THE HUNT

"Of course." You smile and give her a nod.

"That's why you're my favourite brother." She smiles sweetly. You watch her head towards her room to bring her painting.When she returns, you study her painting attentively. You expected to see a drawing of a beautiful garden or a fascinating castle surrounded by smiling children.

But what you see is much different than your expectation.

The painting is of a ship sailing in the sea with giant waves slamming against its sides, making it vulnerable. The only light is from the moon, shining in the dark sky at night.

"What do you think?" your sister asks, nervously running her fingers through her hair. "Do you like it?" "It's inspirational," you praise her work. She gives you a tiny smile that doesn't reach her eyes. She doesn't seem to be pleased with your comment, but still, she appreciates your kindness.

"I don't know how it would give inspiration to anyone, but thank you, little brother," she says. Her smile fades away as she looks at her painting. "This is how I feel sometimes. I feel like I'm trapped in the middle of the dark sea, trying to stand against the huge waves. I'm scared that I will sink someday."The storm will not last forever," you assure her. She smiles and reaches out to caress your cheek gently.

"The most important thing is to survive while it lasts," she says in a whisper. "I hope I can do that."I've probably bored you with my distress." Freya lets out a chuckle. "Go outside. I will join you later." You make your way behind the castle to find Richard and his friends in the garden. As you walk the path lined with beautiful flowers and plants, you inhale deeply, filling your nostrils with the sweet scent of the garden.

You watch your half-brother tell one of his infamous jokes, making the others smile and laugh. You notice how much he looks like his mother as the years pass. He has her red hair and warm brown eyes. If you didn't know him, you would never think his father is King Charles.

"Oh, you're here," Richard says through a strained smile as he notices you. The disappointment in his eyes doesn't go unnoticed by you."Will you not introduce me to your friends?" You arch a brow. He rolls his eyes with a sigh.

"This is my half-brother," Richard introduces you lazily. "Prince Amah."

All of his friends' eyes widen in surprise, except for Clara. They bow their heads respectfully. Judging by the nervous looks on their faces, they are intimidated by your presence. You belatedly realize that they feel comfortable around your half-brother because they know him and he always treats them as equals, but they don't know you.

You spend time with them, joking and laughing. They slowly begin to feel comfortable and safe with you. Some even stand closer to you, no longer seeming intimidated.

After an hour, everyone bids their goodbyes and returns to work. Only you, Richard, and Clara stay in the garden.

"Are you excited to go hunting?" Clara asks, looking at you and Richard.

"I am," your half-brother replies. "This is my chance to show my excellent hunting skills "I'm excited to show my skills, too," you say next. "I've improved a lot."

"I wish I could come with you," Clara says with a sigh. "I don't like hunting, but I'm tired of being in the castle all the time. Everyone talks about how huge and fascinating the main forest is."I'm certain Richard will take you with him." You smirk at him, and Clara's eyebrows shoot up in surprise as she looks at your half-brother with bright eyes.

"Only heirs can go hunting with the king." Richard smiles apologetically. "But I promise I will take you to the forest someday."

"It's alright," Clara sighs.Gerard's sudden presence interrupts your conversation with Clara and Richard. He stops before you and gives a respectful nod.

"King Charles is here," he announces. "All heirs are expected to be gathered in the throne room."

Richard grins widely, but his trembling bottom lip shows that he's nervous. Clara puts her hand on his arm and gives him a comforting smile.

On the other side, You, on the other hand, feel excitement running through you. You will be meeting your father for the first time. You don't know much about him, except for the stories Gerard tells you.When you enter the room, the first thing that grabs your attention is the king's throne. It's decorated with iron and blue crystals, making it look fierce and intimidating. It's placed in front of the room, and you have to climb the stairs to get close to it.

You notice there's an iron chair on each side of the stairs. They are simply decorated with iron and much smaller than the throne. You assume they are for the king's wives.

"Do you see the chair on the right side?" Richard whispers into your ear. "That is where the king's favourite wife sits."Well, it seems like it's my mother's chair," you say confidently. He furrows his brows and shrugs.

"Maybe," he replies. "I don't know anything about your mother's relationship with the king."A creaking sound echoes through the room. Your mother and Queen Isabelle walk side by side, making their way to the chairs proudly.

They are dressed differently today. Queen Isabelle is wearing a long green dress, making her look elegant with her curly red hair. Her movements are slow and gentle.

Unlike her, your mother has chosen to wear a tight black dress with a cape on her back. You notice the choker on her neck that matches her outfit. She moves like a proud warrior rather than a tender lady.

You follow them with your eyes, watching them head towards their seats. Queen Isabelle sits on the right chair with no hesitation, but you can't say the same about your mother.

She eventually sits on the left.

"That's what I thought," Atheris mumbles under her breath. Attention!" the guard shouts. "King Charles is here!"

You and your siblings stand together, postures straight and chins high. You try so hard not to look at the door when it opens with a squeak.

