Chapter 10 #2
As he approached the gate, the guard on duty nearly choked on his drink at the sight of the prince.
He scrambled to compose himself, brushing at the fresh coffee splattered across his shirt with a mortified grimace.
Leaning out of his post, he straightened sharply, a broad, earnest smile breaking across his face as he beamed at Rain.
“Good mornin’, Sir—eh, Your… erm… Majesty, Sir!” the guard spluttered in a thick northern accent, eyes wide as saucers.
“Morning, cadet,” Rain replied with a smirk, amused by the man’s flustered attempt at formality and incorrect title. “I’m here to see the General. Radio ahead and let him know I’m coming.”
“Right away, Sir! Do ya need an escort to take you to the General’s station?”
“No, thank you, cadet. I can find my own way.”
“Sure thing, Sir—go right in.” He gestured enthusiastically to the right as he raised the barrier. Rain dipped his head in farewell and set off toward the Operations Hall.
As he reached the main road cutting through the barracks, a supply truck rumbled up behind him, heading in the same direction. Matching its pace, he broke into a run and leapt onto the back, gripping the riveted handles jutting from the door. The truck carried him deeper into the bustling compound.
Orders barked across the crisp morning air.
Cadets shouted responses in unison. The metallic clang of weapons training echoed from the yards.
Rain let the familiar chaos wash over him as he scanned the energy signatures around him, reaching out toward the cluster of buildings ahead.
It didn’t take long to find the General, his aura sharp and clipped; the unmistakable edge of someone in the middle of reprimanding a subordinate.
The truck veered sharply away from the direction Rain needed. As it slowed into the turn, he released his grip and landed lightly on the roadside. Straightening, he headed toward the Operations Hall now rising into view.
Inside, several officers saluted him as he passed, their boots echoing against the stone floors.
Rain returned the gesture with a nod, continuing down the corridor toward the Strategy Room.
The door was ajar—open enough for him to see the long wooden table strewn with maps but closed enough to hide the occupants from view.
He softened his steps, leaning against the wall just beside the doorway, arms folded as he listened.
“They are the King’s orders. We strike first. We take Carminia before the Red King can shore up his borders,” General Toyne said, voice low but firm.
“With respect, General… that’s a suicide line. Their smoke battalions have already been spotted en route. And in the image of their King, they choke the air itself,” a woman countered. Rain recognised Captain Short’s voice instantly.
“He knows,” Toyne replied. “The King means to send a message—not just to the Reds. To everyone. That message rides at the front.”
A heavy thud sounded as something slammed against the table, followed by a sharp gasp.
“The Prince leads the charge,” Short whispered, shaken.
Of course. Rain had heard enough.
He pushed off the wall and strode into the room.
“My father’s plan is to use me as a pawn, then?”
General Toyne turned to face him without flinching, but there was a detection of surprise in his aura. “You’re not a pawn, Highness. You’re the banner. The Kingdom will follow your shadow into death if it must. That is the weight of your reputation.”
Rain felt the King’s influence clinging to the General’s words—thick, mechanical, hollow of the warmth Toyne usually held for him.
“And if I lose myself?” Rain asked quietly. “If I hurt everyone in a hundred-mile radius? Us included?”
“Then every man behind you burns with vengeance,” Toyne said. “Either way… we win.”
Silence settled like frost.
Rain’s gaze dropped to the map, to the miniature carving of himself placed at the front line. His jaw tightened. Captain Short cleared her throat, her energy uneasy.
“With all due respect, General… We learnt the hard way that the Prince isn’t meant for the front lines. That aside, he is an Aetherial. Our royal heir. Not a battering ram.”
“Tell that to the King,” Toyne snapped. “His orders were clear. Royale leads. Entices the dragon from his layer, then we fight until the smoke falls. There is no room for interpretation.”
No room for interpretation indeed.
Rain felt irritation coil in his chest. His father expected him to assassinate King Drazier. It was madness. It was a suicide mission and the fallout would be catastrophic for both kingdoms.
“You don’t have to tiptoe, Captain,” Rain said, voice low and sardonic. “We all know what this is. It is not strategy. It’s retribution.”
Toyne tensed but remained silent.
“He thinks that if he breaks me enough, I’ll fall back in line.” Rain offered them a bitter smile. “Or maybe he hopes I won’t come back at all.”
“Your Highness—” Short began, but Rain cut her off.
