Chapter 14

FOURTEEN

As thumping footsteps came from within, Jackson leaped up, moving to look within the entryway. When Barrett"s eyes met his, and Barrett smiled, a surge of relief washed over Jackson.

"He"s okay." He breathed out in a rush. His feet moved before he could stop himself in a rush to get to Barrett.

Jackson slammed into the invisible barrier that kept him out because he was not a citizen of this realm. The thump vibrated through his nose and up through his skull. The pain wasn"t bad, but a flush of embarrassment rose to his cheeks.

"Maybe wait for him to get to you," Lark chuckled, walking past Jackson and the barrier to embrace Barrett.

He had feared the worst, but the magic of this realm saved Barrett from an injury that would have destroyed him down below.

"Jackson," Barrett"s voice rang out, echoing off the large hallway just behind the barrier.

And then he was there, his arms wrapping around Jackson until he"d pulled him close against him. Jackson"s arms gripped Barrett, tugging the prince so close it might have smothered him.

"I thought you were going to die."

"I noticed," Barrett"s lips found his with a quick kiss. "But that"s not going to happen."

"Barrett, who is this man that cannot enter?" A voice that sounded like Barrett, if Barrett were a slight bit gruffer asked from out of me.

Jackson"s heart leaped when he beheld the imposing figure before him. The king was tall, towering over them all, his broad chest clad in heavy plate armor made of some strange metal alloy that shimmered in a way that seemed almost alive. Calloused hands flexed on the pommel of a broadsword.

But it was more than his height.

Barrett was a carbon copy of the man who was truly his father. Jackson"s mind was still reeling from the shock of seeing Barrett, and now he could not look away from the king.

The same high cheekbones, sharp jawline, and piercing eyes were all too apparent in King James. Even his stance seemed familiar somehow - a mix between regal indifference and relaxed watchfulness.

As if sensing his gaze upon him, King James turned his head slowly to glare down at Jackson from behind glacier-like cold blue eyes.

"Who are you?" The king asked again, his voice steely.

"This is the man who made it possible for me to be here again." Barrett slipped his hand into Jackson"s and squeezed. "This is the man who saved me, not once, not even twice, but three times."

Even though it made no sense, Jackson had hoped Barrett would say this is the man he loved—but they were nowhere near that level. Maybe they never would be.

King James"s face remained impassive as he towered above Jackson and the other survivors. The armor he wore, while heavy, made no sound as he walked. It was as if it were part of him, moving in unison with his every step until he stood outside the castle, mere inches from Barrett and Jackson.

"You are the one who climbed the skyward stalk." It wasn"t a question.

Jackson nodded, uncertain where this would lead.

"Tell me your name."

"My name is Jackson Walker." A tremble crept into Jackson"s voice as he replied, suddenly aware that he was once again around royalty.

As King James took another deep breath, you could almost hear the air swirl around him. It seemed tangible enough to grasp between your fingertips. It carried an indescribable scent—one that reminded Jackson of celestial flowers growing high above on clouds and cobweb-like vines twisting through ancient oak trees below.

Magic lingered everywhere here. It crackled in the air like electricity about to strike or whispered between lovers in secret corners of hidden gardens below Earth"s realm. This was a place where anything seemed possible - if only one dared to reach for it.

The corners of King James"s mouth twitched slightly as if considering something internal before shifting into a smile. It was like watching the sun peek out from behind a cloud after days of rain.

"Thank you," King James finally said in an almost whispered tone that seemed out of place coming from such a powerful man.

Reaching out with one massive hand adorned by intricate runic tattoos on its back—a mark of his royal lineage—he placed it on top of Barrett"s head affectionately as if blessing him before turning towards Jackson once more with open arms stretched wide open towards him invitingly like an offering of trust eagerly awaiting acceptance. An invitation few others could ever hope for let alone receive from such a king Jackson knew.

"You are truly brave," King James continued, studying Jackson"s face intently with those sharp eyes that held centuries of wisdom within them. "Not many would have dared what you did to reach our kingdom." His voice rumbled like thunder across the clouds above them. They were standing on one such sky-island now—bigger than any castle or village below could ever hope to be - where magical creatures roamed freely and mythical tales came true.

Jackson found himself speechless at first. This was so unlike anything he"d ever known or imagined possible. But then courage found its way back into his words as he cleared his throat and responded carefully.

"Your Majesty, I have had time to think while Barrett healed. I know how we can save everyone without any more loss."

"I told you I had a plan," Barrett whispered into his ear.

Jackson took his attention from the king and looked at Barrett.

"Which is how I came up with mine. I don"t know yours, but I worried it would involve you sacrificing yourself to save others."

A flush crept up Barrett"s cheeks. "I see you know me well."

Jackson only nodded before turning back to King James. "My plan will ensure Barrett stays as safe as possible. That your entire kingdom does."

"Continue," King James urged.

