Troubled General.
1056 Words
General Elisiah marched ahead of the soldiers. His face looked darker than thunder itself. Sanlysia’s smile faded the moment she saw the prince walking around the corner, matching the pace of the General. What an imbecile. She thought to herself. For a moment she simply stared at him. She was never afraid of him, but he never brought good news to her. Aeron always spelled trouble for her. Now the General fell behind the prince, as he should, along with four other soldiers, maintaining a respectful distance between them and the prince. None of them looked pleased, that didn’t surprise Sanlysia. She half expected it, what she didn’t expect was Aeron.
Usually, Aeron doesn’t really bother himself outside the court. She suspected that the General may have approached the prince to get back at her. Ah, so annoying. She thought.
The general's face had tightened into his usual sternness. Sanlysia noticed the General’s eyes fixated on Teis. Aeron's face, however, carried something different. Sanlysia knew how he loved playing the prince with the other members of the court, so maybe this was one of those moments that he was going to lead the men and brag about his privilege. There was satisfaction on Aeron’s face, as though he had been waiting for an opportunity, always liked to take Sanlysia before the king and tell him about how she had done something unlike a princess again. He loved to catch his elder sister doing things that she shouldn’t be doing according to the royalty norms.
The sunlight spilling through the veranda settled upon his polished breastplate. Unlike the surrounding soldiers, Aeron’s armor looked almost untouched. Sanlysia wondered why Aeron would even wear armor if he was not going to fight. Every buckle gleamed. Every ornament he wore had been polished until it reflected the light like it was of its own. Even the crimson silk mantle draped over his shoulder fell without wrinkle.
Sanlysia looked at him from head to toe before quietly muttering beneath her giggle. ‘He had dolled himself up. He should really be a princess.’
Teis heard it. His eyes widened instantly. He didn’t smile, it wasn’t something to smile at. He switched his frightened glance between the prince and the princess, wondering whether he should pretend he had heard nothing.
Sanlysia sensed Teis’s anxiety. She smirked at him.
‘Oh don’t make that face,’ she whispered with a dismissive hand gesture, ‘… he’s my younger brother. He’ll man up when he grows up. Still along a way to go though.’ She giggled again, this time she didn’t bother to hide. She made every effort to make the prince aware of her jest at him. Despite the situation, Teis’s mouth almost twitched.
Sanlysia flipped her hair, and staring directly into her brother’s eyes, she spoke, ‘It looks like the kingdom has really decided to torment me today.’
Aeron’s frown met Sanlysia’s amusement, and it faded from Sanlysia’s face as if it was never there. The firmness was back on her face. She didn’t have to say it out loud about who was in charge here, her presence filled the air with her domination.
It seemed like General Elisiah was intimidated by the princess he stood a few paces away from her and the prince lowered his head. Aeron shot him a despising look over his shoulder and stood in front of the princess with a mockery on his face.
‘Your highness,’ the general greeted respectfully, but there was still a stiffness in his tone. The stiffness of a man who wished he were speaking to someone else.
Sanlysia perfunctorily nodded, ‘General…,’ her eyes and grin, fixated on Aeron.
Neither of them spoke for several moments, except the crackling of the torches behind them. Only they expressed the uneasiness. The wind was already wandering through the pillar overlooking the training ground below agreed with the unease of the crackling.
Elisiah very carefully shifted his gaze past Sanlysia and settled upon Teis. The young soldier quickly straightened his spine until it almost hurt.
‘Soldier…,’ Elisiah broke the silence.
‘Lord General…,’ Teis switched into attentiveness.
The General scrutinized him. ‘I believe you were ordered to return immediately after escorting the princess…,’ he said.
Teis opened his mouth. ‘ I -’
‘- he couldn’t…,’ Sanlysia spoke before he could answer.
The general carefully looked back at Sanlysia and then again switched his stern gaze toward Teis.
‘The princess required further assistance, Lord General,’ Teis said.
‘I require answers, General Elisiah…,’ Sanlysia corrected. She folded her arms, ‘… and unfortunately, I outrank your orders.’ She smiled at the general.
The General remained silent. His jaw tightened ever so slightly, he did his best to hide his detest from the princess. Teis suddenly noticed that the general had no answers. Not because he agreed, but because the princess had spoken the truth. The king outranks everyone. The Queen stood beside him, and after them came the prince and the princess, not the general.
Despite the general’s best effort, Sanlysia caught the hesitation forming behind the general’s eyes.
An impish, crooked smile appeared on Sanlysia’s face. ‘You look troubled general…,’ she said.
The General exhaled deeply and answered, shaking his head. ‘I am indeed troubled, your highness.’
She tilted her head, trying to look concerned. ‘Why general? Has old age gotten you?’ she said.
The General looked away. He didn’t even bother to hide his defeat at this point. ‘Because his majesty’s regiment has remained standing in the courtyard for nearly an hour, your highness.’
Sanlysia blinked and looked away. ‘Oh, okay.’ She craned her neck to look over the veranda toward the training ground below. She saw the soldiers still waiting. Some stood beside their horses, some remained where they had been assembled earlier. None of them moved. Ah, such an obedient bunch. She noticed.
She rubbed her forehead thoughtfully. ‘I supposed they are still waiting.’
Elisiah stared in disbelief. ‘That is precisely the issue, your highness.’ He tried not to sound exasperated, but he did anyway.
She looked back at him. The amusement was back on her face. ‘They seem rather patient…,’ she said, ‘… I’m impressed, general, you taught your man patience.’ She clapped her hands together.
- Writer
