The Broken Prince's Love

Showing Lucille around was always fun. Her reactions were similar to the ones everyone else exhibited upon seeing the lavish palace for the first time, and yet, it was extremely entertaining to see her face contorting in awe when she looked around.

Cedar was almost proud to live in this palace when he watched that. He had never thought about his home in a positive manner, but when Lucille adored every corner of the building, it was hard to be indifferent.

Since the palace and the garden were huge and he refused to make her move around for too long, they often took their time inspecting small portions of the property and would have enough chances to see new places every day. Lucille's reactions were always cute, so he never regretted showing her something.

But today, Cedar might actually be annoyed with himself. He had just intended to walk past the training square of the royal guards without arousing attention. But in an instant, everyone's eyes had landed on him. He had just planned on leading Lucille away from the knights, but then he saw Theodore.

Cedar had to admit that his first thoughts hadn't been very kind. He had always been the fighter while his brother had hated training. Why was Theodore here and instructed the knights now? Cedar felt a pang of anger and disappointment in his stomach. Sword-fighting was the only thing he had always been better at, and now his brother was trying to take that over too? It would be best if Cedar could just ignore that and go away, but he was rather sure that this would only cause even more rumors to spread. Not greeting the emperor when you saw him was pretty insolent, and the prince had to show that he respected the other man, or he would quickly be seen as the public enemy.

So, Cedar gave in when his eyes locked with Theodore's and leaned over to Lucille. “We will have to go greet him for a moment. Please ignore all the impudent things those guards might say. Most of them are young men with too much adrenaline, so don't worry too much if they act aggressively. They aren't angry at you but at me.”

Lucille turned to him with obvious concern on her face. “That isn't any better. Why would they be aggressive when you come? I get that they might be a bit confused, but His Majesty allowed you to stay here. Shouldn't they show you some respect?”

Cedar shrugged at that. “I don't care much. Some of them may be a bit annoying, but in general, I can just ignore them. Let's go over, say hello and quickly leave before any of them begin a fight.” He just hoped that no one here was stupid enough to provoke him in front of Theodore. Still, walking toward a group of people that was furious at him wasn't pleasant.

Those knights would better hold back with their foul language in front of Lucille

The prince led Lucille toward the sandy square while trying to hide his reluctance with a polite smile. When he reached his brother, who had stopped his training to greet them, he bowed.

Lucille next to him wanted to curtsy, which quickly made him tap against her hand. She couldn't overdo it yet, so bowing down her upper body in any way wasn't a good idea.

Theodore seemed to understand that too and quickly spoke up. “Please rise and don't try something like that when you are hurt.” He waited for Cedar to lift his head and then added something while looking directly into the other's eyes. “That same holds true for you.” What was that supposed to mean?

Cedar could barely keep himself from showing his irritation. “Good day, Theodore. I am not aware of what you could be talking about. Lady Valerian is injured, but I am perfectly healthy. After all, my injury had two months to heal by now. The doctor said that it was fine.”

Theodore replied without skipping a beat. “The doctor also said that you had the biggest wound he had ever seen and that he wondered why your organs hadn't fallen out. He also noted that you seem to have delayed its healing by moving around too much in your injured state. You don't possibly remember what you did to over-exhaust yourself like that?” He almost sounded accusatory when he said that.

Cedar considered rolling his eyes but just continued to smile. Why did Theodore see the need to tell him that? The prince knew very well that he might have moved around way too early again. But the threads had kept everything in place, so there wasn't a need to complain. It wasn't like he was dying.

But Lucille almost seemed to see it that way. She glared up at him and even forgot to greet the emperor in favor of scolding him. “I told you that it was dangerous to begin training that early again. I told you, and yet, you didn't listen. If that injury doesn't-”

The prince cut her off there as he gave her a bright smile. “Everything's fine. I don't see the issue. It healed, so I did everything right. You are in a much worse state because of your own reckless actions. Focus on recovering before worrying about a person that can move without pain by now.” He had to admit that Lucille's anger was almost adorable, but his brother quickly ruined his mood again.

Theodore acted like he was sincere while speaking to the other man, which was almost an insult in itself. “I'm not in a position to criticize you in that regard, but you should remember that you can collapse too if you overdo it. From now on, you might be in a more dangerous situation, so you have to take care of yourself.” When he said this, it surely didn't seem like he was being honest.

