Hey here is another update😊😊 and as I promised this is a long chapter so enjoy!! Keep commenting and voting. Love lots😍😍

6 days had passed since Bethony's death. King Braith was sitting in his room waiting for the ambassador to come.

"Where the hell is this man? Am I the one to wait?" Braith shouts at the guards. One of them hurriedly ran to see where this ambassador was.

He sees from the breezeway an injured emissary keeping one hand on his broken nose and limping.

"What happened to you sire?" The guard asked with concern.
"Get out of my way!" He screams in the guards face. Poor guard mutes and helps the ambassador to walk into the king's bedchamber.

"What got you so long?" The king asks annoyingly.

"Sorry your majesty" he says curtsying the king.

The king was busy being angry but suddenly his attention was diverted towards ambassador's nose.
"What happened to your nose?" He asks.

The ambassador was happy that the king cared for him.
"Thanks for your concern Maje-"
" I don't care for anybody. So don't live in this fantasy that I" he says pointing to himself "would care for you. That won't happen in your worst nightmare."

The ambassador was dissapointed by the kings words. He masked his sadness and said," The commander of their army Leo did this to me Sire. They were angry over their king's death and after hearing  the letter he punched me in the face" he says touching his nose and feeling the pain "they are not ready to come here for the grand meeting."

"Hmm" the king says.
"Wait, the king's dead?" King Braith asked surprised.
"Yes Sire. Don't you know. It was one of the courteirs who did this."

The king was furious. He was clenching and unclenching his teeth in a rythm.

"Ok you can go now." The king says with his fists tight and knuckles going white.

"Guards! Bring Mark here right NOW!!"  The king  yells at the guards.

Moments later Mark was standing in the king's bedroom confused about why was he called on such an urgent notice.

"What happened king? Why did you call-" Mark was cut short with a stinging slap on his right cheek.

He was shocked. The king never was so furious on Mark to slap him.

He rubbed his cheek trying to cool the heat that suddenly appeared and wiped off the blood coming from his mouth.

"What was that for?" He asks flabbergasted.

"The king of Haiti is killed?" The king asks gritting his teeth.

Mark now realises what was that slap for. "Oh, sorry your majesty. It was me who did this. It was necessary. I got to know from some of my loyal servants that the king was planning an attack on you. So when he was on the way to meet his neighbouring king I killed him."

"HOW DARE YOU DO THAT!" the king screams holding Mark by his collar, "and that too without consulting me?"
"Do you want to replace me, Mark?"

"I will die a thousand deaths before thinking of a sin like that." Mark says proudly.

Braith calmed a little by hearing Mark's words.
Mark was one of the most loyal men in Braith's kingdom. Braith never questioned Mark's loyalty. He knew that Mark would even die for him.

Braith held a special position for Mark in his heart. Mark knew about that and he was proud of it.
Hearing Mark's words Braith goes back to the time when he first met Mark....

8 years ago....

Hunting was prince Braith's  favorite hobby. He went for hunting when his heart called for it.
As a royal person the prince was obliged to take guards with him but he was prince Braith. The person not made to follow orders but to give them.

"You should take the guards with you prince." The old man who was known as the royal advisor of the king tells prince Braith who was ready on his horse.

"No I won't take them. Do you think I am a coward?"
"No prince. But this is my duty to protect you. The king is ill and enemies are looking for some golden opportunity to end the king's reign."

"Oh now you will protect me? The one who can't protect himself. With the passing time your thinking is becoming old like your age." The prince says appalled.

"But-" "No buts you old man!You are disrespecting the prince!" Braith replies angrily.

"Yes your highness."

Braith smiles on his small victory and rides in the direction of the forest. The royal advisor shakes his head in dismay and walks towards the palace.

Prince Braith stops in the middle of the forest. He eyes his surroundings. There were obviously trees all around growing wildly protuding from everywhere.

Dry leaves crunching beneath the horse's hoofs.
Braith jumps down from the horse with his hunting rifle in his right hand.
He clasps his rifle paying close attention for any danger. Braith pursued this art of hunting from his grandfather.
He used to go with his grandfather on his hunting rides. His grandfather used to say that hunting will make him independent and brave and the result was as expected. Braith became valiant.

