Leon woke up early like usual, even earlier than the servants to begin his training.
Swish! An arrow went flying, crashing something in the room.
"Argh!" his victim screamed, jumping out of the bed half-naked. The arrow had hit a vase that broke on the bed close to her, nearly injuring her.
"Get out," Leon commanded the courtesan who had been sleeping on Matthew's bed and without being told again, she picked her dress to cover her body and gave a quick bow before dashing out of the room.
"You don't have to scare her," Matthew protested, rubbing his hands against his eyes to clear his dizziness. He had been enjoying his sleep when this prince interrupted.
"This is not how you plan to be my knight-" he didn't even finish when Matthew backfired,
"But it's not even morning?"
"It doesn't have to be. We have training today. We will be heading to the camp with the recruits-"
"Do you even sleep?!" Matthew interrupted.
"I don't," came Leon's composed answer. Then continued "I want all the knights and aspirants on the camp for training today. We have a prospect of a dispute with King Daniel of Vagary. We don't want to be unprepared."
"At least, we could sleep!" he complained and rested his head back on the bed when another arrow flew hitting his pillow, this time he barely missed it.
"Leon-"
"I won't repeat myself," he said and opened the door before stepping out.
'This bloody asshole!' Matthew cursed under his breath before standing up from his bed.
It was amusing how those under him who didn't have the prospect of sleeping however they wanted were dying to get enough sleep while a prince like him who had the opportunity to sleep the whole day preferred waking up early.
When he was done dressing, he entered the courtroom with Leon who was already speaking with the messenger and priest.
"Your father's spirit is resting in peace. It is surprising how we haven't found his killer and he willfully joined his ancestors. It is the rarest I've ever seen," the priest said, amazed as he took a sip from the goblet in his hands.
Matthew and Leon exchanged looks with each other, the point of the whole ritual thing finally making sense to them. So it was to find out if the King was willing to rest in peace. No wonder some King's burials took weeks. They had to appease the soul of the person.
"I tried communicating with his soul again and it seemed perfectly fine. It didn't have resentments or bitterness. It wasn't bothered about its killer. And neither did it worry about you marrying your betrothed. It had no words left for you too. I find it hard to believe but I have seen a lot of things in the spirit world. This could just be another rare occasion." the priest didn't look bad-spirited about the rare incident and Leon was thankful.
'If only this priest knew he had performed those rituals on a rogue's body...he would have laid curses on me by now...' Leon laughed in his head. Rogues had no heart whatsoever so it was only normal he felt nothing.
He was the least bothered about what his dead father had to tell him though.
King Williams Lucas was dead and gone and it was best whatever he had left in him was kept to himself. After all, if he did have the chance to tell him anything, it would probably be about his betrothal and upholding the standards he left behind which Leon had no plans to do.
"So what do we do now?" Leon asked the weird-looking man with a raised brow.
The priest shrugged, "Make you King."
"You have no obligations left to him so you have every right to start your reign and choose a wife of your preference. You are no longer entitled to your betrothed," he explained and saw how Leon's eyes slightly brightened before adding,
"Only your sisters are," the priest gave a shrewd smile to the prince.
This time it was Matthew's turn to curse and Leon didn't even need to look at him to know his expression had changed.
His sisters had no problem with their betrothed so if it was the last wish of his father's he could fulfil, he didn't mind it. He just personally couldn't marry Jordyn.
"We should get on with my coronation," Leon told the priest.
"Ah, of course, we should. The initiation would be done in the village square on Sunday. The people of Vlamunda should be there too. All eyes must witness it" the priest clarified and Leon looked to the messenger,
"You should know what next to do, Ilyas," he raised a brow at him and the middle-aged man nodded before bowing and leaving the courtroom.
Leon left the rest of them in the room to sort out whatever plans they had for the coronation. Anyone who saw him could admit that he was a thoroughly diligent man.
