The Prince's Wedding

Bells. 2

MELISSA

The bells came at the crack of dawn, the slightest hint of sunrise, before the birds started singing and the cock crew.
And these were no ordinary bells, no. Bells at dawn only meant two things.
New life or loss of life of the Royal family, and there is no current queen or princess in the royal family, so no one is expecting a child.
But I waited.
Bells came with a trumpet if it was the loss of life...and as I listened to the bells, I held my breath and waited for the trumpet.
Then it came.
Loud and slow as it confirmed the painful news. It was like the kingdom had awoken and I rushed out just like everyone else did.

Now, standing right in front of our cottage, I stare at the castle as an unwelcome heaviness fills my heart while the trumpet sounds.
No...
No.
It can't be.

The whispers turn to murmurs as the kingdom comes alive,
"What's happened?"

"The King is dead."

"Oh, no! The King is dead."

"We lost the King."

"Did he die during the night?"

"What's going on?" this particular, small voice comes from beside me and I turn to Halley, rubbing her eyes as she looks up at me. Her big, blue eyes are shrunken a bit from sleep and her ginger-colored hair is in a curly mess around her face.

"What's all that noise?" she asks and I squat to her level as I smooth out her hair.

"Oh, sweetie. I'm afraid we've lost the King. He passed away during the night." I say and she stops rubbing her eyes as he stares at me in shock.

"King Russel?"

"Mm-hmm." I manage to say, the truth of my words now hitting me with a fresh pang of pain.
The King is dead.

Halley turns to the castle behind me, her eyes sad.

"What will happen now? Will Prince Alex become the new king?"

"Prince Alexander." I correct her for what seems like the hundredth time. She had a habit of abbreviating people's names and from what I'd heard about the Prince, he didn't take lightly to being called so casually.
Then again, he doesn't take anything lightly.

"And not yet, it doesn't work that way. Remember what you were taught about tradition?" I ask her and she cocks her head to the side as she thinks.

"Ummm, there would be a Royal burial?"

"Exactly. Where the King's final words to the kingdom will be read."

"Wait, does that mean we get to go to the castle?"  she says, sounding a bit excited and it's hard to tell that she was sad just a few seconds ago.

"Yes, we do."
We don't have to though. Attending the burial was optional for the kingdom because word will still spread of his last word.
But everyone loved King Russel.
I did.

"Oh no!" Halley gasps, snapping my attention back and I stare at her.
"Does this mean they'll shut down the school?"

I wanted to avoid the idea, but it somehow gives me a bit of relief that I wasn't the only one thinking about it.
King Russel had been the one that helped with my idea of a little school of Nirvania, where little kids came to learn the history and tradition of the kingdom before going on to learn a trade and become an apprentice.
I still remember when he appointed me teacher...
How the guards stood outside my door and handed me the letter with the royal seal.
He had funded it from his funds, not that of the kingdom so it didn't need a permit.
He had checked up on it.
And he had assured me that the school will remain standing...
But what if that was only for as long as he lived?