Chapter 1: Chapter 1
3 years ago:
I slowly walked down the halls, heading towards the Commander's study. I was thinking about why she had called for me. It was rare for the Commander to speak to anyone that did not work for her directly. Hence, that was why it was so perplexing that she had called for me. I was still a lowly cadet. I reached the Commander's study and hesitated before knocking on the door.
A low voice echoed from inside the room. "Come in."
I lightly pressed the door open, immediately feeling a chill down my spine. Heat gone from my body, I peered over to see the Commander shuffling through papers. Even as she did small, mundane tasks, she was able to bring terror. I straightened my back and walked to the front of her desk, trying to hide my hands as I rubbed them together. Unfortunately, it seemed futile trying to bring the heat back into my body.
As I came closer, she scrunched her nose and curled her lips into a grimace. I had been notified she needed me right as practice ended, and I had no time to even change. It was no surprise I smelled like the boys' changing room after training. I knew it did not matter, but my nerves still picked at me. I tried to focus on the Commander while ignoring my thoughts.
"You called for me, Commander?" I asked, hands behind my back. She studied me. Her eyes flicked over my face, silently pointing out all the flaws she could see. I felt her steel-gray eyes watching how I squirmed under her gaze, like how an owl watched a mouse before going in for the kill.
"Yes, I have something for you." She looked at me with a small smirk before pulling out a dark, navy blue jacket.
An officer jacket.
"Officer Kriagst," Commander stated with a stern tone, "I have your first assignment."
I tried but failed, to hide the shock in my face when the word 'Officer' was spoken from her lips, but I quickly concealed it. Guards can never show emotion. "What is the assignment, Commander?"
"You are to escort Prince Oliver to the Kingdom of Istoría along with Queen Alice and King Volkmar Eiríksson."
"Who will be accompanying me, Commander?"
"Officers Brentley and Olsson will also be escorting the royal family alongside you."
I knew I should have asked for the rest of the details of the mission, but it was near impossible to ignore my tireless want for her attention. The words were coming out of my mouth before I could stop them.
"Are you coming... mother?" I immediately felt regret for asking such a stupid question, when I saw her look of disdain as she rose from her desk. I regretted it even more as I felt the cold back of her hand connect with my cheek. After the stinging pain quickly faded, I was once again looking at the woman I should have never called my mother, especially since she never acted like it. She leaned close to my face, snarling as if I had threatened her life.
"Never address me with that name in this castle, nor in this kingdom. I am not your mother. I am your Commander. Understand?"
"Yes, Commander," I replied, head down.
"To answer your question, no, I will not be accompanying you on this journey. I have much more important things to do here."
"Yes, Commander. Will that be all Commander?"
"Yes, you are dismissed. Go talk to Officer Hansson for more details about the trip." She said, her finger pointing to the door. I nodded and walked out after grabbing my new jacket.
As the door closed I tried to keep my head held high as I walked away. I tried to not think about how she has never cared. I tried to not think about how she only cared about her duties to the kingdom.
Do not think about it. Do not think about it. Do not-
I felt myself hiccup as hot tears began to fall. I held my hand to my mouth, putting no effort into stopping this moment of weakness. I leaned my side against the wall and slowly slid down and quietly cried. This should have been the best day of my life, I spent ten years training for this day. When nominated cadets turn three, the soldiers whisk them away to the castle, it becoming their new home. Moth- no, the Commander, acted as if she never knew me anytime I ever saw her.
The only reason I know who she is to me is because of tradition. So obsessed with her duties and job, she told everyone else my parents had died. Yet, for some cruel reason, she believed I deserved to know the truth.
If she can not be bothered to tell people who I am, then she is not worth the tears.
I stood up and began to slip on my new jacket. As I wiped my tears, I started to search for Officer Hansson. I may not have a mother's love, but I do have this job, and I refuse to fail so early in it.
~~
Present Day:
I walked down the long hallway, hearing my boots clack on the castle floor. In front of me, Prince Oliver walked briskly, if you even could call it walking. Every other two steps, he hops off one foot and then continues walking. Prince Oliver is very...unique, but it does not bother me. If anything, it is refreshing. I have known the crown prince for three years now.
I will admit, at first, I wanted to kill him. But now, I enjoy my time with him possibly more than with my own friends. But, of course, after spending so much time with him, I had to learn to enjoy his company. After that first mission, I became Prince Oliver's personal guard and much to my immediate despite, we are rarely supposed to be apart. I was told to escort him everywhere. All his classes. All his associated football practices. All his meals.
