CHAPTER 4: Prince

I knock on the door at my father's office and come inside "what have you summoned me for father?" I said to him after I bow my head "there will be a criminal coming today for a trial, I want you to handle it alone because I am busy with my work" my father said to me without even looking at me.

I would be nice if you'd ask how I'm doing once in awhile you know. "That's all you are now dismissed" he added "then I will take my leave now father" the guards opened the door for me and I step outside; I made my way to the trial hall. Why do I always have to deal with this criminals, they will always die in the end anyway, if they committed a crime then they should just be killed on the spot than giving them a trial to defend themselves, it's just a waste of my time to deal with such low lives. I wonder what kind of begging they will do. I hope it's a good show.

I opened the red door and went inside and sat at my throne. I saw a young boy in front, looking around like his in place amuses him. Why does he have such curiosity in his eyes and doesn't he know that I'm already here, is he a fool? I took out my dagger in my pocket and spin it around between my fingers. "state your name." I said to him not even batting an eye on him but he didn't response immediately to me, what's with him normally they would already answer me with a shaking voice while kneeling on the ground and scared but this guy didn't do it and he just look at me.

This guy is annoying me with his stare, why won't you kneel and beg for your worthless life, do you think your better than me?! Don't make me laugh mere mortal. "STATE YOUR NAME" I said to him in a very loud tone. Now this will make you kneel on the ground and shiver in fear. I try to hide my smirk on my face, now you will know your place little rat. "Hiraya" he answered calmly, did he just state his name without crying and kneeling in front of me?! Just who is this guy, he must be a worthless slave. Stating his only name and with no honorifics makes him a slave but he is standing and staring at me with no remorse in his face, like he plan this to happen.

"how old are you?" I said to him trying to hide my interest in this person "14" he answered, his one year younger than me. "crime?" I asked him still hiding my interest in him " defeating a silver guard" he answered me without hesitation " revenge?" I asked "challenging in a name of a goddess" he replied to me. I stopped playing with my dagger and look at him, no one had ever challenge anyone by using the name of a goddess or a god before and if someone did they are a child of one of them or they would have to be favourable of one of them.

Then is he favourable of one them? If he is then who would like a slave like him? " in a name of a goddess" I whispered. "how do you plead?" I asked him and I find myself waiting for his answer "guilty" he answered, I try to hide my smirk on my face. Let's put you on a dorm first and see what you can do.

"GUARDS!" I called out and they came rushing in like a bunch of ants "take him to the dorm" I commanded to them and went back to playing with my dagger "right away your highness" one of them said and drag Hiraya outside of the room. Now what do I do with him, he did create a crime and at the same time he didn't, hmmm. For now let see what he can do.

I went outside to the training ground, boring weaklings, I grab my spear and started to train as well. I swing my sword and started to move my body more, after a few hours of training, I stopped for a bit to take some rest.

"Your amazing as always prince" I looked at a shabby little boy whose name I don't know " I know" I said to him "but your amazing in how you were training too" I added with a smile on my face to make him feel better about his lousy footwork. "thanks" he said and smiled "what this getting compliment from the handsome prince himself?!" another boy with red hair with black eyes said while surprising the other boy that was just talking to me.

"can't I just get one moment without you bugging me brother?" He said with annoyance in his voice "hey come-on now your dear brother is here to help you with your terrible footwork" he said then laugh. So I'm not the only one for noticed that, "my footwork is fine" he said while pouting like a baby " fighting again, are we?" Ashir said to the two brothers "he started it" the other one said while pointing at his brother "I didn't ask who started it, but if you two want to fight that badly then go ahead and rip each others throats out but don't blame if you two get punished by the instructor" he said with a wicked grin in his face. Both of them shivered in fear "ahaha, come on Ashir it was just a joke, we weren't fighting" said the brother with the red hair and the other one just smile nervously.

"Come on now, they were just joking around, Ashir, stop being so serious" I said to him lightly punching his shoulder, he just let out a sigh and turned to the brothers again "if you two keep on fighting, the both of you will surely end up being punished" he said to them while smiling. Always such a wicked person.

Both of the two brothers smiled at him and went back to training. " You know that you could hide your wicked personality right?" I said to him and put my hand on his shoulder "I don't want too, pretending that I don't have a wicked personality is just lying to myself of who I really am" he said to me while looking at the other boys that are training. "wow, that's some wise words coming from the son of destruction" I grind at him "hiding what your really can come in handy in battle or being a spy for your kingdom" I added "true, but if you continue to lie to yourself, you will come to a point where you won't know who you really are" he said to me while smiling.

I couldn't argue with that logic, it's true anyway, a lot of warriors hide who they really are to fool their enemies but they also will forget themselves bit by bit everyday.

"aren't you going to keep on training?" he asked me "of course I will, I'm not a slacker like other people" I said to him "always so arrogant" he said and laughed "come on prince, let's battle" he said "are you sure? Don't cry if you lose to me" I jokingly said to him "are you sure you're not the one that will be crying?" he said while getting ready " don't make me laugh" I said to him while charging at him with my sword.

He's patting so hard after a little battle "I admit defeat, I'm tried" he said to me while wiping the sweat on his neck " weak, you should train more you have no stamina" I said to him while putting down my sword.

"Hey have you seen the new boy" some boy whispered "yes, he was wearing an odd attire, but he have a pretty face" some other boy said "do you think his like one of those slaves?" he asked "maybe" said the other boy "should we check?" he said with a grin on his face. I throw my sword to their direction, making the other one freeze in fear "who threw that?!" said the boy grinning earlier "I did" I yelled at him "if the two of you have time to engage in such nonsense of a conversation then shouldn't you train instead?!" I said to them while looking at them with a hint of annoyance. "of course your highness, we sincerely apologize" they said while running away " cowards" I whispered.

