Mikal

Mikal clenched his fists, containing a dangerous fury that raged within him. He turned to the wooden table that stood in the middle of his room and struck it several times until stains of blood smeared its splintered surface. He scowled deeply and unshed tears of fury sprang to his eyes.

He was not the cold unfeeling person everyone thought him to be. He was just very good at hiding his true emotions. It was his unique talent. To maintain his unreadable expression, his cold smile, his calm voice, at all times and all situations, no matter how much he burned with rage or suffered in pain. He was the smartest man in Engeldom for a reason.

The setting sun announced the approach of nightfall. Mikal's fury still burned as he walked up and down his room. He stopped before the dressing table and looked into the large mirror with a deep scowl where he saw the reflection of his helpless self, his body shaking and his eyes red with suppressed tears. Unable to stand his weakness, he raised the dressing chair and hurled it into the mirror, which instantly burst shattering, showering the place with endless shards of glass.

Just as he stood for a few moments catching his breath, the door flew open and his mother appeared in the doorway.

"What is it sweetheart? Oh dear!" she gasped in horror as her eyes fell on the dressing table. Quickly closing the door behind her she hurried towards Mikal with open arms.

"Come here," she said softly as she took him in her embrace. He quietly rested his head against her chest and breathed deeply as she smoothed his hair.

"I am going to kill Bernard," he spoke in a dangerous voice, while his whole body trembled with fury.

"Hush sweetheart," she continued to stroke his hair. "Calm down."

"No mother," Mikal snapped, freeing himself from his mother's embrace. "I will not calm down! It's time for Bernard to step down. He is leading us all to destruction. And he won't even listen to my advice. He dared oppose me in council, in front of everyone, mother! He's lost his mind. Haven't you seen what he did to Alina too? I swear it, mother, if he ever lays a hand on her again, I'll kill him."

"Do you love her that much?" his mother asked and he froze. Was it that obvious?

Indeed, Alina had stirred his heart ever since that day he saw her at the manor house where she stayed with her uncle, when Mikal and Bernard had gone to answer their call to help them retrieve Akaria. That wide radiant smile she had flashed him that day never left his mind since then.

Mikal had been deliberately treating her coldly, doing all he could to avoid looking into her sweet honey eyes, because he knew that once he fell for her, there would be no going back. Yet despite his coldness with her, she never stopped staring at him so fondly, making his resistance even harder. And now, he just couldn't help it anymore.

"Perhaps I do love her," Mikal whispered. His tears fell without warning, and he wiped them away quickly. "She was not supposed to get married to Bernard," he said bitterly. "I am going to kill him!"

The next moment the door burst open. Mikal and his mother looked up in alarm where they found Bernard standing with his huge form blocking the doorway.

"Mikal, come with me," Bernard said curtly.

Mikal's heart raced. No, Bernard couldn't have possibly overheard his conversation with his mother. Their voices were not loud enough to be heard through the thick wooden door and the stone walls.

"Is something wrong?" Mikal asked very calmly, trying to read Bernard's face. He did look angry. But he always looked angry anyway. And especially after what happened with Alina earlier today, it was only natural for him to be furious. Yet Mikal could not tell. For the first time, Mikal could not read what Bernard was hiding behind those cold blue eyes.

"We are holding small council now," Bernard said as he stood at the door.

That was quite unusual, Mikal thought. Bernard usually sent someone to call for Mikal when he needed him. He never came himself. But perhaps he came himself because he just happened to be at his chamber nearby. Mikal, not even turning to look at his mother, followed Bernard confidently, doing all he could not to show any hint of concern.

"Is something wrong, my lord?" Mikal asked again as he walked with Bernard through the long arched passageway. "Why are we holding council again now?"

"We need to further discuss the march to Grytia. It will not be as simple as it seems."

Mikal started to think that perhaps Bernard had heard nothing of what he said to his mother earlier.

"My lord, I would strongly advise you to reconsider my suggestion."

"No!" Bernard hissed.

"I can't believe you are listening to this fool of a woman."

"This fool of a woman is the smartest person in Engeldom. And this fool of a woman is going to be your wife. So I would advise you to start accepting her."