Cedar didn't even know what to say about that aside from pointing out that Theodore definitely shouldn't worry about him. But he didn't voice that thought either and just changed the topic. “It's surprising to see you train. You never used to like practice, did you? What changed?”

The emperor looked at him for a moment. He had probably realized that Cedar was a bit too bitter about him picking up the other's special ability. He could have mocked his brother for that, but he replied calmly anyway. “It became necessary. I needed to protect those I love, so I had to become stronger. I have to admit that my circumstances were a bit...difficult, so I have an unfair advantage in comparison to most knights here.”

Cedar had no idea what he was supposed to do with that vague answer. So, he just looked around and scanned the men around them. None of the knights bothered to hide their dismay upon seeing him.

Especially not one of them. That was the stupid guard, whom Cedar had threatened just two weeks ago, the one from the library.

The prince prayed that this idiot wouldn't cause trouble and just looked at his brother again. “I see. Then we do not wish to disturb you much longer. We cannot keep you from training, so it would be better for us to take our leave.” This was his attempt at running away before one of the aggressive people behind the emperor decided to cause trouble. But he had been a bit too slow.

Theodore didn't have a chance to reply before the guard from the library chimed in.

The knight took a step toward the prince and spoke up in a voice that was dripping with mockery. “Are you really going to leave just like that? It's common knowledge that His Royal Highness has always been a protégé when it comes to sword-fighting. Do you not wish to give us an example of your abilities? We would do well with any new tricks we can learn by watching skillful fighters.”

Cedar glanced to the side once and immediately turned his attention back to the emperor. “Do all of your guards like being this insolent? The last time I checked, interrupting another's conversation was impolite. Especially if the concerned people are the emperor of Artias and another member of the royal family.”

The guard didn't seem to be very intimidated by that. He continued to be as brazen as before and spoke up, seemingly without caring for Theodore's presence. “Are you sure that you really don't want to prove your abilities? The knights are all very curious. And it just happens to be that His Majesty is the best fighter of all of us. No one except for Sir Maillont has been able to spar with him without losing after just five minutes. How about a duel to confirm who is better?”

Owen Maillont had been the emperor's personal guard for years, and he also happened to be the leader of the royal guards. Owen was one of the strongest warriors within Artias. If the guards truly compared Theodore to him, the emperor had to have become quite good.

The man in question, Owen, stood a few steps next to them and watched the conversation with caution as his tense posture revealed. His expression remained unreadable as always, but he didn't seem to refute the other's comment, so he had truly dueled the emperor.

Cedar's smile widened a bit. This situation was certainly unpleasant, especially since everyone's eyes were on him. The royal guards wanted him to lose so that they could use this to make fun of him. But that meant that they were confident that Theodore would win. Since when had Cedar's damned brother been training? He got angrier with each passing second. “Theodore, you truly managed to improve yourself quite a bit if those people here believe that you are as good as Sir Maillont. I have to say that I'm intrigued. How long has it been since you started training?”

Theodore didn't like that topic, but he replied. “Officially, that was a little over a year ago. Unofficially, you could say that I spent at least three years training. While I am quite skilled, I would say that it's nothing special since I just learned because it had been a necessity. There is no real reason to see me fight. Also, I doubt that dueling now is good for you. You are still hurt.” Was he trying to prevent Cedar from getting injured now? When Theodore showed concern, it was insulting.

The prince responded without skipping a beat. “I'm not injured anymore. All of that healed. As I said, I was wounded over two months ago. The only issue is that I'm currently escorting a wounded lady and that I will not make her wait here for something so useless.” He glanced at the woman next to him.

Lucille looked like she was more than uncomfortable with the situation. She stood a bit closer to him before and gave him a look that revealed that she was worried. But she didn't dare to utter even a single word.

Cedar had to admit that he was happy that she was here. If it wasn't for her, he would have already insisted on a duel after seeing his brother with a sword. He had been raised to challenge Theodore at every opportunity, so it was more than difficult to refuse an offer for a duel. Using Lucille as a reason to leave was the only thing that kept him from asking for a sword immediately.

