“Listen to me very carefully,” Cleopatra said as she brushed Hugh’s bangs away from his eyes. “Your father one day will hand this land over to you and you will be the leader of the clan. There will be people who think they should be in charge instead of you and will challenge you. Some may even try to steal what is yours by force. Others, well,” Cleopatra paused as she lowered her eyes a moment.
Is he too young to understand this?
Glancing back up to the boy she shook her head. “You must know that there are evil people no matter where you go. There will be those who will stop at nothing to see you dead. But you must not give them that satisfaction, do you understand me?”
“I think so,” Hugh said swallowing hard as his tears dried up.
“You are the son of a great ruler, and because of your station in life, people will always be against you.”
“Why?” Hugh sobbed.
“Sometimes it is due to jealousy. Other times it’s because they think they can do a better job. That is why certain contingencies are in place to protect you and to protect your father from those who wish to harm you. It is why there are tasters and soldiers that roam the halls. I cannot tell you why this happened to your friend, but I do know that your father will stop at nothing to ensure your safety.”
“I ken he will,” Hugh said resting his head on Cleopatra’s chest. She racked her mind trying to think of anything that would get Hugh to think of something other than a replay of the gruesome sight he had just witnessed. Scanning the room, she noticed the shelves lined with books. She knew it was a long shot, but she would do anything to get Hugh’s mind on something other than his friend dying.
“Hugh,” she whispered. The boy shifted his weight without saying a word. “I know you must be feeling guilty about all this, but you can’t. Your friend, Sam, died nobly. He was doing his job and protecting you. That is what it means to be a ruler.”
“It still hurts,” he said.
“And if it didn’t, you wouldn’t be human. All we can do right now, is try and be grateful and know that Sam was hero. I know this will be on your mind for some time, but I’d like for you to try and think of something else.”
“Like what?” Hugh asked. Cleopatra noticed the edge to his voice. There was pain there that she knew she couldn’t remove.
“How about picking out a book for me to read to you?” Cleopatra asked as she nodded to the books.
Hugh raked his arm across his nose and gave a sharp nod. His lips trembled as he rose to his feet and walked over to the bookshelf. Cleopatra watched him as her heart filled with pity. Slowly, Hugh drew a book from the shelf and brought it back to her. He plopped down beside her, handed her the book as she shifted her weight. Hugh glanced to her as she opened the book.
Using a soothing tone and annunciating the words properly and deliberately, Cleopatra hoped that Hugh would allow the words to seep through his pain. In the corner of her eye, she noticed a shadow shifting and quickly whipped her head around. In the crack the door, she noticed Jude standing, peeking into the room.
“Will you continue reading?” Cleopatra asked as she looked to Hugh and handed him the book.
“Where you goin’?” Hugh asked as Cleopatra brushed the wrinkles from her skirt and stood.
“I’ll be just a moment. Have no fear, I’m just going to check the door a moment,” she said as she brushed the back of her hand over the boy’s cheek to clear away the remaining tears.
Hugh gave a sharp nod and turned his attention to the book. She could see how much pain it was for him to read and focus on anything other than what the tragic event happened. Still, Hugh read in a monotone that pulled at Cleopatra’s heart.
At least there is something to keep his mind occupied. Poor thing. He should never have had to deal with such events.
Moving toward the door, Cleopatra’s heart fluttered as she reached Jude. She could see the pain on Jude’s face as she drew closer and stopped at the crack of the door.
“And how’s me son doin’?” Jude asked as he glanced around Cleopatra to Hugh as the boy sat on the couch alone.
“How do you think he’s doing? The boy has been traumatized. And truth is, I don’t know how to help him out of this. Do you have any idea who could have done this?”
“We have ideas, but nothin’ is set in stone,” Jude said as Cleopatra nodded her head. She knew plenty about rivalry.
If there was one lesson her father had taught her, it was never to trust blood. After all, in her childhood she had watched her father outsmart several assassination attempts from her uncle. Each time, her father gave her a new lesson to learn in self-reliance.
“How are ye doin’?” Jude asked as his eyes shifted to Cleopatra.
She stopped to take stock of her emotions that seemed to be scattered to the winds. On one hand she felt pity for Hugh and all that he had seen, but on the other, she knew she had to be as cold as the snow that came down in the winter.
Pressing her lips into a tight line, she shrugged knowing she had to be the voice of reason for Hugh. She had to appear strong and unaffected by the day’s events. Yet the moment Jude’s hand clasped hers, Cleopatra felt the walls she had built up around her to protect her from such things crumble. Her nerves were shot and she could feel herself slipping into tears. Clearing her throat, she shook her head,
