2. Nicholas
2
Nicholas
S weat trickled down my bare chest as I panted in the ring. My skin glistened, as well as the faint dusting of light brown hair spanning my chest and wandered down my muscled stomach. Across from me stood Sebastian Druller, dedicated military commander since my father held the crown.
A feral glint decorated his eyes. His rust-colored beard caught the droplets trailing the side of his face, falling from his mess of auburn locks. There was a reason he’d held his position for so long—his reputation for being fearless. Plus, the man stacked layers of muscle on top of his frame like a brick house.
Our fight record had us evenly matched for wins and losses, but I’d won the last, which had his determination to take me down choking the air from the room. He tightened his grip on the hilt, three times in succession—which meant he was about to strike.
I sagged my shoulders, relaxing the weapon at my side. A misdirect to make him think I wasn’t prepared for his attack. Goading, maybe. “I’m surprised they’d gone undetected for so long,” I continued our conversation sparked by the events that’d just occurred, resulting in losing The Coveted—again.
He lunged, as predicted. In one fluid motion, I stepped to the side and spun while raising my blade. He brought up his steel just in time to intercept what would have been a head-removing slice if this had been a proper battle. At least, I could only assume since I’d never been in a true conflict.
“And that they’d survived the litany of creatures that slink around their forest,” he replied.
Ever since finding out days ago that Argora Vale, otherwise known as The Cursed Kingdom, was inhabited, I’d heard my late father’s whispers in my head. “ A true king knows all the dealings of his kingdom, his allies, and his foes. To be unaware is to be unworthy of the crown.”
I’d bet a satchel of silver that he’d be rolling in his grave to know his twenty-four-year-old son still donned the title Prince of Highcrest years after he and mother succumbed to a nasty flu. His own doing, really, since he’d put a stipulation in the kingdom’s charter that I marry first before taking on the title of king.
Metal sang as we disconnected and put space between us while we circled each other from the outskirts of the ring. “From your men’s reports, I wonder if we should offer aid. Establish a relationship. Might help us prevent any unnecessary strife in the future. Their population can’t be big at all, considering what your men observed. Not a lot of fertile land left to sustain them, though they seem to be making do.”
It wasn’t clear how the kingdom to the north ruled. No obvious monarchy in place, at least that I’d found out about. If there had been, my guardsmen crossing their border could have been interpreted as an act of war. Not something I wanted.
Seb used his forearm to wipe the moisture from his forehead. “If I may, Your Highness, I say we don’t intervene. Clearly they’ve established operations that allow them to thrive, using magic no doubt. If they were in trouble, they’d come to you.” He rolled his shoulders back, reaffirming his stance. “I’d hate to sacrifice men for convoys when we have much work here.”
“Much work indeed.” I wished he was wrong.
A strand of my golden hair fell out of its pulled back knot. Another disappointment my father would scoff at was how lengthy it’d become over the past several months. The ends grazed the tops of my shoulders now, but I’d had more important issues to concern myself with than seeing the barber. Since Mira—The Coveted—had graced the castle upon her first arrival months ago, she’d sent my mind into a tailspin.
Careful military shuffling happened to align with the beast breaching my walls today for a second time. That interaction hours ago had certainly thrown me for a loop. Hearing Mira’s voice carry across the courtyard, confessing that she’d fallen in love with that creature had been the last thing I’d expected.
Reports confirmed Mira and the creature had again returned to the woods heading north, leaving me to reel in the aftermath. Hundreds of guardsmen had made their way to Highcrest Castle, and were currently being shuffled into new battalions and dispatched.
Something Mira had inspired me to do.
Seb didn’t waste the opportunity. With a warrior’s roar, he raised his sword and advanced. It took me a moment to fortify my grip and intercept with my blade. That extra second meant my block wasn’t as sturdy as it needed to be. His metal slid along mine until he sent it to my hilt, slicing into my hand.
Knowing I wouldn’t have enough time to recover and balance, I sent my foot into his gut and shoved. As he stumbled, I brought my sword to his neck and stilled. Precise and controlled. That gleam in his eye extinguished when he realized I’d bested him.
He coughed in recovery from my kick and chuckled. “Well played. I got too cocky when I got in my hit. Thought you’d get distracted from the pain.” He straightened with a groan.
“You did get me pretty good.” Blood dripped from my hand as I appraised the fresh cut.
“My apologies, Your Highness. Let me send for the healer.” Seb went to retrieve his shirt.
“Never apologize for pushing me, Commander. I’d take it as an insult if you didn’t.”
He smirked, the approval showing.
