Chapter two

A week has gone by and all I've done was feed the horses and wait for something to break so I could fix it. Jarod had moved his stuff to the Castle's in house or should I say outside blacksmith pit near the rear of the castle. I visited Jarod once and day after my shifts, just talking about the old days and about what I should do next. "Well I don't really have a plan Jarod; I just think for now doing this work can keep me out of trouble." I said to him as he agreed that this would keep out of trouble or at least for the time being.

I left his pit and headed to the garden to check on the plants growing in the middle. I noticed they were purple and red Rosas. A strange combination of colors but they were beautiful and smelled really good. As I turned to walk somewhere else Annaya was standing behind me. She was glaring at me because I was talking out loud about the Rosas. I fell back almost in the flowers, but she caught me before I hit the ground. "sorry I didn't mean to scare you Jacob hope you're alright?" she asked me, standing me up right. "Oh yeah, I'm fine you just surprised me that's all" I said smiling that famous smile of mine, people say it brightens a room when I smile.

Annaya blushed then she bent down to her knees to pick a red Rosa then she stood back up. "These were planted by my mother years ago. They keep coming back since we have nice weather all year long." She said, showing me them up close smiling at me. "They do look nice and well cared after, do you do the gardening?" I asked her as she shook her head no, "Someone's been doing it, but father won't tell me who for some reason."

We talked for hours about her mother and her childhood, I smiled the whole time and I didn't even know it. Before we knew it, the sky got dark and it was night. Annaya noticed and then left before I could tell her good night."

I walked back to the cabin in the dark hearing nothing but my own thoughts. "She is a really nice woman; she's going to be a great Queen someday and hope someone can treat her nice." I opened the door and then I headed to bed.

The next day Brad woke me up and it was the weekend and our days off for the both us. So, we headed into town for a bit to get a good meal to eat instead of bread and eggs. We walked through town looking for a place to eat but we could find a place we like so We headed back. When he came across a crowd of people surrounding Annaya near the fountain in the middle of town. She was singing a song from her childhood to the local kids sitting with her. "Look Jacob she's so natural about it too." Brad said quickly as she noticed both of us watching. I smiled and she messed up a bit, the crowd noticed it and looked at me. They knew something was up and glared at me for a second, then I started to sing a song my mother sang to my brother when he was younger. Everyone looked at me then the kids started to smile even harder as they started to dance to it. Brad had the song written down and gave it to Annaya and she joined in.

We sang together for about a minute till that is when the King came through the crowd.

"Jacob my boy we need to chat for a moment with Annaya back at the castle." He said to me, but it was in a kind gentle tone. So, we went with him right away and then as we went into the throne room all the doors were locked. Brad, Annaya, Ella and I were they only ones in the room besides the King as he said to us.

"I need you two brothers to escort my two daughters to a royal banquet in three days. We think you are the strongest choice to do this, but we know you're both not peasants. We want to know everything about you both, why is Jacob so strong and why are you here." I choked on what he asked then I looked over at Brad and he gave me the okay.

"Well, where do I start. My real name is Jacob Wizar and I'm the First-born son of the current King of the Northern kingdom. Why am I really strong? My mother said I was cursed but I've always been strong since birth. Why am I here, well I was thrown out of the kingdom after I killed a General after he hit me in the face with a hammer. He didn't kill me so that thing like in the training field took over. All I remember from that was waking up standing over the General. Then I made my way through the countryside till I found a place to work at. All I'm wanting from you is to work in peace and be left to do what the job requires." I took a deep breath then we watched as the King took all the information in at once.

He laughed then said, "I knew you were a Royal, just the way you carried yourself and acted when that soldier insulted you. I can tell when someone is lying and you aren't, all the stuff you told me is a lot. You wouldn't tell us all that unless you trusted me." He said as I agreed, "All I want is to be your tool to fix anything you need done. The King then told me to do what he asked of us and I gladly accepted the mission.