But it seemed like the dumb guard wouldn't give up. By now, he was grinning again and spoke up in a smug tone. “Oh, but the lady won't have to wait long at all. She surely won't mind standing at the side and watching for a short time. Since His Majesty is such a skilled fighter, I can promise you that the duel will only take a minute anyway.” It seemed like he was well aware of the rivalry between the brothers.

Cedar hated to admit that comments like this still annoyed him. Just because Theodore was perfect at everything, it didn't mean that the prince was useless. When it came to sword fighting, Cedar was more experienced than everyone here, except for maybe two or three people. But he obviously wouldn't speak up by praising his own skills. He would rather make fun of the other man. He turned to the guard and replied with a bright smile. “Of course, I don't doubt that my brother is exemplary. But I have to admit that I'm a bit unsure whether you are able to judge. I mean, you allowed a single wanted criminal to disarm you, even though you had a colleague with you. I'm a bit worried about the state of the royal knights if a person like you is here. You don't seem to be prepared to fight in a real battle.” He had been much more direct than he had intended to be, but it was too late now.

The guard's irritation showed for a little moment before he glanced at Lucille. Then he continued with a smirk again. “Says the person that just wished to refuse a duel because of a woman. Has she perhaps wrapped you around her finger?”

Was Cedar supposed to feel offended because of this? He didn't though. Especially not since he knew that this sort of comment wasn't too far off from reality. He didn't even need to admit that when he responded. “Would that be such a shock when my brother and I are related by blood? I don't think he would let Her Majesty wait for a duel either. But who am I to tell you that? You do not even know what a duel is. After all, one is usually decided between the people who wish to fight and not by some random bystander.”

The guard seemed to be prepared to give some petty answer, but Theodore chimed in as he narrowed his eyes at the knight. “Pull yourself together. I know that you're usually energized while training, but this is no excuse if you keep on disrespecting a member of the royal family.” With that, he silenced the other man and turned back to Cedar. “Do you two know each other, or have I gotten the wrong impression?” Liar. He knew well what had happened. His spy had told him that, which was what made his comment even more unnecessary. Was he defending his brother now? That was pathetic. Since when did the emperor care about his powerless, weak, little brother?

Cedar shrugged. “That man might have prevented me from entering the library a while ago. But it wasn't a big deal. The situation was resolved quickly. I'm surprised that he didn't run to you to tell on me though.” He waited for a moment and met his brother's skeptical gaze. “I didn't hurt that guard, so don't look at me like that.”

Theodore let out a low sigh. “I did not mean to say that you had done that. I would have noticed. But you should tell me if problems like this arise. Right now, you are residing here with my permission, which means that the staff members will have to listen to you.” He glanced at the knights as if he wanted to underline his words.

Cedar could see how upset the men were when they heard that. No one here liked him, and they probably didn't understand why the emperor would support his traitorous brother. He almost expected someone to speak up loudly to complain, but nothing like that happened. The guards only got more angry when he glanced at them with a smile. It was too tempting.

Cedar hadn't meant to be too provoking with his response, but after hearing how his perfect brother defended him, he couldn't hold back. “Don't scold them too much. Isn't it normal for them to distrust me? If you remember what happened five months ago, you should be more worried too. It's understandable that those people would even disregard your words if they met someone like me. That would usually be a bit worrying since they should listen to you no matter what. But in this case, you know that their motive is to clear the palace of any danger. You should remind them to treat other guests with more courtesy though. I think that was all I needed to say. It was nice to talk to you. I will take my leave now if you give me permission.”

Theodore opened his mouth, most likely to agree, but he didn't manage to speak.

Before he replied, another guard said something to the person next to him. “So, even he understands that His Majesty is much better than he is.” Most of the other guards voiced something similar to that and kept their eyes on Cedar as if they expected him to do something about it. These men truly had some guts.

The prince felt anger rising inside him. He had always been told that he needed to be better than Theodore. Giving up on such a challenge was infuriating. He almost couldn't believe that he would leave without doing anything now. But he didn't say anything and just put on a little smirk as he prepared to turn around to Lucille, who had backed away a little.

He had barely taken a step when he already saw a small motion from the corner of his eyes. He didn't need to look to know what this was.

When a person refused a duel, they often gave up a big part of their pride as well. Usually, the opponents made fun of them by throwing a sheathed sword at them. The sword would fall to the ground and symbolize that the other party had lowered their weapon and admitted defeat. Normally, one would be careful not to harm the other person in the process, even if one wanted to humiliate them.

