Page 13 of The Wild Prince's Favorite
Tievin nodded and watched the young man go. So eager, so young... and so stupid, he thought. It wouldn’t be long before that spirit would die down, as they all experienced. Most men who came here became disappointed after a while. The fights weren’t as often nor as thrilling as most thought, the weather was worse than harsh, and the food was not that good either. Plus, there was little to no entertainment around. Glory couldn’t be achieved in just a matter of months, and there were plenty of men who had gone from being as hopeful and enthralled as Captain Dajan to being wrapped up in utter resentment and boredom. This could only be expected. Those soldiers were unknowingly caught in a struggle between the Imperial Palaceand the North Army that only a handful of people knew about. In other words, pawns.
The Intendant combed his long, black hair twice before stepping toward the tent. He frowned at the darkness of the place before entering. He did not need to look around for the Commander. Not only did he know where he was sitting, but there was no need to cross his fiery green glare.
“...Good morning, sir. It seems like the Emperor sent more souls to get lost here with us. Again.”
Tievin did not need to look up to feel the burning glare on him. Still, he was used to it, and instead, only kept his eyes down on his notes.
“This is the last unit expected to reach the North Camp this month since we’re already at full capacity. ...Commander, those men are going to need something to do here. Like everyone else.”
A long silence answered him. Tievin didn’t even try to suppress his eye roll; luckily for him, he was one of the few who could make that kind of disrespectful gesture in front of the Prince and still get away unscathed, all limbs attached.
“Sir, I won’t take care of this for you this time. Unfortunately, this is something only the Commander in Chief of the North Army Camp is entitled to do. Me stepping in won’t work this time, the generals won’t allow it.”
This time, he glanced up. This was it. That heavy, numbing sensation of danger. Luckily for him, Tievin knew this killing intent wasn’t actually directed at him, but at some unlucky souls out there, who were probably shivering already, if they had any half-decent instincts. Were the generals going to be able to keep their necks? It didn’t make the situation any less scary for him, but it was a good way to convince his body not to run away from that place, not yet. He forced himself to breathe, only to be disappointed with the smell of a place that hadn’t been aired outin quite a while. He had to convince His Highness to get out of there...
“Alright,” he said. “I know we both love the sound of my voice, so I’m just going to continue this monologue, as usual... I did need to let Your Highness know that your dragon was spotted again.”
This time, he clearly felt the tension increase in the room. Tievin could never tell if he should be glad to have the Commander’s attention, or if he wasn’t just unknowingly walking a very thin line that could sever his head from his neck at any time. Hard to say, but so far, he’d managed to stay alive.
“Kein was sighted above the mountains, probably hunting. He disappeared before dawn though, so that’s... another issue you might want to look into.”
He waited as if there was a chance for him to get a response, but none came, as expected. He sighed. At least the hardest part was done.
“Alright,” he mumbled. “Since we’re both obviously enjoying this very much, I’m just going to continue... The generals’ latest report mentioned six attacks from the Northern barbarians within the last ten days, which is not an unusual rate, but they have definitely been more vehement than normal. It seems they were trying to capture some of the men, but so far, we only have a few victims to account for, and all the bodies were retrieved. We still do not know why they are so set on taking them alive, and the units that were captured the previous time still haven’t been recovered. They might... find it nice if Your Highness went to free them...?”
Tievin waited, for the sake of it, his eyes going around the floor at his feet for a few seconds, before he answered himself.
“Right, they are probably dead already; may their souls rest in peace. Let’s move on. It’s not like anyone’s ever returnedanyway. Not that we should perhaps try to retrieve our men, but, really, who cares? Not Your Highness, clearly...”
He dared to glance up to see how his foolhardy words were perceived, but again, only the darkness answered. He sighed. Sometimes, he hated this position... He glanced at his notes and immediately regretted his short-lived bravery. The next thing on the list was definitely going to put his superior in a foul mood. After a hesitation, Tievin very slowly took a little step back, preparing himself.
“Next, you received a letter... from your family.”
“I’m sure I told you to burn them all,” the Prince’s voice suddenly thundered, making Tievin jump.
“You did, sir, but a letter from the Imperial Family is not something that someone like me can freely dispose of...”
“I said to burn it!”
Tievin had to gather all of his strength and self-control to not leave the tent running. It was one thing to know the Prince wouldn’t kill him, it was another to wonder how many limbs he could lose if he pressed him any further. He took a few seconds to carefully think of his next words, as well as taking a deep breath to calm his nerves.
“Did you consider that maybe, this letter might come from your older sis–”
“If you mention my older sister or brother again, Tievin, not even the Emperor will be able to save you.”
Tievin immediately pressed his lips together, sealing his mouth firmly before he actually lost something, probably his life. He waited a few seconds and then nodded.
“...That will be it for today, then,” he muttered.
He suddenly felt movement in the tent, but in this darkness, it was hard to tell what was going on. He heard the sound of clothes, metal, and heavy, angry steps. His only reflex was to freeze where he stood and wait. After just a handful ofseconds, a large figure walked past him and furiously flipped the tent’s opening before disappearing. Tievin waited a couple more seconds in complete silence before he finally let out a sigh.
“I swear I’m going to die young and lose my hair before that,” he grumbled, nervously combing his long black hair. “No, no, no hair loss. Think about the money. Think about how much you’re paid to endure this horrible temper of his... You can do this, Tievin. If Father endured thirty years by their side, you can do this for a few more years...”
He took another deep breath and then forced himself to exit the tent.
It blinded him for a second to suddenly be back in the bright light of the day after the darkness of that tent. Two soldiers who were standing guard by the tent ran to him.
“The Commander in Chief just left toward the Northern Forest,” one of them reported to him.