Boots ring on the floor as your father walks into the room. His steps get slower when he comes closer to you and your siblings.

"You look strong," your father speaks with a husky voice. He's probably talking to Richard since he's the first one in the line.

Then you hear him continue walking. This time, he stops before Atheris. "You have your mother's beauty."

His tone is not gentle at all. He speaks the words as if they are a curse, not a compliment.

You dare to look to the side where your mother sits. She's staring at the king with a smile on her face. You question its sincerity.

"I saw one of your drawings on the wall," your father continues. You know his words are directed to Freya. "You have a gift."

"Thank you, Father," you hear your sister reply. The king falls quiet for a moment before deciding to move on. Now he's standing before you.

You lift your chin higher and lock your arms behind you. You have to look confident and strong before him.

He studies you with his cold blue eyes. You can see your mother watching the scene with a worried expression on her face.

"Little," he says, "but strong."

He walks away from you without saying anything else.King Charles sits on the throne, observing everyone in the room. His eyes and the blue crystals are matched well, as if he was born for this throne. Your mother and Queen Isabelle sit straight in their chairs, appearing proud and confident. However, you're sure that your mother hates every second of sitting on that chair.

Gerard steps forward and kneels before the king. "I have news from King Oliver, Your Grace."

You've heard about him. He's the current king of Asinea and one of the strongest allies of Rhivenia. According to Gerard's words, his loyalty is being questioned.

"He's accepted your invitation," the adviser continues. "He will visit the capital in a week."

"Good," the king comments. With a wave of his hand, he dismisses Gerard. The adviser bows his head and leaves the room.

"Now—we will see if he's truly loyal or not," your father speaks under his breath, but his voice is heard clearly, as it's the only sound in the room.

"Your Grace." Sir Arnold walks in shortly after the adviser leaves. "The horses are prepared."

"Alright then," King Charles says, rising from his throne. He eyes you and your siblings. "It's time to leave."

You and your siblings follow him as he heads outside.

After you left…

As King Charles and the heirs depart, Alvena pushes herself up off the chair in disgust. She can't believe she was forced to sit on the left side of the throne. It was the most humiliating moment of her life.

She turns her head in Isabelle's direction, who is slowly standing from her seat, a visible smile on her face. Alvena keeps her anger under control and holds her head high. She always let her emotions control her in the past, but that's over. She will never be weak again.

"You could've been his favourite," Isabelle says, keeping her eyes on the ground. "If your heart weren't black with hatred and cruelty."

Isabelle turns to leave without waiting for the other queen's reply.

Outside the castle…

King Charles walks with slow and confident steps as you and your siblings follow him. His shoulder-length blond hair shines brightly under the sun. His muscular and tall posture is intimidating but also gives you comfort. You feel like nothing wrong will happen as long as he's here.

"Bring the horses," your father orders. He stops and locks his arms behind his back, avoiding eye contact with any of you as he waits.

Sir Arnold and two soldiers bring four well-groomed horses from the stable. All of them are the same weight and look healthy. The only difference is their colour.

"Amah," the king calls. Your eyes come up to meet his. "Brown one is yours May I take the black one?" you dare to ask. Freya chews her bottom lip nervously while Atheris shakes her head.

"No," he answers. "Brown one is for you."

Then he turns to Freya. "White one."

"Alright, Father," your sister responds shyly.

"Atheris," the king gets your sister's attention. "Black horse."

"Thank you, Father," Atheris says, eyeing her new horse with excitement.

"And Richard." King Charles looks at your half-brother. He points at the grey horse. "This one is yours."

"He's beautiful," Richard admires the horse. "Thank you."

"Mount your horses," your father orders. "We have to leave."

You have been riding for minutes with your siblings and father. The warriors make a protective circle around the king and his heirs during the trip. You know the importance of high protection during this time. If anyone attempts to assassinate you, the king's and the heirs' lives will be in danger. It'd be a tragedy if Rhivenians lost their leader and successor in one day.

"I wish Clara was here," Richard whispers. "She wants to see the forest so bad." "Don't tell me you already miss her, brother," you tease him. "You were with her a few minutes ago."

"Shut up." He furrows his brows, but there's no anger in his tone. "It just hurts that she's stuck in the castle while I'm going on a trip.You continue the rest of your trip in silence. You stare at your father, who's riding his horse in the front. He rarely acknowledges any of you, as if you're not his blood.

"Prepare your bow and arrows," your father orders, dismounting his horse. That's when you realize you've arrived. "Show me what you can do."

You, Richard, and Atheris dismount your horses as well, while Freya doesn't bother to move. Instead, she plays with the reins of her horse, debating whether she should join you or not.

"Freya," Atheris hisses. "Our father will be angry if you don't come with us. You have to learn how to hunt whether you like it or not."

Freya lets out a long sigh and dismounts her horse. She heads towards Atheris with lazy steps, not wanting the king to be angry because of her.

"Do you see the deer?" the king asks, pointing at the animal behind the trees. "Who wants to hunt it?" You step forward, volunteering to hunt the deer. Your father hands you the bow and arrows before stepping back. He stands with your siblings, observing you.

