My father always had the final say. But hopefully, he would listen to me when it came to Rurik.
“Roland will train with Torrin,” I stated. I felt Roland looking at me with wide eyes, and when I met his stare, he gave me a thankful nod. Rurik stared at me in disbelief, and before he could respond, I was charging back into the castle. I heard the door open behind me, but I was too angry to turn around and see who it was. A hand gripped my shoulder after a few more steps, and I turned to see Torrin.
His dark eyes gave warning, and I shrugged off his touch and continued walking forward, Torrin trailing me. “I do not need a lecture, Torrin. That bastard doesn’t belong in the training grounds if he is going to let that occur. You can handle one more boy.”
“I am not disagreeing with you, Your Highness.”
I halted, then turned with a skeptical expression. Torrin’s arms were crossed, but he was beaming at me.
“I saw our future King just now in that altercation. You’ve come a long way. I am proud.”
I blinked. “Thank you.”
He patted my shoulder and turned to head out.
I went straight to my father after what went down with Rurik.
“Rurik is one of my most prized generals,” my father seethed. My mother was visibly stressed as she sat next to him. “You think it wise to embarrass me and give orders like you are King?”
Mother shot me a warning look.
Remain respectful,she always said.
I cleared my throat. “I did not wish to embarrass you, my King.” From an early age, my father insisted I refer to him as my King instead of my father. He believed it to be respectful as it was how he addressed his father. “Rurik behaved in an unacceptable manner and—”
“Who are you to say anything about how a general with far more experience than you instructs our soldiers?”
He was testing me. Surely, he didn’t want me to cower. If I was to be King one day, I needed to be just like him.
The problem was, I was nothing like him.
My heartbeat quickened. “He does not respect one of our prospective soldiers. I made a solution to switch him over to our training group.”
“If that was the solution, then why did you threaten his removal from his position?”
My fists shook at my side. “Because I do not believe he deserves it!” I yelled. My mother’s hand went over her mouth, and I knew I had messed up.
“Deserve it?” The King snarled, rising from his throne. His black hair and tanned skin were about all we had in common, and the cruelty that radiated from him was nothing I ever wanted for myself. “You have done nothing to deserveanythingother than pop out of your mother’s womb.”
I could do nothing but brace myself as he cracked the back of his hand against my face. It stung, but I wouldn’t show weakness by grasping it. My father got close to my ear.
“Finish your training and prove yourself on the battlefield, then you can start barking orders. But until then, you are to be the obedient little boy everyone knows you to be.”
I stared at the ground, my nails digging into my palms. It took everything to hide the disdain on my face.
“Do I make myself clear?” he shouted.
“Yes, my King,” I answered. I didn’t make eye contact with him as he stepped out of the throne room, and when I looked at my mother, tears were falling down her face.
The week went by as slowly as ever. Thankfully, Roland was allowed to train with Edmund and me under Torrin’s guidance. However, Rurik remained, and it was impossible not to notice his burning gaze upon me every training session. I had made my first enemy, though it sometimes felt like my father was one, too.
It was early morning, Thursday. I had anticipated and dreaded this day. I would go to see Lena and pray to the Gods that she would give me a chance to explain. I had hoped the week had given her time to clear her head.
I made my way down my regular path, my heart beating rapidly. I stopped in front of Lena’s cottage, taking a breath before knocking on the door.
After a moment, Minerva hesitantly opened the door, barely peeping her head through, her eyes enlarged.
“You shouldn’t be here, Your Highness,” she whispered, looking around the neighborhood. It was too early for most people to be outside.
