Chương 79: Book 3; Chapter 78; Future King

"I see," the General said while looking at her, "now I understand why the Queen sought me out to entrust me with such a simple task. She thought you might be resistant to her request and asked me to pass you a message that, despite all, she would still love to see you back as soon as you are willing to spare her this pleasure. However, she said that she still insists that Prince Angus and Prince Ragnar be returned home immediately."

"None of them wants to go," Rainee replied calmly, "so mum's wishes are irrelevant this time."

"I must admit I am very glad to be here now and witness this with my own eyes," the General said, looking curiously at her,"as despite hearing it countless times, my heart was still in doubt about the words said, as I could not imagine this kind of transformation. It isn't easy to believe in something you cannot imagine. Now I see it with my own eyes, and all doubt has been swept from my heart. But still, my little lady, despite your best efforts, how do you expect to prevent me from fulfilling my orders?

To do so, you would definitely need more than you have even now."

"You are violating the very essence of the King's Army and will never succeed while doing so. You cannot lead the King's Army and be against it. While standing against it, you will not have any support that your status would demand otherwise. You cannot be a robber and a liberator at the same time," Rainee said. It was obvious that the words said had a heavy impact on the General, but changed neither his mind nor his actions.

"I don't need any support, neither to fulfil my orders, nor to show you your place," he said, moving forward with slightly frowned eyebrows and sharp eyes fixated on Rainee. But then he stopped again, this time with even more surprise on his face.

"Very impressive, young prince," he said, meaning every word he said.

"Exceptionally impressive. However, I would prefer you to demonstrate such skills while on a training ground, not in the middle of the street full of passersby."

"I was never given a chance to demonstrate it on a training ground." Despite his impressive stance, Angus' voice never lost this special friendliness and soothing tone. And he did look impressive. As he was standing next to Rainee right now, nobody had a single doubt that a future King was right in front of their eyes.

Some people even dropped down to their knees for a reason unknown to them, but most of them simply retreated as far as they could from this, at first glance, such a gentle boy, who was now standing as an unmovable wall, radiating power that made even the general of the King's Army stop and reconsider his actions. Soon, four children were left to stand on their own in the middle of the street in a large empty circle.

Rainee and Angus stood side by side with their swords drawn out, and intense invisible power that this place hadn't seen before was coming out of them. Ruffus looked around in confusion and then pulled his sword out again. He didn't understand what they were preparing to fight, but chose not to question it at this very moment. The thought that they might be opposing the general of the King's Army never even crossed his mind. Blake didn't understand what was going on at all.

He did feel some change in Rainee and Angus, but it didn't affect him in the same way as others, and he didn't know what was happening, but as he was going to travel with these three children, he had chosen to stay with them. He didn't have a sword; if he had, he would have drawn it too, but it couldn't be helped. So he just stood between Rainee and Ruffus with wide-open eyes and an oversized puppy at his side.

"This is an extraordinary image you all are displaying right now, and I truly hope that among all spectators there is at least one artist who will manage to represent it in a painting," the major said in a friendly voice.

"It is a bit sad that such power is displayed for no apparent reason. General Jason is probably in a hurry to bring his request like this; that's why it is causing confusion. I am sure that if Prince Angus knew that the Queen wasn't feeling that well recently and asked to bring her children home at first sight, he wouldn't even question whether to go or not. It is not easy to locate travellers once they are lost out of sight.

If whatever is causing her to feel unwell were to escalate, how would anyone be able to find you so quickly?"

"That's very easy," Rainee was unmoved by this explanation either, "all she has to do is ask father." Major smiled at her, but his questioning eyes returned to Angus.

"I will go," Angus smiled back at him.

"Mum must have missed us very badly to become unwell just to get us back." This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Me too, me too!" Ruffus said happily.

"I miss mum very much. I will go to see her if she wants." After hearing it, with a swift move, Rainee sheathed her sword, and it disappeared out of sight. She didn't have any reason to use it anymore. Her friends, who were about to be forced to go home, agreed to do it willingly, so there was nothing to object to any longer. Ruffus followed her. Angus, on the other hand, didn't change a thing.

The reason why he had drawn the sword was different, and he wasn't sure that this threat was over, and his attention was never taken away from the general who was standing and watching him. It was difficult to say if he was looking in admiration at what he saw, or being annoyed. And in fact, General Jason was feeling just like that, not really knowing what he was feeling, or rather, many opposing feelings and thoughts were rising in him. He truly liked this girl; in fact, it could be said that he even admired her.

She was so different from everyone else. She was so confident, so firm, so skilful. He honestly couldn't wait until she stopped dossing around and joined the King's Army, where she so obviously belonged, so that she would be under his direct command. He would be able to help her in so many ways, to mould her into an outstanding officer. She would make to his second-in-rank in no time.

If not for that strange rule, placed by the King, that children were not allowed to join the King's Army nor be commanded over, he would not have considered her age, and she would have been signed into his ranks long ago. Now he could just watch from the side. And she was right, she wasn't in a rush. Years were passing, and she had hardly grown at all. At such a rate, he truly could pass away from old age… The other part within him was so annoyed with her…

Always full of herself, always full of "knowledge" that would drive everyone crazy, always speaking in a way that made no sense but could not be disputed. King said this, King said that… She would always take everything the King says for granted as some indisputable truth. Well, everyone was taking every King's word for granted, and it was always final and indisputable… Then why, when repeated by her, was it so annoying?