He cautiously stepped ahead. He then heard an animal purr.

Braith had decided in his mind that he wanted to hunt a tiger today so that he could proudly hung it's skin in his bedroom . He smirked at that thought.

He follows the voice. He pushed the branches slightly away to look at the animal.

He suddenly became happy. He was given an opportunity to hunt two animals now and that too tigers.

Two cubs were playing on the ground. Kicking each other with their paws and biting.
He was displeased a little as he wanted to hunt a grown up tiger and here he had two cubs.

Pushing the thoughts away he gets ready with his gun.
He aimed at one of the cubs. He was ready to shoot when suddenly he was attacked from behind.

"Arghhh!" He screamed in agony. His rifle fell beside him. Within a fraction of second he was attacked again on his left shoulder.

He took a look at the attacker. There he saw a tigress fiercely attacking him. Maybe she was the mother of those cubs trying to protect her chidren.

She again attacked on his left hand but Braith stopped that attack. She was about to bite his right hand when suddlenly Braith hears a gun shot. The animal fell on the ground with a thud.

Braith looks at the tigeress. She was injured and was about to stand up when it was fired again with the bullets. It was unable to take that attack and died on the spot in the pool of its own blood.

Braith looks up to see a boy in his late teens with a rifle in his hands still aiming at the tigress.

"She is dead." Braith says.
Looking at Braith the boy gives him a hand. Braith gladly accepts it and stands up. He was about to fall when that boy holds him.
"I am alright." Braith says removing  the boy's hand from his shoulder and putting his weight on the nearby tree.

"Looking at your clothes you seem to be a royal person." The boy says looking at Braith studying him.

"Yes I am a prince. Prince Braith." Braith says holding his left shoulder tightly to stop the bleeding.

"Your highness." The boy bows before Braith.
"You are injured Sire. Allow me to take you to the grand palace." He says respectfully.

"No thanks. I will go by myself." Braith says standing.
"No your highness. People like us don't get to serve royal people daily." He says lifting the dead animal.

Braith was impressed by his strength.
"Ok you are allowed." Braith says limping.
"But first tie this to your injured hand Sire." He says giving a piece of cloth to Braith.
Braith accepts it and ties it around his shoulder.

The prince and his saviour start walking.

"Here we are." The boy says after what seemed to be an eternity.
"Finally." Braith sighs.

"Prince!!" The royal advisor comes running to the injured Braith.
" I advised you to take the guards. You should have listened my words!" The old man says touching one of the injuries.

"It's ok." Braith says irritated.
"Take that animal from that boy, guards and you go away!" The advisor says to the boy.

"No." Braith interrupts.
"What is your name?" Braith asks to the boy.
"Mark Anson." He says.
"I owe this to you. Ask whatever you want.

"I only want your safety Sire. But I have a wish.

"Speak up."

"I want to be a soldier in your army."

Braith smiles and says,"After my coronation  I will make you as the General of our army."

"I am blessed Prince." Mark says bowing before the king his smile never fading.

Braith smiles too.....

"Braith, Braith? What happened?"
Braith looks up to see Mark with a concern on his face along with some blood.

"I am sorry for this but you should not have done that." Braith says looking at the wound on Mark's lips.

"Kings don't apologize Braith." Mark says.

Braith rolls his eyes and says,"You know we are very powerful Mark. What were they going to do with their ounce of an army?"

"I know but I had to crush our enemies. I don't want to see any of them standing before us." Mark says.

"Hmm let it be. They will get a good lesson now."Braith says touching his chin.

"By the way I want to talk to Christopher. Call him and I didn't meant to hurt you. Blame it on my sudden outrage." Braith says laughing.

"Yes Sire." Mark says smiling. "And I will bring Christopher. It has been a long time since you talked to him."

"Yes indeed." Braith says.

Wow 1.6k+ words! And hey I don't support animal hunting. I am against it. And yeah entry of Christopher in next chapter!!😀😀 What do you think what role does Christopher play??

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Hey I want 10 votes for this chapter please😍😍