“But don’t bother with the healer. I’ll stop by their quarters later. Ricks has an agenda for me to look over and I fear his wrath if I make him wait.” The corner of my lips tilted upward. Ricks may have been a small, plump man, but he contended for the position of most high-strung in all of Highcrest. His bulbous cheeks rosied when he became flustered, and his rambling insistence was enough to drive even the most hardened man to his breaking point.
I’d much rather keep the man’s blood pressure down and save my ears from a symphony of pleading. Sebastian shook his head with an amused smile.
“Are you sure? Make sure you do stop, I don’t want to be the reason the Prince of Highcrest becomes horribly disfigured.” He gave me a sly smirk before saying, “If that’s all, then I’m off to oversee the final squad arrangements.” He fixed his weapons to himself as he dressed.
I grabbed a towel from the nearby rack and dried my face and torso. “No hiccups?” When I’d first proposed rearranging the guardsmen, I’d been met with resistance from my council of military advisors.
But Mira had opened my eyes.
For months now, there had been reports of missing people from the lowest laying town of South Harbor. Never found again. Never any witnesses.
Several attempts sending my men to investigate or patrol never produced evidence or leads. In a kingdom as populated as mine, that just didn’t seem likely. It’d been driving me mad.
Mira might not have been able to use her magic before it broke to solve the mystery behind the kidnappings, but she had been helpful. During last season's tax collections from South Harbor, she’d said the most profound thing:
“The wise man sits in a tall tower, spectating over all. He views the workers beneath as fools for they do not understand the complexity of their existence. But the fool is the most wise of all, for he builds the life he wants.”
I knew then what I had to do; take matters into my own hands.
“Not a one. The generals have prepared for their new stations. Some soldiers will quarrel amongst themselves, but that’s to be expected. They’ll figure out how to work together soon enough. I’d like to thank you again for keeping most of my squad together. I won’t have as much of a headache to deal with now.”
My military advisors had looked at me as if I had two heads when I’d proposed a complete rearrangement, but Seb hadn’t once fought me on it. He respected my decision, despite me ruling in a vastly different manner than my father. While I did still change the posted positions of his battalion, I let him have input on his squad.
Having him distracted with getting new guardsmen in line wouldn’t have been beneficial for me. I needed him focused on his duties, including reports of missing persons, like the one he’d shared at the start of our sparring session.
“There was an assault against a degenerate ship captain that looked to be the result of unpaid bookie fees. The man unfortunately succumbed to his injuries. Charges have been laid against the perpetrators.
"Oh, and another missing person. Though, it was a wife reporting her missing husband at night.” He gave me a knowing look. Deplorable, but not unheard of for a husband to sneak out at night and become lost to either gambling or prostitution.
“You’ve concluded your investigations, then?” I asked.
“Yes, Your Highness. Once my men finished their questioning, I had them return to their assigned postings.”
We finished dressing and strode out of the training room together. I clapped him on the shoulder. “I think you’ve earned a night off, Commander. You’ll need to relax those old man muscles if you’re to be at your best for our next session,” I teased.
He threw his head back and let out a deep laugh before wincing and rubbing his neck. “If it was one of my men saying that, I’d kick their ass despite this kink in my neck.”
From the way the guardsmen stood with unwavering attention anytime he passed, I didn’t doubt that had indeed happened on more than one occasion.
“Good luck with your meeting today. Sounds like you’re going to need it with what Ricks has planned for you.”
The humor drained out of my face at that. I didn’t need to be reminded. “Enjoy your evening, Commander.”
“Thank you, sire. Send word if you need anything.”
Step by step, I walked myself down the too short corridor to the throne room where Ricks was waiting.
My mood had most definitely soured knowing the discussion that was quickly coming my way. I sat on my throne upon the dais, propping my chin on my thumb, my index finger resting along the length of my cheek. Ricks chatted with some of the treasury staff regarding funds and disbursement.
“Your Highness, shall we continue our discussion regarding the tour?” Ricks asked after he dismissed the last of the treasury members.
My fingers sank deeper into my face. “Must we?” I said with a deep sigh.
He continued as if any objection I had held no weight. He’d heard them all already, and even a prince has obligations he can’t shirk.
“First, you’ll address the market in Waterview, then we’ll head directly to Sunvale, and finally, South Harbor.”
The tension in my jaw increased. I didn’t want to do this. Laying awake at night as the days drew closer had me wondering why I’d ever agreed. The next few weeks, months even, would be hell. I’d been lucky to avoid it thus far, running my kingdom as I saw fit. But desperate times call for desperate measures. Change became essential for the good of the kingdom, of the people. It was something I could do after too many months of feeling discouraged.