If the prince goes, I go. Except for at night. While I am in my own personal chambers, another guard protects the prince's bedroom. I rarely enter his chambers, unless he summons me or if he is under threat.
We were currently walking to one of his elemental classes. As the crown prince and the only known descendant of Gunnef Ragnvaldr in his generation, Prince Oliver is guaranteed to inherit something we call the Vepån, or the Magic.
We live in the Kingdom of Gami, the only kingdom out of all 36 that requires all descendants of the Original to be taught how to wield their ability. Other kingdoms do not even allow this, because only one descendent every other generation receives a power per kingdom. Some past royals believed they were guaranteed the power when they were in fact not. The Utstøtte, as they are known, are notorious for going on rampages when they discovered they had not received the power. However, the Vepån is so unstable that if the wielder were to receive the power without any training, they could be torn apart from the inside by their own power.
So, we teach every other generation of royals how to control the ability. Since Prince Oliver is guaranteed to have the power, his grandmother spends all her time teaching the prince. The prince, however, can not remember anything to save his life. In order to fix this, Prince Oliver (with help) arranged for me to also be included in every lesson. Every day I bring the prince to class, he forgets mostly everything, and I reteach it to him. Sometimes more than once.
"Come on Brandon! Hurry up! We're going to be late for Grandmother's class!" Prince Oliver yelled, slightly bouncing on the tips of his toes.
I kept a straight face, as I approached him. As fun as he is, sometimes he can be a little draining.
"Is today the day you tell me why you never smile?" The prince asked playfully. I glanced at him through the corner of my eye and then looked down the hall.
"Maybe if you pray hard enough."
"Come on." He looked at me with his eyes pleading. I continued to look down the hall, but I could still feel his eyes on me.
"Why do you want to know? You have been asking all week." I asked, trying to hide the amusement in my voice.
"I'm just curious." He responded cheekily. I looked at him with an eyebrow raised.
He then asked, "Please?"
I rolled my eyes but gave in. "Guards are never allowed to show any emotion. It was one of the first things we learned but it took the longest time to master."
"How long have you been training?"
"To show no emotion or all together?"
"Altogether," The prince specified.
"Let us see, I am eighteen years old right now and I started training when five years old... so about thirteen years." We walked in silence for a few minutes before Prince Oliver spoke up.
"Wow. That's... wow. You've been learning how to be a solider for thirteen years?"
I looked at him and said, "About, yes. They treated us like prisoners, and trained us the same way."
I looked down the hall, and then back at him. "Are those your only questions?" I asked.
"Uh...I guess so."
"Good, because we are at your class." With that, I opened the door and followed the Prince in.
~~
Prince Oliver had finished his classes for the day so I was walking him toward the stairs into the castle when Prince Oliver zipped off in another direction.
"Your highness," I called out, trying to get his attention, "where are you going?"
He stopped and looked back at me. "It's the full moon tonight!" He answered, gesturing at the sky. "It's going to look beautiful on the water! Let's go look at it. Pleeease?" He asked. I raised an eyebrow and looked at him, arms crossed. "Pleeeease?" He asked again.
I then slowly pondered all the possible options.
If we go, it will take me longer to get in bed, and I am really tired. But, if we do go...
I looked down at the prince. His eyes were lighting up with hope.
If we do go, a little less sleep tonight would be worth it to see him smile that big again.
I sighed and threw my hands up. "Fine, we will go. But, only for a few minutes. Okay?"
"Deal!" He answered, then ran off to the edge of the lake. I followed him, watching as he jumped on the stone wall and leaned over to get closer to the water. I reached him and my heart jumped into my throat.
I do not know what it was. Maybe I was having a heart attack, but for some reason, the prince was... alluring.
His hair seemed to glow a beautiful gold, and his eyes seemed to glisten in the moonlight, but what did me in, was a smile fit for only an angel.
It was at this moment when I saw the prince glowing in the moonlight, flowers, and trees around us, that stars were dull compared to his smile, and I knew. I knew I was willing to throw away every rule I have ever been taught for the prince, and I did not know why.
"It's beautiful isn't it, Brandon?" Oliver asked, snapping me out of my trance.
I did not even bother to look at the water. "Yes, it is gorgeous." I placed my head on my hand, drinking in what I can of a view I will likely never see again.
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