LORD DAEMIR

Everyone is already gathered around the table, eating their meals when you walk in. Atheris looks at you for a moment before turning her attention back to her plate.

"Little brother." Freya smiles and gets up from the chair to hug you. "Sit, and tell us about your experience."

You sit at the table and make yourself comfortable. Catalina puts a glass in front of you and fills it with tea.

"So, where did you visit?" Freya asks. Richard keeps his eyes locked on you, silently listening while Queen Isabelle doesn't seem interested in your trip.

"I didn't have much time to spend in the city," you begin. "I was robbed."

"Robbed?" Your mother lifts a brow. Queen Isabelle's gaze shifts to your face, as she's now more interested.

"Yes," you sigh. "A girl managed to take my ring. When Sir Arnold was about to go after her, she revealed my true identity. Of course, it drew everyone's attention to me. I had to leave the city."

"Thieves," Richard spits out the word like a curse. "I loathe them."

"They are as bad as pirates," Queen Alvena agrees. "Both want something that they don't own."

"Not every pirate," Freya mutters under her breath.

"Did you say something?" Queen Alvena tilts her head to the side, eyeing her daughter.

"No," your sister lies. The queen lets it go and focuses on her meal. You study everyone's faces in the room, wondering if only you heard her words.

The frown on Atheris's face tells you that she also heard what Freya said.The rest of the supper goes on in silence. Atheris sometimes steals a glance at Freya, probably thinking about her comment. It's not surprising that she defends pirates. Unlike Atheris, who trusts no one, Freya trusts everyone and doesn't judge anyone without knowing the whole story. To her, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. After finishing your meal, you join Sir Arnold for your last training session of the day.

"Hello again, Prince Amah." Sir Arnold bows his head with a smile. "What do you want to work on today? You and Sir Arnold train for an hour, focusing on your combat skills. Your moves are more calculated than before, which means you're improving well.

Your mentor praises you during the training, giving you the motivation and strength you need. He's not as harsh as Sir Locke, who is training Atheris.

Richard's mentor, on the other hand, is too aloof. According to your half-brother's words, Sir Raymond never smiles.

You rarely see Freya's mentor around. People say Sir Walter has given up on your sister. He only accompanies her during her trips to the city. They don't even train anymore.

"That's enough for today," Sir Arnold says, wiping the sweat off his brows. "We can continue tomorrow.

In the throne room…

"Our scouts have returned from Asinea, Your Grace," Gerard informs King Charles. "According to them, there's nothing suspicious about Queen Lena."

"Has she visited anywhere?" the king asks. Gerard shakes his head. "Send the scouts again next week."

"Forgive my curiosity, but do you think Queen Lena is a threat?" The adviser frowns.

"She is a threat, Gerard," King Charles replies. "She has been a threat ever since her father planned to betray us, but it seems she really values her brother's life. She will not move against us as long as Prince Xavier is our prisoner."

"Let us not forget about the prophecy," Gerard says quietly, keeping his head low, not daring to look him in the eye. He knows how much King Charles hates the prophecy and wishes it to be wrong.

The King of Rhivenia will suffer death, and there shall be a new king, a handsome Southern man, who is not an heir. He will rule Rhivenia until the end of his life.

King Charles refuses to believe it.

"What did I say about prophecies?" The king glares at him. "All of them are false. Don't waste my time with foolish beliefs. If you don't have any useful information, you're dismissed."

Gerard bows his head and turns to leave, but King Charles's voice stops him.

"Inform the heirs," he says. "We will visit House Everan tomorrow morning.

You wake up earlier than usual today as you're informed about the visit to House Everan. Gerard has talked about them before. Most of them have extraordinary grey hair for unknown reasons. They are led by a sixteen-year-old young man named Daemir. He has been ruling House Everan for three years.

His loyalty was proven a long time ago when he sent a letter to your father and warned him about King Oliver's betrayal. You feel excited because you will see your father again after three years. You still remember the day he ordered King Oliver's murder. He made the right choice. Xavier has been sleeping in the military dormitory with Rhivenian soldiers for years. He's not allowed to go inside the castle or converse with anyone except for the king and his family. Soldiers are also warned not to harm him in any way.

Now he's sitting in the chair, gazing out the window. His thinking process is evident across his face.

You step forward to get his attention.

"Why are you here, Prince Amah?" He looks at you Quit acting like this," you scold him. He turns his head to face you fully, eyes full of rage.

"Acting like what?" He glares at you. "Acting like your father didn't kill my father and keep me as his prisoner?" "It's your father's fault, and you're paying for his mistakes," you remind him. "Have you forgotten his betrayal?"