You place the arrow on your bow before pointing it at the deer. You lick your lips slowly, focusing on your target. Then you take a deep breath and draw the arrow.

Then you let it go.

The arrow flies and hits the deer in the side, making her fall to the ground. Smiling victoriously, you turn to observe their reactions.

Your father stares at you with no emotion on his face, but his eyes are warmer now.

Atheris fixes her eyes on the ground and doesn't bother to meet your gaze. You find no emotion on her face.

Richard doesn't seem annoyed or happy. He blankly stares at you.

Freya smiles toothily and claps her hands, congratulating you.After you, Atheris hits one of the deer while Richard can only find a rabbit to hunt. As expected, Freya returns empty-handed. You doubt she even tried.

"Your rabbit looks sweet," Atheris says, biting inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing. Richard rolls his eyes and walks past her.

"You and Amah scared all of the deer away," he responds. "What did you expect?"

"Don't feel offended, rabbit boy," your sister teases him. Richard waves his hand impatiently, not bothering to argue with her.

"Let's join our father," Freya says. You look at the king, who is sitting in front of the fire.All of you gather around the fire, placing the hunted animals on the ground. King Charles eyes the animals attentively.

"Whose rabbit is this?" he asks, nodding toward the dead animal. Richard stiffens at the question.

"Mine," he says, shifting in his seat nervously. The king stares at him for a while with a frown on his face.

"Rabbit meat tastes better than deer," your father says as a tiny smile spreads on his face. Richard grins toothily and nods, feeling relieved.

"What about you?" King Charles turns to Freya. "What did you hunt?"

"Nothing, Father," Freya answers, keeping her head low. The king remains silent for a moment, searching his daughter's face.

"You remind me of my brother," he admits. "His name was Francis. Am I right to assume you already know about him?"

All of you nod your heads."He used to say being a king is a blessing unless you're a Rhivenian," your father begins. "He preferred owning a farm over ruling a kingdom. But he fought by my side until the end."

"Why did you execute him, Father?" Atheris dares to ask him. King Charles brushes his fingers through his beard with a sigh.

"He was too pure for this world," he answers. "Francis fell in love with a woman who was poisoning his mind. He was so blinded by love that he never realized her evil plan. She manipulated him."

"How did you know?" Atheris frowns.

"Whenever I looked at him, I didn't see the innocent boy I grew up with anymore," the king continues. "I could see my grave in his eyes.""Do you have nightmares about him?" you ask him. He nods his head slowly as he stares off into space.

"Every night," he replies sorrowfully."It's getting late," your father says. "We must return before it gets dark."

Meanwhile…

Queen Isabelle is sitting on her couch, her brows wrinkled in thought, as she wonders what her son is doing. Is the king pleased by Richard's skills?

She hopes he doesn't embarrass himself in front of his father. There comes a knock on her door. She calls out, "Enter."

The door opens, and a man with wavy red hair enters the room. Her eyes widening in surprise, Isabelle gets up and walks towards him with hurried steps.

"I'm glad to see you too, sister," the young man says and opens his arms, welcoming her hug. The queen wraps her arms around his neck, laughing happily.

"You've grown into a handsome man," Isabelle whispers and breaks the hug to study his face.

"Are you saying I was ugly as a boy?" Matteo glares at her playfully.

"A little bit," the queen grimaces. He laughs and walks past his sister, falling onto the couch with a grunt.

"How long has it been?" he asks and pauses to make a guess. "Nine years?"

"Eight," she corrects him. "We haven't seen each other in eight years."

"Yes." Matteo nods. He points at the packages on the floor with his chin. "I've brought some presents."

The queen frowns, eyeing the gifts suspiciously. "Why five?"

"One is for you," Matteo replies. "The other four gifts are for the heirs."

"You brought gifts for Alvena's children too?" Isabelle's frown deepens. "Why?"

"I've heard it's a tradition." Matteo shrugs. "One must buy a gift for each heir when visiting Rhivenia."

Such tradition doesn't exist, Isabelle thinks. But she remains silent.

In the forest…

You mount your horse and ride alongside your siblings and father while the soldiers make a circle around you again. No one speaks for a while, probably processing what your father said about Prince Francis earlier.

"I will name my horse after him," Freya decides.

"Francis?" Richard asks, and Freya nods in confirmation. "Well, I will name mine Silver."

"My horse's name is Maerisa," Atheris says, looking down at her horse. "After the queen of Velerans."

"Queen of Velerans?" You cock your head to the side. You've never heard about her before.

"Yes." She beams. "You can read about her and Velerans in the library."

"What about you?" Freya asks you. "What will you name her?"

You fix your gaze on your horse, thoughtful. What kind of name fits a beautiful friend like her?

"I will name her Zeus," you announce.

"Zeus," Freya tests the name on her tongue. "Sounds nice."

After naming the horses, no one speaks for the rest of the trip.