“Your cousin left for his hunting trip for a few days. He won’t be back until after the proclamations are made, but I’m sure he’ll be happy to hear your decision when he returns,” Ricks said.
My decision . A snarky breath of disbelief rasped from my lips.
The corner of Ricks mouth twitched, his irritation with my resistance wearing thin. “We start the tour tomorrow.” He bowed, then turned on his heel and exited the throne room. His cape flapped behind his shuffling steps, eager to leave me behind.
I couldn’t blame him. There weren’t many aspects of my rule we disagreed on. He’d been in his position since my father reigned, one of my most trusted advisors. Giving him a hard time wasn’t my intention, but I couldn’t help my resistance.
Tap, tap, tap.
My pointer finger tapped my cheek before I took a deep inhale and launched from my seat. I had to move, to do something. Knowing the power of The Coveted was no longer an option, a thick tension strained my chest.
Why the gods would take her power away right when I needed it was beyond me. If things had fallen into place, she would have taken care of my kingdom’s problem before the beast stole her away the first time.
Every attempt for patrol or guardsmen to catch and stop whoever was behind the disappearances had failed.
Which meant I had failed.
My teeth ground together as I moved through the hallways. Half a dozen guards moved behind me, but I pivoted to face them. “You’re relieved.” I dismissed them without explanation. Once they scattered, I resumed my path. Following my routine route, I dipped between alcoves and tucked around corners until I made my way down to the servants’ quarters.
I made sure no one followed.
My knuckles rapped lightly against one of the wooden doors.
“Coming,” her voice carried until her footsteps brought her to the threshold. The door opened, revealing blonde hair and blue eyes. “Your Highness.” She immediately bowed.
I pushed past her. “Shut the door.”
She did, concealing us in the tailor’s office. Scraps and spools of fabric covered almost every square inch of the room. Pins, scissors, cut-out templates. All the necessities of a master seamstress were askew throughout the space.
“Is it ready?” I asked.
She nodded, padding over to a heavy trunk in the corner. The lid lifted with a creak and she withdrew the perfectly folded black ensemble. “I made the adjustments like you asked, and fixed the rip.”
“Excellent.” It wasn’t just perfectly tailored material that brought a sparkle to my eye, it was what it represented. “My man will get back to you if he needs something else.”
“Yes, Your Highness.” She curtsied, handing me the clothes.
“Just as we’ve discussed before, your discretion?” I confirmed.
She nodded quickly, sending her straight blonde hair tousling in front of her face. Clearly, she became nervous in my presence. I didn’t love keeping her on edge, but I couldn’t afford to remove the seriousness of our interaction.
“Good. If word gets out, even to one person, I have a long list of other seamstresses vying for your position. Disgraced from the castle won’t make it easy to find new work anywhere close.” My own words made my skin crawl. This wasn’t the leadership style I wanted to have, but it was necessary for now. She was new in her position, only a few months, but she was skilled. Quite impressive for someone so young, actually. I was lucky to have her on my staff. She’d get a nice bonus once all the dust settled.
“Yes, Your Grace.” Her gaze didn’t rise to mine.
I took a step forward, but halted when I aligned at her side. Leaving it like this made me uncomfortable. I leaned in. “Thank you, Tula.” The girl deserved at least an ounce of gratitude before I snatched the satchel hanging by the door and buried the outfit inside.
Upon exiting, I shut the door behind me and assessed both directions of the hallway. They were vacant—perfect. Not that I didn’t have permission to be anywhere in this place, but I wasn’t born yesterday. I knew how servants talked, kept tabs on their employers. Living under the same roof robbed anyone of a true sense of privacy, really.
This matter required as little attention as possible. Rarely did I ever grace these halls, so I couldn’t fathom the degree of gossip that would arise if I were caught.
I made my way back up the curved, gray stone stairwell to emerge on the main floor. Several guards moved in a group toward the front entrance. Increased guardsmen still remained after I’d summoned them for relocation, slowly shipping out for their new posts. It made navigating my halls more time consuming. Pressing my back against the stone, I remained hidden behind the shallow jut out.
Once their voices tapered off, I stepped out. Anyone who’d glance at me in these halls wouldn’t have a clue that I’d come from downstairs. Home free.
My heart rate picked up, a sense of accomplishment rushing through me as the final pieces of my plan had fallen into place.
Continuing to my chambers, I kept a tight grip on the fabric satchel. The weight of a kingdom felt entirely too light in my hands.