Chapter 161:
A Hoot and a Holler
Days passed quickly in the palace, and Clarence found his time by Silas’s side grew less and less, to the point that he could only see his darling at night, long after Silas had already fallen asleep. Eva kept the two of them, particularly Clarence, as busy as she could, taking him to and fro like a puppet. His time was often spent with those around Eva, many of them asking particular political questions about the previous rule as they took ardent notes, keeping Clarence on edge as they scribbled away at their parchment with robotic movements.
Many of the note takers were high-ranking rebels, and while they held much distaste for Clarence and the royal family, Clarence had come to some solutions with them, surprising both parties with how well their developed policies could work if properly implemented.
“This will be how we will address the issue of elven hatred in the kingdom. Do you object to this plan?”
“No.” Clarence stated, looking over the neat notes of his own, his mind fixed on the topic at hand with a strange dedication, surprising those present to assist with rebuilding the kingdom’s new laws. “But I will do everything in my power to make sure it is implemented properly.”
“Good. This is the plan for introducing elves with citizenship tokens in the following areas-” More notes were taken, and the fake smile on the prince’s face only
Yet another day had passed, and Clarence had prepared himself to be led by the guards, hoping to see Silas in the war room before dinnertime, but before he could, another order was sent from Eva for him to have an outfit tailored for the royal family’s first ceremony since Clarence’s coronation, which was approaching surprisingly quickly in Clarence’s mind. Reluctantly, his guards dragged him away, forcing him into yet another uncomfortable situation.
“Stand straight, your highness.” The tailor repeated again, wishing he could poke the prince with the fabric pins in his hand as he stared towards Clarence, his patience fading as the day grew on.
Hearing the tailor’s impatience, Clarence cooperated. “Alright.” He responded, adjusting his posture as he held back a sigh, thinking of Silas as he stood with a fitted formal coat on his arms. The embellished, golden-fringed epaulettes rested on his broad shoulders, complimenting the deep navy jacket with matching gold thread.The pants, having already been hemmed, made his long legs look even longer, heightening the tall prince further.
I wonder what Silas will think when he sees me dressed like this. A broad smile threatened to spill over Clarence’s face, but he coughed lightly, adjusting his facial expression as he stared forward, using his mana to sense where Silas was within the palace. Following the mana trail, Clarence found Silas walking outside the palace, his expression firm as he made his way towards the group of trainee soldiers Eva had mentioned in their previous meeting.
He went outside with the soldiers. Sensing Silas’s presence outside the palace, Clarence’s eyes moved towards the window and were fixed outside, his head still positioned forward as the tailor swiveled around his figure. Fortunately, standing on the platform near the window, he had a clear view of the training field and of his dear elf, wearing a fitted green training uniform. Even the way Silas’s hair was half tied up behind his head was irresistibly cute, so much so that Clarence moved his head slightly for a better view outside.
“Please lift your head, your highness.” The tailor asked, attempting to fix a button on the prince’s neck. He quietly obliged, his eyes narrowing as he looked down at the training yard, his patience thinning.
The more Clarence watched the soldiers outside, the more he found it harder and harder to contain his temper, keeping as still as possible as the tailor finished his final adjustments.. Those damn soldiers. Who do they think they’re mocking? Catching sight of Silas outside on the battlefield, fighting a grizzly-sized soldier, he felt the fists at his sides tighten, his eyes glowing with a dark light as he stared down the window, nearly piercing the glass with his eyes.
“Stop.” Clarence commanded, raising his hand to stop the tailor from fiddling with the button on his neck. Glaring at the man fighting Silas, Clarence stepped down from the platform the tailor had placed, causing the tailor to step back in alarm. His mouth was left gaping open as Clarence turned on his heel and began to run out of the room and down the hall without a word.
“Your highness!?” The tailor yelled aloud, nearly wailing. "Stop him!"
“Stop, damn it!” One of the soldiers yelled, the tailor’s face growing pale as he watched the prince dash away like a rabbit.
The tailor found himself nearly in tears, his frustration at the point of bubbling over as he yelled, “If you don’t catch him, I will! Hurry! Don’t let him tear that garment!”
