The Prince’s Boy: 49

(Continuing the weekly serial by Cecilia Tan! Need to start at the beginning? Click here.)

49: Kenet
The following day, Roichal was thrown as we were skirting the edges of the camp, along the eastern woodlands. I was riding beside him, the field marshal just ahead, and two regional commander just behind, when something spooked his horse, which reared and then rolled. My own shied and bolted aside and I wondered if there had been a viper in the road, but by the time I turned the mare back toward him, the others were off their horses and helping him up. There was no sign of any snake that I could see. The horse was standing still and shivering, as if in fear, but also nuzzling at him as if in apology. The general spoke soothing words and remounted without much difficulty.

So, I thought, his leg is truly not bothering him. In fact, he had hardly mentioned it at all in several days. Marksin and I exchanged a glance and I wondered if he was thinking of sending the general back to the tent to rest, or to be examined. I shook my head slightly. He wouldn’t take kindly to being babied and Marksin knew so.

We finished that day’s rounds quickly, though, not seeing all the men, but collecting lists of their names from their commanders. The war had been going on for years, but the army had never gathered so many fighting men at once before. I made no pretense of taking the evening meal with the others, and retired to the tent with the lists as quickly as I could.

My heart leapt to see a Jolan, wondering for a moment if that could be him, mispronounced? But no, the man was listed as having two brothers, and hailing from east of Maldevar; it could not be him. I went over the lists twice, then began looking through the older rosters.

I blinked suddenly as if blinded by lightning, as a thought seared me. What if…? Please, no. What if the reason his name did not appear was because he had already been killed?

Read the rest of this entry »

Mirrored from Circlet Press: Welcome to Circlet 2.0.

The Prince’s Boy: 49

(Continuing the weekly serial by Cecilia Tan! Need to start at the beginning? Click here.)

49: Kenet
The following day, Roichal was thrown as we were skirting the edges of the camp, along the eastern woodlands. I was riding beside him, the field marshal just ahead, and two regional commander just behind, when something spooked his horse, which reared and then rolled. My own shied and bolted aside and I wondered if there had been a viper in the road, but by the time I turned the mare back toward him, the others were off their horses and helping him up. There was no sign of any snake that I could see. The horse was standing still and shivering, as if in fear, but also nuzzling at him as if in apology. The general spoke soothing words and remounted without much difficulty.

So, I thought, his leg is truly not bothering him. In fact, he had hardly mentioned it at all in several days. Marksin and I exchanged a glance and I wondered if he was thinking of sending the general back to the tent to rest, or to be examined. I shook my head slightly. He wouldn’t take kindly to being babied and Marksin knew so.

We finished that day’s rounds quickly, though, not seeing all the men, but collecting lists of their names from their commanders. The war had been going on for years, but the army had never gathered so many fighting men at once before. I made no pretense of taking the evening meal with the others, and retired to the tent with the lists as quickly as I could.

My heart leapt to see a Jolan, wondering for a moment if that could be him, mispronounced? But no, the man was listed as having two brothers, and hailing from east of Maldevar; it could not be him. I went over the lists twice, then began looking through the older rosters.

I blinked suddenly as if blinded by lightning, as a thought seared me. What if…? Please, no. What if the reason his name did not appear was because he had already been killed?

Read the rest of this entry »

Mirrored from Circlet Press: Welcome to Circlet 2.0.