Book 3 - chapter 1

Michael's pov

She was standing on the edge of the cliff that overlooked the fields below us. In front of us was the sun about to go down and the sky was getting darker.

"Come on Mike you're going to miss the sunset." She called over to me and I grinned as I made my way towards her.

"I'm coming Mia." I ran over to her and put my arm around her waist and looked out over the kingdom. She leant against me as the sun went down sending oranges and pinks dancing across the sky. Stars were already visable on the horizon and a warm breeze blew though her hair.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" She asked and I smiled and kissed her head.

"The second most beautiful thing I've ever seen." I replied.

"It's a shame it won't last forever. Eventually it fades to darkness and we have to say goodbye." I looked at her when she said this and cupped her face with my hand.

"But I don't want to say goodbye." I hadn't noticed that she had gotten brighter as the sun went down and now as it set completly she was fading. "Please Mia stay with me."

She didn't respond. She just smiled and brushed my hair out of my face as she faded away.

"Mia... Mia... Mia."

I awoke startled and clutching the sheets on the four poster bed. I looked around for her but I knew she wasn't here. It was just a dream.

I rubbed my face with my palm and stretched before getting out of bed and stumbling to the bathroom. I turned the shower on as cold as it would go and just stood under it.

The cold water hit my back and trailed down to my waist and yet I felt nothing. I was numb to everything these days. It had been 4 months since the funeral and yet it still felt like it was yesterday.

I don't know how long I was in the shower for before I stepped out and threw on my uniform. I walked out of my room and followed the familer route through the Palace to the ground floor where the training room is.

I could already hear the clanging of metal before I stepped into the room. In the middle of the room was a guard and he was sword fighting with Dalton.

Dalton had become the leader of the guard and spent almost all his time in the training room fighting and training the members of the guard.

"Hey Michael." Dalton said monotonous not even bothering to stop fighting to look at me.

"Dalton." I replied in the same tone. "Are you coming to breakfast or are you skipping again?"

"Well that depends." Dalton said and he swept the feet out from under the guard and had him pinned at sword point. "Am I going to have to sit and pretend to be interested in conversation or can I just eat and leave?" Dalton stood up straight and turned to look at me. His bright orange hair had grown long in the past few month and had to be swept out of his eyes.

I watched him walk over to the rack to hang up his sword as the guard struggled to stand. I walked over to give him a hand up. "Thank you your highness." The guard said before bowing and leaving.

"Dalton you are aware that you are prince of the Kingdom and therefore have a duty to show up to meetings. I know you don't like to be here and you want to leave but you can't just run away." I turned my back on him knowing that my words fall on deaf ears. "You aren't the only one who lost her your just the only one who's not trying to move on."

"If by moving on you mean forgetting about her. You may have been able to turn your back on your wife and carry on running the kingdom like it never happened but I will never be able to move on from the loss of my sister." Dalton spat at me and I saw red. I mangaged to keep it under control though and spoke calmly.

"I never forgot her nor turned my back on her Dalton. Mia is in my dreams every night I just decided to do what is right. This is her kingdom and her home and if I followed your example and wallowed then everything would have fallen apart. I'm doing whats best for everyone else by putting them first and it's about time you did the same."

I didn't give him a chance to respond as I headed out to the great hall to meet the elders for breakfast. Every morning we met up to discuss the plans for the Kingdom. A new census needs to be taken and there are reports of famin in the west that needs dealing with.

"Good morning my lord." Sabrina greeted me at the door and we walked to the large table in the center of the room.

"Good morning Sabrina you know I hate when you call me that." I chuckled and sat down as a servent placed food in front of me. "Thank you." I addressed them.

"And you know I love to annoy you." Sabrina said as she sat to my left and thanked the servent too.

"Where are the elders?" I asked as I poured my glass of blood from the pitcher.

"Couldn't make it this morning so it's just me." She replied and poured herself water.

"So what's on today's agenda?" I asked as I started to eat my bacon. I had had scouts go to earth about 2 months ago to bring animals from earth to offtrender in order to breed for food and more importantly blood.

"The census will need roughly 4 guards to complete by going around the Kingdom, the west side is still experiencing famin due to a drought and we are looking at putting in a new water supply there, we have heard some news from the North mountain that King Garitor is planning on paying a visit in a few weeks time and you're still the best king ever since bacon was introduced." Sabrina read off her list though the last one she has said to me every morning since I forced her to try some a few weeks ago.

I chuckled at her statement. "Well I'm sure I can spare some guards from Dalton's training to do the census, I'll personally go to the West today to help with the water supply and I guess we'll be making preparations for King Garitor's stay. No doubt he'll be bringing his family and a few extra people too."

"I'll see to it that it gets sorted. They'll be a horse waiting for when you've finished breakfast and an escort to the west." Sabrina put her list down and finished off her food.

"Will you be joining me on my trip? You haven't left the Palace in weeks." I said as I drank my blood and pushed my empty plate away from me.

"I have a lot of work to do here. Those potions won't make themselves you know." She laughed and stood up. "Besides someone has to keep Dalton from killing the guard in his training."

"Yeah true. Ok I'm going to go pack up and get ready can you please have my escort arranged." I said to her and stood up too.

"Yes my lord." She laughed and did a fake bow.

A servent came over to clear away the table and I thanked them again and told them to pass on my best to the cook as I headed off upstairs to get ready.

I picked up my cloak and put it on and attached my sword to my waist. The rest of my uniform was a thick tunic and trousers in the royal colours of blue and white.

"Going out then?" a voice behind me said and I turned to see Dalton leaning against the door.

"Yes water emergency on the West Side. You're welcome to join me if you want." I said to him as I grabbed my side bag. Inside was a canister of blood that I keep with me for long journeys or in case of emergency.

"No thanks but have fun with your responsibilities your highness." He scoffed and walked off back to the training room.

As promised outside was my horse and an escort to take me to the west side. I mounted my horse and looked past the trees of the gardens to see the monument in which Mia lay. I felt a slight pang of pain seeing it before I shook my head and headed off in the direction of the farm lands. This was going to be a long ride.