Peace Maker - Chapter 202

Kalmin sat down beside the little rock and laid his back on the tree’s trunk. “How’s it doing up there Alice?” he asked to which the wind replied with silence. He let out a little chuckle and sighed, “probably the same right? Watching my every move every day and making sure I’m ok?”

He waited for a second as if he was expecting a reply before continuing. “I’ll just tell you in case you weren’t in fact watching me,” he smiled. He looked down at the grass and patted the ground, looking back up at the clear sky. “Can you guess where this is?” he asked.

He waited for another second before continuing. “It’s not that place you were before, I can assure you,” he chuckled, “it’s the palace. You were moved a few days ago. Probably wondering how in the hell you got here, aren’t you?”

He sighed and looked down at the rock, “well that’s a long story… that I have the most of this afternoon to tell, so I will haha, I could feel you get a bit annoyed there thinking I wouldn’t say it. Where should I start…? Ok… well, you know what happened after you left, I was taken into the palace and there was the lovely prince that housed me with his family for the past 7 years. Well, that young prince is now in war. Shocking isn’t it? He was so small and tiny before and now he’s marching into possible death for the glory of his kingdom.”

“But that isn’t the most surprising thing though, it’s who came into the palace about a year ago a few weeks before the prince went into war. Guess who it was? You’ll never know hahaha and nope it’s not another noble, it’s actually someone that came from our background. A lowly person on the streets became the person that took the prince’s place. It was such a shock to the entire palace and I can imagine the look on your face right now,” Kalmin chuckled, “what’s the name of this spectacular being? Boris. Yea, just Boris. He didn’t even have a last name. But that’s not even it. He and the prince were on SUCH bad terms for such a long time too.”

He looked up at the sky and smiled. “They would argue back and forth and I swear it used to echo in the halls of the palace. You’d think that he’d just get rid of such a person like that right? I mean someone that puts the prince in such a rage? I’d kick them out immediately. But nope. He didn’t once try to kick Boris out. I don’t think he even wanted him out of his sight honestly. Shocking right? But not as much as another thing. Not only did he not want to let Boris go after all that arguing, but I would walk into the room and he would be sad. Like- full-on depressed sad. Over an argument, he had with someone off the streets! I was COMPLETELY flabbergasted.”

“It wasn’t just the prince though, even Boris would get upset about the fights. I knew that because I was placed in charge of training him. Aren’t you proud of me? Haha, but anyway yes. They would both be upset and then somehow through even more arguments… They just- ended up clicking. Of course, that didn’t last for long though haha, they would end up fighting again and again like some of the people on the council. Complete fools aren’t they? So oblivious to the way each of them is hurt it’s funny.”

Kalmin let out a deep breath before continuing.

“Anyways, on the day we were supposed to decide who was going to take the thrown in his steed, he walked in there, sat down so confidently, and announced Boris’ name like it was some face. I was completely in a state of confusion, the court members were in a state of confusion, and even Boris, EVEN THE ONE CHOSEN himself was confused too. It was a whole show honestly,” Kalmin chuckled, “we ended up having to test him because everyone was so on the line on having him serve in Dominic’s place, especially me. But that guy… Boris, passed those tests excellently.”

Kalmin tilted his head in his own perplexion before continuing. “You’re probably thinking that that’s good but… it was weird, he not only passed it but passed it to a point where it was just- over the bar really. And I have the slightest feeling that it wasn’t even his original score… on the test papers he did some problems that he got correct but then he erased the answers and put another answer in its place. The scary part is that those answers aren’t random, they are answers that would commonly be used as wrong answers,” Kalmin mumbled, his eyebrows furrowing for a moment, “it baffled me honestly, to see someone of that caliber amongst those on the streets… it makes it even weirder as he seems to ONLY be from the streets and nowhere else and even mo-”

Kalm stopped himself before continuing. “Then again I doubt you’re here to hear me talk about how much I find someone suspicious but rather what’s going on, right?” He paused and closed his eyes, a little smile appearing on his face. “Right…”

“Anyways, Prince Dominic went into war and Boris took the throne soon after. From there on out it was just… a lot of work really. I was worried he might do a rebellion when no one was watching like that vile woman that had tried to poison our prince, Claudia. Can you believe someone like that almost married him? God bless she showed her true colors before she could do some actual hurt to our prince. That too was thanks to Boris, did I mention he was a hell of a good fighter? I was surprised but he could beat one of our best soldiers easily. It’s terrifying really, you should have seen him that day when we tested him.”

