In his room, the prince, as soon as he heard the door shutting after Daniel’s departure, let his shoulders fall into relaxation and humped a little under the pressure of the fatigue felt at the back of his head, in his limbs, and in his stomach. He had only pretended to be all right.
Lethargically, with his head bent into desolation, he lamented: No… I can’t do anymore, I can’t. I’m completely destroyed. The war has eaten my body. The palace has eaten my soul… Each day I walk closer to my doom…
He took on a rebel’s attitude. But why do I care, after all, about what the people say? Screw them all! Why must I always solve my parents’ problems? How about I pretend I’ve heard nothing?
He got into a self-pitying phase. I’m such a poor guy. I have the full right to rest. I think I should ignore this problem.
But three seconds later, he jumped in place, straightened his back, thrust out his chest, and went into a new state: the encouraging phase. No, it won’t do! The enemy always expects this: the moment of weakness! But I shall not; I’m not going to give up so easily. As long as I’m alive, I’ll protect this kingdom! I’ll fight for my family’s honor!
In his room, the prince, as soon as he heard the door shutting after Daniel’s departure, let his shoulders fall into relaxation and humped a little under the pressure of the fatigue felt at the back of his head, in his limbs, and in his stomach. He had only pretended to be all right.
Lethargically, with his head bent into desolation, he lamented: No… I can’t do anymore, I can’t. I’m completely destroyed. The war has eaten my body. The palace has eaten my soul… Each day I walk closer to my doom…
He took on a rebel’s attitude. But why do I care, after all, about what the people say? Screw them all! Why must I always solve my parents’ problems? How about I pretend I’ve heard nothing?
He got into a self-pitying phase. I’m such a poor guy. I have the full right to rest. I think I should ignore this problem.
But three seconds later, he jumped in place, straightened his back, thrust out his chest, and went into a new state: the encouraging phase. No, it won’t do! The enemy always expects this: the moment of weakness! But I shall not; I’m not going to give up so easily. As long as I’m alive, I’ll protect this kingdom! I’ll fight for my family’s honor!
You're reading chapter 4 from The Arid Kingdom series - Book #1
With an excess of enthusiasm, Soris went to prepare for going out in the palace world. Reaching the mirror from his personal bathroom, situated in the following room, he shuddered, terrified. Gosh, how awful I look! I only hope Daniel didn’t stare too much at my face.
He laughed at his own appearance. In the struggle to improve his mood, he threw cold water on his face a few times, then looked again into the mirror. Nothing changed. I still don’t look good. These dark circles make me look tired and sick. Oh well, it’s better so. May the people get scared of me rather than poke fun at me.
He changed into an elegant day-time costume: a white shirt with silver buttons, an elbow-sleeved black jacket, and black trousers with diverse fine decorations, and for his feet, simple black boots. On his chest, at the right, he attached a golden rhombus-shaped badge that marked his rank in the palace.
He quickly combed his hair, dragging it to make it look tidy, then took an overall look at himself, lifted his chin and pulled his shoulders back. With a heroic attitude, he rushed out of his room and marched to the small conference room.
Reading chapter 4 from book one of The Arid Kingdom series - meeting the king
Selunia couldn’t believe she’d have to play this adopted daughter scene. She found this absurd; she had her own parents. Still, on the other hand, she thought it would be fun to go to the palace under another name. The stealthy infiltration intrigued her. It was as if her life had become more interesting, more important. She broke free from the repetitive days at the White Castle, where she had had to keep believing and keep struggling to awaken her inner force, before the scoffs and distrustful sights of the others.
The general resumed, “You’ll have to be very careful there. I can’t say decisively that the war is over.”
“War?!” she exclaimed. “Are you saying you’ve gone through a war recently?! I didn’t know anything about that.”
“We’ve been at war for more than five years. We had a number of attacks to fight.”
Silence fell. The general sank into memories, while Selunia sat there gaping at him. She couldn’t accept she hadn’t known something so important, for so long. Did Mom and Dad know about this? Ryan probably knew… Why didn’t anybody tell me anything?
Awakened from her shock, she asked, terrified, “And Soris, I mean, Prince Soris, what’s he doing? Is he all right?”