The knights began to chase Clarence, but to their surprise, the prince only sprinted faster the longer he looked out the window, his head cocked to the side with an unreadable expression on his face. They could only watch helplessly as Clarence vaulted over the decorative handrail of the stairs, landing heavy on the first floor without breaking a sweat as he continued to run.
“He’s like a rat… he just keeps running!” The first knight said, stopping as he stood, his eyes wide with distress.
“Come on! We have to follow him!” The second knight responded, dragging the man by the arm to get him to move.
Running through a side door on the first floor, Clarence adjusted the heavy tailored coat on his shoulders, the gold chains dancing like gems as he strode, his expression fixed forward where he saw Silas through the window. Watching the group of men cajole Silas, hooting and hollering like a batch of farmyard animals made him seethe, nearly causing him to launch himself out the window then and there if he could have safely done so.
Just wait, Silas. Clarence thought, his eyes glowing as mana danced around his figure, a faint light swirling around his clenched fists. I’ll make sure they’ll never be able to insult you again.
…
“Here they are.” Silas muttered to himself, attempting to muster up any enthusiasm he could to face the difficult task Eva had presented him.
After completing the military arrangements with Eva for the newly reconstructed Yursear Kingdom, Silas was sent to help one of the groups of newly residing rebel soldiers in the palace with training. Unknown to the group of soldiers, Silas trained knights as a captain in the Faelfier Kingdom, but Silas, knowing the men would not listen to him regardless of his past credentials, entered the training group with a heavy mind, wearing a simple training uniform.
I had enough time to read over the training manual cover to cover twice. Let’s hope they’ll cooperate enough to let me implement it. Silas thought to himself, watching as some of the men’s expressions changed, expressing a variety of unsavory emotions. If they even listen to me.
“There’s that bastard.” One of the men muttered aloud, barely loud enough for Silas to hear him. The group was large, nearly fifty men strong. They were a mix of humans and elves, young and old, and a variety of faces that showed one thing, that they were all from a mixture of kingdoms, unlike his own squad of knights.
“My name is Silas, and I’m one of Eva’s knights.” He began, identifying himself with the title Eva gave him without much thought. “I’m here to train you. If you have any problems with that, you can leave now.” Silas responded dryly, walking towards the men with a stern frown. He could feel the eyes of Eva’s own soldiers staring at him, testing him, curious if he could earn the new soldiers’ respect. “There’s not much time before the last war efforts are completed. We need to start training now. Any objections?”
It was not the first time Silas had dealt with unwilling soldiers, but this part of the group, having heard the rumors of Silas’s favor towards Clarence, brought some trepidation and hatred towards him. Fortunately, the rumors were only scratching the surface of their relationship, allowing some things to be kept private.
Among the scattered aggressive comments, one figure’s voice cut through the rest. “I refuse to be trained by a human’s pet!” The large human soldier stepped forward, using his height to attempt to tower over Silas, who had to crane his neck to look at him. “What can a little man like you do? Bow your head to the royal family?”
Some of the soldiers laughed, but Silas was undeterred by their poor behavior. The elves present, while unhappy with Silas’s assistance towards Clarence, had far more weight in the game, knowing the actions of Eva and the rest of the group would be acting in their best interest.
“How about a demonstration before we start, then?” Raising a brow, Silas let out a small laugh, stepping back away from the man as he grabbed a wooden sword from the barrel behind him. With a fwip of his arm, he threw the weighted wood sword into the large man’s hands, the sword looking like a toy in his large grip. “Let’s start with you. Follow me.”
Taking control of the situation, Silas walked towards the center of the training field, where the soldiers began to gather, some curious, while others were anticipating someone losing in a horrifically embarrassing fashion. The large knight, having already insulted Silas, wasted no time following him to the middle of the field, lazily holding his sword in one hand, like a toy.
The large man stood, waving his sword low, smiling aggressively towards Silas. “When do we start?”
