Bodyguard

(This story contains mentions of sickness)

I am Kazuo Nishikawa, a prince from the royal family. Since I was born I have always been weak, so fragile that my parents deemed me as 'sick' my whole life. Recently though, I really have been sick. My parents worry for me. I try to ignore my sickness and push past it, but days like today I find it hard to keep being active. So, my father had to find another way to keep me safe and well, he feared I was truly on my deathbed.

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“Prince Nishikawa,” Miss Olivia, my maid, called from the doorway.

“Miss Olivia, please, I’m only 16. Just call me Kazuo, there’s no need for such formality,” I smiled at her. “What did you need?”

She smiled back, “Your father demands your presence in the throne room.”

“Will mother be there,” I questioned.

Olivia’s smile faded along with all the color in her face. “It’s about your mother… but please, go and speak with your father, not me.”

“Of course,” I muttered, I did not enjoy how she reacted to the mention of my mother.

I stood and walked out of the study, closing the door quietly behind me and walked through the castle to the throne room. I had just arrived at the door when I heard my father speaking to someone, a woman from what I could tell. At first I thought it might have been my mother, but her voice was much too high pitched to be hers.

“Do you think he’ll accept me,” the woman's voice asked.

“Kazuo will understand, whether it be now or later I have no clue,” my father said calmly. “But we have to hope he’ll come around.”

I knocked and opened the door, scanning the room until I met my father’s gaze. To his right stood a woman, I hadn’t seen her at all in the castle before. To my father’s left stood a tall, muscular man with dark hair. He had a concerned look on his face, as if he was expecting me to double over and die or something. I had also never seen him around the castle, maybe they were new people my father had hired.

“Ah,” my father exclaimed. “There he is.”

“You wished to speak to me father,” I questioned.

“Yes,” he started. “It’s your mother…she was murdered last night.”

This rendered me speechless from shock, but he continued.

“However, we need to move on from that,” he said. “I have hired someone to be your bodyguard, that would be this man to my left.” My father gestured to his left at the intimidating man. “And the lovely woman to my right,” he continued speaking. “Her name is Alice, she will soon be wed to me as my wife and your new mother. I hope you can accept her.”

I snapped, there was no way he could just replace my mother with some maiden so quickly. It made me sick that this man, my father, could do such a thing. Alice gave me a smile that was so fake and so full of resentment and hatred. I just couldn’t take it anymore.

“You would dare to replace my mother all of a sudden,” I yelled at my father. “You’re no father to me, and this woman will never be my mother!”

This shocked my father. I had never raised my voice, nor was I ever so rude. I turned and stormed out of the room, I ignored my father ordering me to come back and apologize. I also heard him order my new bodyguard to follow me and make sure I didn't do anything rash. I ignored everyone on the way to my study, even Miss Olivia. I closed the door behind me and sat at my desk. All the books piled up could hide me if I lined them up, but no. I just stood up after a few seconds and started putting the books back on their assigned shelf.

The door opened and my new bodyguard looked around the room until he spotted me. He stepped into the room and sighed.

“You can’t just run off like that. Especially not at times like this,” he muttered, clearly a mix between aggravated and worried.

“And why is that,” I snapped at him. “I’m not a little kid.”

“Because we believe your mother’s killer is in the castle,” he said bluntly.

His words made me stop what I was doing, the book slipped from my hand and hit me in the head. I winced and put my hand on my head, he just looked worried.

“Are you alright,” he questioned.

“I’m fine,” I sighed. “What’s your name so I don’t have to keep calling you ‘bodyguard’?”

He looked surprised that I’d asked him that, but replied anyway.

“Vlas, sir.”

“There’s no need to call me ‘sir’, I’m not near having that level of respect,” I muttered as I picked the book up off of the floor and continued to put the books from my desk back on their shelves.

Vlas just continued to watch me, “I’ll be outside of the room just in case you need me, just call for me and I’ll be back in here.” He then stepped out of the room, closing the door gently behind him.

I stayed working in my study for hours until it was well after dark, I was already tired. However, I didn’t want to leave this desk until I had finished my work. Vlas opened the door and peered in, his eyes landing on me. He frowned seeing me still awake but looking exhausted.

“Kazuo,” he called to me. “It’s after dark, you should take a break and rest.”

“I’ll be fine,” I muttered, I was tired, but I wasn’t going to give up on my work.

“Sir it’s nearly midnight,” Vlas started.

“Don’t,” I snapped at him. “Just give me another hour.”

He stopped talking. “Of course, I’ll come get you in an hour, Prince Kazuo.”

He walked back out of the room and I continued writing vigorously until I dozed off. I woke up only when I felt Vlas shaking me gently. I opened my eyes and looked at him, his face etched with worry.

“Kazuo,” he said in a concerned manner.

I sat up groggily. “Hm? Oh…it seems I was more exhausted than I originally thought.”

Vlad stood by my desk, his expression relaxing a bit. I rose from my chair, my head spinning when I stood up. I had to put my hand on the table and grab his arm to stay upright. He held my arm and helped stabilize me. I smiled, grateful he was helping me.

Whatever just happened made him far more concerned for my health. Finally my head stopped spinning and I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding in.

I smiled at him nervously. “I’m alright, thank you for worrying.”

When I reassured him he became less worried and relaxed the hold on my arm. Still, he insisted on bringing me to my room to make sure nothing else happened to me. I found that I have grown fond of Vlas. As I fell asleep that night, I knew I had made a friend.

THE END