Meeting With The Nobles (Part 3)

As Daryl left the throne room with the other nobles Chase followed him closely from behind. The child was still quiet as he was not experienced enough to understand how to talk in front of the nobles. Unwilling to speak up in front of a large group of mortals he had never personally interacted with.

"Will father be going with you?" Chase asked the man who seemed to understand his new father's way of thinking. It was still difficult for him to comprehend something like a family. He only knew that he did not want anything to happen to the man who brought him out of that dark place and gave him a real home.

Daryl was caught off guard by the sudden question, "No."

Chase seemed to pause in silence as they walked along together. The nobles were all leaving and there was not many around. It would be difficult for anyone to overhear them. Something about the silence felt heavy to Daryl as if the child was carrying something on his shoulders that weighed his conscious down.

"Perhaps I could-" Chase started to suggest going with Daryl when they attacked Brolan Kingdom.

"That will not be necessary." Vorbuk's cold voice could be heard as they both got chills down their spines. On the way over he had heard enough to understand what the young Chase was about to say. There was no way that Vorbuk would consider sending the child off into battle. Even if he was older then his body he was still a child in his eyes. The child had much to learn before experiencing such a thing.

"Vorbuk," Prince Leo was the only one unaffected by the cold aura that Vorbuk was letting out when he heard Chase's words so he tried to calm him down by whispering to him, "Don't you think your going to scare him at this rate?"

Vorbuk snapped back to reality and calmed himself down so that he would not further startle the child, "There are other ways you can be helpful. You do not need to leave the palace."

"... Yes." Chase only uttered a single word out to show that he understood Vorbuk would not allow him to go with Daryl to Brolan Kingdom. It was difficult for him to go against Vorbuk's words.

I want to be of use as well... Chase grit his teeth with his face tilted away so that nobody could see his expression. When he had so much potential it was only natural that he was learning from Daryl. To be the heir to the throne of Theapan meant he would need to utilize his abilities well. Royals often had others after their lives and so Daryl was chosen as Chase's tutor when he wasn't tasked with other duties.

The thing that Vorbuk did not consider was that Chase had survived countless years in that dungeon. Monsters had lurked around every corner and the dungeon master had been his only form of communication. It was impossible to consider it. He did not know what the child had gone through so he could not put serious thought on details that he lacked.

During that time he had already struggled desperately to survive. He had fought beasts with his own hands and there was no method of right or wrong inside that dark place. Sitting still in the palace, no matter how young his body was, his restless fighting spirit that aged much more wanted to prove himself worthy of the things given to him.

Vorbuk hoped Chase would one day be able to put those days behind him. Hoping that the deep scars would one day become less painful for him. He wanted to keep him in the palace where he'd be safe from such sights as much as possible. It would be impossible to keep him from everything as the future was one paved with battles. Simply it was that he wanted Chase to learn that there were other methods to be helpful, there were brighter things to life, things that even he himself had not realized until it had been too late in his life as well.

"Come on," Vorbuk sighed at the expression he saw on the child's face as he spoke, "Let's go check on my princess."

"Hm?" Prince Leo flinched and questioned himself on whether or not he really heard those words. Did he just outwardly call the princess his?

"Ahem." Daryl cleared his throat making it obvious to the prince that he was not the only one that heard those words.

"The Princess?" Chase asked.

He could see a smile spreading across Vorbuk's face as he responded, "You did cause problems last night too right?"

"...!" Chase was startled when he heard the mention of last night. There was indeed some things that he had caused. It was a matter of luck that Ashley was near by and able to minimize any damage and rumors.

"Are you coming as well?" Vorbuk turned to Prince Leo and asked.

Prince Leo shook his head at the question and sighed. There was no reason for him to get involved in the strange situation between the three of them, "I think I will go to the training grounds for a while. You should take care of those matters without me."

"Hm... Are you..." Vorbuk saw the prince's reaction and decided to toy with him a bit, "Jealous?"

"Can you not say something so miss leading?!" Prince Leo flushed at the sudden accusation and decided to simply leave without further discussion. Feeling too embarrassed to remain any longer. It was also time for him to do some training himself with the other knights.

"Leo." Vorbuk called the prince's name as the prince turned to leave flustered.

"Yea?" Prince Leo called back without turning around so that his expression could not be seen by Vorbuk and the others.

"You do not need to think too deeply about it." Vorbuk's words might have not made sense to an outsider. The prince was different because he knew exactly what Vorbuk was trying to tell him.

You should not dwell on things about your brother; You will not be alone when the time comes.

Those words were engraved into the meaning behind Vorbuk's spoken words. Leo was able to see the meaning when he heard it. It would not be enough to make things easier but as long as it was able to give the prince a bit of ease its purpose would have been met.

"I think the princess is waiting for you, Vorbuk." Prince Leo smiled brightly as he hid the pain in his chest behind it. Could one ever really not dwell on something so important to them?

"Yes," Vorbuk turned to Chase and placed his palm on the top of his head as he spoke, a low purr could be heard from Chase as his human eyes began to slit like the tiger form, "We should get going then and see how she is doing after last night."

Prince Leo trudged towards the training grounds as he left the others behind. A sudden thought passing through his mind,

He will return anyways... His human form is only temporary and nobody can understand him in his wolf form. Prince Leo flinched as those words swept over him.

"How could I think like that?" Prince Leo placed his palms against the wall as he tried to clear his mind of such greedy thoughts.

Vorbuk was his friend.

He was his family.

How could he feel greed over him?

Was this a sudden fear that he was beginning to covet the beast?