The general nodded. “The prince is one of the luckiest men on the battlefield. He’s escaped from so many fiery military battles without deadly injuries or fractures, although he pretty much exposed himself. He pushed himself through all sorts of difficult areas. Such a stubborn boy. Well, no one denies that his actions rushed the ending of the war. He wanted more than anyone to put an end to the state of terror.”
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Getting close to it, he noticed two servants: a man and woman, ears stuck to the door in an assiduous attempt to eavesdrop on the conversation inside. From time to time, they talked to each other.
“Say ya, Brenda, do ya hear anything?” asked the man. “Why are they fighting?”
“Shut ya mouth! I think I’ve just started to figure out something,” the maid whispered.
“What?”
“They’re cursing each other for sure!”
“Ugh! I got that too, ya! But why, ya? What the hell—oh!” The man gasped, seeing that the prince was already near them.
Soris played dumb. “May I know what you two are doing here? Are you perhaps… eavesdropping?”
The two fidgeted and blabbered in a chorus, “Oh, no, Your Highness! We wouldn’t dar—”
“Wait for me in front of my office!” he snapped. “I must have a talk with you two.”
“Yes, of course, of course!” they consented in a stuttering chorus, bowing respectfully.
Alone now, Soris grabbed the doorknob of the door behind which, now and again, his parents’ blown-up words could be heard. They were having an argument. Again.
He sat by and sighed a little, knowing very well what was to be seen inside. This wasn’t his first day to go cool them down, but ever since the official end of the war, those quarrels had gotten more frequent. He knew his speech and their lectures by heart. It seemed to him as if he was following a role in a play.
He took a deep breath, summoned his courage, and sneaked inside.
Chapter 4, The Arid Kingdom series - Book #1
Getting close to it, he noticed two servants: a man and woman, ears stuck to the door in an assiduous attempt to eavesdrop on the conversation inside. From time to time, they talked to each other.
“Say ya, Brenda, do ya hear anything?” asked the man. “Why are they fighting?”
“Shut ya mouth! I think I’ve just started to figure out something,” the maid whispered.
“What?”
“They’re cursing each other for sure!”
“Ugh! I got that too, ya! But why, ya? What the hell—oh!” The man gasped, seeing that the prince was already near them.
Soris played dumb. “May I know what you two are doing here? Are you perhaps… eavesdropping?”
The two fidgeted and blabbered in a chorus, “Oh, no, Your Highness! We wouldn’t dar—”
“Wait for me in front of my office!” he snapped. “I must have a talk with you two.”
“Yes, of course, of course!” they consented in a stuttering chorus, bowing respectfully.
Alone now, Soris grabbed the doorknob of the door behind which, now and again, his parents’ blown-up words could be heard. They were having an argument. Again.
He sat by and sighed a little, knowing very well what was to be seen inside. This wasn’t his first day to go cool them down, but ever since the official end of the war, those quarrels had gotten more frequent. He knew his speech and their lectures by heart. It seemed to him as if he was following a role in a play.
He took a deep breath, summoned his courage, and sneaked inside.
Chapter 4, The Arid Kingdom series - Book #1
The queen—a medium-brown-haired and hazel-eyed woman, elegantly dressed—yelled at the king, “You wretch! You’ve almost destroyed the entire palace! My life itself wasn’t enough! Since you married me, all you’ve done was play around. You’ve turned my life into hell! So irresponsible! If only you knew how much I’ve suffered because of your escapades, how many times I nearly died because of the poison-gifts sent by your mistresses!”
The king—a dark-haired, green-eyed, fancily-dressed man—said sarcastically, “Shut your mouth, dear queen. Why do you say I’ve destroyed the palace? You’re in it right now, and you’re safe and sound. And exceptionally loud when you should be sweet and grateful that I managed to chase those savages out! You think the war was too long? Well, had you been me, it wouldn’t even be ended today! And don’t pick on my personal matters anymore! You’d better think about what should be done in this palace! Show some contribution! All you do is complain every day.”
The queen pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. She kept silent for a few seconds, barely refraining from slapping him.