"BOO!" "Nice try Jara" Ashir said " I'll get you, someday, Ashir" Jara said while laughing " shouldn't you be with the countess?" I asked her " I sneaked out to see Ashir, your highness" she said to me while bowing "then I hope you will get a rightful punishment" I said to her and walk away from them.

I sat under the tree near the dorm of the vile boys. I find the wild lilies here calming, I don't know why but they calm my nerves.

"Hello there your highness" some boy said to me with smile on his face "hello" I said trying to hide the annoyance in my face " what you doing here your highness?" he asked me " I was taking a rest but now I may not be" I said while standing up "why is that?" he asked "well, a little fly was here and annoyed me" I said thinking he would be smart and take the hint "that fly must be killed" he said to me.

How you are you an airhead? "indeed, that fly must be killed" I said to him with a hint of annoyance in my voice "hey leave the prince alone you low life slave" some boy said "what a dog" I muttered "hi there your highness" said another boy whose name I don't bother to remember but there is one thing that I do know he's very annoying.

He wrap his hand around the boys shoulder "is this slave being a bother to you? Your highness" he asked and signals his other subordinates to come "no but your the one that's a bother" I said to him, he laughed at me and so did some of his subordinates "me? Bother his highness? I have never done such a thing" he said with a smile. How should I get rid of you?, I look up and saw Hiraya looking down at me or us then he went back inside. Interesting, he should have said hello like the others do, but instead he doesn't.

This guy just keep on talking nonsense, and acting like we are in the same position. It's really pissing me off. Shall I put him on his place. I punch the boy in his face making him fell on the ground afterwards I kick him on his stomach making him puke blood on the floor. "Know your place" I said to him and walk away from them.

I do love attention but I also do know what's sucking up to someone and using them to get into a much higher place in the spectrum.

I went to the garden to take a little nap under the old oak tree. I lay down under the tree and a nice breeze came, It made me relax and made me a bit sleepy. I didn't even notice that I had fallen a sleep, I woke up and the sun is already going down. I got up and stretch my body because it felt stiff after a few hour or minutes of sleeping.

I made my way to the dining hall and sat at my usual seat and as I expect a lot of boys would come here and sit with me, I mean how could they not, I'm pretty amazing and good-looking. They are all talking about something but I didn't even bother to be a part of their conversation due to me being still tried from my training.

I just look around the room, the door made a loud crick as it opened and I look at it out of instinct, there in front of the door I saw Ashir and Hiraya together.

Did those to become close? They were talking about something but I couldn't hear them because of the loud voices of the people that are around me. They stop talking and Ashir walk this way "thanks for saving me a seat" he said with a smile "your welcome my dear friend" I smiled at him with annoyance.

"why were you with that boy?" I asked "why do you want to know?" he asked me while taking a sit and he added "do you fancy him?" "no, I'm just curious if you're going to bully a new person" I answered "maybe I will tease him a bit or maybe not, I'm with him cause the old hag told me to look after him" he said "he is quite a good looking person right?" he added "him? You must have bad eye sight, he is not as half of even of a good looking person" I said frowning my fore head.

"What's that boy doing?" some boy said and pointed to Hiraya. Yea, what is he doing? Is he losing his mind? Or maybe he already has. Is he putting on a tantrum like a little child? He is. What a lunatic. The food was being served by the maid in front of us, I ate quickly and didn't even think about anything.

I finished my food and went outside and walk around, I saw two boys throwing daggers on a tree, both of them noticed me and invited me to join, "want to make a bet?" Ashir' asked me "what kind?" I asked "loser has to do what the winner says" He said and smirk "deal" I said to him. Both of us started to throw daggers on the tree, I wold go first, naturally then he would go next. After a few minutes of throwing, our scores are even, just as I throw my dagger a strong wind came and change the direction of it, I look to where it is heading, it is going to Hiraya, the dagger nearly hit his face.

"HOLY APPLES!" he yelled out "sorry are you alright?" I asked with no remorse on my face, it was his fault for not dodging it.

"What do you think?! I almost lost my precious face and the first sentence you come up with is are you alright? Do you think that I'm alright huh?!" he said looking at me with anger in his eyes and pouting like a child, he raised his middle finger to me and walk away. How dare he, a mere slave to look at me with such anger! How dare he have the nerve to say that to me, what an interesting person.

I smirk and turn back to my game, took out another dagger and thrown it hitting the middle part of the tree. "the first one didn't count, the wind got in the way" I said "yea, yea, I know" Ashir said and throw his dagger not hitting the target mark on the tree. " Dang it!" He said "well, a deals a deal" I said to him and grin "yea, yea, what do you want me to do?" he asked me " I want you to get information about him" I said and pointed at Hiraya whose walking away "why him?" he asked with curiosity in his eyes. I didn't answer him and walk away from the group.

I went to the garden to think. I feel that slave is more than a slave, having no fear even if getting yelled by someone of higher status. I don't know if he is stupid or courageous person but there is one thing that I do know and that is he is more than just a mere slave. Could he be a spy from another kingdom? Could he be an assassin that is sent out kill me or my father? Just who is this person? But one thing is for sure he can not be trusted for now.

I walk back to my room in the third floor of the palace. I told the two guards that are standing at the both sides of my door to open it and they did as they are commanded, I went inside of my room and the two of them closed the door behind me. I change my clothes and lay on my bed, just wait and see Hiraya I will surely know who really are.