She's the Prince

Chapter 6

Beneath the Ashes

Prince Ares stared at the tea swirling in his cup, his mind as foggy as the memory of what had happened in Skull Land. He could feel the weight of his confusion pressing down on him, but the answers remained elusive, just out of reach. The captain sat across from him, his expression as serious as ever, pouring tea into the prince's cup with steady hands.

"You know," Ares said, breaking the silence, "it suits you well without a mustache. With your sharp features, your jawline stands out more."

Captain Callan cleared his throat, his face remaining unreadable. "I didn't realize you were interested in facial shapes, Prince Ares."

The prince smiled faintly. "Do you think only women notice such things?"

The captain gave no response, his gaze unwavering. "We're not here to discuss it, is it?"

Ares sighed, the humor fading from his eyes. "No, it's not. We're here to talk about what happened back in Skull Land."

"You don't remember any of it?" Callan's tone was measured, but Ares could sense the tension beneath the surface.

Ares shook his head. "Not a thing. My memory... it's gone."

The captain frowned, setting his cup down. "Considering the difficulties we faced and the injuries you sustained, memory loss isn't surprising."

"What happened?" Ares asked. "Perhaps if you tell me, it'll start coming back."

The captain paused, sipping his tea before answering. "What part of our mission have you forgotten?"

"Everything," Ares admitted, leaning back in his chair. "From the very beginning."

Callan raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. "From day one?"

Ares nodded. "Yes. You'd better start from the top."

The captain leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping to a more serious tone. "Then let me start at the beginning."

He began recounting the events, his voice calm but deliberate. "Algos, a leader of the Perseus clan, has always been a thorn in the side of the Constellation. His family is notorious for bullying, stealing, and killing within their ranks. When the Constellation called a meeting to select a new head of state, the Perseus clan was deliberately excluded."

"Algos started a war just because he wasn't invited to a meeting?" Ares asked, expressing surprise.

"It wasn't just any meeting," Callan corrected him. "It was a sacred council, one that determined the fate of our world. Algos took the exclusion as a personal insult, but it was far more than that."

Ares frowned, trying to wrap his mind around the enormity of the situation. He glanced at Callan, wondering if the man could sense the growing frustration bubbling beneath his calm exterior. "Go on."

"On the day of the council, Algos led his clan in a dark assault on the sacred circle of the Constellation," Callan continued. "He attacked the leaders of other clans with black magic. Only Lord Zodor survived—and that was because of you."

"Me?" Ares echoed, surprise flashing in his eyes.

Callan nodded. "Yes. You and the twelve sons of Lord Zodor were charged with stopping Algos' reign of terror. Your ability to control fire was key in countering his dark power."

"Zodor's sons..." Ares mused. "Which ones were skilled with fire?"

For the first time, the captain's eyes met Ares with an intensity that made him shift in his seat. "You, Daniel, and Ivar. You were all formidable, but Algos knew how to exploit your weaknesses."

Ares could feel the weight of the captain's gaze and the unsaid judgments behind it. He gazed down at his tea, battling the bitterness that rose to his throat. "Algos doesn't know everything about me," he said quietly.

Callan's voice softened. "You've always been different from your brothers. You don't care what people think of you, and you rarely show the full extent of your abilities. You speak little, never boasting like Daniel or Ivar. That's why Algos had a hard time taking you down."

"Then how did I get injured?" Ares asked, his voice growing sharper. "Why did I fall?"

"You saved us," Callan said, his tone serious. "The captain and me. We aren't even part of your army, but you risked your life for us."

"Whose army are you with?"

"Coyan's," Callan replied. "Your army died protecting you after you saved us. They died to ensure we escaped the cave and brought you back."

Ares fell silent, the weight of Callan's words pressing on him. A high-pitched ringing filled his ears, a sensation that made him grip his tunic tightly. The room swayed, and he felt dizzy.

The captain noticed. He stood up abruptly, coming around to Ares' side. "Prince Ares, we need to get you to your room."

Ares tried to protest, but the pain was too intense, and his vision blurred. He could barely make out the captain as he gripped his arm, helping him to his feet.

"What are you doing?" Ares asked weakly, his pride trying to reassert itself.

Callan glanced at him, the barest hint of a smirk crossing his face. "What do you think?"

Before Ares could argue further, Callan hoisted him onto his back. Ares, too weak to resist, rested his head against the captain's shoulder, the corridor spinning around him as they passed other soldiers.

The soldiers whispered among themselves, but Callan ignored them, his steps purposeful as he carried Ares to his room. When they arrived, the prince's two servants, Samiya and Alora, rushed to meet them.

"Captain Callan, what happened to Prince Ares?" Samiya asked, concern evident in her voice.

"Why weren't you watching him?" Callan snapped at the two women, his temper flaring.

Alora hurried to open the door, and Callan carried Ares inside, gently laying him on the bed. Alora quickly smoothed the sheets, and Callan straightened up, his gaze lingering on the prince.

"Give him some medicine or something to help him sleep," Callan ordered.

"Thank you for your service, Captain Callan," Samiya and Alora said in unison, bowing slightly.

Callan nodded curtly. "Keep an eye on him. He's not fully recovered yet." With that, he turned and left the room, the door closing softly behind him.

As Ares lay there, the fog of his mind thickening, he couldn't shake the feeling that the answers to his questions were just out of reach, locked away in the fragments of his lost memory.