Page 1 of A True King

Prologue

Stay strong. That’s what everyone keeps telling me. But I don’t want to be strong. I want my mother.

It’s well past midnight. I should be in bed. But instead, I’m riding through the woods on my mother’s horse, Pixie. Father brought us here tonight. After all the pomp and circumstance of my mother’s funeral, he said we needed some time away. I rolled my eyes at that. We’re only thirty minutes from the castle. The Summer Palace is hardly “away” from anything, but at least here, we can have more freedoms.

And I can get away from my siblings. Auggie and Anna just don’t get it. Anna’s too young to understand anything and Auggie uses his humor to mask any real feelings. Yet, they are the closest things I have to any real friends.

It’s hard to find friends when you are an heir to a throne. I have friends, but not ones I can confide in. How am I supposed to lead this country someday if I have no one besides my family that I can trust one hundred percent?

I nudge Pixie’s side and she goes galloping across a field. I slow her down as I approach the cliff that’s on the other side. I’m startled to find that I’m not alone.

My father is here on his horse, Rex.

“You should be in bed,” my father says solemnly. He doesn’t turn to me but instead looks out over the city in the distance.

“I couldn’t sleep.”

“You shouldn’t come out here by yourself. It’s not safe,” he scolds, finally glancing in my direction.

“I’m fine,” I mutter.

“It’s peaceful at night,” he states as he turns back to survey the city. From up here, it looks like little twinkling lights nestled amongst trees.

“It is.”

He’s quiet for a long while. Both of us sit and watch. I’m surprised he’s not yelling at me. The fact that he’s quiet is almost more unsettling.

“Father?” I say, breaking the silence.

“Yes.”

“What’s it like…to be king?” I seldom get alone time with my father. And right now, I feel if I don’t ask him, I may never know.

He turns slowly back toward me. “Lonely. Make sure to surround yourself with people you trust, but then surround yourself even more tightly with a few people who not only are trustworthy but would die for you. I hate that about this. You will learn things that you won’t be able to tell anyone. Those secrets will become your albatross to bear. But you will need to be strong. You will need to do the right thing, even if it brings you great pain. Because once you swear your allegiance and put on that crown, you are the guardian of all of this.” He motions to the vastness in front of us. “Norddale is rich with traditions and culture. Its people depend on us to carry on the legacy of our ancestors. They don’t know the sacrifices we make to do that. And they must never know. So, enjoy your time now, my son. Because not too long from now, you will be standing in my shoes and you’ll need to be strong, stronger than you ever thought possible.”

I swear my father’s eyes glisten with tears as he speaks. He’s never shown much emotion, and the little he has shown over the past few days has been more than I’ve ever seen. But right now, I don’t even know what to make of his cryptic words. What does he mean? Of course, being king is hard, but why can’t he just tell me that?

“We should head back,” he says as he turns Rex around. He looks at me as he pats Rex on the side. “I mean it, Chris. You should be careful. Even out here, it’s not safe for you to be alone.”

“Yes, father,” I grumble as I follow him to the stables. I mumble under my breath the whole way back. How am I supposed to have fun if I can’t go anywhere or do anything, and I always have to have security around?

When we dismount at the stables, my father turns to me. “I promise that it’s not all bad. I shouldn’t have been so melancholy about it. Why don’t you come with me on my next trip? It’s time for you to see how things are done.”

“Really?” I ask, surprised because he’s never invited me on any official visits out of the country.

“Yes. I would enjoy your company. Now, get on back inside,” he states, motioning toward the door.

“Yes, sir,” I answer. I run back to my room through the secret passages. A million questions swirl in my brain. But one floats to the top over the others. What are these secrets that I will be burdened with and when will I learn of them?

Chapter One

“To thine own self be true.”

~William Shakespeare, Hamlet

Fifteen years later…

Christian

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