𝙎𝙃𝘼𝘿𝙊𝙒 𝙊𝙁 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙁𝙇𝘼𝙈𝙀

𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘆-𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲

Maven

The trip back to the Choke is a nightmare. Cal stays behind and I'm forced to travel alone with the King. Mostly I pretend to be asleep so I won't have to look at him. So he won't have to talk to me and point out every single thing I'm lacking.

He always underestimates me.

The last few days in Whitefire confirmed that. The King was not lying when he said I'd go back to the Choke after the ball. I got only one more day in the castle before I was sent back. Mostly it meant silent meals where I tried my best to ignore the very evident comparison with my brother and focused on swallowing the food in front of me.

I was almost glad when I heard Cal was going to stay behind for some other duties at the capital. At least until I heard the King would be coming with me instead. Why he is visiting the Choke I don't know or care. Mother would tell me to pay attention and figure it out myself, but I have no interest in his life, just like he doesn't have any interest in mine. Except for posing as the perfect family in front of others.

How I long to ruin his little dream.

I am grateful when the aircraft begins its descent. This time, when we land, there is a welcome party and all the workers stand to either side of the main road of camp, forming an aisle. No doubt all of this is to boost the King's ever-growing ego. Worse of all, my relationship with him will be plain obvious when I walk beside him. If only I could yell at everyone that he is a stranger to me.

I swallow down my anger and stride gracefully down the path, making sure to look every bit the prince I am. My dress uniform is neat despite the long hours cramped in the aircraft and I use it to my favour. I will not be weak again, and I will prove to anyone looking that I cannot be underestimated.

That is, until we walk past a group of Red workers I recognise. Most of the workers keep their heads and eyes down when we get close, but they don't. They're the only ones that look at us straight on. He is the only one that meets my eyes.

For a moment, my mask falters, but I recover and look away. He ignored me for weeks, avoiding me at all costs and never meeting my eyes. But now he decides that he can. Why? Did he change of mind and decided he doesn't hate me anymore? Or perhaps now he has chosen to glare at me from a distance for the rest of my stay. I push all thought of him aside. Thomas is a distraction. And I cannot take any distractions. I am here to prove myself. And I will not fail.

I continue walking without another look at him. He knows I'm the Prince of Norta and I know he is a Red. Time or distance will not change that. We could never ever be friends.