Jackson took a deep breath, trying to remember every detail of his journey from the moment he"d discovered the magical beans until now. "Your Majesty, about how I came here myself. I traded some of our family"s last food for these "magic beans", thinking they were a scam, but desperate to save my land. Well, when night fell, and darkness shrouded the skies, a storm knocked on our farmhouse door like never before. In the morning there was nothing. Furious, I took it out on the land, and the beanstalk grew."

Jackson paused to see if the king doubted anything, but his gaze remained calm.

"This beanstalk shot up higher than any tree or tower could ever reach—right into these clouds! I climbed up and found salvation in the large food in the giant"s garden. I also found your son."

"I"m not following the importance." Now, the king"s eyes narrowed.

"When we tricked the giant, we went down the beanstalk, and we cut it down. We trapped the giant up here. We can do the same thing with your kingdom because I had to use the final bean to grow the stalk to come just now. We get your people down the beanstalk and cut it down."

Dead silence met him, so Jackson continued.

"It may take some time to find homes and jobs for everyone, but my property can host many. There can be a new life for you all."

"You speak of salvation and new beginnings, human," King James rumbled, his voice deep and resonant like thunder in the distance. "But what you fail to understand is that my people are not animals to be caged and moved about like pawns on a chessboard."

Lark stepped forward, clutching her bow tightly. "But sire - we"ve seen it!"

"I do not understand how you fit into this, but I urge you to remember you are not part of my council." He paused and closed his eyes for a moment as if trying to calm himself. We are a proud kingdom, one that has stood tall for centuries against the harshness of this world. And now you come before me with some magical vegetable that promises an escape? No, I refuse to abandon all we have built simply because of a few. . . giants."

Jackson understood where the king"s thoughts came from, but if he would listen, Jackson could save them all.

"I have seen too much bloodshed already—my son"s abduction being just one example," King James continued amidst the commotion behind him. "But we cannot allow these monsters to dictate our future! We will march against them with all our might! With all our magic!"

Jackson winced with fear the king might strike him down.

"Your proposal is denied," he finally said coldly before dismissing them from his presence entirely by raising a hand high into view. "And what of this bond between you and my son?" His voice was like thunder rolling across a battlefield; it seemed to command respect and fear all at once. "Are you prepared for the consequences?"

Jackson swallowed hard. He knew what that meant. He couldn"t let Barrett return to him unless he was willing to accept this newfound relationship. It wasn"t love, not yet, but there was definitely something more than friendship between them now. And yet. . .

"I am willing to accept whatever comes with it," Jackson said with determination etched on his face. He"d not told Barrett how much he meant to him, but if he had to declare it to the king first, he would.

"Very well. Then a mage will allow your blood to pass through this barrier. Wait here. You will come in and we will continue to plan my plan. My plan is to save my son and my people without running."

Jackson held back a sigh. If he could spend time here, he could perhaps change the king"s mind.

"It would be my honor," he bowed, playing the part he needed to play.

Days passed slowly for Jackson, yet they were filled with non-stop activity. The kingdom continued to buzz with preparations for the threatened attack, but now, with the added task of finding more magic to help them shrink the giants down to their size to fight as fairly as they could.

Jackson"s time with Barrett was the main reason he stayed. The days and hours spent doing everything and nothing with the prince seemed to quiet all the storms raging inside Jackson.

He was falling in love with Barrett and was pretty certain Barrett was falling in love with him, too.

"Jackson?" Barrett poked him in the arm. "Are you there?"

He sighed. "I can"t focus on anything. Every time your father starts talking of the attack, all I can think of is how lost you"ll be if he fails."

"My father has never truly won against the giants. But with me here, he"s so determined -"

A slam drew both their gazes toward the entrance of the throne room where a man Jackson had not met stood. His face was etched with weariness and grief and bore a gash along the chin. Blood stained his armor, and it looked like a portion of his left pauldron was missing.

"Neil!" Barrett was up, rushing to the man"s side.

"We tried to stop them from getting closer to the castle. We succeeded, but -" Neil hung his head for a moment before lifting it. "I need to speak to your father."

"What is the commotion?" King James entered and Jackson saw the man immediately cross to whoever this Neil was.

"My liege," Neil began solemnly, removing his helmet with a sigh of relief since protocol wasn"t necessary anymore, "We failed." The helmet clanked to the floor as if he lost all strength to hold it. "Our numbers were too few," Neil continued, "and our resources are depleted." He took a deep breath before continuing. "We encountered impossible odds. . . there were too many of them."

"How many did we lose?" King James" voice echoed with madness.

"We must leave," Neil said bluntly. "Find safety elsewhere before more attacks come."

A long silence fell over them all. It hung like a leaden weight on the windswept clouds above them all.

King James finally spoke. "Very well," he said at last, turning away from Neil towards Jackson himself now. "We"ll follow this man." King James looked directly at him.

The room spun as Jackson realized that he was going to be in charge of saving an entire kingdom of people.

You"ve saved your farm, you can save them. With Barrett"s help.

"Here"s what we"re going to do," Jackson tried to breathe calmly. He had a kingdom to help save.