Unbearable Cruelty

I turned to a puddle.

My head dropped forward on my shoulders. My jaw hung. To say I was gaping, did not fully cover my expression of shock.

“For the Eternus alliance?” I managed to expostulate. Unable to think of a single other logical reason.

He gave a cold laugh.

“I don’t want to be King.” He pointed out. “You know that.”

It was true. I’d heard he and my brother, Roger discussing exactly that on many occasions.

Roger usually told him that he’d like it when he became it, but no man was excited for it.

Jackson had argued that he liked being free to run outside and to chase the animals, hunt and work with the weapons. He didn’t want to sit in a throne and make boring decisions.

“They’re only boring if you’re not smart.” Archer would point out.

Which caused the anticipated angry response from Jackson. Ending in them rolling in a scuffle in the dirt. Laughing between whacking each other.

I returned to the