Chapter 19 #2
Now that sentiment Leander could get behind. He couldn’t comment on the past few hundred years, but in the twenty-eight of his existence, he could honestly and categorically say that his mother loved Saeren and its people.
“Let us hope for a swift resolution to the mounting political tensions,” Leander muttered as they rounded another corner and were greeted by a colourful door painted with butterflies and rainbows. They had arrived at the children’s ward.
“Oh well that would be ideal, but we are harbouring a fugitive.”
Leander bristled. “Prince Jarr?—”
“Oh, please do not mistake my meaning, my lord. I am not disloyal to our king, who has opened his home up to Prince Jarryn. I myself have allowed the prince to visit the hospital. He has come to be a regular visitor and generous benefactor. In fact”—craning his head to look around the ward, Caelum indicated to a mop of dark hair—“there he is, here today.”
Following Caelum’s pointing hand, Leander recognised the exiled prince from a distance with a little thrill. He never knew what sort of welcome he was going to receive where Jarryn was concerned. He always hoped for a positive one.
But he wasn’t here for Jarryn. He was here for the children. Led onto the ward, he first greeted the nursing staff before the chairman put him in their capable hands to meet the children.
Those who were not bed bound ran at him to demand hugs or to be picked up. Even those who were lying in their beds grinned at him with bright expressions. None of them knew who he was (which was refreshing) but they were clearly thrilled to see a new face and they all wanted to be his best friend.
“Who would like to hear a story?” Leander eventually called out over the hubbub of noise made by the tiny humans.
There were shouts, giggles and screams and the unanimous vote was yes, they would very much like to hear a story.
“Settle down then, settle down.” Leander glanced around for a chair. When he didn’t see one, he shrugged and crossed his legs as he sat on the floor. Unsurprisingly, one of the more clingy children found her way into his lap .
“Okay, have you heard the story of Felix the Fox?”
There were cheers in the negative and Leander grinned and settled in to tell his tale.
“Once upon a time, in the heart of the Enchanted Forest, there lived a mischievous fox named Felix. Known for his cunning ways, Felix had a reputation for spinning tales that were as garnished as they were untrue. The forest animals were all very aware of Felix’s penchant for weaving falsehoods and lies, but they had never taken it too seriously, for his lies were small, and unimportant.
“One day, as the animals gathered near the Wise Owl’s tree for their regular council, Felix strolled in with a sly grin on his face. He claimed to have discovered a magical pond deep within the forest, where the water could grant special powers to anyone who dared to take a sip.”
Leander became aware of a new presence and he paused in his story briefly to glance up, meeting the eyes of Prince Jarryn himself, who had joined the group and was listening with his arms crossed across his chest, leaning against an archway.
Jarryn smiled. Reinvigorated by the silent fortitude from the prince, Leander continued his fable to the children.
“Intrigued, the animals listened attentively, their imaginations running wild with thoughts of magical abilities they could gain if they drank from this pond. The more Felix spoke, the more enchanted the animals became. However, there was one old tortoise named Jack who harboured doubts about Felix’s story.
Jack decided to investigate the matter for himself.
He ventured into the depths of the forest, following Felix’s detailed directions.
To his surprise, there was no magical pond to be found.
Jack knew that Felix’s tales were nothing more than a web of lies.
“Jack returned to the council and shared his findings with the other animals. They were angry at Felix for deceiving them. The Wise Owl, known for her wisdom, called a meeting to talk about the issue of Felix’s lying.
In the meeting, the Wise Owl spoke sternly to Felix about the consequences of his lies.
The animals decided to give Felix a second chance, but he had to prove himself by performing acts of kindness and truthfulness. ”
Leander glanced around at the faces of the children staring up at him. The ones who were still awake stared wide-eyed as they drank in every word he spoke.
“Felix, feeling very remorseful, took the opportunity to mend his ways. He started by helping other animals, telling the truth even when it was difficult. Slowly, he earned back the trust of the community. This was a valuable lesson for the forest animals. They learned that the consequences of lying could damage relationships and trust. From that day forward, Felix became a symbol of atonement for those who were willing to change their ways.”
Finishing his story, Leander smiled, noting that about a quarter of the children had fallen asleep, including the little girl in his lap. So much for being full of energy, like the chairman had said they would be.
Gently, Leander lifted the little girl as he stood and, guided by a nurse, took her back to her bed and tucked her in.
Turning, Leander realised that Jarryn had approached, so the demigod smiled. “How are you feeling, Your Highness? Recovered from your injuries, I hope? ”
The prince nodded with a smile of his own. “Yes, thank you. That was a great story, the kids loved it—even the ones who fell asleep,” Jarryn praised.
Leander laughed. “I’ve never told a story to a room of avid listeners before. To tell you the truth, it was quite nerve-wracking.”
“You’re a natural, Leander,” Jarryn said. “You should come by more often. The children would enjoy it.”
“And what of you? I’m given to believe that you are a regular visitor to the hospital.”
Jarryn shrugged modestly. “I did the same back in Eslirie, I thought to myself ‘why stop?’ Just because I am a guest here, I couldn’t spend every day in the palace eating Caisa’s food when there are people in Saeren suffering as much as they are in Eslirie.
I can still be useful here, I still have some influence. ”
Nodding, Leander glanced around. “Maybe I will come back. I have had a good day today. This has been far more enjoyable than the other public duties my father has sent me to carry out.”
“Why did your father not come for his own glory?”
Leander laughed. “Because he has Verin and me for such tasks.”
“Not Venser?”
Leander shook his head. “He’s far too busy with the military for public duties. But I would much prefer doing this rather than being conscripted into the military, so I am putting in some effort to stay in my father’s good graces.”
“You really think your father would do that?” Jarryn frowned, more than a little sceptical. “You would be eaten alive in the military. ”
“You’re telling me.”
“And it would be a mistake for him to pull you away from duties you are so aptly capable of.”
“My father doesn’t see it that way. I am a liability to him. I am sure he regrets the day a goddess seduced him.” Leander realised they were being watched by expectant faces. “Anyway, I have a tight itinerary and you are, unfortunately, not part of my busy schedule.”
Jarryn smiled lightly and took a step back. “By all means, I don’t want to keep you from your tour of this marvellous facility. I look forward to seeing the good your family’s money will undoubtedly do for this hospital. Until next time, Leo.”
Bowing appropriately to Jarryn, Leander said, “I hope to see you again soon, Your Highness. Perhaps I will come up with another story to amuse you with.”