Silas adjusted his posture, his eyes narrowing as he held his sword, “Anytime you’re ready-”
Before Silas could finish speaking, the arrogant soldier took a swing towards him, the wind whistling as the wooden sword was swung horizontally, nearly passing through Silas as he quickly stepped back, his feet skidding against the dry dirt, a smile lingering on his own face, as if he had anticipated the man to attack early.
The man was impatient, but Silas allowed him to swing his sword, analyzing his movements with careful eyes as he ducked and dodged with ease, his figure slipping around the wooden sword like a snake, causing the man to grow more impatient with his heavy movements. His swings centered around his arm strength, lacking the power of his hips to propel the sword forward with momentum.
He’s trained, but his movements are too heavy to be effective at this distance. He analyzed, throwing back one of the heavy movements with his sword. “Are your legs only for decoration?” He mocked.
“What did you say?” The man growled, attempting to regain his footing as Silas pushed him back.
Swinging his sword, Silas wasted no time pushing the man back again and again, causing the new soldier’s heavy feet to slide into the ground further and further, barely maintaining his defensive position as he gritted his teeth, looking for any open on the small elven man unsuccessfully. The hits Silas laid into him were not hard, but they were strong enough to bruise his skin, leaving dirt and other marks on his clothes, making it difficult for him to move to dodge.
It’s about time I ended this. Silas thought, raising his sword with finality as he looked at the overconfident man with a smile of his own.
Smack. Using the flat edge of the wood sword, Silas smacked into the large man’s ankle, targeting his right leg, which the man had tried to use to brace his body. Struck with the pain of the hit, the strength in the aggressive man’s leg faltered, and when he tried to restabilize, Silas smacked his other leg without mercy, knocking the man down flat on his rear with a resounding thud.
The previously loud cheers and hollers, rooting the large man on, fell quiet, and Silas stared down at the man with a dark gleam in his green eyes, his expression dark. The sword in Silas’s hand, imbued with a fierceness that leaked from the outpouring mana. The mana, slicing through the wind, sliced a thin line into the man’s forehead before Silas could withdraw his sword intent.
Staring down at the man, his sword by his side, he smiled, looking down with a hint of cockiness in a mocking fashion towards the previously-confident soldier. “Want to continue?”
“No.” The man, panting, wiped the line of blood off of his forehead, gritting his teeth in embarrassment as he weakly said, “You won.”
The sound of clapping and heavy footsteps entered the training area, sounding of more than just a small group of soldiers. As the footsteps grew closer, a voice shouted out in the distance. “Nice job, Silas.” Staring up from the ground, withdrawing his wooden sword from the ground next to the young soldier's head, the man’s face flushed red with defeat and frustration. Looking forward, Silas froze, his eyes falling on the friend he had not seen in what felt like a year.
“By the gods, is that you, Adora?” Silas found himself asking, staring forward with an open mouth, surprised to see her after so long. Without her large armor, she seemed small, her figure nearly two-thirds as large as Silas, and nearly half as thin. But, now standing by Silas, she smiled, raising her arms as she wrapped him in a brief, warm hug, patting his back with familiarity. “It’s good to see you.”
“Wait until you see the rest.” Adora added, looking over her shoulder with a smile. Not far behind Adora was a group of knights, their expressions full of exhaustion and joy as they entered the field, laying eyes on Silas in the center of it all.
“Captain Silas!” Another Faelfierian soldier shouted, their smile growing as they laid eyes on their past captain. Those unwilling rebels, having already stirred up a larger fuss than expected, found themselves embarrassed as the large legion of trained knights surrounded Silas, shouting at him with smiling, happy faces as they called him captain. Silas felt his body moving back and forth from the force of the pats on his back and tugs on his arms for handshakes.
In the distance, a figure stood, hidden under the shadow of a large tree near the back of the palace. He stood, catching his breath to maintain his image before he rushed over to Silas. Fortunately, the knights had not yet found him yet, and it gave him enough time to adjust his formal uniform, tucking the unfinished button under the collar, as he made his way to Silas, his eyes narrowed, fixed on Silas as the mana in the air danced, bringing with it a cool sensation to the air.
“Oh great.” Adora muttered to herself, barely audible as she patted Silas’s shoulder, directing him to look to the left, still surrounded by his loyal soldiers. He just can't leave Silas alone, can he? What a persistent little stalker he is.
