The First Challenger.

Six year old Prince Regar stood before his father

Head bowed he did his best trying to have the ground swallow him like the Medjay or vanish into thin air like the sprites around the palace

His father was an imposing man, but regar didn't think it was strange, from the stories he'd heard avout the his father it would be strange if he weren't

He heard the slight rumble that always happened before his father spoke and tensed his shoulders to brace himself

"The Slave's boy beat you?"

Regar felt shame blushing his cheeks, get wanted to argue that he hadn't been beaten by a boy the same age as him they had just fought but he knew his father and feared what would happen if he did so he said nothing and nodded

He didn't have the courage to look for his father's reaction but he heard him call to the guard standing at the entrance

"Go fetch me Andras the Farmer Slave's son. And you boy, tell me what happened. Leave nothing"

Regar could feel his soul flee his body at being addressed but the fear had him muster enough wits to speak without it

His father listened intently, his eyes never once leaving him, Regar did not dare to meet his gaze, but he could feel it on him, crushing down on him like the sky on Uran the North God

At the end his father remained silent before suddenly saying

"If I am correct, you abandoned your studies and training to stalk the yard and proclaim you superiority to the Slaves, until this one" he gestured towards Andras 'who had arrived sometime ago but was too scared to speak and from how blue he was, breathe' before he continued "decided he had enough of your nonsense and proceeded to introduced you to his fists and the ground. after the ground and your face became so closely acquianted that you lay there hours after his fists had left"

Although his father's tone remained even throughout his words, Regar could feel the weight of them growing matching the mans stare until he had almost fallen but he knew that if he did his fate would be worse. So he stood and once again nodded

His father was silent once again staying that way until a moment had passed after which he called to the guard

"Give me a knife and leave us. Come here Andras, give me your arm" he paused before adding "You too boy"

Regar's heart leapt to his throat in horror at being called forward but he knew better than to disobey, stealing a glance at Andras as he stepped forward only to see the boy's face paler than the sheets after washing, had he not known the boy his whole life he would've though him a ghast, or Spectre summoned by his father's magic, but as he lifted the cloth off his own arm he wondered what his face must look like

His father ignored their apparent horror taking Andras arm and dragging the knife he had gotten across it, he heard the boy release a muffled scream at it but his father ignored him and took his own arm doing the same thing to him but he held his scream inside fearing what his father would do if he cried out

He watched as the man wiped the blade down feeling the blood flowing down his arm, from his side he heard Andras doing his best to muffle his sobs, the poor boy must be terrified he thought

The man still holding the knife spoke "Watch as you bleed, the blood is different but the color the same, it flows the same. Learn now boy, nothing makes you better than a slave, no man is different, a King and a Slave both must eat, both must sleep, both will fuck whatever they can lay hands on, both fear beasts, all that separates them is the faith that the King possesses more dignity than the slave but in truth? All are equal and you have as much to fear from a single slave as you do from a nobleman without his guards. Think on this next time you seek to challenge another man's dignity."

Saying this, the man reversed his grip giving him the knife he had drawn blood with and cast a spell at Andras putting the hysterical boy to sleep and set for the door calling out behind him "Do you see now that you are equal?" He waited at the door expecting a response before sighing at the silence "It doesn't matter, you will learn in time."

He turned to face him glancing at Andras sleeping before adding "As for the Slave's boy. Kill him."

Regar looked up in shock meeting the man's eyes and seeing no anger, rage or disappointment, only calm as calm as they were while he read but he knew enough that the man was not joking, nor would the man repeat himself

The man stood there as he struggled but seemed to tire of waiting, he achieved the door he had stopped at earlier and Regar could hear him say to the shadow guards of the royal family, the most loyal beings in the realm bound to the service of the King through magic

"One of you go to the Slave's house and execute his family, the other should remain here, if the boy fails to act you are to execute him then complete the task. I am headed to my Chambers, I may be in need of a new heir so send a slave girl to me, and make sure the room is clean and empty before I return."