THE ROYAL ENEMY

CHAPTER 3- UNSPOKEN WORDS

"We are masters of the unsaid words, but slaves of those we let slip out..." ― Winston Churchill

JULIA

The damp air was starting to get to me and I couldn't help but shake my head at the poor fool in front of me. His shoulders were tense, his deep green eyes narrowed in concentration. I watched as he missed shot after shot like I have been for the past hour. He realised I wasn't going to leave and settled on ignoring me, that was half an hour ago and he hasn't spoken since. He was convinced I was the reason his father thought he was a failure.

I know every person in the whole kingdom thinks I was born with talent. They don't look twice at how I got here. I practiced every day, hour after hour, just like the prince. I watched him from afar from the age of nine, waking up early with him and making my way to the court yard. I would stand from afar and watch as he practiced. And practice myself. The difference between us though, is that he doesn't care about being a knight, whereas it has always been my dream. Last year I had finally reached my goal. But although he doesn't know it, Leo ruined it for me.

"He want's what's best for you," I said, making another lame attempt at conversation. He ignored me just like the last three times. My patience was wearing thin and I stood up angrily. Although I didn't scream, my words were loud and clear, carrying to him. "No wonder he wants you gone! Here you are, ignoring me like the immature child that you are. You are not fit for the throne." He stopped abruptly, his hands frozen on the string, bringing the bow down; he turned around to face me. I knew what I said had struck a chord, I knew because I had heard many people say it to him before.

"What?" he said calmly, his face showing no emotion. Usually he would scream back at me, so his cool demeanour made me wary. "You heard me," I continued, swallowing the lump in my throat, scared of the deadly look he was giving me. "Every Lord and Lady talks about you behind your back, you know. How you can't shoot or ride, how bad you are at every sport, how you're too arrogant to take even your teachers help. How you are such a child. How you are not fit to be king." I regretted my words almost instantly, seeing the hurt look on his face but even if the words stung they needed to be said and he needed to hear it, so I continued.

"That's right, Uncle always has to put up with listening about his failure of a son and I'm sure he's sick and tired of it by now." I said. I shouldn't be speaking to him like this; he is the heir to throne, it isn't right to disrespect him. I cast the thought aside, no one was here to see this, and I guess that made it alright.

Realisation dawned on him, the reason why his father was so mad. He put the bow down, his eyebrows creased. He walked to the concrete steps and sat down, putting his face in his hands. My heart knocked against my chest. I wanted to go to him and comfort him. But I didn't know how, especially considering I'm the one who did that to him. Suddenly a memory hit me hard as I watched him. His body was huddled, and his eyes were trained on the floor.

*FLASHBACK*

Laughter and cheers surrounded me, as I beat the last man in combat. The first annual Lord and Lady competition, determines the new recruits for the knights. I had just won every game. The cheers around me abruptly died as the King and the prince made their way over to me. I swallowed nervously; it was up to the king to decide if I was good enough to become a lady knight. I was young and so it wasn't likely he would offer me a place.

Behind them, every knight marched with amused smiles on their faces. The king stopped in front of me and his cool demeanour fell as he engulfed me in his warm embrace. "You did it Julia," He said happily.

"Yeah, you actually won, the prince couldn't even make it past the first round," A knight sneered. Everyone around us laughed and Leo's eyes darkened. He stayed poised; he was used to this, being ridiculed because of me."Julia, I would be honoured if you took the position of a noble lady knight," the king continued, ignorant of the knights hurting his son.

My heart sped up, I have practiced my whole life to become a lady knight, it has always been my dream and now I can finally become one. The word 'yes' was at the tip of my tongue. I would be the very first girl to hold the status of a knight."She may actually become a knight before Leo, he was beat by a girl," said another knight. The hundreds of onlookers heard this one and hurtful laughs ran out across the large stadium.

Leo's eyes were trained on the floor, he always looked down when he was hurt and it became a habit of trying to conceal his feelings.But they were right, if I accepted the offer, they would hold it against him for a long time, if not remind him of it even when he became king. Their respect for him would decrease more than it already has and here I was, to determinate how things would play out.

"Leo can't even hold a sword or get on a horse; he will never be a knight." Another knight sneered, making my decision for me. I turned my head back to the king, his eyes were watching me calculatingly, "Thank you for the offer sire, but I will have to politely decline," I said.

Leo looked up suddenly, staring at me shocked; gasps ran out through the crowd, I had just turned down becoming a knight. The second person in history to ever reject such an offer, the first being my mother.The king was watching me knowingly. I turned on my feet and walked away from the crowds of people, and made myself a promise. Leo would become a knight before me, so help me God, even if I had to train him myself.

*END OF FLASHBACK*

Now looking at the crushed prince, I felt hatred and pity boiling in my stomach. He took away my dream that day, all ideas of comforting him left my mind. With one last disgusted look in his direction, I turned and walked away.