When the sergeant finished his speech, he gave us an hour to prepare for the upcoming shard. As the crowd began to disperse, my eyes stayed focused on the blond youth with the dangerous presence. When he began walking away, I trailed him from behind. He walked for ten minutes before I grabbed him by the arm, pushing him in between two buildings in an alley.
"Alexander, what the hell are you doing here?" There was a weight to my words mixed with genuine confusion. I could not understand why Father would send the crown prince to the 1st legion. I immediately thought of conspiracy as my senses dialed up to ten.
Alex did not seem bothered in the slightest. He just gave me the same charming smile that was always plastered on his face. At some point in my youth, I wondered if he was even capable of showing any other expression. Alexander Viven Drakkar was a force to be reckoned with. He had the same tall build with broad shoulders. If not for his blond hair and blue eyes, we would have looked fairly similar. "Hello, little brother, long time no see." The sincerity in his eyes put me at ease. His mother, Mary Viven, was the only daughter of Archbishop Ishamael, a legend within the clergy.
His smile was slightly strained as he spoke again. "Do you mind loosening your grip on my arm, please. Although I don't mind the physical touch. I would prefer it if your claws did not dig into my skin." Realizing how strong my grip had become, I released him immediately. The relief on his face was clear for all to see.
I took a step back, creating some distance between us. My eyes did not leave his face for even a moment. That smile of his… it had always been the same. Warm, approachable, and deceptively human.
"I asked you a question," I said, my voice was lower now, sounding more like a command than a question. "The crown prince does not simply wander into the 1st Legion on a whim."
Alexander adjusted the sleeve of his uniform where I had grabbed him, as if the matter were of no consequence. His movements were calm and measured as ever. "You're as perceptive as ever, I see," he said lightly. "Though I would have thought you'd start with 'it's good to see you again.'"
"Because it's not," I replied without hesitation. For the briefest moment, something flickered in his eyes. Gone so quickly that I almost thought I imagined it. Then the smile returned as if it never left.
"Still so cold," he mustered. "Some things never change."
"And some things never should," I shot back. "Answer the damn question."
A tense silence stretched between us. Neither of us moved our gaze as if doing so would show weakness. Which it most likely would. I thought with an internal grimace.
Alexander exhaled softly, his gaze shifting past me for a moment, as if making sure we were truly alone. When his eyes returned to mine, the warmth in them had dulled… just slightly.
"I volunteered," he said.
His words brought a frown to my lips. "That does not make any sense." I shook my head as if to iterate my point.
"Doesn't it?" he tilted his head. "The kingdom is… unstable at the best of times. The borders are stirring, and the church is growing restless." His voice remained calm, but there was something underneath it now. Something sharper. "What better place for a future king than the front lines?"
"That sounds like something the church would say," I replied with disgust.
"And you've always been good at recognizing their influence," he said, the faintest hint of approval in his tone. Which only made it worse. Causing my eyes to narrow.
"So which is it?" I pressed. "Your decision… or theirs?"
Alexander did not answer immediately. Yet for me, that was answer enough.
A quiet scoff left my lips. "I see."
"You always do," he said with a softer tone.
Silence fell again, heavier this time. I studied him more carefully now. The posture. The breathing. The way his mana sat just beneath the surface was all perfectly controlled and refined.
Too refined in my opinion.
"They've been training you like the dog you are," I spat with genuine venom in my voice.
It was not a question; yet Alexander's smile did not falter. "They've been guiding me."
"Is that what you call it?" I asked. "Guidance?"
"What would you call it?" he countered, still calm.
"Control."
For the first time, his expression stilled completely. No smile, no warmth, just stillness. Then, slowly, it returned as if it never left.
"You always did see things differently," he said. "That's why Father worries about you."
I almost laughed at that.
"Father doesn't worry," I said flatly. "He just points and expects us to obey."
Alexander's eyes sharpened at that, but he said nothing. I stepped closer again, just enough to close the gap without touching him this time.
"You shouldn't be here," I said quietly. "This place isn't for someone like you."
"And what kind of person is that?" he asked.
I held his gaze.
"A pawn."
The word hung between us.
For a moment, I thought he might react.
He did not even show the slightest hint of a reaction. Instead, he smiled. But this time… it didn't reach his eyes.
"If I'm a pawn," he said softly, "then what does that make you, brother?"
I didn't answer. Because we both already knew. Instead of continuing this pointless conversation, I just turned around and left. My mind worked on overdrive, trying to understand the implications of not only his presence but his words as well. "If you are a lion that fights with honor and pride. Then he is a snake waiting for the most opportune moment to strike. He may give the impression of being a pawn, but do not be fooled. A man like that has his own ambitions." Believe me, Aeron, I already know.
Slowly but surely thew pieces of the puzzle began to fit in place. As a child, I was the least prepared of all my father's children. My sword training with Lionel was the bare minimum they could provide. I knew for a fact that every single one of my siblings had been prepared since birth. Yet my preparation was suspiciously lacking. Just thinking of the fact that they sent in their mind a weak and sickly child to the frontier to fight a shard. If the bandits and the beasts did not kill me, then the shard surely would. I was sent there to die.
But when that was not enough, they sabotaged my final trial. Putting not only my life in danger but that of my entire team. A cold anger began building in my chest. It all made sense now that I knew of the church's presence. But the question was, why? My elven blood made me ineligible to contest the human throne. And my human blood blocked me from the elven one. No, that throne would go to my elder sister, Eloise.