I received a letter from Hedrick. How long had it been? If my coronation was five months ago then it must have been around six since he left. During the empty time of my life, he would rise back into my mind. When everything had been happening, I was too focused on current events, but now that it had calmed, he came up more and more. I dearly missed my friend, my brother.

“I’ve been in the Farlands for a bit now, it is unlike any other land you’ve seen. Towns are small and spread apart. Mother nature dominates this continent. It is not an easy place. The living is hard, but free. The formalities of Rhinsburg have been largely discarded; people are much more open to new ideas and are constantly innovating. I am doing well here. I have begun to reside in the north. The people here value education, a sentiment I deeply respect. Every child is sent to compulsory school, what a novel concept.”

His letter contained trivial details and events occurring around him, yet it warmed my heart greatly. From what he had written, not all was good in the colonies. There were many difficulties there that could not be so easily rectified: harsh conditions, Indians, and other various nuisances. Nevertheless, he seemed happy. He was doing well and would help to contribute to solving the issues of the Farlands. The letter was postmarked to three months ago. He surely had heard of the usurpation, yet nothing mentioned it. He was an odd fellow in that way. He didn’t congratulate, rebuke, or anything in relation to those bloody events. Instead he focused on the minor things, the things others would regard as unimportant. He cared not about my position or status, he was my friend and he wouldn’t change that. His steadfastness in his actions always was what I admired most about him. He was filled with a surety that I lacked: a confidence, not born of falsification like mine, but of himself.

I feared a life of boredom. The idea of being bored was worse than death. It was a slow, torturous blade; it stabbed deeper and deeper, leaving a gaping wound in your body that bled and became infected. Reading was enjoyable but evanescent. When enraptured in a good piece of literature, it would evoke great joy, yet afterwards there was only void. It was a temporary escape; there was only so long one could run away before they were brought back to the world and its plaguing issues. I sat up reading with a lanterns light. I was fond of the nighttime, it calmed me to be covered with its darkness. One privilege of being King was this chair. This should be my throne rather than that bulky, hard thing I was forced to sit on during important events. My interest left the book on the table as I basked in the tranquility of the night sky peering in through the window. I turned off my lantern and closed my eyes in a moment of tranquility and contentment.

I was awoke from a knock on my door. It appeared that I had dozed off in my chair. It was time for the ball. Getting up, let the servants dress me and went to the event in the Royal Carriage. The ball had truly started half an hour ago, but the monarch is supposed to arrive late. Everyone closely watched my entrance as I made sure to present myself with grace and dignity. What a troublesome lifestyle. Many foreign dignitaries were at this event and came to appraise and greet the new King of Rhinsburg. Nobles had sent their daughters to entice me and everyone was there to watch me. It was exhausting. After the slew of people finished greeting me, I took my seat of honor and watched as nobles danced together. Gazing around the crowd, I looked at individuals in boredom as I tried to pass the time. Eventually, I noticed one person. I beckoned Fredrick and inquired of him.

“Who is she? The one with crimson eyes.” I asked.

“Your Majesty. She is the daughter of the diplomat from the nation of Goti.”

Goti. That was a minor nation in a frigid, mountainous region on the north of the mainland. They were not prosperous nor well-known. Our nations have good relations. I was aware of their unique characteristics, but I did not expect them to be so distinct. I had never seen such vibrant eyes; they complimented her raven black hair. Only people from Goti had red eyes, and it rarely passed on to the children of a mixed couple. Combine this with their general isolation from the outside world and it made their red eyes even more rare.

“What is your impression of her?” I asked.

“She seems strong of will, Your Majesty. Her eyes are filled with a spirit of tenacity and certainty.” Fredrick praised.

His words reassured my first impression of her and deepened my interest in her character.