He entered the royal quarters again, this time knocking on a specific room he loved the most.
"Come in," he heard the mild voice of his mother from the other end and slowly opened the door.
"Mother," he bowed before hugging her. "I decided to come when the day was brighter. I thought you would be asleep, Hope I didn't disturb you?" he asked her.
"You didn't, I have missed you. Who is the damsel taking your interest these days?" she said teasingly.
Leon rolled his eyes, "I guess the Kingdom affair is my new damsel," he joked to hear his mother laugh.
"Oh, my dear. How I would love you and Jordyn to have fun together," her joke was blunt and Leon grasped it immediately. "That's if you already haven't?" She raised her brow in suspicion and Leon could tell she was trying to fish answers out of him.
He dropped her hand that was placed on his head a while ago before changing the topic.
"How are you faring with Father's demise?" That was his previous reason for coming here before his mother diverted things.
"I haven't gotten over it but I am doing well trying to move on. You can worry less about me and worry more about Jordyn. You both have a future ahead. Not just for yourselves but for the Kingdom as well." his mother was back with her motivational talks. And he didn't know how to feel about this.
He knew his mother had no idea that he garnered no feelings for Jordyn and he was not planning to give her a shocker.
"I do not have any feelings for Jordyn," his words were straight to the point and Queen Sonia's face fell.
"What are you talking about, Lee?" she said with furrowed eyebrows. Was this one of his jokes?
"I said what I said. I don't like her in any way and I truly have no plans to marry her, Mother." his words were seasoned and Queen Sonia heard its authenticity.
She closed her eyes in disbelief, letting his words penetrate.
"Why?" the tone in which she spoke was different this time around.
Why? Why he didn't like Jordyn? He didn't know himself. Was it her character or she wasn't just appealing to him?
"I don't have a specific reason. I believe we aren't meant for each other," he stated but his mother misunderstood his statement.
"You have someone else in mind, I see. Who is she?"
"I have no one else in mind," he quickly answered.
"Sigh!" How was he going to explain this to his mother?
"So... you have no one in mind currently? Not Lady Brena? Or Lady Pamela? Or-"
"No. I don't have any of them in mind." he stopped her from talking. Queen Sonia gazed at them, scrutinizingly before asking again,
"Is the not of noble birth? Is she a lowly woman?" Leon wanted to dab his hand on his forehead in exasperation.
Maybe it would have been better if he gave her a shocker.
"You can tell me anything, my son." she cupped his face in her hand. "Is she of low status? Or is it a servant?" his mother asked and Leon was about to answer when the image of someone flashed in his head but he quickly brushed it off and cursed internally.
"No. It is no one!" his voice was firmer than before that made his mother's eyes widen.
Her son was in love with a person of low status...
She wanted to confirm again but Leon stood up from her embrace, seemingly getting angry at his mother,
"I have something to do, Mother. We can discuss it later. I have no one in mind for now" his voice was more collected this time.
Without sparing her a single word, he left her room and the royal quarters to another corridor where he met Matthew.
"I have done as you ordered." he received a bow from the man.
"Hmm. We should prepare the horses for departure." Leon suggested and Matthew replied,
"I would do it myself-"
"Nevermind. We can do it together" he smirked and though, Matthew wanted to protest, he knew such efforts were futile when Leon already made up his mind so he complied.
Leon couldn't help but think about the redhead again as they strolled to the stable. It was only that one encounter with her when he saw her naked and his heart always skipped a bit whenever the memories flashed in his head, provoking illicit thinking in his head.
But he wouldn't give in, he assured himself. Maybe it would have been better if he just let her die that day in the woods instead of helping her and putting himself in this predicament.
"I think your wolves have missed you," Matthew let out and Leon snapped back to reality, hearing the growls and barks of an animal in the background. The two of them gazed at each other for a while before Leon stopped and said,
"Maybe we should pay them a visit." that was what his subconscious told him and he complied.