"See? This is the matter!" he raises his voice at you. "It's his fault, not mine. Why should I pay for his mistakes?"

"Because we don't trust your sister," you tell him. "We both know that if you weren't our prisoner, she would declare war on us."

He clenches his jaw hard, breathing heavily. He knows that you're right. He's the only reason why his sister hasn't taken revenge yet.

"You promised me," he says after a moment of silence. "You promised you would set me free. Keep it."

With that, he walks past you and makes his way outside. Clara is feeding Zeus, caressing her neck gently. She feels your presence but doesn't move her head to look at you. She keeps her eyes locked on the horse. "Do you ever leave the stable?" You smile at her. "Whenever I check on my horse, I find you here."

"I don't have anything fun to do." She lets out a breathy laugh. "I'm just an ordinary girl." "Do you want to come with us to Whistlerock?" you ask her. Of course she does, but will your father allow her?

"I don't think King Charles will allow me to come." Clara chuckles. "I have no place in a political meeting."

"I can attempt to convince him," you offer. "Maybe he will allow you to join us."

"It's alright." She smiles. "Don't anger your father. Keep your relationship steady with him. Besides, I have no place in a political meeting."

Her presence in a political meeting would indeed be odd, but you want her to leave the castle for a while. You know it's tiresome for her to spend all her time in a stable. She deserves to enjoy the beauty outside the walls. Your father stands by the gates, chin high and arms locked behind him. He has changed since you last saw him. His hair is now greyer, and he seems to have lost weight. Though he looks tired, his eyes are still cold and sharp.

You stand beside your siblings as he studies your faces one by one. You notice the faint wrinkles around his eyes. How can a man age this much in three years?

"You've attended a political meeting before," King Charles begins. "I assume you remember how it ended."

How could you forget?

"Lord Daemir is our loyal ally, and despite his age, he's a determined and clever leader," he says. "I want you to learn from him. He's the perfect example of a proper young leader."

"Horses are ready, Your Grace," Sir Arnold announces. Matteo appears beside him in armour.

"Mount your horses," King Charles orders As usual, you and your siblings ride with your father in the protective circle made by soldiers. They are the strongest and most trustworthy warriors, granted the responsibility of protecting the king and his children.

Sir Arnold is one of the best knights in the kingdom, and it's no surprise that he's been chosen to protect you. On the other hand, Matteo is known for his excellent skills in tournaments. They both deserve to be honoured with such a task. "Have you named those beautiful horses of yours?" Matteo asks, appearing to be bored of silence. "I know Richard's horse is Silver since he never shuts up about it."

"My horse's name is Francis," Freya answers, and you notice the way your father slightly turns his head to the side. He's listening to the conversation, you realize.

Matteo turns to Atheris. "Am I right to assume you named yours Maerisa?"

"Yes," Atheris replies, unable to stop a smile from spreading on her face.

"What about your horse?" Matteo glances at you

Her name is Zeus," you answer him. He nods, eyeing your brown horse.

"Maybe I should name my horse as well," he says. "Poor animal has no name."

In the castle…

Clara sits on a wooden chair inside the castle, knitting various socks for soldiers since winter is coming. She never lets a moment go to waste. If she has the privilege of living in the castle without being disturbed, she feels like she should do something useful for the king.

Her father always scolds her for it, however. He thinks she doesn't have to serve anyone. She should take care of herself, and when the time comes, she must marry a rich lord. It's all she must do.

Clara disagrees but never speaks her mind audibly. She prefers to remain silent until her father gets tired of lecturing her. But she knows that, one day, he will not say a word anymore. He will force her to marry.

Until then, she wishes to live freely as long as she can.

"What are you doing?" one of the handmaidens asks, giving her a curious look.

"I'm knitting socks for our men," Clara informs her, smiling. "It will be winter soon. They need to—"

"Quit acting." She waves her hand dismissively. "Stop pretending you're doing this for the soldiers."

"What?" Clara frowns. "What are you saying, Amice?"

"You're doing this for you, so everyone can see how perfect you are," Amice scoffs. "Do you want Prince Richard's attention? Just because he feels pity for you, befriends you, doesn't mean he fancies you."

Then she cocks her head. "Or maybe you want Prince Amah."

"I don't want anyone's attention." Clara's chin trembles. "I see myself as nothing more than a handmaiden."

"Oh, you do." Amice grins. "You think if you can be perfect enough, everyone will fancy you. Perhaps you think one of the heirs will marry you and make you a princess, or a queen."

Clara throws the needles to the ground before storming off. She doesn't want any of this. All she wants is to be useful for once. They will never understand her.