They’re so damn persistent. Get away from him. Approaching the group with large strides was Clarence. His expression was somewhat displeased at the sight of Silas hugging and celebrating with so many of the strange soldiers. Sighting Adora not far in the distance, his thoughts could only fall more as his irritable nature was unable to be hidden with his dear Silas surrounded by so many people. So many people that were not him.
The soldiers around Silas felt a chill in the air, so much so that many of them rubbed their arms, the cold causing a violent shiver to trail down their spines. Even Adora, standing by Silas, felt the remnants of the chill. She could only look forward towards the prince, her eyebrow twitching with irritation at his childish attitude.
How dare they touch him like that. Clarence found his exhaustion shifting to anger at the group of rowdy Faelfierian soldiers surrounding Silas. He was tempted to stride up to the group, pushing them away with his own two bare hands as he held Silas to himself, but he found himself frozen, staring at the sweet smile on Silas’s face. Is he really that happy to see those brutish soldiers? After the bear harassed him and lost so miserably? He grumbled to himself, resuming his long, quick strides, until he was standing only a few yards apart from the groups of soldiers, his expression icy. I’ll deal with him later. For now, let’s check on Silas.
The mana in the air, surrounding Silas, had its now unique scent. The making Clarence’s heart skip a beat. His fingers were itching, staring at Silas’s flushed face and his open collar, where beads of sweat trailed down his cheeks to his collarbone like drips of melting water. His eyes, bent like crescents, were distracting enough to hold his attention for a moment before he spoke, his tone even, as if he had not run all the way to Silas’s side.
“Silas, you’re needed inside the palace. Eva’s summoned us.” Clarence broke the awkward silents, hiding his embarrassment as he coughed lightly into his hand.
“When did you get here?” Silas asked, staring at the well-dressed prince with a frown.
Clarence smiled, appreciating Silas’s gaze on his well-dressed figure. “Just now. Eva said it was urgent, after all.”
“Of course she did.” Adora, eyeballing the prince with heavy distaste, stared towards Silas as she said, “Good job whipping these pansies into shape. Your men will take over for now.” She stared towards Clarence, sensing the disorder in his mana as she added, “You two go first. I’ll be following up with you shortly. Eva and I have something else to discuss. Don’t dawdle.”
Without another word, Adora turned her back on the pair and clapped her hands, bringing the Faelfier soldiers to attention as she barked out another order, allowing them to rest on the field as preparations were made for their formal rest. There was a resounding ring of cheers as the new soldiers stared at the group, unsure what to think.
“The rest of you, let’s get to know each other for a moment, shall we?” Cracking her knuckles, the petite Adora looked nothing like a threat, but the men from the Faelfier Kingdom could only shiver as some of the new soldiers stared at her like a child, sneering again at the woman they feared most in the Faelfierian army. “I’m short on time, so let’s get right into things-”
Walking away from the field, Silas and Clarence kept their backs turned, hearing the screams and crying of the new soldiers as they continued towards the palace.
Towards the side of the field, there was a small wooded area towards the side door to the palace. The door was not often used, and knowing he could be assured some privacy, Clarence altered his steps to allow them more time to walk together, hoping to sneak a kiss or two before they would have to face Eva again, and before the tailor would take his head entirely.
Even for a moment, I want to monopolize him. The prince thought, gently leading Silas forward, It’s okay if he doesn’t want to be affectionate now. I won’t force him. He paused, admiring Silas’s smiling face. But I hope he’ll spoil me just this once.
…
“Nearly everything’s complete.” Eva said with a trace of joy, her fatigue lingering, dampening some of her joy as she said, “I cannot believe so much has happened in such little time.”
“I agree.” Maeir responded, sipping at a glass of freshly-poured tea in the war room, setting down the papers she had just been reading. “Soon, I’ll be able to see my other children. We’ll go back home. At least, the decision will be up to Silas whether he wants to stay or go.”
