Sword of the Chosen

From a far distance, you hear a feminine voice calling your name softly.

"Prince Amah."

You open your eyes slowly and immediately regret doing so as the morning sun hits your face. You squeeze them tight against the brightness coming through your window. Turning your head to the side, your eyes flutter open to find Catalina staring down at you. You know her well—she's a loyal servant of the kingdom and a good friend of your mother, Queen Alvena. She takes care of you and your siblings when your mother is not around or busy.

"Have you forgotten what day it is?" she asks, but there's no anger in her tone. Her voice is always warm and comforting. She remains calm even in stressful situations but still manages to express a sense of urgency.

Your eyes widen and you slip out of bed quickly, almost tripping in the process. You remember what day it is very well. All heirs of Rhivenia start their training with their personal knight when they reach the age of seven. Each heir has only one mentor, chosen by the king. They are usually experienced knights with excellent skills and proven loyalty.

"Get dressed and join me," Catalina says and then leaves to give you privacy.Being the fourth-born child of the king has some advantages as well as difficulties. You have a chance to observe your siblings as they go through stressful training and lectures. You know what to expect when you reach the legal age of being a successor.

However, only a few see you as a potential leader. For unknown reasons, the Sword rarely chooses the youngest heir. You remember your mother saying that throughout history, only two monarchs were the last-born children. Perhaps experience is more important than skill.

After getting dressed, you leave your chamber and head towards Catalina, who is waiting for you in the corridor. With a wave of her hand, she gestures for you to follow her.

"How do you feel?" she asks as you walk beside her along the corridor. "Your training will start today. You will have to wake up early every morning and practise your skills." Your excited

"I'm excited," you answer honestly. "I have never seen the training ground before."

"I'm sure you will love it," she says. "Your mentor is Sir Arnold. He's one of the strongest knights in the kingdom. You will learn many things from him."

She pauses, smiling at a memory. "You remind me of Atheris. Your sister was thrilled when she started training."

"What about Freya?"

Freya has always been the nervous one. You remember her saying she would do anything to avoid spending even a second at the training ground.

"Oh, she was shaking like a frightened rabbit." She chuckles

"Wait here." She puts a hand on your shoulder to stop you. "I will make sure the training ground is available for you."

Catalina strides away, leaving you alone in the corridor. You inhale a deep breath and start exploring the portraits hanging on the walls since there's nothing fun to do at this moment.

One of them is the portrait of your father, King Charles. He's an intimidating man with a muscular build and blond hair that passes his shoulders. His piercing blue eyes are burning with rage and passion.

It's a shame that you haven't seen him in person yet.

Moving on, you let your gaze fall on another portrait on the wall. It's the painting of you and your siblings standing together with a proud look on your faces. You were approximately three years old when it was painted.

The painter has included the king's wives in the drawing as well. Your mother looks confident and cold, while your father's other wife, Queen Isabelle, has a warm smile on her face.

With renewed interest, you take a step closer to study your face in the portrait. The artist has done an excellent job. He captured all your features very well.

You stare at your black hair which is now long and wavy then your gaze shift to your dark blue eye , which are a darker shade than your father's.

You stop before another portrait, which includes your sisters and half-brother. You're absent.

"It's painted by an artist named Lincoln." Catalina's voice cuts through the silence. "King Charles has ordered him to visit the castle and paint a new portrait of the heirs today."

"I'm not included in this one," you say, glancing toward the portrait.

"You weren't officially an heir when it was painted," she explains. "All children of the king must pass the age of six to be considered a successor. There were only three heirs of Rhivenia." She pauses to smile at you. "Until now."

"Now, you may want to join Sir Arnold for your first training session," Catalina suggests

When you step onto the training ground, you're greeted by a tall and muscular man, whom you assume is Sir Arnold. Catalina is right: he looks very strong.

The knight bows his head respectfully and hands you the blunted sword he has been holding. His face lacks emotion, but his eyes look warm and kind.

"My name is Sir Arnold," he introduces himself. "I will be your mentor and adviser, Prince Amah. May Namherys be with us during this journey."

AFTER AN HOUR

You didn't expect your first training experience to be so painful. Your back hurts from falling to the ground too many times; you're sure there will be bruises all over your body afterwards.

However, Sir Arnold doesn't seem like he intends to stop. You understand the importance of fighting skills since you're one of the heirs to the throne: since no one knows who the Sword will choose, all princes and princesses of Rhivenia must improve their swordsmanship and political skills.

And you want the throne as much as your older sister, Atheris. Your fight for the throne has begun now, and you will do everything to be worthy of the Sword.Hurry up," the knight speaks lowly, locking his arms behind his back. "Your siblings have already finished their morning training."

"They are older than me," you retort, pushing yourself to your feet slowly as you grab your sword, gazing at the knight.

"Your age means nothing to the Sword," Sir Arnold replies, unlocking his arms.

Doesn't it? If not, then why have only two monarchs in the history of Rhivenia been the youngest heir? Then again, not every firstborn child becomes a leader. Your father, for instance, was the third-born.

Sir Arnold's hand drops to the hilt of his sword. You try to ignore the pain in your back and keep your gaze fixed on the knight, bracing yourself for an attack.

