CHAPTER 4
Another year or so had passed Patrick was going to be married to Rebecca in a months’ time. The two have courted for a little over a year now. Lucy, who has basically been Patrick's main caregiver, was getting the preparations for the wedding together. One could say that she was like the mother he never had, but she also never wished this upon Patrick.
During this past month Patrick has been preparing for his wedding to Rebecca, he would stand in front of the mirror and pretend to recite his vows and the placing of the ring on her finger. Lucy was passing by his room one day as Patrick was practicing on his vows, she stood in the doorway and watched him, starting to snicker at his cuteness. He quickly turned around, “How long have you been standing there?” he asked Lucy still quietly laughing responded, “Long enough.” she went over gave him a hug, “You will do just fine.” then she smiled and left his room.
The day had come for Patrick and Rebecca's wedding, which any royal wedding in Halcyon became a national event. The royals from the other kingdoms, and the highest class of people were those who attended. Peter and Helena, with their sons Daniel and Mitchell, daniel almost a year older, the king and queen of Cyan, will stand beside their friends as they get married. William, along with his wife Marie and their son and daughter, Maxwell and Daisy were also there. So were Evan and Rachel from Hansa, who were expecting their first child in a couple months. Dominick did not attend Patrick and Rebecca's wedding, he instead kept to himself, something he seemed to do more of every day.
Patrick was getting ready with Peter, Evan and William, while Helena and the other queens were with Rebecca in her chambers braiding and putting up Rebecca's hair. Rebecca's mother, Katrina had come from Sinopia along with her older brother and his wife. Katrina looked at her daughter with smiling tears in her eyes, “You are so beautiful, my dear.” she said. “Thank you mother, but it is from you where I got my beauty.” Rebecca responded. They finished getting ready and then headed to the front of the castle, so not to be seen by Patrick, or the wedding guests.
The garden was bursting with blooms everywhere, there couldn’t be a more perfect day for a wedding. Patrick had a gazebo built near the rose bushes where his sister and mother were buried. He wanted to be close to them on his special day, he even had their tombstones decorated with roses and other decorations to make them a part of his wedding. Patrick was standing at the gazebo with his friends by his side, while waiting for his soon bride to be to arrive. Patrick is looking all over twiddling his thumbs in pure anticipation. He looked rather dashing in his attire, his emerald eyes sparkled as he waited for his Rebecca.
The music started to play, first to walk in were Marie and Rachel, Patrick was standing at the gazebo, looking in anticipation of seeing Rebecca and finally making her his wife. Everyone stood and looked towards the gates to where she would be entering.
Rebecca, with her mother and Helena by her side made her way through the gates and towards the gazebo. The sun was shining at the perfect angle reflecting her gown and her flaxen blonde hair glistened with every step she took. Patrick's face has never lit up this much as he watched her approaching him. Rebecca was finally aside her Patrick, the two looked stunning together, and then the ceremony began.
After the ceremony was over, and Patrick and Rebecca was announced as Prince and Princess of Indigo they walked onto the garden grounds nearby where the reception was being held. The wedding party, family and guests followed after the newly wedded couple. Usually the father daughter dance was first, however Rebecca’s father had passed many years ago and Dominick, Patrick’s father wanted no parts of this, she asked Marie's father in law, King Michael for the honor, which he accepted graciously. Patrick and Rebecca danced their first dance together as husband and wife.
Patrick, after his marriage to Rebecca becomes more involved with every day matters within the kingdom of Indigo. He however kept it from his father, rather Jayson and Jasper would report to him about the going on and how his father was losing his grasp with reality more and more with each passing day.
One day, months later, Jayson had come to Patrick, the concern in his eyes seemed to be more from fright than anything. “Patrick, when is the last time you had spoken to your father?” Jayson asks. Taking a moment to think, Patrick looks around, “I honestly cannot remember, sometime before my wedding I would suppose.” he says. “There is something wrong with your father, he does not speak any sense lately, he seems distracted.” Jayson adds. “Distracted?” asks Patrick, “How do you mean?” Jayson continues, “He is not there, when I speak with him, it almost seems like someone else is doing the talking. I think it is time for you to begin taking over the throne before Indigo and your father are lost.”
The next months, behind his father’s back, Patrick would have all matters his father was dealing with presented to him. It was evident that Patrick was now ready to take over as the king of Indigo, and he, Jayson and Jasper felt it best to have Dominick locked up and under constant watch, before he went completely mad.
Not even a year after Patrick and Rebecca were wed they announced the birth of their daughter. Then blessed with another daughter about ten months later. Patrick, however still had not taken over the throne of Indigo for his father, even though getting madder by the day still ruled. Patrick knew that it was time for him to step in and take over, not wanting to push his father aside, but also knew that the time had come to where his father will never get better, and also for the safety of those in the kingdom and throughout Indigo.
