Adar Alderthorne, the son of Theodore Alderthorne, found himself trapped in a life that he despised. He was meant to be in training, a future dictated by his own father, but his heart rebelled against this destiny.
Today, like many days before, he deliberately did not go to his training. The tiring and draining sessions felt like an oppressive weight on his soul.
It was not just the training that annoyed Adar; it was the overarching force of his father's expectations. Theodore Alderthorne, a stern and unyielding figure, was relentless in his pursuit of molding Adar into a strong, capable royal.
To Adar, his father's aspirations felt like chains, binding him to a path he had no desire to tread. Theodore would always say, "I am preparing you for something,"a purpose Adar had no knowledge about.
The worst part of it all was that Theodore offered no explanations whatsoever, no insights into the greater purpose behind his demands. Adar longed for a single conversation where his father would reveal the "something," hoping that understanding might kindle a spark of motivation within him.
Adar's relationship with Theodore was fraught with tension. The fear of his father's unpredictable anger hung over him like a shadow. Any hint of disobedience or deviation from instructions led to punishment, and Adar feared the inevitable consequences.
In his heart, Adar harbored an ardent desire for a life different from the one dictated by his strict father. A life free from royalty's obligations, where he could experience normalcy, laughter, and the freedom to explore his own path.
Unbeknownst to his father,Adar had found solace and a semblance of freedom in the cities of Sibiah,he had made a few friends among the common folk, and he cherished these secret escapes as moments of normalcy.
For Adar, they were a breath of fresh air, a breather from the oppressive life within the palace walls,he could briefly taste the joys of a life he wished and yearned for.
Just like Princess Felissa,Adar had his personal assigned guard too,named Ser Tristan.Ser Tristan was a formidable warrior, skilled in archery and sword fighting, but can be impulsive sometimes.
Adar's guard and trainer, Ser Tristan, was well aware of the difficulties Adar faced. Having seen the harsh interactions between father and son many times, Tristan felt deep sympathy for Adar's predicament. He often wished for a way to ease the young prince's burden.
Though he was assigned to keep a watchful eye on Adar, Tristan could not help but turn a blind eye when the prince slipped out of the palace.
He understood the importance of these moments of freedom and normalcy in Adar's life. Adar had devised a clever trick – he would send Tristan on errands, tasks that seemed crucial but were entirely inconsequential, enabling him to sneak out and back into the palace unnoticed.
After Severus had departed, Prince Theodore's demeanor shifted. With a calm voice, he inquired of Ser Tristan, who was present, "Where's my son?" Tristan, lost in his thoughts, didn't register the question. Startled by Theodore's piercing gaze, he shook himself from his reverie.
Theodore's voice increased in intensity as he repeated, "Where... is... Adar?" Driven by impulse and an inexplicable desire to protect the young prince, Tristan found himself uttering, "He's out in the city," a statement that seemed to escape his control.
A sudden realization hit Tristan,the unexpected slip of words had shocked both Tristan and Prince Theodore, he quickly corrected himself, stating, "He is in his chambers, Your Highness," bowing his head frantically.
Prince Theodore, however, didn't let the first statement go unnoticed. He demanded, "What did you just utter?" His tone was laced with seriousness, causing a knot of anxiety to form in Tristan's chest.
Tristan's fears extended far beyond his own fate; he was deeply concerned for Adar, unsure of what repercussions of his statement might befall the prince. Trembling, Tristan repeated the second, corrected statement, all while still bowing his head, "He is in his chambers, Your Highne..."
Without allowing Tristan to finish his statement, Theodore moved with a swiftness exiting the chambers in haste to confirm his son 's whereabouts.
Tristan, haunted by his momentary lapse, murmured to himself in a low, distressed voice, "What have I done, what have I done," as he frantically followed suit fearing the potential consequences of his unintended revelation.
Theodore, Anger mounting, entered his son's chambers and found them empty. He called out Adar's name in an attempt to locate him. "Adar... Adar... Adar," his voice echoed through the silent room, but it brought no reply. It was apparent that the young prince was not where his guard had indicated he would be.