Days later after we agreed to escort the princesses to the banquet, and it was in the central kingdom of nail. I was getting ready with Brad, we had to be dressed nice in a suit the King had given us. I made sure we had weapons under our shirts just in case so tried to do something stupid. Then we came out of the room and met up with the King near the front door of the castle. I was dressed like a butler or something. I didn't look like a noble or royal at all. This didn't make me upset but wondered what the King was thinking.

"You look good in that my friend; glad you could help me with this request." The King said to me when Annaya and Ella came down the stairs. Both of them were in matching dresses but they had different colors. Annaya had a black dress with red studded gems all over the dress. Ella had a white dress with a blue studded gem. They had their hair tied back, to me and Brad they looked like goddesses while they walked right to us. Annaya came right to me and she blushed as I smiled saying. "you look beautiful tonight, both of you look beautiful." I managed to make Ella blush with my comment and that made me happy.

We all walked to the horse drawn carriage, we were heading to the banquet. Brad and I sat across from the princesses in the carriage. I was staring out the window of the carriage looking at the night scenery. The air was warm and nice and the smell of flowers, this was just a nice change of pace. I looked over to see Annaya was staring at me and my hatch under my suit jacket. I smiled knowing she saw it and explained to her, "We both need them on us because of who we are just in case someone tries to do anything." Annaya laughed, "Yes, I agree with that decision as well, no telling what might happen." She looked over at Brad and he showed her his dagger. "Why don't you just put them on your belt instead, this will make you have better presences then hiding them." Ella said adjusting us and opening our suits a bit. I looked at Brad and we looked better and not so much like a butler. We looked like bodyguards and more ourselves.

We all started talking after that more, we talked about how Brad and I grew up. We even told them about how our Kingdom became too bad after our father began listening to his Generals. Instead of listening to his people after our mother died. Then I told her about the incident about how I was banished from my home.

"It was a cold day and I was hunting with Brad; we came home with a huge load of deer for the people to eat. I was unloading them off the sled we had them on when one of the generals came by us. He wanted all the meat for him and him only. I told him he was going to get them last, he then tried to take them by force and hit me on the back of the head. My vision went black and I woke up to an ax in the general's chest and blood on my hands." I said as Brad continued the story with what happened after I blacked out.

"after that general hit him on the back of the head Jacob then turned around. His eyes glowed a bright purple and his movement was slow. Like he was dead or something, then out of nowhere they generally swung again at Jacob and Jacob caught his arm and hit him in the chest with his ax. Then as he died Jacob snapped back to himself and realized what he had done. Shortly after that Jacob was arrested and brought to our father. Instead of executing his son our father banished him from returning to our home." Brad looked over to me and he smiled, "even though you have that curse it doesn't define who you are to all of us." Brad said to me Annaya agreed with him, "Yes, you're a very kind, strong person that welcomes everyone with that gentle smile of yours." I was happy to hear that from her, "Thank you, I know my story is all kinds of messed up and confusing. I assure you both I'm not here to harm the people of which you protect. I'm here just to make a new life for myself." I said looking out the window to see a huge castle in front of the horses.

I saw many noble types all swarming the front of the castle's front doors. I looked at Brad and he looked really nervous when he saw the crowd. "Take it easy little brother, stand tall behind the girls and you'll be fine." I told him to calm him down a bit, but it didn't help till Ella slapped him in the face. "Get a hold of yourself Brad, you are supposed to be the calm one." She said as Brad looked at her, he looked extremely surprised she hit him. Brad calmed down and went back to his calm collected self like he normally was.

We came to the front of the door to the castle and people waiting for us to get out of the carriage. Annaya and Ella got out first and everyone looked at them. Then Brad and I stepped out after them with straight faces and clean looking weapons at our sides. I smiled at Annaya as she took my arm and walked with me to the main room of the banquet. Brad was with Ella walking behind us, but they weren't arm to arm. Everyone looked at me and I knew they had questions for us and were wondering who we were with the princesses.

A butler then came up to us and asked, "Who are these men with you my princesses of the southern Kingdom?" He looked at both Brad and I, we looked at him then I said, "We are Jacob Wizar, and this is my younger Brother Brad." The guy looked at me then blinked fast then said, "Alright."