Soris seized the opportunity and interfered, “Mother, Father, could you please calm…”
They both turned their angered eyes to him, as if they had only now noticed his presence in the room. Soris took a step back, stricken by their hate-fueled looks. Now I think they’ll aim at me. Ugh, I guess even by now I haven’t got used to this kind of look from them. They always scare me…
The queen, just like Soris had expected, pointed her finger at him. She turned to the king and said in an affected tone, “Take a look at your son! Look at him for at least a second! How can I not pick on your so-called ‘personal matters’ when Soris, our own son, was about to die at the hands of one of your attendants?”
The king’s face darkened. “Why must you always remind me of that event? That happened only once and—and she wasn’t exactly my attendant! It was another situation… Cut it out! What matters is that he’s alive. Be pleased with this, ‘cause anyway he’s a dullard, a bighead who always thinks he’s smarter than me!”
“How dare you call him a dullard, you bastard? Why dullard, when he went with you in war? He helped you win, you ungrateful man!”
“Anyone can do that! Anybody can learn to fight!” the king shouted back. “He wasn’t the only one who went to war, but an entire army, you ignorant woman! The war didn’t end thanks to him. And he, this haggard boy, isn’t able to lead an army, therefore he can’t take up the throne!”
This was the sentence that Soris had awaited. He knew, from experience, that after this a moment of rest followed, which gave him the chance to interfere and be conciliatory. “Mom, please, cool down. You don’t have to let the whole palace know that you’re fighting with dad. I’ve already found some servants eavesdropping by the door. Please, don’t fight with Dad in these rooms anymore.”
You're reading Chapter 4, The Arid Kingdom series - Book #1
The queen replied with a very indignant face. Her focus was on him now. Rashly scrutinizing him, she yelled at him, “What? You’re siding with the king? Have you forgotten how uncaring he was to you? Have you forgotten how he shamelessly implied that you weren’t his son? Have you forgotten all I did for you as a mother?”
With a cold face, Soris stared into space at the floor. He knew that he shouldn’t say anything now, shouldn’t reply to any question, shouldn’t let himself get dragged into this talk by any means; otherwise the quarrel would stretch considerably, without changing its ending—that of no agreement.
The queen, seeing how he kept quiet, let out a sigh of disappointment. “Very well, Soris. It seems I was all wrong about you. All my efforts to educate and bring you up to become an honorable, respectable man were in vain. It’s all up to you if you want to follow your dad and become like him: a crook, a womanizer, a great sham who thinks he’s high and mighty!”
She shifted her attention toward the ceiling to cool her indignation down, then added in a low tone, as if she thought aloud, “What a cursed destiny I have… I thought that if I educated you myself, you’d be different than your father. But this is it: like father, like son. It’s useless to struggle. Men are all the same!” Then she marched passed by him and left the room, almost crying.
The first part is done, Soris noted to himself. Now I should say something quickly before father gets his chance to lecture me for who knows how long. I know what to tell him.
He put on a resigned face and asked the king, “Why do you upset mother this much?”
This question brought up many memories for Soris. He could see himself asking this question when he was little—with much rage and emotional implication—compared to how he put it now, in a pathetic tone that masked boredom and lack of interest. This scene had been repeating way too many times in his life.
The king snapped at him, “What is it, you good-for-nothing? Are you being smart with me again? Are you picking on my life again? You think that just because you helped me a bit in war, you can be a king? Get lost! Haven’t I seen you on the battlefield? Bah, you’ve no tact at all; you act without thinking… therefore you’re unable to lead an army! You’re a wastrel who doesn’t have anything better to do than criticize me for… for what I do. Get lost! From my point of view, you’re not a real man! I’m ashamed to be your father! Had you resembled me, it’d have been a lot better! You oaf! Mind your own life!”
The king left the room, slamming the door.
Soris sighed and told himself, somewhat contentedly: That’s it. It’s over. I’ve succeeded in calming them down again. My magical solution worked again. If I take on all of their complaints, everything finishes quickly. Man, they’ve got so many things to say. And to think how nice they were to me during wartime… But there’s no time for melancholy now. I’ve got to go to my office and have a talk with the two gossipers from a while ago. Let’s see what formal punishment I choose to give them…
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