But whoever had thrown the sword at Cedar had aimed at his head. That knight hadn't quite understood whom he was facing though.

There was probably only one person in the palace that had been conditioned to expect danger at every time of the day. If there was one thing he was used to, it was surprise attacks. Cedar had trained enough to react to even the slightest movement around him.

He caught the sword without even looking to the side.

Cedar heard how the crowd quietened down immediately and only realized that his anger had shown for a moment when some of the guards looked at him in shock. In an instant, he put on a smile again, this time the more intimidating version. “Someone accidentally dropped this. Would the person whom this belongs to like to step forward?”

As expected, no one moved.

The only person who spoke up was Theodore. The atmosphere around him had changed, and he finally seemed like the emperor again as he spoke in a loud voice that underlined his absolute authority. “That's enough. Are you aware that this could be counted as an attack against the royal family? If something like this happens again, I will personally ensure a punishment. Did I make myself clear?”

The awkward silence that followed made it obvious that most people here wouldn't dare to try anything.

Cedar almost laughed at that. He didn't need his brother of all people to defend him. So, he just smirked at the crowd and spoke up. “Oh, there is no need to get so strict. I wasn't offended. I just find it worrying that your knights don't consider what would have happened if that had hit me. It seems like there is a general lack of respect here. I don't care if it's directed at me, but I do worry about how these people will protect the inhabitants of the palace. After all, this could have hit Lady Valerian too. No one seems to have thought about that.” He had tried to sound cheerful, but he had allowed some of his fury to ooze out. The prince scolded himself for letting things like this affect him and quickly turned around to check whether Lucille was fine.

She seemed to be more surprised about the guards throwing a sword at him than he was. She mouthed something, which was probably supposed to ask him whether he was fine.

Cedar just smiled at her and then faced the crowd again. By now, he was frustrated enough to consider a duel. After all, he would need to vent his anger in one way or another. He could just do it now when it was offered to him and find out how much his brother had improved at the same time. He paused for a short moment before speaking up. “If I agree to one duel, will you stop nagging me? If you refrain from causing trouble for me in return, I might as well accept. That means no more petty hoaxes in the future. Is that a good deal? Of course, only if my older brother agrees.” He glanced at Theodore, who seemed hesitant. Hopefully, the emperor wasn't as good as everyone made him out to be, but Cedar doubted that.

Theodore was silent for a few seconds, in which the brothers just stared at each other. Then he gave in. “We can have a quick and short fight if you want to. I was training anyway. Do you want to have five minutes to warm up?”

Cedar responded with a bright smile. “I only need a minute or so. You won't have to wait too long. You're curious how good I am, aren't you? Otherwise, you would never agree to something like this.”

Theodore didn't admit it, but his brother was right. He didn't care much for such challenges and would usually refrain from accepting a duel. Right now, he only wanted to see how Cedar usually moved during a battle, probably to be prepared if they ever fought in the future. Yet, he saw the need to make something clear first. “We won't use our full power. Otherwise, I can guarantee you that both of us will end up being hurt. That is not something we need to evoke.”

The prince looked into his brother's eyes and replied with a faint smile. “Obviously. I won't try to kill you if that's what you are worried about.”

The emperor almost seemed a bit offended by that. “That wasn't what I meant. I know that you won't do something like that. I was merely pointing out that both of us are skilled when it comes to sword-fighting. We would get seriously hurt if we just attacked each other with all we have.”

Cedar replied without looking at him. “I know.” He didn't intend to be thrown out of the palace for treason, so he would have to hold back as much as possible. But even so, he wanted to win.

So, he prepared as if he would face one of his old instructors and put in even more concentration. He had to be good now. If he lost to his brother, he wouldn't be able to smile and hide his emotions. Cedar needed to win here.

After warming up for a bit, Cedar pulled the sword that had been thrown at him out of its sheath before swinging it a few times. This wasn't what he usually trained with, but it would work out. It was of good quality, so balancing it wasn't an issue.

Theodore watched that for a moment before speaking up. “Is the sword fine? You usually use lighter ones, right? Do you want a different weapon?”

