Chapter 9 - Teo

"Your Highness, you can not keep turning down brides! You must marry and bare a child!" Zero yelled lecturing me when I turned down the four beautiful women in front of me. Always so serious boring as always. I thought to myself as I rolled my eyes.

"Listen Zero you may be my right hand man, the general of my army, and my best friend but I am not going to marry a woman who only wants me for my title and money." I said bored playing with my long black silky hair.

"I understand Your Highness but at least take a mistress. You need a heir, a royal blood line to take your place if something were to happen to you." I can hear Zero getting agitated with me. His long brown hair was pulled back and his white uniform perfectly assembled as always with his sword hanging from his waist. His blue eyes observed me waiting for me to answer.

"When I find a women I like, you will be the first to know but for now I am tired of the fake women throwing themselves at me wanting me to desperately to touch them its sickening and stop calling me 'Your Highness' call me Teo." I said getting fed up with this conversation.

"We discussed this when your on royal duty I'll call you 'Your Highness' when we are in your chambers alone I'll call you, Teo as a friend." Zero said pouring me another glass of wine.

"Fine I am getting bored sitting in this chair all day. Let's go to the closest village just you and me. I haven't been out side the palace in a long time." I said sipping on my wine that tasted sweet and bitter at the same time knowing his answer already.

"You can have and do what ever you want. Their is no reason for you to leave the palace your Highness." Zero said signaling two beautiful maidens to tend to my needs. I sighed tapping my fingers on my throne when they refused to look at me as they rubbed my feet.

They fear me, I guess I can't blame them. A woman was murdered a month ago. She spilt wine on me and I said it wasn't a big deal and sent her away but the next day she was murdered. No one knows who did it but they blame me. My title makes most people uneasy and they think all these womens deaths are my fault.

"I don't have everything. I have no freedom from this cursed title." I whispered to myself.

"What was that your Highness?" Zero asked studying me.

"It was nothing." I said as the two maidens flinched at my words. I can see sweat running down their faces as they carefully worked on my nails worried that they might harm me.

"Stop." I held my hand up. "Leave." I said in a powerful voice. The two maidens rushed out of the room with their heads down shutting the door behind them.

"Why did you send them away?" Zero asked annoyed.

"Im leaving the palace tomorrow." I said leaving the throne room heading to my chambers.

"Ok I'll make sure you have plenty of guards to escort you..." I cut him off before he could finish.

"No.. no guards." I said turning to look at Zero.

"I want to leave the palace without anyone knowing. To walk freely with the other villagers. With no fear in anyone's eyes as I walk by." I said starting at Zeros blue eyes.

"As your right hand man I'll advice you not to do this but as a friend.. okay.. but I want to go with you that's the only way I'll allow this and I want you to at least consider picking a women to be your concubine when we get back." Zero said seriously waiting for my answer.

I couldn't help but smile, "fine just you and me, we will wonder around Zevran. It will take a day to get to village, a day to wonder, and a day to get back." I can hear my voice rising with excitement as I tried to come up with a plan.

"Teo.. let me take care of everything for now get some rest while I come up with a plan." Zero said sighing patting my shoulder. I can already tell he thinks this is a bad idea and it might be but for once I want to enjoy myself. I smiled devilishly, I can already taste freedom on the tip of my tongue and it taste delicious.