“The world breaks everyone, and afterward, many are strong at the broken places.” — Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms

  ???

  “What in the name of the Goddess is he on about?” Nathan grumbled to himself, running a hand through his hair before storming out of the room, and walking down the hallway toward the training grounds.

  It is still early, and most of his classmates likely wouldn’t be there, even though they have a joint combat lesson with Advanced Class 1 as their first class of the day. Even still, Nathan needed to vent his anger on something.

  The morning rays of the sun were just peeking over the horizon as Nathan made his way to the training ground. And as expected, the training ground is relatively deserted. Even still, Nathan didn’t let it deter him, taking a training sword from the storage shed and doing a few sword drills like how he was trained to since early childhood—striking the air like it had wronged him personally.

  He recalled being dragged out of bed before dawn since he was old enough to hold a sword, and made to train for most of the day by his father and brother until his muscles ached, being taught that honour and discipline were not choices. They were obligations, especially for a Hunt. As a member of one of the Ten Great Houses, even if Nathan isn’t the heir, he still has a responsibility to uphold the reputation of his House.

  Nathan was so engrossed in his own training and drills that he barely realised it when other students started arriving, all of them already dressed in training gear, and picking up their favourite weapon from the storage shed.

  As second years, they were expected to start their own training for combat lessons or even train in their own free time, even if the instructors weren’t present. Yuliana Nightray, Gale Valemire, and Elias Rovaryn were amongst the first arrivals. But apart from Nathan clenching his teeth, and deliberately turning his back on the trio to ignore them, he took no action to acknowledge their presence.

  Felix Carrington and Kaela Merrin arrived not long after with Rowan Mercier, with the latter yawning his head off. Then one by one, the rest of Nathan’s classmates and even those from Advanced Class 1 started arriving.

  Leighton arrived just as the sun was almost up in the sky, but Nathan only scowled and turned his back on the person he would have called his best friend not even an hour ago. Instead, Nathan pretended that the oak tree he was facing was particularly fascinating as he swung his sword like he was fighting ghosts, or an enemy he couldn’t see.

  “That’s some mood that you’re in, early in the morning,” Rem’s teasing voice reaches his ears, and Nathan turned only to see Rem behind him, already with his own training sword, and a teasing grin on his lips. Not far away from Rem is the constant presence of his Crownsguard.

  “Your Highness,” Nathan smiled at Rem, with the smile not reaching his eyes. “Good morning.”

  “Morning,” Rem echoed, looking at where Leighton was standing with a few of their other classmates. “Had a fight with Leighton or something? I hardly see you two apart.”

  Nathan scowled. “We’re not joined at the hip,” he muttered. “And yeah. Something like that.”

  Rem, thankfully, said nothing, though he is obviously curious. He only gave Nathan a grin. “Be my sparring partner, then? We still have time before the instructor arrives.”

  Nathan laughed and nodded. “Of course.”

  Rem would never be a warrior, and his path isn’t that of a soldier or even a warrior. Nathan had known that since the day he’d met Rem, but he could also admit to himself that Rem’s footwork and swordsmanship were improving. The Crown Prince would likely never be the top student in their combat classes, but he was still trained by the best arms tutors that the kingdom had since early childhood, and it shows in his footwork and his swordsmanship.

  And it is also apparent that Rem had been working hard at his swordsmanship.

  For nearly half an hour, neither one of the two said a word, only exchanging strikes. And though Nathan didn’t go easy on Rem, he didn’t press too hard, either. Eventually, Rem dropped his stance, sheathing his training blade.

  “I need a break,” Rem said, wiping a bead of sweat from his chin.

  “Yeah, me too,” Nathan admitted. “I’m going to grab some water.”

  Rem only nodded before Nathan jogged across the training field toward where students had stashed their bags and waterskins. Several of the students seemed to be taking breaks of their own after their own training sessions, even as Nathan crossed the field. And then, Nathan caught the sound of Rem’s name, and paused in his tracks.

  Two of Nathan’s classmates—Alf Carby and Julius Atkins, were standing not far away, and not even bothering to keep their voices down.