Kalmin shuddered a little before continuing.

“We faced some problems at first and I myself had some mistrusts about Boris… but it turns out he wasn’t the one that was truly the snake in the grass. Remember Grayson? General Grayson, I mean? The scary big one in the council that was in a lot of wars for the kingdom. That one was the snake in the grass. He slithered so much under my nose that he even got to attack Boris. An AMBUSH on the prince’s temporary replacement! Can you believe that?! I was mortified and completely scared when I rushed into the physician’s room to check up on Boris as soon as I heard of the incident.”

Kalmin paused and looked back down at the rock, “can you believe he was the one that told the guards about the infiltration?! Imagine me being terrified of the fact that he might be seriously injured or even worse dead, and then I find out that he had fought them and told the other guards about the invasion,” Kamin shook his head in disbelief, “I heard about this from the soldier he told but apparently Boris had walked out of there with a big slash on his arm and a stab wound that was bleeding out and in his other hand, he was dragging two of the people that attacked him by the collar.”

“Boris had just walked up to him, threw the guys at his feet, and walked himself to the physician’s room after informing the guard about the fact that he was attacked and where the people had escaped to. The guard said that he was completely in awe when Boris walked past because there was a supposed pool of blood just trailing him and when he walked in, there were two people on the ground, bleeding out as well,” Kalmin let out a deep sigh, “what a terrific fighter this man must be to defeat people that walked in there with swords intent to kill him and to walk out with only a slash and a stab wound. I know for sure that I would have died-”

Kalmin paused and then nervously laughed turning back to the rock, “HAhaha… sorry… I know you don’t like me talking bad about myself. I won’t have DIED just by standing there, afterall I did take fencing classes and am well versed with a sword. It’s just the part where I’d have to get the sword from them that’s a tad bit tricky. I’d live through. But enough about me, back to Boris.”

He cleared his throat and continued. “That man got to the physician and sat down getting treated with no anesthesia at all where I found him there not howling in pain at all. It was a sight, let me tell you. I’ve never been so intimidated by someone just sitting there and not even noticing my entrance before. When he noticed me, the first thing he asked was if they got away and if the room in which the past Prince had stayed was getting cleaned. He was so worried that they would get away and the fact that the prince’s office might be stained with blood beyond fix. It was funny really and he went to sleep that night, a deep slumber as expected, and woke up by noon the next morning, ready to work again.”

Kalmin shook his head. “What is he, a machine? I’m sure if he was opened I’d find a few gears or so.”

He paused for a moment, basking on his words and laughing along with the voice of his sister’s that he heard in his head. It was lively. It’s funny how such a distant memory of his was so clear today. He let out a long sigh and looked up into the cloud again.

“Anyways… we sent some soldiers to the prince in war because he needed extra soldiers and we got news that the prince won the war! We weren’t given any specifics on his condition, but I’m sure that in some of those letters there might be some news about him. I have no doubt that he’s ok though. With the number of elite physicians we sent over there, he better come back in better condition than he left,” Kalmin smiled. “As for me and Boris back here at the castle… things have been going… ok? Is it right for me to assume that? I think.”

Kalmin shrugged as he continued his next words, “of course there are some instances where there are a few disrespectful people in the council who are still uncomfortable with him ruling despite it already almost being a year since he started ruling, and some nobles who may act out of line but Boris is mature. He completely puts them in place without a blink of an eye and honestly is the best that he could be. I’m pleasantly surprised.”

He looked down at the rock and smiled.. “But I still wish you were here.”