The Broken Prince

Everything around me then started to become blurry as I started to sprint back to the academia. I went through the route that I used when I went to mother's grave. I might get in trouble if I was caught being off the grounds during nightfall given that rogues are still out there and out of the upcoming royals, I am the one that they have their eyes on since I already rose to being king and has defeated the hell spawn which is a great loss on the rogues side. How I fell back to where I am now? Another long story for another day.

As soon as I got inside the grounds without being noticed, I looked around and was relieved that it was still not curfew as many students were still roaming the grounds. Some bowed lightly at me to which I just ignored. My neck will break if I nod at everyone who does the same thing. I released a breath which formed a mist and turned my direction to where the royal quarters are.

As soon as I got down the hallway, I remembered what happened this afternoon. I just sighed as somehow, I kept feeling bad and guilty for mistreating Alexander over and over again but that is how it's supposed to go. No form of connection with him aside from viewing him as the son of my enemy.

I stopped at my tracks as I passed his door.. I took a listen from what was happening inside and failed to do so. It seems that his aide, Nate put a spell on the whole room. Quite smart.

I then started to take a step further but then his door opened and I was met by a pair of dazzling eyes to which I think of meeting before. I tore my gaze away as my heart was starting to pump in a not so normal way. I noticed the disappointment in his eyes which oddly had an effect to me. Why do I care anyways?

I did not look back again and opened the door to my room. The aroma of food lingered in the air which means that Zoren is still here. I went straight ahead to my room and did a quick shower and changed into something comfortable. I only found my feet leading me to the kitchen where Zoren stood facing the stove with a flowery apron on him.

"You finally decided to come back." He said not sparing me a glance. I did not answer and just sat on the stool beneath the counter and looked at the food that he was preparing. It pork deep fried in oil. On the other pan he had some hand made noodles drenched in chicken soup. My stomach grumbled as I was hungry.

Zoren turned the stove off and started to plate the food before he sorted out the utensils. He looked at me with a raise brow to which I answered with the same expression.

"A little help here? Let me carry all of this in one go and the bacteria on the floor will be the one savoring the food for dinner." I rolled my eyes playfully and took the food that he cooked and sat them on the countertop. He got some rice on a bowl and some sparking water.

"Just like how mother used to prepare dinner." I said quietly, the somber feeling coming up again. Zoren looked at me with a sad smile for a moment before he playfully punched my shoulder.

"Well you seem to have forget that Queen Ferah does not allow sulking when in the presence of food." He said as he used a fork to point at me. I chuckled and looked at the food once more.

"Thank you for the food." I spoke and started to dig in. I got the rice on my plate first before getting some deep fried pork. It's not all meat but half meat and half fat with skin. A sigh of content escaped my mouth as I groaned in delight.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Zoren chuckled as he too started to eat. I ignored him and started to dig in even more. I only get to have dinner like this when Zoren comes over and when mother was still around. It taste like yesterday, when all was fine and great.

"There's something missing." I spoke as soon as I gulped the food that I chewed. Zoren looked at me with a questioning look before he realized. He was about to stand up but I motioned him to continue eating as I already got it.

"Were missing soy sauce and chili." I heard Zoren hum as I scrammed through the kitchen counter to find some. Thankfully there were still some unexpired stuffs in the cabinets. As for the chili, Zoren is the solution to that. I poured the sauce into a mini bowl and hurriedly sprinted back to my seat. Zoren stopped eating for a while and rubbed his palm and when he opened it, a bunch of chili were there. I got two and squashed them both with my spoon and mixed it with the sauce. I got a piece of the pork and dipped it into the sauce, the salty, sweet and spicy taste made me groan.

"Now we're talking!" I exclaimed. Zoren laughed and got a small bowl where he placed some of the noodle soup he made. I took a sip directly from the bowl not caring about proper etiquette as it does not really matter because there's only the two of us here. I was starting to sweat from the spiciness of both the soup and the sauce. I smiled mentally as this was one of the things I have came to look forward too since it only happens on rare occasions.

We both eat in silence but it was not the awkward type, the both of us would wipe the sweat with our arm and go back to eating.

I stretched out after I was done and that's because I could no longer eat as there were no food left. I looked at Zoren who was sipping on his sparkling water before saying;

"Thank you."

He then stared at me and then smiled. His eyes held warmth within them as he spoke.

"You know you should just say the food is good instead of being so mushy with me you know." He joked and acted all disgusted by my affection. I just laughed at his reaction and leaned at the counter.

"Well for that, you will be the one washing the dishes." I spoke with a smug look. Zoren only rolled his eyes and stood up, gathering up the utensils and throwing them at the sink.

"You never do the dishes." He answered. Well he does have a point and it's not that I'm being cocky but I think it should be beneath me at this point. Where can you see a royalty doing things like this? Nowhere right?

The point is, a royalty can be able to do things but not the peasant kind of doing things. I left him in the kitchen and went inside my room and jumped on my bed. Although I did not feel sleepy. I caught a sight of the names on the wall that was beautifully written. It was on a small corner, enclosed with an attached gold frame. But I could see the name of my father being badly scratched out. Who did it and why? You know the answer.

The hate I feel for him whenever I think of what he did back then makes me want to gag as to what a coward he has become. Even a disgrace not only to me but also the whole kingdom. As to how I am now here and why he's acting as king, I dare not talk about it.

I decided to just not think nor talk about it to anyone as when all of this academia thing is over, I will return and will not stand idly as my father rules over the land that I have rebuild. Such blasphemy and shame that if I was still king, I will endow death as the fitting punishment to that old bastard.

I rolled over to the side and just thought about the upcoming clash which will be a few sleeps away. No matter what happens, I will win this one and will prove to father that he is no longer worthy of that throne for as when he decided to lurk and slump on his self-pity, his thirteen years old heir rose as king and despite the hardship, was able to lift the economy of the kingdom into shape and when everything was back to normal, he showed up and grabbed the crown unjustly. When I prove myself after this, I will have my order back and that crown tip topped on my head as I shall kick him out of the royal seat where I belong.