Page 34 of The Prince's Curse

Haldric hurried down thepalace corridor, tension roiling off him. He’d just come from lunch with his father, and though he’d tried to discuss the Summit that was now less than two days away, the only thing on the king’s mind had been Haldric’s trip to Khordan scheduled for soon after.

“Don’t let the governors intimidate you,” his father had said amid a round of hacking coughs. “Stand strong and prove you won’t be bullied. They’ll fall in line, same as they did for me. And if not, they’ll cease their grumbling once you strengthen our alliance with Khordan.”

The reminder of his commitment to woo an eastern princess had done little to soothe Haldric’s nerves. And as if his concerns over the Provincial Council and his upcoming betrothal weren’t enough, now his extended lunch had him running late for his final lesson with Benjin.

If he were being honest, he knew he should probably just cancel. The Grand Magus would understand, and given Haldric’sfrazzled state,hemight be the one to cause a magical mishap this time. But the thought of missing out on this last opportunity to train with Benjin left a hollow ache in his chest.

Purely because of the detriment to our magical education,he told himself, ignoring the faint heat creeping up the back of his neck.That’s all.

He reached their usual sitting room, frowning when he found it empty. Benjin must be running late as well. Perhaps he was out on business for the Grand Magus. Haldric moved to sit, then paused when he spotted a slip of parchment tucked under a book on the table. Picking it up, he quickly scanned it.

Got bored waiting for you, so I took the liberty of heading out to the courtyard. It’s too nice a day not to get some fresh air. Feel free to join me when you finally arrive. - B

Incredulous, Haldric reread the note twice to make sure he hadn’t misunderstood, then crumpled it in his hand, uncertain whether to laugh or snarl. Goddess’ mercy, no one had ever been able to push his buttons the way Benjin did—or maybe no one else had ever dared.

Stalking out of the chamber, it didn’t take long to navigate the halls and emerge into the courtyard. Sure enough, he found Benjin there, chatting with Mistress Yaz, the stablemaster. She gave Haldric a respectful bow as he approached before saying something to Benjin and ducking into the stables.

Benjin chuckled at whatever she’d said, shaking his head.

“What’s so funny?” Haldric demanded as he stopped beside Benjin.

“She said if looks could kill, I’d already be dead, and that she was glad it was me, not her, who had to face your princely wrath.” He peered closer at Haldric’s face. The scrutiny left Haldric vaguely unsettled, feelingtooseen. “Are you all right? You seem even more unhappy than usual.”

Haldric pressed his lips together. “If I seem annoyed, it’s because a certain apprentice insisted on meeting out here.”

Benjin shrugged, appearing not at all repentant. “If you wanted a say, then you should have arrived on time.” A pleased smirk tugged at his lips when Haldric let out an annoyed huff. “Besides, if I spend one more session staring at a piece of parchment instead of casting actual spells, I’ll go insane.”

“We’ve been over this. Channeling runeflame before you’ve mastered the fundamentals is dangerous. That’s why it’s so critical you memorize the basic runes before attempting anything more complex.”

“Sorry.” Benjin crossed his arms and met Haldric’s glare with a steady look. “Either we do some real magic, or this is going to be a quick final session.”

Goddess’ mercy, Haldric had never wanted to strangle anyone more than he did Benjin. And to think, a few minutes earlier, he’d actually been looking forward to this encounter.

“Fine. Forget it. Good luck with the rest of your studies.”

Striving to regain his lost composure, Haldric turned back toward the palace. He’d barely taken a handful of steps before Benjin called after him.

“Come on, Your Highness—humor me. This is our last time training together. Wouldn’t you rather have some fun rather than repeating the same boring drills?”

Haldric paused. Everything he’d told Benjin was true. If he was smart, he’d keep walking and be done with these ridiculous training sessions once and for all. It wasn’t as if he didn’t alreadyhave enough on his plate to worry about without dealing with the reckless apprentice’s antics.

Yet for reasons he couldn’t quite explain, he found himself facing Benjin with a sigh. “What did you have in mind?” he asked, ignoring Benjin’s triumphant grin.

“How about a friendly competition? You versus me.”

Despite himself, Haldric was intrigued. He wouldn’t mind the opportunity to put the obnoxious apprentice in his place. “The stakes?”

Benjin’s grin widened. “Pride and bragging rights. Isn’t that enough?”

Haldric supposed it was. A shudder racked him as he imagined how insufferable Benjin would be if he won. Not that Haldric had any intention of letting that happen.

“What are the rules?” When Benjin hesitated, Haldric rolled his eyes. “I see you’ve thought this through as well as everything else you do. How about we each take turns proposing a challenge utilizing a cantrip from one of the seven fundamental disciplines? First to three victories wins.”

Benjin considered for a moment, then nodded. “Deal. Who goes first?”

“I will.” Haldric raised a brow at Benjin’s indignant protests. “Unless you wish to abandon this entire silly exercise?”

“Ugh, fine,” Benjin grumbled. “What’s the challenge?”

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