Page 14 of Chosen

Chapter Ten

Sig

Gods, I wanted her. I wanted to throw her back down on the bed and take what I wanted, but I knew that was no way to start things off between us. I stormed from her room and through the long halls of the castle. Alas, I found my father in the council room. He was sitting between two ancient-looking men. They all had their heads bowed and were looking at a piece of parchment. I slammed my hands on the top of the table until he stopped whatever trivial conversation he’d been in and looked up at me.

“I will be married this afternoon,” I informed him. “See that mother is occupied.”

He grunted and gave a knowing nod.

“Congratulations Highness,” one of the men offered.

I saluted him with my chin and left. I wasn’t in the mood for polite conversation. I made my way toward the stables. As I rounded the bend, I found a small flock of island soldiers practicing nearby. I watched them for a moment. They were quite good and evenly paired. Each spar was a close one and none were over quickly. I waited until the six of them were finished.

“So, who is the best?” I asked once they all seemed to have settled.

They looked between themselves and then a large fellow with messy brown hair and a crooked smile stepped forward.

“I’m Jonah,” he simply stated, before staring at me blankly.

We had men like him back home. They had more strength than sense. They did well in informal battles but went down quick when things got serious.

“Arm yourself, Jonah,” I commanded.

He snorted and started past me.

“I’d suggest you do what your future king commands, unless you would like to see how well you can swing that steel with only one arm,” Truth quipped from behind me.

The man took a step back and put his head down.

“Highness… I did not recognize you. Forgive me,” Jonah implored.

“I will forgive you once we have sparred,” I assured him, before grabbing my sword. The steel made a sound against the sheath that always made me hard.

I shot Truth a wink, and she smiled toward me before jerking her head in Jonah’s direction. She planted herself on the end of a nearby bench and watched.

Jonah was good. He didn’t charge. The man circled in close like he was stalking prey. Alas, he struck first, and I countered. Our blades scraped and clanged. I let it go on for a few moments, dancing him and matching his blows. He was bigger, which meant he tired quicker. Once I saw him start to sweat, I charged him like I was coming through a shield wall. My random burst of adrenaline left him wide-eyed and backpedaling. He tripped, and I stood over him, my sword at his throat.

Truth applauded and the other men struck their shields.

“Good fighting,” I congratulated, and offered him a hand.

He took it and found his feet again with a smile.

“You’ve seen many battles,” Jonah guessed.

I merely smiled.

“Enjoy your practice,” I called to the lot of them.

“They will worship you,” Truth scoffed when I made my way toward her bench. “Then your head will swell even bigger than your father’s.”

I stopped and studied her, trying my best to discern if she was jesting. She was so blunt at times.

“I’m nothing like my father. He is a better warrior than all of us combined.”

She giggled like I’d told the best joke ever. I was half insulted by the sound alone.

“Let us not waste air discussing Sven.” She stood and took a deep breath. When she exhaled her entire being softened before my eyes. “My ladies tell me there is to be a wedding this evening.”

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