Fear descended upon Tristan as he went down on one knee, bracing for the wrath he anticipated from the infuriated prince. Theodore looked back at the guard, his gaze growing darker by the moment. He demanded, "Why did you lie?"
Tristan's voice trembled as he responded, "Your... your highness, I... I..." Theodore cut him off impatiently, "You what?"
He stuttered, "I... I wasn't aware that the prince was not in his chambers.","how were you not aware?" Theodore's voice was laced with fury as he unsheathed the knight's sword, advancing it threateningly towards Tristan's neck, "You are his assigned guard. That is not an excuse!".
Tristan with a quivering voice began to explain with trembling words why he had lost track of the prince. "We..we were meant to..to train, Your Highness, and when I left to fetch... something for him, I...I encountered your Eunuch".
"He conveyed that he was sent by you to instruct me to bring your informant from the city gates discreetly. I had to obey your order, Your High...".
Before Tristan could finish his explanation, Prince Theodore swiftly swung the sword in Tristan's direction, causing the knight to shut his eyes in fearful anticipation of his impending demise. The room hung heavy with tension as Tristan braced for the consequences of his seemingly costly mistake.
Tristan's eyes remained tightly shut as he braced for the end, believing he was facing death. To his surprise, he heard a metallic "clang..clang...clang.." beside him, and he thought, "Am I still alive?" .
When he finally slowly opened his eyes, he was slightly relieved that the Prince had only sliced a small strand of his hair and not actually taken his life."Leave",The Prince said, Tristan scrambled to pick up his sword, then stood up and frantically left the chamber.
Prince Theodore, however, decided to wait for his defiant and disobedient son. As nightfall slowly descended, Adar gently returned to his chambers when to his stupefaction, his father's voice greeted him with a question, "Where did you go?"
Adar, taken aback by his father's presence, quickly replied thinking it'll all be over in no time, "Father, what are you doing in my chamber? I..I just finished my training with Tristan."
Theodore's voice, now edged with severity, continued, "Tristan just left here now. Where... did... you... go?" Adar realized that his secret escapade had been discovered, and he faltered, struggling to find the words to explain himself. "I... I..." He was left speechless.
Theodore advanced closer to his son, his anger building up. As he approached, he picked up a small flower vase from a nearby table and continued questioning his son,
"Why do you have to be hard....defiant,and..and disobedient?,Why can't you just follow my instructions and commands?" Adar stood silently, avoiding his father's gaze by looking down.
In a sudden burst of frustration, Theodore exclaimed, "Look at my face!" When Adar still couldn't meet his father's eyes, Theodore raised the vase and struck Adar on the left side of his head, shouting, "LOOK AT ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU!" Adar fell to his knees, covering the wounded side of his head as he gazed up at his furious father.
As Adar looked up at his father, Theodore stared down at him with lingering anger. His tone softened slightly as he said, "Don't let that repeat itself again." Adar responded with a somber voice "Yes, Father," his voice heavy with sadness.
"So, what do you say?" Theodore questioned ,Adar mumbled as he looked down, "I am sor...", Theodore repeated the same question once more, emphasizing the seriousness in his voice.
Adar, looking up into his father's stern eyes, muttered a little louder, "I am sorry."
Having heard his son's apology, Theodore turned and exited Adar's chamber. He doesn't normally overreact, but the events of the day had clearly pushed him to an uncontrollable outburst.
Once outside the chamber, Prince Theodore instructed one of the two guards stationed there to fetch the royal physician. The guard quickly obeyed, bowing and responding, "Yes, Your Highness," as he rushed to get the physician.
Adar, left alone in his chamber, tears welled up in his eyes, stood up to his feet and slowly brought down his hand from the wounded side of his head towards the front his face.
As he gazed at the hand,he saw blood,his vision blurred and he fell to the ground overcomed by a wave of pain and emotions, tears streamed down his face, he whispered a single word before passing out "Mother".