  “—I mean, I never understood why Heir Carrington always had problems with Prince Rem since our first year. Even Heiress Nightray never hid her feelings toward him. But after that simulation two days ago, I think I understood what they meant,” Julius was telling Alf, a scornful expression on his face.

  “He’s too…idealistic,” Alf said carefully.

  Julius snorted rudely. “That’s putting it mildly. Calling him an idiot is a better expression.”

  That did it.

  “What did you just say about His Highness?!” Nathan shouted, drawing the attention of everyone on the training field. Even Rem was looking over with concern. “How dare you disrespect the prince like that?!”

  Alf hesitated. As a commoner, he had the ingrained lesson of ‘never cause trouble with the Ten Great Houses’ drilled into his head. Julius, however, while also a commoner, hailed from a prominent family known for producing soldiers and doctors, and wasn’t as intimidated by nobles as some of the commoner students.

  “We didn’t say anything that isn’t true,” Julius replied, looking at the seething Nathan with a bored expression, ignoring the numerous pairs of eyes now fixed on them. “You know I’m right. And we’re not the only ones saying it.” He looked at Nathan with a challenging gaze. “Go on. Try to deny it. The simulation test two days ago was proof enough. More than half of us warned the prince that his plan was a disaster waiting to happen. He refused to listen or take our counsel, insisting on diplomacy and peace talks.”

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Near the oak tree, Rem flushed, recalling the humiliating defeat that his team had suffered during the simulation test.

  “If that had been a real war, he would have sent all of us walking to our deaths!” Julius raised his voice, which carried clearly across the training field. “Is this something the Crown Prince should do? The future king? What kind of king refuses to protect his own people?!”

  “You—” Nathan pulled back his fist, ready to punch Julius. But his wrist was caught by a hand.

  Nathan turned only to see Yuliana Nightray beside him, her grip firm, and her expression grim. Gale Valemire stood just behind her. Felix Carrington, Rowan Mercier, Kaela Merrin, and Elias Rovaryn were already moving to restrain Julius and Alf, preventing the situation from escalating.

  “Enough,” Yulia said. She didn’t raise her voice, but there is authority and steel within it that made everyone sit up and take notice. “You all know that there is to be no fighting amongst students unless it’s a declared duel or during combat classes.”

  Nathan felt something go pop inside of him, the way it always did whenever he lost his temper. He smacked Yulia’s hand away, prompting gasps from their other classmates. Even Julius Atkins, as well as Kaela and Felix, narrowed their eyes.

  “Don’t act all high and mighty now! You humiliated Prince Rem, too!” Nathan shouted at Yulia, who only raised an eyebrow, calm and unbothered, only infuriating Nathan further. “You’re his guardian! You’re supposed to support him! Not challenge him at every turn! Is this what House Nightray calls loyalty now?”

  There were shocked gasps from their classmates.

  “That’s it. He has a death wish.”

  “What do you think Nightray will do to him?”

  “Do you think she’ll let Nathan Hunt walk off the field alive?”

  “I hope for Hunt’s sake that he already had his affairs in order.”

  “I didn’t realise telling the truth was treason,” Felix muttered, rolling his eyes irritably. “Someone should update the Academy handbook.”

  All the blood had, however, rushed to Nathan’s head, and he barely heard any of the whispers from his classmates. All he knew and cared about was that Yuliana Nightray was in front of him, and to Nathan Hunt, she is the one constantly disrespecting and undermining Prince Rem since the day they stepped into the Academy.

  “You’ve been constantly humiliating and disrespecting Prince Rem since our first year! If your House had any honour—” Nathan’s words were caught in his throat as Yulia’s training blade stopped just shy of the space between his eyes. Seeing the look in Yuliana Nightray’s eyes, Nathan then swallowed nervously. He had a feeling that he had just done something foolish, and that he couldn’t take back.

  “Gale, can you referee?” Yulia asked without looking away from Nathan. Gale blinked, but nodded. “Good thing that we’re in the middle of our combat class right now. Neither of us will be breaking any rules.”