“It’s all right. I can feel the fear rolling off you. You’re afraid for me—I appreciate that. But you’re also afraid of me. That’s exactly what he wants. A weapon feared by all, ready at his command. Just like the good old days.”
“Then give him what he wants,” the General said sharply. “Scare them. Make the Red Kingdom regret threatening smoke across our border.”
Rain turned toward the window, letting the light catch the green in his eyes. He paused in what would appear to be contemplation, instead he fought to remain composed as the voided pit threatened to tear open his chest.
“We’re forgetting something,” he said. “They’re retaliating to an attack I caused.
This isn’t unprovoked. We are the aggressors.
And now he’s sending me—their target—straight into their territory.
Handing me over on a silver platter, wrapped in glittering paper with a freaking bow on top.
And our troops? He knows exactly what will happen. He knows the damage this will cause.”
He paused, then faced them fully, resolve patching the void. He will not succumb to his fathers will, he came here with intention.
“The day he started seeing me as a weapon was the day he stopped seeing me as his son. And that is the day he should have started looking over his shoulder. We will not be marching toward death General. I will not allow it.”
“Captain, leave us,” Toyne barked abruptly. “That is an order.”
Short hesitated, glancing between them, then saluted. “Your Highness. Sir.” She slipped out, the door closing with a heavy thud.
Silence stretched in her wake.
Rain pulled out the chair at the head of the table, scraping wood against stone as he sat. His fingers brushed the edge of the map. Toyne watched him, confusion clouding his aura as the hardness of command faltered.
“You know it’s wrong, don’t you?” Rain asked softly. “That’s why you’re hesitating. Why this room is empty.”
Toyne stiffened, fists clenching at his sides. “I follow the crown. That is my oath.”
“How noble, Sir.” Rain cocked his head, his green eyes gleaming as he challenged his father's powerful grip on the general's mind.
“My duty is to keep people alive. Our people,” Toyne said, voice tight.
“What if the current crown doesn’t serve the kingdom and its people anymore?” Rain countered, lifting his chin. “What if it only serves itself?”
Toyne exhaled, weary and conflicted.
“You think I haven’t seen it?” he murmured. “The way he uses you—sends you out like a loaded weapon because he fears you. Royale, I have a front-row seat.”
“And you obey it,” Rain said, leaning forward in his seat his stare trained on the general.
The man was softening to the hold that gripped him, far quicker than he had anticipated.
Taking the initiative Rain prodded further, softening his tone to one of understanding.
“I don’t blame you. Control is his power.
He makes loyalty feel like virtue. He twists your instincts until you can’t tell which thoughts are your own. ”
Toyne sank onto the edge of the table beside him.
“When I received the order last night, part of me thought I misread it. I assumed you were still recovering from the attack. I thought I could reason with him, but his fear runs deep. He dismissed everything I said. And by the end of it, I left feeling like his will was the only path forward.” He swallowed.
“I can feel the difference in my mind. I know his power has a hold on me, Royale.”
Sympathy flickered across Rain’s features. It was one thing to be manipulated by the King’s magic—another to be aware of it.
“You’re strong-willed, Sir. I’ve never felt a mortal push back against my father’s influence. That alone makes you invaluable.”
“You’re planning something,” Toyne whispered. “Not war… rebellion.”
Rain closed off his empathic channel, satisfied that his father’s influence had retreated.
“If I let him continue like this, he will be the death of me. And I fear what that would mean for our people. For my kingdom. Perhaps it is time they had a leader capable of change. One who doesn’t drag us into endless, mindless wars.”
He leaned in, voice low.
“I am not speaking of a rebellion, General. The throne is rightfully mine.”
A long silence followed. Rain held Toyne’s gaze, sensing the man’s pulse quicken as thoughts churned behind his eyes. Toyne was the first to look away. He stood, straightening his uniform.
“If you move against him—openly or in silence—I can’t commit to you with words. Not yet.” He paused at the door, posture crisp. “But when the moment comes… Your army will fight for its kingdom.”
Rain exhaled slowly, tension draining from his shoulders.
“That’s all I need to hear. Follow his orders. You can’t disobey him. But I can. For now, tell him I refused direct orders, I will not comply with this suicide mission. Keep me informed, and I’ll intervene when necessary.”
“Affirmative. Good day, Your Highness.”
General Toyne saluted and marched out, leaving Rain alone with his thoughts as his eyes drifted over the scattered parchments and battle plans strewn across the table.