"Is it because my evil mother is giving you a hard time?"
"..."
Lennox's eyes cracked and he looked around. If there would be a single spy in his palace and the words reached the ears of the empress. She was not going to ignore them.
Not only Luci would be punished, but he would be dragged too accusing that he was the one who was flaring the young prince.
"Luci, keep your words in check. What nonsense are you spouting? Did you forget that you are a prince and moreover, you are talking about your own mother. Are you that impudent?" Luci stared at his brother with an aggrieved look as his cheeks puffed up and eyes turned misty.
But he knew that if he would not relent they both would be trouble. Though his luck had been extremely good since morning. He should not test it too much.
"I apologize, I was hasty and inconsiderate because I missed you too much.
Brother you have not come to play with me for a long time. Do you not want your younger brother anymore?" walking closer he pulled his shirt as his eyes turned rounder and cuter. It looked like he would cry his lungs out if he was given a cold shoulder again.
Lennox's heart stirred. For the past seven years when his mother died, except for her family who wanted him to be the crown prince and emperor in future so that they could maintain their power, only he had come to meet him.
But the cold look the empress gave when she came to know about their meeting was heart wrenching. He did not want to anger her.
Last time she had warned him to not step out of his boundaries, that was why he had stopped meeting Luci, but he could not tell him so. Especially when he was already accusing his mother.
"That is because I am growing up. I will be 12 this year! I have sword lessons and other classes to attend. Unlike you who only have a few classes!" Luci pouted his lips further when Len came closer and flicked his forehead with a smug smile on his face.
"What is so good about taking classes? They are boring and tiring. I did not want to do that. I want to play with my brother and laze around in my room later." rubbing his forehead, Luci hugged his brother and then whispered softly.
He could not explain how good it felt to meet him again. He leaned further as he felt himself getting emotional again.
"Tsk! Even if you are not the crown prince, you are the only son of the empress, if you would be this lazy, your mother would skin you alive. So, you better be strong. Why don't you come with me? I will teach you how to hold a sword." Luci could see his brother's eyes softening. Though Len was scolding him, his voice was so endearing.
Holding a sword, he can even kill more than five knights or mercenaries with his eyes closed thanks to the hellish training he had been given by his mother. But he could not say so.
Well at least he would get a chance to spend more time with his brother. So, he nodded with an excited smile on his face.
"Thank you brother." Lennox shook his head as he ruffled his hair and they both walked towards the garden when Luci continued to scan the faces of all the knights.
He frowned when he was not able to find those two knights that were talking with his mother.
Did they leave with his mother too? What was their objective? He suddenly could not understand what she was planning. As far as he could remember the first attack on the crown prince happened on his 12th birthday.
There are still three months to it. Have they started planning that early? He felt like pulling his mother's hair and asking her directly.
"Luci! If you are afraid, you can say so. You do not need to do it if you do not want to." Luci felt a nudge on his shoulder and raised his head to see his brother was already holding a wooden sword and staring at him with adorable look,
Aww! Why did he never notice in the past that his brother was so adorable? He had always thought that he was cool and suave.
'Len must have asked me a few times looking at his face.' he picked up the nearest wood sword and smiled brightly shocking his cute canines to his brother.
"No, I am not afraid at all. Since my brother is here to protect me." 'And this time I will protect you too.' he added in his heart when he saw the bright smile of his brother.
In this life, he would make sure that his brother would always smile like that.
"Alright, let me show you how to hold it then." he chuckled in his heart when he saw his brother's ears turn red.
How adorable was he!
Lennox walked behind Luci and held his hands as he taught him how to hold the sword which he was intentionally holding wrong.
Since he was five, he must not know how to hold the sword.
"Like this, you have learnt well, brother." Lennox had thought that Luci would take time and fluster a bit but looking at his posture, he looked better than him, which surprised him.
"Brother, I learned well because you taught me."
[ I am a new writer who did not have any experience. Please leave a few suggestions and comments for motivation. thank you.]