He lets out a frustrated humph and stands back up, giving it a second try. But he only gets the same result.
 He hears a small chuckle from his right and looks at his brother with a glare, sticking his little pink tongue out at him.
     “Shut up!” he growls turning back to the chair, putting his little hands on his small hips, huffing again. He reaches out to grab the chair again, and was about to try and lift himself onto it, but is lifted into the air by strong arms. He looks up into the face of the lifter and smiles innocently at his large father.
     “Hi, Daddy!” he says playfully, hoping that his mother had made his father less angry. His father raises one of his thick jet black eyebrows at his son, a smirk curving the corner of his mouth. Seeing this, Keiji throws his arms around the large Lords neck, giving him a kiss on the cheek that makes a loud `pop' sound.
     One of the female guests giggles, clasping her delicate hands and putting under her chin.
     “Awwwee!” the woman coos. “He's so cute!” Lord Kyne lets out a sigh of defeat, looking down at his son's beaming face.
     “You've been saved by the woman, little one!” he whispers into Keiji's ear. “Go give her a hug or a kiss on the cheek…” he says quietly so the only ones that could hear him was Keiji or his brother next to them. Keiji smiles and runs around the table up to the blonde haired woman. He stands next to her, smiling up at her. She coos again and picks him up, setting him on her silk covered lap.
     “You have the cutest little boy!” she says, turning her head to the Lord and Lady. Keiji looks over to his older 10 year old sister and sticks his tongue at her glaring face. He turns his head to the woman, wrapping his small arms around her midsection, nuzzling his face into her neck. “Ohh! CUTE!” she cries, squeezing her arms around him. He leans forward and up, giving her a small peck on the cheek before wiggling free of her grasp.
     “Daddy! Daddy!” he says wrapping his arms around his father's muscled legs, affectively stopping him before he could sit in his large seat. “Can you help me get in my chair? It's toooo big!” Keiji whines smiling up at his father. Lord Kyne lets out another sigh of defeat, bending down to pick up the little boy. Keiji cries out in triumph as he is lifted, throwing his arms over his head. Lord Kyne rests the whooping child on his hip and walks over to the high chair.
     “Maybe I should get you a stool or mini-ladder so you can get up onto the chair on your own!” Lord Kyne says, smirking inwardly as a distressed expression crosses his son's feminine face.
     “No! You can't! I like being carried!” Keiji whines wrapping his arms around his father's thick neck, grabbing his shirt. Lord Kyne let out a deep chuckle as he sets his son down on the large cushioned seat.
     Lord Kyne turns away from his son as situates himself in his seat and moves to his own chair. The moment Lord Kyne sat down, one of the foreign Lords stood.
     “Lord Kyne, Lady Querida. We have spoken in the past about having one of your children come to Shadowdown Valley to learn the way of the Karten fighting, but we have yet to get an answer to whether one of your children will be coming with us!” Lord Tinuviel says, resting his right hand on the back of his chair.
     “Yes, I do recall talking about this subject with both you and your wife. And my wife and I have made a decision on who will be joining you.” Lord Kyne says looking at the blonde woman that had been flaunted by little Keiji's false affection and Lord Tinuveil.
     “And your answer?” Lady Panya, the blond Lady, urges, leaning forward.
     “Well, if you would like, you could take Young Keiji!” Lady Querida says coolly, looking at the brightening face of the selfish woman.
     “You mean, you'll let your little doll come with us to Shadowdown Valley?” Lady Panya asks incredulously.
     “Of course, I will not, as his mother, allow him to go alone, Young Vladimir shall accompany him.” Lady Querida says with a smile as she looks at the blonde woman. She feels the eyes of her eldest child boring into her back with distaste of having to go to the Shadowdown Valley. Lady Querida gave her son a heavy stare, meeting his glare full on. Vladimir let out a sigh as he turned to look at Keiji's beaming face, shaking his head sorrowfully at the memory of what it had looked like before when he gone there for a small time of 4 days.