"Introducing Both Annaya and Ella from the Southern Kingdom of Ills and their escorts the princes of the northern lands of Masanya, Jacob Wizar and his younger brother sir Brad." The guy said to the crowd as they all looked harder at us as whole. Then the whispers started, and I stopped them in their tracks. "Yeah, so what if I'm from the north, I'm not part of that Kingdom I'm a servant of his Majesty of the southern kingdom." I said to the closest group to us, I scared them, but they saw me smile when I looked over to Annaya. They smiled and the whisper stopped for a bit till after dinner, the dancing started, and I sat up against the wall near Annaya and watched the others having fun.

I stood there for a long time till I saw a young man come up to Annaya. She looked very annoyed by his presents and tried to tell him to leave but he wasn't taking the hint. "Young miss will you take this dance with me." The guy said holding out his hand, Annaya looked at him then told him no. "no, I don't feel like dancing tonight." She said looking over at me, then he grabbed her hand and then said forcefully. "you're dancing with me because I asked you." This pissed me off really quick and I stood all the way up and walked up to them. I then grabbed his arms and then I said, "She said no you little brat." As he let go of me, I stood in his way with Annaya behind me. She tapped on my shoulder then asked me if I wanted to dance. This pissed off the guy and he asked what made me so special to her. "I treat people with respect unlike you." Then I went with Annaya to the ballroom floor and started slow dancing with her.

"That was the Eastern prince and he always wants to be his. He won't stop till he leaves, or I leave, so thank you for stepping in." Annaya said quietly as I looked over to the prince and he was staring a hole through me. "Well, I can't let people like that treat others how they please." I said as she held me closer as the prince began to walk to us. "He's coming right to us Jacob." She said as the prince spun me around to face him. Brad, who was at the table with Ella, stood up from his chair and waited for me to do something. My eyes started to glow when he did that and Annaya noticed them right away.

"What kind of games are you playing prince Roy, Jacob will kill you if you go any further." Brad said after he learned the guy's name. trying to warn how dangerous I can be after I'm pissed off. I thought I was in full control of myself still, but my eyes were red. "A non-royal should not be dancing with someone like her." Roy said, pointing at my chest almost touching me.

I looked up from his finger and then felt a hand on my shoulder from someone not Annaya. "Young man let me deal with him for you." Said a tall curvy woman dressed in all red, she had black long hair and reminded him of a goddess much like Annaya. Her eyes were a bright green and she smelled of sweet Rosas. I looked around and everyone besides Brad and I were bowing to her.

Then we heard Annaya say, "That's Queen Rosa of the Kingdom of Nail, our supreme ruler." I never heard of her from father and neither did Brad. We didn't bow to her because we bowed to a person, and everyone didn't like that. She looked right at Roy then she had him arrested him and took him away quickly. She then looked at the Prince's father and told him he can take him home after the party is done. She then looked over at Brad and I then told us to come with her.

She had us walk down the hallway and into a room filled with soldiers and nobles that were important to the land. She then turned to us and then said to us. "You both, welcome back to the four kingdoms and we are sorry for the prince's disruption. We had this banquet to get both of you here. We wanted to offer you both titles and positions." I looked at Brad and he was just as confused as I was. "What do we have to offer you might be saying. We want you to become two of our Royal knights, which you'll remain in your current Kingdom but be given special perks." I stopped her and then said, "You have this whole thing just to get us near you guys?" I asked as everyone in the room said, "Yes!" I smiled and then said. "I'm just a simple groundskeeper working with my brother. Plus, I have that issue of being banished from my former home." The Queen laughed at me, "Yes we are well aware of that Jacob Wizar, we also can fight, and you like to protect those closer to you. With this people won't see you as the monster as you think you are. We all know you are a protector of the innocent and the Royal knights do that better than anyone else." I looked over to Brad as he shoved me, and I knew our answer. "sure, we'll join the Royal Knights, under the conditions we won't be used to kill for political gain." I said shaking the hand of the Queen in agreement.