CHAPTER FOUR

"again attack with your sword thrust towards him Icarus"

Icarus heaved as he sent his sword flying in the direction of his opponent knocking him down.As he fell to the floor Icarus rent his war cry and got up facing his uncle.

"impressive but not good enough next time you do better" his uncle Hermes told him walking away from his nephew, Icarus huffed and picked up his sword and threw it at the direction of his uncle who dodged it

" angry are we" Hermes asked Icarus taking his sword from his side charging towards Icarus who took another sword by his side as they charged towards each other Icarus tried to block his uncle's sword but he was no match for someone that had trained all his life he pulled up his sword taking advantage of an opening to pierce his uncle by his side earning a slash on his arm he groaned as blood splashed on the floor angry he took his sword about to strike back and he but his sword was knocked out from his hand he looked to his side his uncle guard stood holding a pointed arrow aiming at him if he dared attack again he smirked using his uncle as a distraction he aimed his sword towards the guard throwing it he aimed at his enemies heart knocking the guard out cold as other soldiers rushed in he waved them off laughing maniacally he teased his uncle

"a common guard comes to defend you and I thought you were better than this" Hermes smiled at his nephews word.

" better than getting killed by my nephew"

he stretched out his hand as his Icarus pulled him up to his feet

" better a great teacher than none" he bowed to his uncle and left.

Icarus went to his mother's quarters there his mother stayed outside the courtyard as her maids attended to her messaging her feet she smiled as she saw him approaching her she stood up and Icarus bent his head as she kissed his forehead.

"mother at times I think you treat me like a child than your future heir" Icarus mother Vanessa smiled ruffling her son's hair as they stroller her garden she bent down and picked up a rose flower and sniffed in the sweet heavy scent of the flower

"if I didn't know any better I would think that you mean I have less authority over you now"

Icarus laughed and hugged his mother as he bent down to kiss her cheek

"you have full authority over me than anyone else"

"then I am free to charge you to get married"

Icarus paused in his steps as his mother also stopped walking.

"the roses smell nice don't they" Vanessa asked further looking at her son and sighed, he didn't want to marry but loved war and the responsibility of a crown prince

meanwhile Icarus was angry at his mother

"did father push you to tell me about marriage mother"he asked calmly his mother was startled by his voice it had a drop of danger in it and she knew how he behaved when angry

" no" Vanessa simply stated crushing the rose flower in her hand

"then I ask to take my leave" Icarus bowed about to walk away

"she's not the only one Icarus" his mother said softly sadness dripping in her voice as her son faced away from his mother and she walked up to him holding his arms

" you use your hands for war to forget but you can't"

" I go to war to protect our people mother"

" and yet your heart is unprotected and now void of emotions"

" you know I loved only one woman"

Vanessa smiled gently and touched a pond nearby dipping her hand in the waters

" we don't always get what we want"

" well the gods dimmed it fit for me to stay without love" Icarus peered at his mother closely and walked away angrily.

Vashti cried softly looking at her son's retreating figure as he left .

Delilah swayed as the chain tied to her neck was pulled harshly she fell on her knees in front of her her new master as the guard handed over the chain to Cyrus and nodded walking away leaving Delilah petrified she cast her eyes on her master's feet staring at his expensive sandals she felt her chain being pulled softly soon she was looking at her Master's face she bent her head after all it was wrong to behold the face of her master

Cyrus smiled slightly, his new maid was really the shy type, her smooth body glistened in the sun so lovely her skin looked like smooth marble to him he lifted her chin gently and stared into her beautiful dark eyes her eyelashes fluttering softly as she stared back at him he felt her cheek and frowned when he saw a slight bruise on her cheek his eyes darkening as he looked at the slight bruise that was barely visible

delilah looked scared what if she had offended her new master she looked at him as he traced her soft features,she gasped when his hand touched the side of her cheek that had been bruised when she fell down in the dungeon .

" how did you get these bruises"

Delilah couldn't speak she didn't think that a master was meant to care over a small bruise that a slave bore on a part of their body

" I asked a question" Cyrus asked harshly scaring delilah causing her to spea.k

" I fell while in the dungeon that I was kept" Cyrus raised a brow even her voice sounded so soft he nodded reaching out and taking a hold of the chain round her neck he used the key he had been given freeing her from the shackles of the chain and brought out a small collar that rauf brought to him placing it on her neck.

Delilah now was his property to keep.