  Nathan blinked. “What?”

  “You’re spoiling for a fight,” Yulia said simply. “Let’s skip the posturing and get right to it. Kaela, how long do we have before the instructor arrives?”

  Kaela had a small smile on her face as she looked up at the sky, and then back to Yulia. “I’d say that probably another fifteen minutes,” she said almost cheerfully. “Knowing our instructor, he probably got held up by the dean. Or the head instructor.”

  Yulia nodded. “More than enough time to settle this,” she said simply. She narrowed her eyes at Nathan. “You’ve been spoiling for a fight, haven’t you? Besides, it’s been quite some time since we last crossed blades. Let’s see if you can back up your words.”

  Elias only sighed. “This is a terrible idea,” he muttered.

  Gale exchanged looks with the others, even as the rest of their classmates were slowly forming a loose circle. “A very bad idea,” he agreed. He looked at Yulia. “You sure about this?”

  “I’m not going to maim him or kill him,” Yulia reassured. She stepped into the middle of the loose circle that their classmates had formed. “Come on, Hunt. I’m sure Rem wouldn’t want to be protected by someone too afraid to put steel behind his pride.”

  That did it.

  Nathan unsheathed his training blade. “Fine. Let’s see how long that sharp tongue of yours lasts when it’s a sword you’re up against.”

  Rem looked ready to protest, but a hand on his shoulder from his Crownsguard stopped him in his tracks.

  Nathan was the first to move, lunging with blind anger even before Gale gave the signal to begin, swiping his sword towards Yulia’s torso. Yulia, however, wasn’t deterred. Unlike Nathan, she kept her cool, dodging his strike and letting Nathan’s own momentum betray him.

  In one fluid motion, she twisted behind him, hooking his leg with hers, and flipped him clean over.

  The duel was over in less than ten seconds, with Nathan blinking stars out of his vision, staring up at the morning sky, disoriented, before he realised what was going on, with Yulia’s blade trained at his throat.

  Nathan growled, trying to get up, but Yulia’s foot on his chest stopped him. “Stay down, or I’ll finish the job,” she warned. Something in her voice made Nathan hesitate. “You’ve tested my patience for over a year, Nathan Hunt. The only reason why I hadn’t acted sooner is out of respect for Lord Hunt and Cassian.” Nathan froze, staring at Yulia. “Let me give some advice and some truths that you, more than anyone, clearly need to hear.”

  Around them, no one moved.

  “I’ve told Gale, Elias, and Rowan this before, and I’m telling you now,” Yulia continued, not taking her eyes off of Nathan. “Protecting the prince doesn’t mean simply keeping him safe from assassins, or from poison, arrows, and blades. Being his guardian means more than that. It means ensuring that he becomes the kind of king this kingdom needs. Not one who hides behind Parliament and lets everyone make the decisions for him. Not one who surrounds himself with flatterers who mistake obedience for loyalty.” Nathan could barely breathe, unable to look away from Yuliana Nightray’s silver eyes. “You call yourself loyal? Then prove it. Tell him what he needs to hear, not what he wants. Or you’ll be the reason he falls.”

  From the direction of the Academy building, a familiar figure is approaching. One of their classmates let out a sharp whistle. “Instructor’s here! Everyone, back to training!”

  The rest of their classmates immediately dispersed, resuming their weapon drills like nothing had happened. Yulia’s friends, however, didn’t move, only looking at Yulia.

  Yulia’s eyes narrowed as she removed her blade from Nathan’s throat, also removing her foot from his chest. “Think about what I said,” she said, a hint of steel in her voice. “And a fair word of warning, Nathan Hunt: I won’t hold back next time. The next time you cross the line will also be your last. That isn’t a threat. That is a promise.”

  She then turned on her heel and walked off back toward the corner of the field that she had been occupying with her friends earlier. “Come on, let’s go,” she called to her friends, who only nodded, with more than one of them shooting Nathan dirty looks. Kaela, for one, looked ready to tear Nathan to pieces if not for Felix.