Still graced with the missing presence of Silas and Clarence, there was a permeating silence in the room, empty without the usual servants fluttering around. Sitting in the meeting room with Maeir, Eva could only rub her brow, letting out an impatient sigh as she said, “I never thought bringing the two of them together would turn imprisonment into a honeymoon. At least Silas being here is keeping him in line.” Eva’s dark circles made her face appear older than before, but her beauty was unhidden, even without her usual makeup.
Maeir let out a light laugh, “From nearly killing each other to sharing a bed… I’ve never quite understood it myself. But, seeing Silas happy is enough for me.”
“Once everything is over, I’m not sure if Silas will stay here with Clarence or not.” Eva admitted, tapping her finger on the desk. “Clarence must stay here.”
Maeir leaned forward, her arms crossed across her chest, “Once this war and the kingdom is settled, Eva, what will happen to the rest of us?” Her expression was direct, holding some trepidation behind her heavy gaze as she added, “Are you really just planning to leave Clarence be… after he plays his role?”
Staring up, rubbing the corner of her tired eyes, Eva replied thoughtfully, “I’ve grown to hate many people in this war, particularly those who aided the royal family. But, the more I work with Clarence-” She paused, shaking her head lightly, “I realize he’s a stupid child, having never been taught better. But, by the grace of your son, he’s attempting to redeem himself in any way he can, and if he succeeds, I have no reason to kill him.”
“But you did consider killing him if he didn’t cooperate. What made you change your mind in such a short time, Eva?” Maeir directed her question towards Eva.
“I lost my own happiness due to this damn war. I can’t take their happiness away from them and live proudly-” Eva said with finality as the door was gently pushed open without the courtesy of a knock, and Silas entered the room, his face full of sweat as he smiled, a military uniform on his figure, looking as if he had not just heard Eva’s words.
“We received your message, Eva.” Silas wiped a line of sweat off of his brow, his face more red than usual, “Clarence is finishing with the tailor. He should be here soon.”
The short figure of a long-unseen elf came into view not long after their arrival. Her usual heavy armor was replaced with a military uniform matching Silas’s, her face equally fatigued as Silas’s as she said, “It’s good to be back with you all. I have news for you.”
“First, close the door. Then, we’ll discuss what’s happened.”
The two elves closed the door, securing the room before they joined the two women at the table and began their discussion regarding the war efforts with Adora and her troops. “My soldiers have arrived and are working with the new trainees as we speak.”
“Wonderful news, Adora.” Eva smiled, “And those difficult nobles?”
“They’ve been sufficiently persuaded. We went through the entire list. Only a few noble houses refused to cooperate, and they’ve been dealt with.” Adora nodded, smiling lightly with a trace of sarcasm. “It’s ironic that they troubled the elves so much, and then they were finally faced with an army of them. Only a few of the noble families left the kingdom before we could track them down. The rest of them have already fallen in place.”
There was a lightness to the room, the joy of seeing everything that had been planned for nearly a decade falling into place like a perfect puzzle piece, gradually displaying the image of what they were trying to form. No longer did the idea of the kingdom they desired fall on their minds alone. Slowly, it was coming to shape in real life too.
All that was left now was for Clarence to play his role.
…
I'm back :) After what I think was three weeks? Sorry, again. Lots of work things happened, including a building peeper (caught him on camera), a randomly disappearing student, and other fun joys. I also translated a full game and got out 4 videos on my YouTube in the past 10 days due to stress. I got this chapter done over the course of those three weeks I was gone too. Next update will include the part with our two leads in the forest too, as I didn't have time to squeeze it in this week >y<
I'm hoping to get my schedule back on track, but as far as my missing windows, I've just been radio silent, so apologies for anyone that's missed any updates :( I'm attempting to prioritize my health and work, but it's not great. Though, I may have good news regarding day work hopefully soon! My past interview I was excited for was not what was listed, so I turned it down ;-; It didn't pass my vibe check (or pay lol) in the least :l
Anyway, I can't even say see y'all next week because I severely doubt myself now (hehe), so, see y'all as soon as I can get back to this ;D Thank you
*Note, I wanted to add how happy I was to get Adora back in~~ I think of all our cast often ;; but I missed Adora the most, though!
