Cursed Beauty by M. Lynn

Author:M. Lynn [Lynn, M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-07-18T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Two

Ric

Ric marched through the palace courtyard, aware of his two guards tailing him. They hadn’t been happy when he ditched them to leave the palace. Usually, even as the prince, Ric didn’t need a constant guard presence in his own home. If his father had known about the abuse he took from the other palace children when he was younger, that would have been different. They made a sport of testing their magic on him. He remembered certain instances so clearly. One of the boys lifted him into the air with a flick of his finger and tossed him onto one of the high parapets. An older girl used her magic to move stones to help him down.

But now he was no longer the boy prince, instead taking on a role in the running of the kingdom, and they chose to ignore him instead.

He didn’t mind. It suited him to go through his studies alone. Instead of practicing with kids his age, he learned swordplay from the army units stationed at the palace. They treated him as one of their own despite his lack of offensive magic.

He shook his head in annoyance but ignored his guards. His father sometimes regaled him with stories of being guarded by his two best friends. Ric didn’t have friends. He had… Travis.

Travis ran toward him and skidded to a halt at his side. “What did the king say?”

He’d been home for over a week, but hadn’t yet seen Travis. Ric’s father said Chandler was not as forgiving as the king, and Travis had been restricted to his own home all week.

Ric shrugged. “He was glad to have me home. It helps that I’ve attended all his meetings this week like he’s always trying to get me to do.”

Travis shook his head in disbelief. “I wish my father was like yours.”

Ric laughed at that. “There is no one quite like Phillip Basile.”

“You’ve got that right.”

Travis had always worshipped Ric’s father as some kind of hero. He didn’t see the cracks behind the king’s façade of strength.

“Where are you going?” Travis asked.

“My rooms. I’m bushed.”

“Aww come on. I was thinking we could spar.”

Ric wanted to remind Travis that every time he tried to fight the prince, he ended up flat on his ass. He refused to use his magic against Ric, claiming it wouldn’t be fair. He had the ability to speed up his movements. It was a huge benefit to a scrawny kid like him.

“Another time.” Ric kept walking. He’d felt his magic draining him all morning, the first time since he’d entered his mother’s dreams. He hoped he’d get to see her again when he closed his eyes.

Travis finally got the hint and let Ric enter the palace without further impediment. He lumbered toward his room, shadows playing at the edge of his vision as the dreams crept in. He stumbled, slamming his shoulder into the doorframe and he rushed into his room and dropped his sword to the floor. Sunlight lit the room, but he barely noticed.

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