Clash of Kings

Chapter 4: All Grown up

(The illustration is of the brothers before they controlled Mandara.  Because Mandoria was still ruling the kingdom they retained their father's flag, and for that reason, their wings were all red when they were young, and when their flags change their feathers will gradually grow into the colorful ones we know today.  One more thing, the gems on their crowns are their birthstones, amethyst for Mandara, peridot for MA.)

Twenty years later...

The Nordic brother's plan has been working like a charm, Prussia has been so busy with the war with Swedish Empire and is now fighting with Austria Empire, that he hasn't gone through with his threats and has seemed to have all but forgotten about the kingdom of Mandoria.  King Mandoria was still nervous that Prussia could attack at any moment, but he pushed that fear to the back of his mind and focused on his kingdom and his sons.

For the past few years, Mandoria had been training his sons to take over the kingdom from him.  Mandoria had ruled over his kingdom for a little over two centuries, and with Derogan and Mandara having reached thirty-three and twenty-eight years old, he felt he was nearing his time to step down from the throne.

Because Derogan was the eldest, tradition stated that he was going to be the next king and Mandara was going to be his royal adviser.  Mandara didn't mind but Derogan was quite annoyed about the idea of being king, he didn't want all that responsibility and felt Mandara was much more fit for that role than he was.  For this reason, Derogan tried to avoid most of his lessons with his father and instead snuck to the knight's training grounds and had combat lessons with them.

It was on one of these days that Mandoria was searching for his son, he knew that Derogan would ditch his lessons but he never figured out where he was going.  Eventually, the king wandered into the library and found Mandara studying with his current adviser.

"Dear Mandara, have you seen your brother anywhere, he is avoiding his lessons again," Mandoria asked.

Mandara shrugged, "natin Hezyka(no Father), I do not know where he could be."

That was a lie, one day Mandara caught his brother training with the knights and Derogan made him swear on his wings that he wouldn't tell their dad about it.  Mandoria rolled his eyes, he knew about the promise and found it silly that he even bothered to ask, so he said with a sigh, "well why don't you just help me find him then."

"I can not Father, Derogan made me promise-"

"He only said you could not tell me where he is," Mandoria interrupted, "that does not mean you can't show me."

Mandara opened his mouth to protest but decided this wasn't a battle he was going to win, so he excused himself from his lessons and led his father to the training grounds.  Just as suspected, Derogan was training with Mandoria's captain, the two didn't notice Mandara and Mandoria at first but then the captain did and knelt out of respect.

"Surrendering already, Captain?" Derogan asked, "we have barely even started."

"When one kneels to another it does not always symbolize surrender, sometimes it means they respect you," Mandoria said, Derogan jerked around and stared at his father and brother in shock.  

He then growled at Mandara, "you swore on your wings brother, how dare you break that promise."

Mandara just hung his head in shame, "I am sorry Derogan, Father found a loophole and made me bring him here, though I didn't tell him as promised."

Derogan continued to glare at his brother until Mandoria spoke up, "Captain, thou are excused."  The knight nodded, stood up, and left, leaving his king with the princes.

"So this is what you have been doing instead of your lessons, I must say it is better than what I originally thought, but I would like to inquire as to why?" Mandoria asked.

Derogan stared at his father for a moment, he sighed and said simply, "Father, I do not wish to be king."

Mandoria's eyes immediately widened, he was not expecting that answer in the slightest.  He was dumbfounded, why did Derogan not want to be king, that was something that all princes would dream about.

After a moment Mandoria finally found his voice, "Why my son, being king is the highest honor you can have, the kingdom will be yours to rule."

"That is the reason," Derogan explained, "I do not want that responsibility, I couldn't handle half the things you do every single day."

"But that is why Mandara will be your adviser, you both will-"

"I don't want to be king, Father!" Derogan shouted, Mandoria took a step back in shock and Mandara covered his mouth.  Derogan was clearly angry, his wings were half flared and his eyes were glowing faintly.  After an intense stare-down, Derogan dropped his practice sword and took off into the sky.

"Derogan wait, come back!" Mandara shouted after him, he tried to fly after his brother but Mandoria put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"Father?" he asked.  Mandoria shook his head, "let him go, he is angry and needs some time to himself."

Mandara blinked at his father then turned back to where Derogan flew off to, he sighed when he couldn't see his brother anymore and decided to go back into the castle, Mandoria following close behind.  

A few hours later, Mandoria was flying around looking for Derogan, eventually finding him sitting at the top of a waterfall that overlooked a large sinkhole with a lake at the bottom of it.  Mandoria landed a few feet behind his son, he gazed at Derogan's huddled form and felt a twinge of guilt tug at him.  The king slowly approached Derogan so he wouldn't startle him off the cliff.

Mandoria sat down next to Derogan and after a moment he asked, "why are you upset, my son?"

Derogan didn't say anything right away, he just continued to hug his legs and stare out into the crater.

"I am scared, Father," he said at last.  Mandoria tilted his head in confusion but let Derogan continue speaking, "after what happened between you and King Prussia, I have been dreading the idea that it could happen to me when I become king, and next time I won't be as lucky as you."

Mandoria furrowed his brows at Derogan explanation, even more when he heard a quiet sob coming from the prince.  

Mandoria wrapped a wing around his son, "it is alright to be afraid, I can see how something like that could cause you to fear being king, but you should know that things like that don't happen very often."

"Maybe so," said Derogan, "but that doesn't change the fact that I don't want to be king."

"Derogan-"

"Please, don't make me do it, please."

Mandoria stared at his son for a moment, there was nothing but fear and pleading in his eyes and it made the king's guilt grow bigger.

"Very well," he sighed, "you won't become king, I will inform your brother of this when we return."

Derogan smiled slightly, "thank you, Father."

Mandoria simply nodded and the two fell silent and just watched the sunset in the distance, eventually, Derogan leaned further into his father's embrace, feeling safe and secure for the first time in a long while.