Guarded
by Mary Soon Lee
Waking, that first morning,
in the king's bed--his bed--
dawn brightening the paper windows,
Xau saw the guard, Gan,
standing in the same position
he had been in when Xau fell asleep.
(Had he stood there all night?
Or silently paced the room?
What if he'd needed to piss?)
Xau didn't know what to say,
but he would not say nothing.
Xau got out of bed, bowed to Gan,
poured a cup of water:
"Thank you. Are you thirsty?"
 
Gan stared at the boy, the king,
standing there in his pajamas
holding out a cup of water
to him, the guard.
A small thing,
but the boy's father
had never done it.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Gan bowed back,
took the cup, drank.

(First published in "Crowned: The Sign of the Dragon, Book 1")
 

 
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