The door burst open with an immense racket.
Two rough hands tore him away from a wailing Seb. His body tensed and replied by jerking his elbow into the man's chest. As he hit the armour, a lightning bolt of immense pain shot all the way to his pinky finger.
He howled.
With a sharp pull, Lieutenant Max forced his arms behind his back and wrapped his own broad arm around his throat. He stomped his feet in an unfruitful attempt to escape, which only made the man tighten his grip, yanking Nick's chin up. "Snap out this, Cadet."
Nick scoffed. He and Lieutenant Wallace—who now was crouching next to Seb—wouldn't understand why he had attacked their prince; why Seb needed someone to teach him this lesson.
"My Lord, are you alright?" Lieutenant Wallace supported Seb's back as he clambered up. "Shall I ask for a Healer to be fetched?"
"He tried to kill me." Seb was shaking, sobs erupting from his mouth as he frantically touched his throat.
What a pathetic sight. Seb had to learn to stop crying if he wanted to be taken seriously. His own childhood tears had died together with Abby. Perhaps, that day, his friendship with Seb had died too.
He breathed in and out, and coughed to get rid of the wheezing sound; it didn't do much. "Your uncle has over a hundred horses in the stables-over a hundred potential companions for Alex. You shouldn't have given my Billy away."
"This whole bloody fight is about a frigging horse?" sneered Lieutenant Wallace.
"Yes." Seb sniffed.
Grinding his teeth, Nick bit back his words. Seb wouldn't understand it was about so much more than that: his family, Alex, Fox and Seb blindly nodding to every proposition the King made.
"A bloody horse, Cadet!" Lieutenant Max pulled at his arms, shaking him. "Apologise for your abominable behaviour. Now!"
Nick managed a shallow shrug. "No, I have nothing to say."
"I do!" The pitiful cockerel narrowed his tear-streaked eyes. "Take him to the General. Inform him that his deserting Cadet was strangling me."
Nick lurched forward to unleash Wrath's rage a second time, yet the Lieutenant was quick to catch him again. The man grabbed him by the hair, which hurt like the seven hells. "I shall, but I can't present him to the General with this stink. I've known dead pigs reeking less than he does right now."
"Then get him some water and soap, Max. Ask one of the servants to assist, if you must," Seb snapped. He reached out his hand to Lieutenant Wallace. "Take me to Uncle Tom. I'll wait there."
Both men glanced at each other, then Lieutenant Max squeezed his neck. "Alright, piggy, let's give you a proper bath."
Nick hated getting dragged through the castle like he was a prisoner. On the streets was one thing, but by now the constant exaggeration was becoming quite pointless.
Of course he carried a slight bodily odour with him. Apart from that involuntary dive into the creek and the ungodly amounts of rain, he hadn't seen water all week. The uniform he was wearing was the same he had worn all week.
Honesty, if they had left him be, he would have voluntarily taken a bath. There was no need for all the dramatics. Thanks, Seb.
As they crossed the pale-looking serving girl in the hallway leading to the garden, Lieutenant Max halted her. "Evelyn, I need three buckets of the coldest water available in the cast and a bar of the strongest soap. Bring them to the garden. Urgent orders of Lord Sebastian."
YOU ARE READING
A Blaze in the Dark (A New Dawn #1)
Fantasy[High Fantasy/Dark Fantasy] Sebastian is finally old enough to be a warrior. He has dreamt about joining his friends, Alex and Nick, for as long as he can remember. His best friend, Fox, doesn't like it one bit that he still has to wait nine more mo...
