More punishment.

Ryan hated himself. He looked into the mirror to see the marks on his body. There were scars on his back.

He stroked his hands over them slowly remembering how he had gotten each one.

It had been a week now. The wounds were healing but they left scars on him. He turned and strode to sit on the bed. It was almost night time and he had taken his dinner. He was waiting for the house to go quiet.

Since he didn't sneak into the library anymore he had started doing something else. The elder had held a meeting after being found out. He also stationed guards to watch over the library.

They stood there daily and only moved for other guards to take over. The elder was serious about this. He had felt threatened and that was the positive side to it. Ryan had read so many books within a short time.

He didn't have to read more. He would implement what he had learnt in those books. They would go a long way in helping him set up the grand plan.

He had started training himself to have more strength for the battle. He spent his nights learning more sword techniques while others had gone to sleep. He would train until dawn. At the break of dawn, he would sneak back into the castle and go have his bath before preparing a sober look for the day

He had to mellow down a bit if not the elder would suspect him. He would set guards to also monitor him. There were so many ways the old man could stop him. He was inventing new plans to eradicate him.

Ryan had to act like a fool. However there was little he could hide from the man. He had set fire to the harvests the people had brought.

Unknown to him that a guard had seen him, the guard had gone to report to the elder immediately. He had started watching Ryan when the elder called him in secretly to keep an eye on him. The elder was sure that he wouldn't back down.

He knew Ryan wouldn't succumb that easily and that he was putting up a show to trick him. He pretended to be fooled while one of the servants kept an eye on him.

"Why did you do it?" The elder asked.

"Do what? I do not understand you," Ryan said morosely.

"You do not understand why I am asking why you set the harvests on fire? What do you not understand Ryan? Tell me!" He raged.

"How do you know I was the one who did it?"Ryan asked suddenly.

"I know because someone…" the old man trailed off.

He had almost given himself and his servant away. His hand flew to his mouth as Ryan smirked. The old man had set someone to keep an eye on him after all. So he hadn't been fooled by him. Ryan noted that.

"I am tired of you Ryan." The old man complained.

He was getting worried. At first, he thought Ryan was just being a child who loved disobeying instructions.

But now, it was clear to him. He knew there was more than he thought. He was looking at the surface. He had to go deeper since Ryan was bent on defying him.

How would he dissuade Ryan from this path? It would lead to a clash because he wasn't ready to give up the throne. He still had many more years to use there . He wouldn't give it up without a fight.

And Ryan seemed ready for the fight. That was the reason he was doing things to get his attention. What could he do to prevent this? He would have to discuss it with his chiefs. They had to know what was happening before he couldn't control it again.

Adrienne had been thinking about Ryan more than she wanted to. She found herself thinking about how handsome he was. Each time she wasn't busy, his memory surfaced in her head and she found herself daydreaming about him. She couldn't control herself and she hated it.

She hated him, so why was she wondering how he had been living all these years? Why did she care for him? She wished she could stop her heart from thinking about him. She hoped she could forget him but with each day, she remembered their meeting.

Her maid had caught her slipping into deeper thoughts and had asked her if she was ill. She had said she wasn't. How could she tell her that she was thinking about the man who caused her to be this way?

It was a stupid thought. She tried her best to ignore it. She did everything possible to make sure she snapped out of her daydreaming whenever she fell into it.

Adrienne wondered when next she would see him again. She had hoped he would come bearing another parcel so she could take a good look at him once more. She longed to see him, to hear the deep baritone of his voice.

He was no longer the boy she had known. Ryan was now a man. He looked well built and muscular.

"Milady, are you ok?" Her maid burst into her introspection.

She shook her head slightly. Adrienne allowed the thoughts to go away. She shouldn't be doing what she was doing.

"Thank you Ria, I am okay," she smiled at her maid and stood up to her feet immediately.

Ryan was thrown into the prison in the mansion.

The elder wanted to teach him a lesson that he would never forget. He was tired of warding him off without seeing any positive results.

"Leave him there for two days!" He told the guard's.

They wouldn't dare serve him water or food without asking him. He would see how Ryan would survive. Only if he begged would he allow him such privileges and like he knew Ryan. The lad would never stoop so low to begging him.