  “Huh. You kids are sure enthusiastic and early today,” Their instructor remarked as he arrived. He seemed oblivious as he looked around, but there was something in their instructor’s eyes that suggested otherwise. “I guess we can do free drills today.”

  The crowd had scattered by this point, resuming their drills and training, though more than one of them was shooting Nathan dirty looks or even glares. Suffice to say that Yuliana Nightray is popular amongst her peers for a reason, and none of them took it well with the way Nathan disrespected her.

  Rem looked like he wanted to come over, but his Crownsguard whispered something in his ear. The prince bit his lower lip and nodded.

  Soft footsteps approached Nathan before Leighton appeared in his line of sight. The older boy said nothing. He merely helped Nathan to his feet, with Nathan almost stumbling as he did so.

  While no one said anything, Nathan knew better than anyone else that Yulia had held back on him. He had only sparred against her once when they were younger, and she was way harsher and precise with her strikes and attacks back then than she is earlier.

  “You okay?” Leighton questioned coolly, holding out Nathan’s waterskin to him, which he took with a quiet thanks.

  Nathan said nothing for several moments, swallowing several mouthfuls of water. “…She held back on me,” he said at last, wiping away the droplets of water from his chin.

  Leighton only raised a brow. “Good that you know that. I was worried that I had to enlighten you for a minute,” he said dryly. “Or that I was going to have to write to Lord Hunt, and inform him to collect his son’s body from the Academy, because he is stupid enough to anger Heiress Nightray.”

  Nathan shot Leighton an annoyed look. “Do you have to be so condescending?” he grumbled.

  “I will do all that and more if you refuse to open your eyes and keep ignoring the truth,” Leighton snapped, his arms folded across his chest. “Deep down, you know that Nightray is right. That every word she had been saying to Rem is true.” He jabbed his finger at Nathan’s chest.

  Nathan scowled at Leighton. “You’re siding with her?”

  “This isn’t about sides,” Leighton said stiffly. “And I’m not siding with anyone. I’m siding with truth. And you should, too.” Nathan said nothing, clenching his jaw. Leighton watched him. “You were angry with what Julius said. But you know that he’s right. And he isn’t the only one who felt that way about Rem. Not just our class have been whispering since the simulation, as I told you. It’s the whole damn Academy. Everyone is whispering. They’re saying that Rem isn’t acting like a king. But like an idealistic fool.”

  Nathan looked at Leighton, furious, and Leighton glared back. “I’m not the one saying that, but you can’t deny that they didn’t have a point.” He paused, looking at where Rem is practising his sword drills alone. “You were there at the simulation when Rem was the commander, and you saw how he planned his strategies and executed them. You saw how he led. Despite the warnings and counsel from at least half the team, he didn’t listen. If Rem leads like he did during the simulation… If he keeps playing peacekeeper when war comes, and it will, he won’t just lose battles. He’ll lose everything. The people’s trust. The faith of his soldiers. The generals. Even the trust and support of the Ten Great Houses and the other nobles.”

  Leighton then paused, looking at Nathan, who was scowling, his hands shoved into his pockets. “And I remember what you told me once about what your brother told you about Yuliana Nightray. I had to stay up more than once listening to you complain.”

  Nathan’s scowl deepened. “Cassian’s never impressed with anyone,” he said hotly. “He’s hardly ever impressed even with me. The only person he even remotely tolerates is Nightray, for some damn reason.”

  Leighton eyed Nathan critically before giving a faint shrug. “Because she sees Alathia for what it is. Because she’s the only one willing to tell Rem the things that others won’t. The only one willing to call him out.”

  Nathan narrowed his eyes. “You said something similar earlier,” he said slowly. “What do you mean by that? What do you know that I don’t, Leighton?”

  Leighton was silent for several moments, looking in the distance, before he turned his gaze back to Nathan. “The next time you go home, Nathan… Take a walk through the common districts. Or better yet, visit the rural villages in your territories. Then maybe you’ll understand why Yuliana Nightray is so angry.”

  With that, he turned and left Nathan alone on the field, the wind tousling his hair, and silence settling like dust in his wake.