Chapter 11 - The Unyielding Heir

"Are you trying to be stubborn? I said, give it to me right now," the Crown Prince said again. Jules and Jordan walked closer. The smiles on their faces made it clear that they were enjoying Darian's humiliation.

Darian's jaw tightened.

"What is the matter, Darian? Do you want to cry?" Jordan asked.

The two other boys laughed.

While they laughed, Darian spread his hands to his sides and planted his palms on the ground. What happened next was as fast as lightning. He squatted, then used his legs to harshly sweep the three boys standing in front of him. He spun and landed on one palm, then he jumped to his feet.

They had stumbled and fallen from the impact. Jules began crying. Jordan found it hard to stand up. The Crown Prince leaned on one elbow, then he sat up.

Darian was already positioned in the horse stance. He wanted to fight. He was ready.

The Crown Prince felt humiliated. He pointed at Darian. "Servants, get me that ring now! Beat him, fight him, do whatever you want. But get me that ring."

Darian gazed at Alfred the moment the order was issued. Alfred just stood there. Alfred could understand what Darian could not. If he intervened, things would get worse for Darian. Whatever happened here may be dismissed as a fight between children. But, if he intervened, it would not end so well. Darian would just have to endure this humiliation for now, unless he could defeat the twenty servants that would come against him.

Twenty servants, armed with long, thin rods, rushed towards Darian. He was outnumbered, but his training had prepared him for this. He met the first two head-on, dodging a swinging rod with a graceful side-step and then disarming the other with a sharp wrist lock. He used the man’s own momentum to send him spinning into another servant. But the others kept coming, relentless and quick.

He turned, fending off attacks from behind with a series of quick forearm blocks and elbow strikes. The rods rained down on him. A blow to his arm sent a jolt of pain up to his shoulder, but he gritted his teeth and pushed through. He fought with a desperate ferocity, a blur of kicks and punches, trying to fend off the overwhelming numbers. He ducked under a sweeping blow and delivered a sharp kick to the chest, sending one servant tumbling backward.

But it was futile. As he turned to face one attacker, four more rushed behind him, their rods connecting with the back of his legs. Darian's knees buckled. He struggled to maintain his footing, his muscles screaming from the effort. More blows landed on his back and arms. He was overwhelmed. He was like a small boat fighting against a raging sea. He could not win. The fight was over. Darian was on his knees, his body bruised and aching, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The servants closed in around him.

Darian felt pain all over him. His legs and arms had become weak, and his eyes were threatening to pour down tears. He could hear the Crown Prince’s order at a distance. "Make him kneel and grab his hands tightly so that he does not move. Do it now!"

The servants hastened to do as they were told. Soon, Darian's arms were pulled sideways and held stiffly by servants. He was on his knees and his eyes were red. His jaw was clenched, but he was bruised. The servants were too many for him. He could not take all of them. He regretted the fact that he was not stronger. Darian’s eyes scanned the faces of his brothers, Jules and Jordan. They were smiling with delight.

The Crown Prince walked closer to Darian. "Do you see how much I have dealt with you? I could do worse. Do not give me a reason to." He said to a servant, "Pull out the ring and give it to me."

"No!" Darian yelled. "My mother gave that to me. You can't take it. Leave my stuff alone."

The Crown Prince smirked. "Seems like you are still brave."

Darian quickly clenched his fists to prevent anyone from getting the ring. The servant who was determined to get the Crown Prince the ring smiled. He took a stick and used it to hit Darian’s hand. Darian clenched his teeth. He fixed his gaze on the prince and shot him a stubborn stare. The servant raised the stick again and it descended on Darian’s clenched fist. This repeated itself five more times. Darian’s palm opened on its own accord after shaking terribly. The servant who had been hitting Darian hurried to touch the ring. He felt a slap of heat from the ring. It felt as though the ring was on fire the moment he moved it.

The servant hurriedly placed his finger in his mouth to cool it.

The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes. "What is taking you so long? Bring it now if you don’t want to get beaten."

The servant bowed. "I am sorry, Crown Prince. But the moment I pulled the ring, it burned my finger."

"Nonsense," the Crown Prince said. "Get me that ring now." The servant hurried to his feet. He quickly placed his hand on the ring, then with speed he pulled the ring out of Darian's finger. The ring fell to the floor, but the servant who had pulled it out, and other servants behind him, were flung away by a very powerful wind. The Crown Prince and the remaining servants stared in shock.

The servants who had fallen on the floor did not move at all. It was almost as if… they were dead.

Blood drained from the Crown Prince's face. Jules and Jordan were the same. The other servants shook. Only Alfred stood there without an expression. But, his eyes flickered with worry.

From a distance, the high-pitched whistling of eagles were heard. It almost seemed as if a large number of eagles were coming.

The Crown Prince turned to a servant. "What is that horrifying sound? What is happening?"

The sky of the royal city suddenly began to darken. There were eagles coming out of nowhere. The servants began to shake.

The Crown Prince shivered as he gazed at birds with brown bodies and wings which contrasted sharply with their snowy white heads and tails. There was also another kind among them. With their equally dark brown look, they had a patch of golden or reddish-brown feathers on the back of their heads and necks. It was almost like a nape, and their feathers reached down to their toes. "What are these birds? What are they?" The crown Prince screamed.

A servant shouted, "They are eagles. The eagles have arrived!"

***

In the banquet hall.

Her Holiness, with her white hair that was braided to her feet, rose hurriedly as she grabbed her crooked staff. There was a mask of worry on her face. The King turned to her, "Is all well, Her Holiness?"

Her Holiness shook her head desperately from side to side. "No! There is danger." She yelled as she spoke. All the nobles stopped eating.

A servant ran in from the door. He bowed before the King.

"Speak!" the King said.

"Eagles have invaded the palace! There are eagles in the palace!" the servant spat hurriedly.

The King and Queen rose to their feet. There was panic on their faces. The nobles began to whisper among themselves. Some of them were already shaking in their seats. Sweat broke out on Lucas's forehead. All he could whisper beneath his breath was, "Darian."

"What shall we do, Her Holiness? Is this our doom?" the Queen asked.

"No! We can never be doomed. Not on my watch!" Her Holiness answered as she threw her head backward and shook. "From what I feel, he is still a child. He may be powerful, but he is not mature yet. I can still destroy him."