A Fight in Recreation

Recreation was now in session, undoubtedly a favorite among the young crowd.

The once-empty playground was now a vibrant hub of life, filled with the joyful murmurings of children.

Peter remained seated on the bench, feeling content in this familiar spot. Slides and other such activities felt beyond his age.

Unexpectedly, the red-haired troublemaker from before made an appearance.

"Hey."

"Hi?"

She sensed his hesitancy but continued with a cheerful demeanor. "So, how's life in the castle?" she asked, her smile infectious.

"It's fine," he replied, still reserved. "I do enjoy the comfort of the beds."

She burst into laughter, a sound that would've once startled Peter but now brought him a sense of relief.

Bringing in a whirlwind of drama, Xavier entered the playground, his fury palpable.

He stomped dramatically, shouting at the top of his lungs.

"What did I tell you about messing with my girl?"

"I'm not messing with—"

He abruptly halted, frozen, as he noticed a dagger perilously close to Peter's head.

Micah appeared, still recovering from his earlier encounter, and saw the dagger dangerously positioned.

Anger surged through Micah.

Rage clouded his mind.

Fury propelled his body towards Xavier, taking him by surprise.

Like a tiger, Micah acted without concern for onlookers, pouncing on Xavier and wresting the dagger away.

However, Xavier had a strong grip on the weapon, making it a test of strength.

Peter was bewildered by the recent events, but he gathered his wits after they both let go of each other.

Just in the nick of time, Asiris arrived, swiftly putting an end to the altercation.

"What are you guys doing?" he scolded, looking sternly at Micah.

Xavier seized the opportunity to put the blame on Micah, claiming, "He tried to kill me!"

Micah looked at Xavier in disbelief.

"No," Micah refuted. "He was trying to stab Peter on the head!"

"No, I would never do that!"

Commander Just, despite the chaos, remained composed and began to explain.

"Xavier, even if it was self-defense, you cannot assault a prince. You'll have to be put in the dungeon."

A hushed silence fell over the crowd, as being in the dungeon for two weeks at the least was a significant shame in this kingdom.

Both Peter and Micah recently learned about this.

"Asiris, take him to the dungeon," Commander Just ordered, surprising everyone in the playground with his firm dedication to the kingdom.

"Dad, no," Xavier protested, tears welling up, evoking a solemn feeling in Peter. He thought about something he'd never considered before.

"Let him go."

The noise fell silent again, but this time, it was more hushed than ever.

"Let him go?"

"Yes, give him one more chance."

Just nodded, signaling to release Xavier, leaving him visibly shamed at Peter's mercy.

In a hurry, Xavier fled the playground, sobbing harder than when he was even getting arrested, perhaps due to the shock he experienced.

Micah was also taken aback, now looking at Peter as if he had made a mistake.

Which, Peter believed, he had.

"Why did you let him go?"

"Because I don't want to ruin lives. I want to help them."

Micah was still confused, so he sat down by Peter, sighing.

"Well, you're very kind."

"Yep."

"You're taking this lightly?"

"Of course, why not?"

"You almost got killed by that hot-headed boy."

"I know."

Confusion overwhelmed Micah; he couldn't quite comprehend it all.

"It's best if we try not to send people to jail, alright," Peter advised, giving a firm pat on Micah's back, getting up, and leaving Micah to ponder his uncertainty.

Why did he let him free?

Why was he so hesitant to put him in jail?

Was he scared of him?

He was so immersed in his thoughts that he forgot to blink.

Eventually, he snapped back to reality and, putting aside his questions, followed Peter into the castle.

Preview:

The following day was surprisingly similar, still annoyingly so.

Peter could only gaze at the wall when a sudden knock jolted him from his thoughts.

Commander Just was there, waiting to escort him to practice. In Peter's mind, he believed the prince should understand the way to the training center.

However, Peter had a different thought. He simply wished to reach the training center.

And so, they set off, with Peter growing irritated by Just's ramblings.

"So, when will I be able to go by myself?"

"When the king says so."

"Will I still have guards by my side?"

"Of course; you are forgetting that you are a prince, after all."

"Why? I am in the castle."

"Well, from the sudden fight yesterday, it's clear that even within the palace, danger still exists."

"Oh."