Legacy's Prince

Chapter Forty: What Now?

By the time Dezden and I return the sun has already begun to rise. Dezden manages to get a few hours of sleep but I do not. Thus, exhausted and still slightly overwhelmed, I trudge to school.

Very little of Morcant's lesson registers to my foggy brain. Try as I may, I cannot quit yawning, nor can I focus on my geography lesson.

The scoot of a stool breaks me out of my stupor for a brief moment. Glancing out of the corner of my eye I see Rugrell plopping down next to me, staring me down from over his notes. I roll my eyes and draw my book closer to my face to try and hide from him, hoping he'll take the hint and leave him alone.

  "What are you up to?" he asks.

"What's it matter to you?" I ask, letting the book drop on the desk in front of me before turning the page.

"So you are up to something..." he asks, smirking at me.

I glare up at him. I can feel my brow furrowing as I stare at him. "Why do you care?"

Rugrell chuckles, though there's an air of spite in his tone.

"Isn't that a great question?" he murmurs as he dips his quill into my inkwell, intentionally letting drops of black fall onto my book. I scowl at him as I try to clean up his mess and he continues.

"Why do I care?" he wonders outloud. "You drive me absolutely mad! You're cruel to Drark. You're indifferent towards Frin at best. But I can't seem to bring myself to hate you."

"I'm flattered," I sarcastically grumble as I lick my thumb to turn the page of my book.

"Still, you seem to be a decent person," Rugrell continues.  "You'll be an alright King of Durcardi. What's good for Durcardi is good for Palob, and what's good for Palob is good for me."

"So you want to make sure I'll be kind to Palob once I'm king?" I ask, tone made bitter by my discoveries from last night.

"I want to make sure you live long enough to make it to the throne," Rugrell corrects.

This catches my attention enough to make me put the book down and turn on my stool to face Rugrell head on.

"What makes you think my life is in any danger?" I question, voice quivering.

Rugrell turns and looks at me, a small hint of surprise in his eyes. "Hm..." he hums, tapping his pencil on his chin as he leans back in his chair, eyes locked on me.

"What?" I ask.

"Maybe you haven't dug as deeply as I thought," he mutters.

I roll my eyes. More vague allusions to something that may or may not be looming on the horizon! More stoic, unhelpful hints I don't have time for!

I shake my head, turning back to my book. "You don't know what I have and haven't done. Or what I'm planning."

  "That's risky," Rugrell snaps.

  "What is?"

  "Planning," he answers, setting his quill down and staring me down. "The status quo is the status quo for a reason. People like it that way. Powerful people. Powerful people who will get angry if you try to change it."

"Who said anything about a status quo?" I ask. Obviously I'm aware that there is some system in place that is keeping Durcardi at the top, though I am unfamiliar with its innerworkings. Perhaps, however, Rugrell is.

Rugrell narrows his eyes, arching an eyebrow at me. I can feel any defiance melting away under his gaze. I sharply turn my head back to the pages of my book, bringing it close to my face to use it as a mask so Rugrell can't burn holes through me with his gaze anymore.