Neil's Pov
*Flashback*
"Well done Ginn you have truly made me proud. Oh son! Wouldn't you be just a little more like him Neil." speaks Father with a contempt expression which makes me tighten my firsts by my sides.
"But I'm not intrested in women Father. I find the military aspect more important." I say instead to not be belittled once again by my stepbrother. He has repoted today his decision on his future spouse and once again he is being uplifted as the golden boy he shouldn't be considered to be.
"Well Ginn is the perfect example of both regardless. Not only he made a pact to marry the heir of Zyron, he also is a great assest among the soldiers." I roll my eyes and preted to agree with his words knowing all heartedly that it's quite far fetched. Soon after we leave the room and I have a chance to confront Ginn in isolation.
"What's the matter with that girl anyways. I've noticed you spying on her for weeks now."
"Have you been keeping tabs on me." He replies defensively which makes me furrow my eyebrows in suspicion. For a while now, without failed I've noticed his strage intrest for her eversince we met her during patrol. We usually don't venture outside the Kingdom's borders but Ginn decided to bend the rules, writing it off as a quest. Not surprisingly we got to the neighbouring Kingdom, Zyron. I remember seeing a young lady about our age practising archery and ever since then the obsession was born. First it was a file background check then I noticed him taking the matter more seriously. It was the first time I've seen him do anything remotely methodical.
"Not at all," I raise my hands up, "Just curious of who your lucky lady will be, I can tell you've been quite meticulous about selecting her."
"Yeah. This girl is nothing like the rest. She captured me I don't know how to explained it. She will be mine. Her coming from a rich royal background too makes her just the perfect candidate." He says with a possessive expression which inspires nothing to good in my eyes.
"And what if she's not intrested?" The two of them have not met yet as far as I know and knowing Ginn, no girl in her right mind would willingly marry him. Outsite for his prestige that is.
"I'll makes her intrested."
He leaves. My imagination wonders about how he will manage to accomplish such but I soon shake off the thought, blowing my fringe up in the air and walking the other way and heading to my office.
I'm better than Ginn in all the technical things. Not only I have more agility but I also have greater scrutiny than him. While he would throw himself blindly into action, I instead carefully assess the situation. I don't get easily distracted by pretty women either nor will I indulge in marriage for mere convince. Instead I believe that that has a time and place on its own in the future. In all aspects I'm miles ahead of Ginn yet father can't seem to get past how we came to be.
The fact that a pesant woman gave birth to me rather than his wedded wife doesn't take away that I'm his son just as much as Ginn. I have always been a second thought. An accident ended badly and the worst thing is that I don't resent him for it, instead I look up for his approval. His upbringing shaped my life. My methodical thinking, for example, being due to his strict guarding not allowing me the minutes of mistakes.
"How did it go?" Asks Carl taking a sit next to me.
I shake my head not looking up once. He sits closer, raising one arm to my back and caressing it gently to which I shake in annoyance.
"You know that I don't like to be touched." I fire his way.
"You looked up now though."he says taking his much needed distance away along the couch," What are you going to do anyways?"
"Sleep." I put my head back down, "I need to go dormant for a little, then rise to take down Ginn once and for all. Only then will Father truly acknowledge my greatness."
"I will support you all the way."
"Thanks." The words come out drier than expected. I often come accross as standoffish because of that, so I soften the blow with a hint of a smile which he mirrors. "If father saw you..." I begin but Carl beats me to it already taking a stand and preparing to depart away.
"I know." he says, "But I'm your friend... your only friend acctually thanks to Ginn."
"Please don't make this any harder. I value our friendship but..."
"Yeah... Yeah your father's approval more." he continues for me.
"No acctually, that wasn't what I was about to say. In fact stay. I don't see why Father should be so discriminatory against you. Your poorer background shouldn't be a barrier. I can't believe I'm only acknowledging it now."
"That's what friends are for." He voices happily filling the seat next to me again.
"You are more than that...You are like a brother to me... The brother I never had."
*End Flashback*
"I used to mourn Carl's death until I decided to avengen his death instead. Ginn will pay for taking his life." I close. The only source of sound in the room being me having ceased to speak leaves the room feeling bare and spoiled in comparison. I can tell that bother Fenyang and Zafeera are deep in thought. Possibly scared to say the wrong thing.
"What's the plan then?" Asks Zaffera surprising me. She seems like the more spontaneous one of the two.
"Plan? I get ro te door and..."
"Hold on... We are not allowing you near the door." Cuts me Fenyang. I felt it all come together when I got to the door. The sweet preamble of victory having reached something that man desired so much over any other thing as it equaled dominion in his eyes. At last I was tackled by someone else, the very one in front of me now telling me to stay away from it. I don't care about the door really, only what it stands for. And if i can get the same outcome another way i don't mind.
"Exile." speaks suddenly Zaffera. "There's no need to tamper with the door or kill. Just... Exile."