She would notice everybody's mistakes, even the smallest, and would point them out without any consideration, no matter where and no matter when. She herself, on the other hand, was making mistakes all over and shamelessly would never even try to hide them or shun them. If pointed out, she would just shrug her shoulders and say that she was learning. Of course, she was learning; she was only a child after all. But such a skilful child, too. All she needed was just a little discipline.

But it was not easy to discipline her. On one hand, everyone was slightly afraid of the King, despite him never interfering, as he had taken her as his own child. On the other hand, it would backfire so often, on everyone who would try to do so, and not because of some extra protection the King would grant her, but because of a sequence of events that followed in some strange way, leaving her always above those who tried to discipline her. Instead, they would get disciplined… Just like now.

Not that long ago, there was an incident in the King's Academy when she had beaten one of the most skilful sword fighters he had ever known. Up until today, he could not fully believe it and thought this story was fabricated to some degree. The girl was skilful but not to that extent. But it made everybody wary. Today, he was convinced that it was nothing but the truth. The way she stood in front of him! Truly majestic! And not about any skills, but about this power surrounding her. Where did that power come from?

She didn't have it before, when her own life was in danger. He had to save her. Of course he did. The moment he felt this "call" for help, he was already on his way. So lucky that he was just seconds away. No way he would allow any harm to happen to her, no way he would lose the opportunity to see what she could be trained into. Such a reckless little creature and such an arrogant one too! So, where did this power that was surrounding her just now come from? Did the King support her?

That was the only explanation he could come up with. But it didn't feel like the King's power. Even then, he would not have any difficulty sweeping her away, just like a little bug. Yes, that is precisely how she felt to him right now – a little bug empowered by some additional force. Even with this empowerment, she was no match for him, and in fact, he was about to teach her a little lesson. The words she said brought some sort of forewarning, but they didn't stop him. Something else did.

And that something else was still standing in his way right now. Little Princess Angus… Many people would call him a princess instead of a prince when in private, as he was such a softie. God knows if the King could have a worse possible child… King's successor in your dreams. Who would ever listen to such a King? But again, it was not Jason's place to judge or argue, so he just taught this so-called prince all he was told to teach, but didn't have any faith in him.

Not because he was useless, no, he was learning everything very quickly. But he was so obedient, so pleasant. If you want to hug and love him, then he was a very suitable candidate; probably that's why the Queen adored him so much. But a leader of an army or a leader of the country? What a joke… Her, he could mould into a proper King in no time. Him? Not even in a dream. At least that's what he thought up until now. Now he was standing here, truly impressive. Stronger than Rainee. In fact, much stronger…

How could it be? To go through him would be a challenge even for Jason himself. How was it that just several minutes ago, the same Angus was lying helplessly on the ground, unable to withstand a threat that for Jason wasn't an obstacle? Wasn't even a challenge? Was it truly part of the King's power with him? But, just as before, the King's power was nothing like that. Angus felt just the same as before, just somehow inflated? Boosted? Was he like this because he was trying to protect this girl?

But she wasn't really under any threat. No matter how much Jason was annoyed with her, he would do nothing bad to her. Just to show where her true place was, that's all. So, there was nothing really even to defend. Before Jason could decide what to do, Major Gerald spoke, and the situation changed. Rainee had put her sword away as if her work was done, the moment Angus agreed to go home of his own will. Did she honestly expect to stop them from taking him? Was she really that deluded?

There were twenty members of the King's Army with him at the front. Was she expecting to be able to stand against them and win? Her mind was such a mystery. Even in the days when she was a little child, and he was able to understand her thinking to some degree, it was hard to follow it. Now he would love to know what she was thinking, but it was beyond him. Why couldn't he know her intentions and reasons like everybody else's? Was she really already beyond him? That would make no sense, as he knew she wasn't."

Because you don't want to know what she thinks," the answer came to his head, and at first, he chased it away. What a strange thought, he just said that he would want to know. Jason didn't know where these answers to unasked questions were coming from, but he reminded himself that usually they were very accurate, so he asked The One, " Do I really not want to know what she thinks?"

" Yes," the answer came straight away. As expected, it backed up that strange reply. Oh, let it be. Rainee is out of his reach now anyway. It is not like it would make any sense if Jason were to go and educate her now, when she was not even opposing him anymore.

"Don't worry, little prince, your girlfriend is safe," he laughed at Angus, who was still looking at him in question, "but from now on I expect the same spirit from you on the training grounds too."" Or I will slap that little friend of yours time after time, until you bring this spirit up," he thought to himself, but didn't say it aloud, silently knowing that it probably would never happen. He wouldn't mind, but there was a big possibility that the King would not allow it.

"I will do my best," Angus said, putting his sword away. There was no sarcasm in his voice. This boy didn't even know what sarcasm was. It was obvious that he would do his best as he just promised, but somehow Jason already knew that this "best" would not be anything close to what he saw just now. Oh well, at least it was known now what this little prince was capable of, and it was just a matter of finding ways to squeeze it out of him. In ways approved by the King.

"Now, can anyone explain to me what the heck was going on here?" General Jason asked, looking around the gathered crowd.

"And that is the story of how Rainee and Blake met," Old John smiled at Anniet, who was listening intently to every word he said.