But it never comes.

The knight studies your face with sympathy in his eyes. He sighs and releases his blunted sword, letting it fall to the ground with a soft thud.

"Get some rest, child," he says. "It's your first training, and I was too harsh on you. Your body needs time to recover. We will continue tomorrow."On your way to your chamber, you come across your mother, who is talking to Queen Isabelle. Her light green eyes shoot daggers at the other queen as she speaks. Everyone knows how much they hate each other. It's not surprising; a king's wives never get along.

Even when your mother freely insults her, Queen Isabelle always manages to keep her anger under control. You've never heard her raise her voice at someone, not even once. Either she has a gentle heart, or she's good at acting.

"Have you finished your training?" asks a familiar voice. Your gaze leaves the queens, and you turn to give your half-brother your attention.

"Yes, brother.You nod. "We finished earlier."

"It will get better." His gaze softens as he notices how tired you look. "I remember the day I started training. I thought my arms would fall off."

Then his brows wrinkle in thought. "Am I right to assume Sir Arnold is your mentor?"

"Yes," you answer. He hums and looks away, nodding his head slightly. You notice the small but excited smile on his face. "Why are you smiling?"

"Sir Raymond was absent today," he replies quickly, seeming relieved that you asked. You frown, not understanding why the absence of his mentor delights him. "Our father trained me instead."

"Our father?" you repeat, raising your brows in surprise. Not everyone is lucky enough to converse with the king, let alone train with him. Father or not, he's the ruler of Rhivenia and the Owner of the Sword.

"It felt like a dream," Richard adds with a growing smile. "I was nervous at first, but I think I impressed him. He even taught me a few moves that I can use against enemies.I hope he will train with me too." You let out a sigh.Richard gives you a look of sympathy and rests his hand on your shoulder.

"I'm certain he will." He nods.After the conversation ends, your half-brother walks away from you and approaches Queen Isabelle. She's still listening to your mother's complaints in silence. As soon as she notices her son's presence, she ignores Queen Alvena. Giving her one last look, she strides away with the boy.

Your mother shifts her gaze from them to you. A softness enters her cold green eyes as she starts strolling towards you.

"How was your first training, little one?" she asks with a warm voice, kneeling beside you. "I didn't expect it to finish this soon. Is everything alright?" "Sir Arnold finished the training early because he had important matters to deal with."

you tell her. She frowns, slightly shaking her head.

"No matter is more important than training an heir," she argues. Then she cocks her head to the side and asks, "Are you lying to me, little one?" No." You shake your head. "I'm not."

Your mother sighs disappointedly. "Another lie."

You lower your gaze and remain silent. She puts her hand on your cheek to get your attention. Your eyes come up to meet hers.

"It's your first day, and it's perfectly normal for you to get tired," she speaks softly. "There's no shame in it."

"Alright." You nod your head. She presses a kiss on your forehead before rising to her feet.

"You must work on your lying skills," she adds with a smile. "Sometimes it's a good way to survive. But do not forget: lying never works on me." What were you talking about with your half-brother?" Queen Alvena asks as she remembers seeing you having a conversation with him. No doubt, she doesn't like him because of his mother. You wonder if Queen Isabelle also dislikes you and your sisters for the same reason.

"He told me that our father trained him today," you inform her. She clenches her jaw and her eyes widen a little bit. The softness in her gaze is completely gone now.

"It's forbidden," she murmurs to herself. "He shouldn't favour any heir over another."

So your father favours him. You've always been told that all heirs are equal, but now you've found out that your father is choosing sides. You wonder what makes Richard so unique. Is it because he's the firstborn child?

"Go to your chamber," she hurriedly says. "I have to speak to your father." This morning was exceptional. You had your first training with Sir Arnold. However, you still feel like your siblings are one step ahead of you because of the age difference between you all. Since you're the youngest child, it's not surprising that they are more experienced than you.

You lie on your bed and stare at the ceiling. From now on, you will wake up early every morning and practise your skills with Sir Arnold. It will be hard for you at first, but you will get used to it.

At least, you hope so.Meanwhile…

Queen Alvena makes her way to the king's room with heavy steps. Her relationship with him became strained after she gave birth to the last heir. Sometimes, she can't help but wonder if Charles used her for heirs since Isabelle lost her ability to birth children after Richard.

She knocks on the door twice, not waiting for a response before pushing it open. The king is sitting at the table, reading a letter attentively. He feels her presence but doesn't bother to look up.

"You trained with Richard today," Alvena states plainly. She knows he doesn't like rambling.

"Yes," Charles answers, continuing to stare at the letter. The queen clenches and unclenches her fists, annoyed by his simple answer.

"It's forbidden, Charles," she reminds him. "You should not favour an heir. Is it because he's Isabelle's son?"

"It's because his mentor was absent today," King Charles replies coldly, finally looking at her. "I will make sure his mentor will be punished for his irresponsibility. Now, I have important matters to deal with. If you have nothing more to say, you may leave."

Alvena stares at him for a moment. He drops his eyes back down to the letter and continues reading it. Struggling to ignore the rage building inside of her, the queen sighs, turns on her heels and leaves the room.

She will never forget this.