It was only natural that Cedar, who focused on speed and quick movements, used the lightest swords they had. But his pride forbade him from asking for another weapon. The choice of his sword shouldn't determine whether he would do well. After all, his instructors had never asked him which weapon he wanted to use either. “I'm fine with this one. I'll need a minute to get used to it, but it should be alright.” This sword wasn't as annoying as the people around them who stared at him while gossiping with each other.

The prince took a little bit longer before he was content with how the sword felt in his hand and then prepared for the duel. He and Theodore went to the middle of the training grounds, where Owen set up some rules.

Aside from the typical ones, they also specified that no body contact should be made. As soon as someone had the sword against the other's body, they would win. Those were rather strict rules, but those were probably supposed to protect the emperor, so it made sense.

Cedar was much more tense than he wanted to admit. Losing here would mean that he had been bested by his brother in every single part of his life. He wasn't sure whether he would be able to accept that after his mother had raised him intending to surpass Theodore. So, he was more focused on preventing an early end of the duel than on anything else.

At least that had been the case until the fight began. As always, his instinct overtook Cedar. It would take a big part of his self-control not to use all his strength to win as fast as possible. But aside from limiting his power and keeping himself from trying any dirty strategies that would be helpful in a real fight, he almost moved automatically. Theodore was extremely good, and that was more than frustrating. But Cedar managed to pull himself together and tried to imagine this as a random fight instead of a duel with his brother, who had always been the best at everything.

To his dismay, that was rather hard. The duel was over after only five minutes when Owen interrupted it by saying that it was enough.

Cedar hadn't lost. That was probably the only thing that kept him sane right now. He and Theodore had been on the same level, with the both of them still holding back to ensure that no one got seriously hurt.

And yet, Cedar could barely keep himself from shaking as the realization sank in. Theodore was so skilled that the difference in ability that had been between them for years had disappeared completely. How had his brother suddenly gotten better so that Cedar's training from almost two decades had lost its meaning? He knew that his brother was a genius, but this was ridiculous.

Especially since Theodore seemed to know more about the other's fighting style than vice versa. Along with the fact that he had suddenly become a master when it came to blocking attacks and finding small flaws in the other's defense, this made it obvious that he was a strong opponent. The emperor had been oddly careful not to get too close the whole time, and yet, he hadn't skipped a chance to attack. Even though he was taller and a bit more muscular than his brother, he was just as fast and avoided Cedar's every move as if he was used to doing that with both eyes closed.

Aside from Theodore's sudden strength, something else was different too. The atmosphere around him was much more grim while he was in the middle of a duel. It was as if he had experienced what it meant to lose a battle like this too, which had never been the case before.

But in the end, no one had ever been in danger. The whole fight had only consisted of the brothers attacking without being able to hit the other person and them evading attacks.

Since they had given their best, both had used up a lot of power and took a while to calm their breathing again after Owen made them stop.

Cedar focused on his heartbeat as he stared at the ground in front of him and desperately tried to keep the thoughts in his head from showing up on his face. Why was his brother suddenly so good? Cedar had always been much better in this one thing. And now they were already on the same level again, even though the prince had trained ten times as much as the other man.

He secretly practiced swings and ran around a bit every day, but it seemed like even that wasn't enough. Cedar would have to train more often again. No more slacking off. He had to double the hours. He would have to duel others more often from now on, and he would have to make sure to become even better than he had been before. There was no way that he could lose to Theodore again.

“Cedar.” The emperor spoke up after a minute or so had passed.

The prince almost balled his hands into fists and reluctantly looked up. “Yes?” He made the mistake of glancing at the people behind the other man as he replied.

Everyone was staring at him as if he had done something truly special. Apparently, it was true that no one here had been able to reach Theodore's level. Now that the person they looked down on had done it, they probably felt odd.

It was just a shame that Cedar didn't feel very happy about being as good as his brother. He had always been much better at sword fighting, and he also wanted to stay better. Knowing that this might change made him boil underneath his barely persisting facade.

Theodore, on the other hand, was rather calm even if there was some undefinable undertone in his voice as he spoke. “I want to ask you something.” The emperor wiped over his mouth and stepped closer as he lowered his voice to continue in a quieter volume. “You don't fight like someone who learned sword-fighting under peaceful conditions. To be honest, you fight as if you had been in battles determining life or death. Who trained you? I remember that you joined the guards sometimes, but there is no way that they taught you that. I know the difference between people who would be composed on the battlefield and ones who would lose in an instant. You shouldn't be this good at your age.”

