A king with a bad attitude must change for his subjects or else face the rebellion. He thinks power can stop it all, little does he know power can become the reason for his fall.
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Book 1 | R...
Soldier Two was not as fun as soldier one, Edward decided. But he was not an eyesore unlike Soldier One, argued his brain.
Both were facts, hence the truth in their existence was not to be denied. The one thing he wished to rebuff desperately was - Soldier One and Soldier Two were similar. Yet he disliked Jupiter and Callum was just Callum for him.
There was something about Jupiter that rubbed him the wrong way. The boy had sass which was more comical than infuriating. He cannot find a way to put it logically. His irrational aversion to the boy can be solely justified as hate at first sight. Discarding his train of thought, he let his eyes roam around his room. The usually empty chamber felt emptier today due to an unknown reason. Women always made him feel better but bringing one in would be digging his own grave. If his father got the wind of it, he would happily throw the last of the dirt on it and have the headstone carved with Good riddance.
Giving his head a shake, he sprang to his feet and speed-walked to the door. The door opened without a peep, giving him the perfect opportunity to sneak up on Callum.
Father cannot give me a 'You are a king now' speech on this.
"AAAAAAH!"
The soldier whirled around with the force of the wind and put his sword at Edward's throat. The king was confused because who he thought was Callum was not Callum, it was Jupiter. "You again?"
"Your Majesty."
"You were off duty."
"It has been four hours, sir."
"Already?"
As Jupiter went to answer, Edward put his hand up to stop him and went inside, slamming the door. Jupiter stood there with his mouth still open before closing it and releasing a sigh. But he cannot have a moment to himself as long as he is Edward's sentry, can he? The answer was an obvious no. The door to the king's chamber opened with a thud, almost hitting him in the face. He gave a quick thank you to God for blessing him with quick reflexes. Why was I not blessed with the patience to bear obnoxious kings, God? Annoyed, he glanced questioningly at the king who had the decency to look apologetic.
Edward's eyes darted left and then right. Two soldiers each were stationed at both ends of the corridor. He could not talk to Jupiter there.
"Get inside, Jupiter."
The whisper of his name coming from the king's mouth caught his attention instantly. With the speed of lightning, he lifted his head. The short-lived politeness of Edward was worth getting a whiplash.
"Ye-yes, sir."
"Sit." Edward pointed to the same chair Jupiter was previously sitting on.
The soldier seated himself tentatively, waiting for whatever it was that Edward wanted. The king was pacing in front of him. If he did not know better, he would say that the man looked nervous.
The truth was he did not know better. Edward was nervous. Rarely did he do such things. Erase that. He can count on one hand the times he did a gesture like this. But he could not help himself, the guilt had settled deep within and it was eating at him.
"Jupiter, I apologize for my behavior in the afternoon. Bringing your mother into the conversation was not a respectful thing to do. I regret my actions and wish that you find it in yourself to forgive me."
He did have any other choice than to grant the king forgiveness and the man himself must know this, but it is the thought that counts, right?
Too stumped to add titles, he gave the king what he wanted. "I forgive you."
"Thank you."
The rest of the day was uneventful. The whole time he merely stood guard at the door. Apart from a quick visit from Renard, nobody talked to him.
Until the wee hours of the morning, he had already yawned more than fifty times. The reason for the yawns was boredom rather than sleep. He was not used to quiet and loneliness. It was not his decision to join the army, but he enjoyed being there. The presence of his fellow soldiers saved him from solitude and forced silence. He missed it all.
A clicking noise followed by the opening of the door to the king's chamber gave him a much-needed distraction from his dark thoughts.
Edward slipped out wearing casual attire - wine-colored balloon pants and an off-white silk shirt.
"Good morning, Your Highness."
"Morning! Accompany me to the gardens."
"Yes, sir."
"You and I are going on a date."
"Yes, si...I am sorry, what?!"
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