"Get up," Sullivan wiped his cheek and looked at his hand while Dahlia quickly got off his lap. She noticed he wasn't used to being loved and she didn't complain about it. His heart would change slowly as per her conclusion.
"Aren't you supposed to work in the garden?" Sullivan questioned her.
"Yes. But once I'll be free, then please take me to the market," Dahlia said while blinking her eyes at him.
"Leave," Sullivan said coldly.
Dahlia got irked and she walked to the door. However, she hit Sullivan's back with her fist before running outside. He turned his head to check, but Dahlia had already run away.
"Did she just hit me and ran away?" He muttered and snickered.
Outside the chamber, Dahlia met Nylie who led her to the royal garden, where Dahlia was supposed to work. Her eyes widened to see that it was spread in half a mile at least. "Prince Ainsley is already here," Nylie whispered close to Dahlia's ear.
Dahlia walked ahead to stand next to Ainsley when the royal gardener greeted them. "As per the King's order, you two have to sweep the entire garden. Please forgive me." He gestured to his assistant, who handed the broomsticks to two of them.
"I shall start from that side," Dahlia said, looking to her left. The royal gardener nodded and gestured to a servant to follow the Princess there. Ainsley, on the other hand, decided to trick the King.
"Clean on my behalf. No one shall report to the King, or else, be ready for the consequences," Ainsley stated.
"Prince Ainsley, I'm employed from the King's manor to check on your today's activity," said the valet, Lazlo. "Please carry the broomstick and start cleaning," Lazlo humbly told the prince.
Ainsley snatched the broomstick from the royal gardener and went ahead. He cursed Dahlia on his way because this was a punishment filled with humiliation for him.
On the other side, Dahlia found her gown was making it difficult for her to clean the ground in a better way. It was sharp ten in the morning and the morning sun was already radiating the heat on the ground.
"This work is so tiring," Dahlia murmured. The servant asked her if she wanted water, but Dahlia refused. "Sullivan was right. This punishment is not easy. Mom never punished me like this. Now, I miss her." She suddenly became upset while recalling her mother.
'I wonder if Mother has eaten her meals?' Dahlia thought and unbeknownst to her, a tear escaped her eyes and it fell to the ground. The servant noticed it and took the broomstick from her.
"Your Highness, is everything alright?" she asked in a worry.
Dahlia remained silent and she took back the broomstick after wiping a steak of tears from her cheek. 'I wonder if I have to put myself in an accident to return to my original body,' she thought.
~~~~
Sullivan placed the parchment aside as he felt lonely for the first time. He was used to it, but since yesterday after his marriage, the continued words coming out of his wife kept him busy.
"How can this happen to me?" Sullivan mumbled when he heard a knock on the door. He tilted his head to look and saw it was a soldier.
"The King wants to see you," the soldier said and left. Even a petty soldier didn't respect Sullivan. He was quick to make a way to his father's manor and saw the General there.
Sullivan bowed to his father before looking straight.
"According to General Maddox, giving a high military rank to the prince, who isn't ever get trained with the others doesn't seem suitable. So, you need to choose either from the Chancery or Magistrate department. Though I believe you lack knowledge in those things as well," King Iramo put forward the points which were discussed earlier with his army general.
"Your Majesty, I was never being taught with the others, but I learned myself. I am not illiterate either. General Maddox can test my abilities to be in the military." Sullivan was confident of his abilities for whatever he had learned all these years by himself. He might not be given a teacher, but he was given the ability to work hard.
King Iramo understood that Sullivan complained to him in an indirect way. If not for his late lover, he wouldn't have brought Sullivan live in the palace with the others.
"Since Prince Sullivan thinks he has abilities to qualify in the military, I'll test him myself. Please come to the military ground tomorrow. If you pass, I'll recommend Prince Sullivan to be the Commander," General Maddox affirmed. He was confident that Sullivan would lose because he would put the best of the warriors against the prince to make him lose.
"I allow General Maddox to test Sullivan. If he fails, then he will be given no rank. He has to live as he used to all these years," King Iramo said with a clear note.
Sullivan realized his father despised him but he was determined to win tomorrow.