Chapter 17
Part 3
“We have two soldiers out there.” Frego sighed.
“Why?”
“One of them is the man that grabbed your hand.” Kessa answered.
Kol walked away.
He was in the library when Kessa knocked. “Are you okay, my king?”
He started pacing, still upset. “Why did you show me that?”
“You know me well enough to answer that, my king.”
He hissed, “God told you it was time.”
“Yes, my king.”
“That.” He paced. “Why? Those are our people.”
“Some people can’t function in the confines of society.”
“That’s not the answer I want to hear. There has to be more.”
“No, my king. There doesn’t.”
“Don’t they have family?”
“You heard the lady with the baby does. Some, their families just can’t or don’t know how.”
“I can’t accept this.”
“This wasn’t an attack on you or your leadership. Our kingdom as always had people who can’t make it work.”
He was starting to calm down, “I have walked that wall a thousand times.”
“The top. Have you ever looked down? The inside. Have you walked outside?” He gave her a wild look. “Please, there are situations you can’t do anything about. Situations where you need help. God is giving you that help.”
“This is upsetting. And sad.”
“My king, you are a good man. You are a good king. You can’t fix this but we can make it better. We are trying to make it better.”
He sat on the corner of the desk, “I don’t feel like a good man.” A long sigh escaped him, “if there have always been people at the wall, why is this the first I’m hearing about it. Dad, Abraham, the grand duke never spoke about wall people. But you say they have always been there.”
“I promise you, my king.”
“What can we do to help our soldiers?”
She lowered her head, “they are the most vocal about not accepting help.”
A week had passed; Frego approached Kessa, “my lady have you spoken with dad?”
“It’s been awhile, young prince.”
“I knew it was a bad idea to take him to the wall.”
“It wasn’t a bad idea. It was needed, young prince.”
“He’s locked himself in the library.”
“The king deals with issues in his own way. I agree they are not always healthy ways.”
“Is he okay?” There was panic in Frego’s voice.
“I will check on him, young prince.”
Even with the doors locked, Kessa knew how to get to the king. She found him rolled up in a ball in the darkest corner of the room. He was in need of a bath. She noticed small amounts of food on either desk. Most of it rotting.
Kessa woke with a start. She knew she was on the big pile of cushions; Kol’s arms and legs were wrapped around her. This was not the case when she fell asleep. “Please, don’t move.” His voice was weak. “I owe you an apology. I’m sorry.”
“My king?”
“Kings before me,” he stifled a sob. “Killed the people at the wall. My own father ran them off. They were ‘unsightly’.”
“Forgive me my king.”
“You were right to show me. Like you say, God knows what he’s doing.”
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