Cedar was slightly taken aback by that comment. What did his age have to do with his skills? He had trained ever since his childhood, in contrast to some genius who had gotten skillful overnight. Naturally, he would pick up some skills along the way. And what made Theodore think that his brother would like to be complimented by him? But he didn't say any of that and just replied with a wide smile. “I assume that this is a compliment. I'm not quite sure what you were referring to though. I would just say that I've been practicing for almost my whole life.” And his instructors had been quite particular people.

Theodore's expression was serious as he spoke up again. “I know that. But I didn't worry about your skill specifically. You fight as if you were part of a war. I'm saying that no one who trained in the palace and never saw the battlefield should have a fighting style like you do. Where did you learn this?”

Cedar was much too angry to find some excuse. So, he just grinned while trying to hide the wave of dread and fury that threatened to overcome him. “Let's just say that Mother had interesting strategies to make sure that learning to defend myself became the biggest part of my personal interest. Do you remember the staircase incident?” That had happened at least sixteen years ago. It wouldn't be surprising if his brother had forgotten about it.

But Theodore seemed to know what this was about. “You mean when you broke your arm after you fell down the stairs in the foyer?”

The prince nodded with an even wider smile on his face. “Yes. I didn't fall down the staircase. Neither did my arm get broken because I was incapable of stopping my fall properly. I didn't pay attention for one second, so I was reminded that I need to be on edge all the time. That is all I'm going to say.” After that, he had always remembered exactly how painful not reacting to a surprise attack could be. So, he had begun to be more careful when it came to his surroundings. He had messed up many more times, but in the end, he had learned how to pay attention in every situation.

Thus, Theodore's grim expression didn't make much sense.

Cedar was glad to have received training, even though he had to admit that he hadn't liked his mother's methods either. After all, learning had often been painful thanks to her. The prince showed his brother another bright smile before he spoke up. “I assume that this is over then? May I have permission to leave now?” He would have to go to his room and close his eyes to calm down a bit. He didn't want to walk around like this much longer. Not when he was on the brink of utter disappointment. He needed to rest, or he might realize what it truly meant for Theodore to have improved so quickly.

Thankfully, the emperor agreed without annoying his brother much. “You may. I hope that you and Lady Valerian aren't too upset about your walk being interrupted. May the both of you recover soon.”

Cedar didn't bother to explain that he was already fine again. So, he just turned around and fought to keep his smile from getting wide enough to show that he was annoyed as he walked toward Lucille. He was about to become really upset, so it would probably be better to bring her to her room. Cedar immediately spoke when he reached Lucille. “I think it would be best if we return to the doctor's office now.” He tried to sound as innocent as possible, but it seemed like he hadn't succeeded.

Lucille looked at him with wide eyes before quickly nodding. “Of course.” She was probably disappointed about him ending their walk just like this, but he couldn't help it.

The prince would have liked to let her enjoy the garden a bit more, but he didn't trust her being fine on her own. Right now, he just had to get away from here and take Lucille with him, so he would have to make it up to her later. He led her away without looking back and only spoke when they rounded the corner of the building. “I'm sorry you had to see that.” He was truly upset about the fact that she had been forced to stand by the training square for so long for no reason. And he was furious about that one guard throwing something in his direction when it could have hit Lucille too, but he didn't address that.

Lucille gave him a fake smile. “No, it's fine. I was just...worried. That looked like you both were very skilled. Are you hurt, or do you need to rest?”

Cedar shook his head. “I'm fine. I just need a break.” He said that, but at the same time, he couldn't look at her because he knew that his expression would show that he wasn't fine at all. He hated being so dependent on his brother. As soon as Theodore was just the slightest bit better, Cedar got more upset than he should have been. It was infuriating. How could the other's presence bother him so much? He hadn't even lost.

It was just that sword fighting had always been his. And now his brother, who always reigned above anything else, needed to take that away from him too.

Cedar felt pathetic when he realized how angry he was because of this little scene. But he couldn't help it. He would probably need to thank his mother for this wonderful inferiority complex. It seemed like his mood for the next few days would be effectively ruined.

Damn it.