Patrick approached his father who was sitting in the throne room, he had Jayson with him and a few other guards by his side, along with Jasper, Jayson's son who was training to take over as the head knight. Patrick was not sure what his father’s reaction would be but he had a good feeling that his father was not going to bow down easily. Patrick walked straight over to his father looked him the eyes, "Father, the time has come." Said Patrick, "Time for you to release the throne to me." "I am old enough now to rule, and you have not been any type of king for years." Patrick knowing that he was right in what he was saying, still made his heart sink to have to speak to his father in such a manor. "You will have to get rid of me first." Dominick stated firmly as he got up from his desk. Patrick had no intentions of backing down, “I am prepared to take over as King.” Patrick said back. Not wanting to have to have his father taken into any kind of custody, nodded at the guards to take him away to another part of the castle. "Unhand me, you filths!" Dominick exclaimed as he tried to throw their hands off of him. They grasped on to his to arms even harder and began to escort him out of the room. "You work for me." Ignoring his pleas took him to his new living quarters, shoved him inside and locked the door.
Dominick's new quarters consisted of a bed, table and a chair, and a small washroom area. Patrick had the guards put bars on the windows so his father could not try to escape. Dominick walked over to the one window and grabbed the bars tightly, shaking his arms in a fiery rage, “You will never keep me in here!” He yelled, “Do you hear me, I will find a way out!” A guard who was posted outside the door opened the small hatch from where Dominick would be given food and drink, “Quiet in there!” he yelled and closed the hatch.
Dominick was put on a twenty-four hour watch and was getting worse by the day. The guards would hear him talking to someone, although there was no one in there with him. Patrick would go see his father every day, well he at least tried to but his father felt that his own son had betrayed him and wanted no parts of him, or even his own granddaughters.
It was now at least a couple years later, Patrick was now King of Indigo, Rebecca was now queen, they now had two beautiful daughters were growing up fast. During this time his father had escaped from his room, it happened in the middle of the night, almost four months after Dominick was placed in his new room, when the guard went to look in the hatch he noticed that Dominick was no longer in there. “Call for Patrick to come here at once.”
he yelled to another guard close by.
Patrick came running from his room, “What is it?” he asked “It's your father he is gone.” “Are you sure, maybe he is hiding and trying to trick you into opening the door?” Patrick replied as he peaked in himself. “I do not think so.” “Go fetch more guards, I am not opening this door without them.” Patrick ordered, the guard went and got a handful or more guards that were close by. Patrick unlocked the door and started to go inside. Jasper heard what was going on and came running down the corridor, “Wait!” he shouted, “Let me go with you.” Patrick and Jasper walked into the room, examined it fully, nothing was out of place, his father however was indeed gone.
“Gather all the guards at once, meet me outside near the stables.” Patrick ordered, He was pacing back and forth, still looking up and down and all around trying to figure out how his father could have escaped. “Yes sire, right away.” replied Jasper as he headed out quickly. Patrick took the other guards and went to wait for Jasper to return with the others. Jayson was there with him, he also was dumfounded at this, as they walked he stopped and turned to Patrick. “How could your father have escaped? There are no holes or tunnels dug.” Patrick now only had one thing on his mind, he kept walking, looked back at Jayson, “Well he is gone all we can do now is try and find him, we need to get the horses saddled at once.” The guards that were with Patrick entered the stables and began to ready the horses as quickly as possible.
Jasper returned with a small army of guards, around twenty-five to thirty, or more along the way to the stables Jasper had briefed them on Dominick's escape. As quickly as the horses were being saddled they were brought out of the stables, all together there was almost fifty men including Patrick. Patrick got up upon his horse, turned and faced all who were there, “We will ride in pairs, search every inch of the island, group up and ride. If my father is found is to be brought back unharmed.” Jayson did not go he stayed behind; Jasper waited with Patrick as they watch the guards head out of the castle grounds dividing into groups of two and off they went.
Rebecca had come outside, she was walking towards Patrick as he and Jasper were heading for the gates. They stopped their horses in front of her, Patrick first looking at Jasper and asking, “Did you alert the other guards to be on watch?” “Yes Sire” he replied. Rebecca walked right up is to her husband, “What is going on here?” “It is my father, he escaped, although we cannot figure out how.” He paused and leaned over giving her a kiss, “I will return as quickly as possible.” With that he and Jasper headed out.
Lucy had just came out and overhead what was going on, Rebecca was heading back inside when Lucy approached her, “Is it true, Dominick escaped?” she asked “I am afraid so.” answered Rebecca. They went inside to the dining hall, “Have a seat Ma'am, I will go fetch some tea.” Lucy said. “Very well, I don’t think I will be sleeping much anyways.” Responded Rebecca. Lucy went off to the kitchen brought back a pitcher of tea and two cups, the two sat and talked most of the night.
Patrick, Jasper and the other guards were searching the island, looking everywhere and anywhere, asking anyone they came across along the way if they had seen Dominick, “We are getting nowhere, I wonder if anyone else is having any luck.” Jasper said. All Patrick could do was shake his head, he was still trying to figure how his father escaped let alone where he had gone. The search continued, they rode into the early morning hours and headed back to the castle.
Two by two the other guards made their way back to the castle; they looked in the forest areas, towns, marshes, and even the mountains to the south. Patrick and Jasper were out in the courtyard with Jayson as the guards came to report. There was no sign of Dominick anywhere, dead or alive, all Patrick could do now was keep extra guards posted around the clock and warn the other lands of what had occurred last night. “I want six of you to go in pairs to the other castles, make it known to them about my father, and for them to take extra precautions.” Six of the men volunteered for the task and went back out of the gates riding as fast as they could to the other kingdoms.