Mikal suddenly stopped in his tracks and his heart churned with boiling rage.

"You can't force me into marriage," Mikal snapped. "I am not a girl!"

Without warning, Bernard turned at Mikal and pushed him forcefully, slamming his back against the wall with a loud thud. Mikal, shocked by the sudden attack, was a little too late to shove Bernard away, and he found himself pinned in place, trapped between Bernard's massive form and the cold hard wall behind him.

"Yes, you are not a girl, but I will make you scream like a girl if you ever talk back to me again," Bernard hissed. "I have put up with you for too long. I warn you. Do not get too full of yourself. You think you are far from my reach? That I cannot lay a hand on you?"

"Get off me!" Mikal hissed back. And the next moment a sudden brutal smack fell against the left side of his head, momentarily blinding him.

Mikal was too stunned that it took him a few moments to realize that Bernard had actually just slapped him. Bernard had never even touched him before. And just before Mikal could fight back, Bernard had raised his forearm against Mikal's neck and pressed hard.

Realizing what Bernard was doing, Mikal's whole being churned with rage and he voicelessly struggled to push him away. But Bernard's bulky arm pressed harder against his neck, almost choking him.

"You dare suggest using humans in our forces and turn the Northern Lords against each other!" Bernard said.

Mikal pushed fervently against him as he tried to gasp for breath, but he was pinned in place by Bernard's weight, suffocating. If only he had a knife with him now he would have instantly plunged it into his heart.

"Bernard, stop!" Mikal struggled to speak, his voice choking. But Bernard grabbed Mikal's hair by one hand while his other hand grasped his neck.

"My patience has limits, Mikal. And I have reached mine with you."

Mikal's eyes widened as Bernard's large hand squeezed his neck. He struggled to breathe, but no air was coming in, or out. He tried to push Bernard's hand away, but his own hand was no match to the enormous sturdy fingers that were wound around his neck. He tried to spread his wings but they were stuck against the stone wall behind him.

Mikal started to panic. Bernard was obviously trying to kill him. He struggled further, but the harder he pushed the more Bernard's hands closed around his neck. His head throbbed dangerously, threatening to explode.

"My Lord!" a cry came from the other end of the passageway.

It was Vilfred. Mikal could not turn to see him, but he could hear his beating wings as he came flying towards them. Bernard was not the least affected and he was still squeezing Mikal's neck as Vilfred approached.

"The next time you dare open your mouth in council without my permission, I will flog you right there before everyone," Bernard hissed as he leaned in close to Mikal's face, heedless of Vilfred's presence. "I will not warn you again." And the next moment, he released Mikal with a little shove.

Mikal fell to his knees and drew in a deep breath. He bent over the floor, panting and coughing violently while his head still reeled.

"Mikal!" Vilfred knelt down next to Mikal the moment he reached him, grabbing his shoulders to keep him off the floor. "What's going on?" he asked as his horrified green eyes turned between Bernard and Mikal.

"Get moving, both of you," was all Bernard said in response. "Lord Frederik is waiting."

Mikal only glared behind Bernard as he walked away, while Vilfred still knelt by Mikal's side, holding his shoulders and staring at him in shock. Mikal suddenly pulled away from Vilfred, slapping his hand away from his shoulder.

"Don't touch me," he hissed, staggering as he struggled to rise on his own.

***

Mikal stood silent as Bernard discussed the march to Grytia. All the lords and nobles who feared risking their men had left to their homes already, except for Hadrian and the other few lords who had agreed to join in the march to Grytia, including Lefan, despite his earlier passion towards hiring humans as Mikal had suggested. But Mikal was far too disturbed by Bernard's earlier assault, that he could not even hear a word of what was being said. He was completely lost.

You dare suggest using humans in our forces and turn the Northern Lords against each other. So that was what it had been about.

Mikal knew that Bernard hated the humans, but he had never imagined that his words and logic would ever fail to convince him. Well, they had never failed before. Bernard had always trusted him and followed him blindly. Never had he once opposed to his opinions or questioned his advice. Never had he doubted his judgements or taken a decision without Mikal's approval. It was Mikal who truly ruled Nordenvania.

But today, all trust was broken. It was the first time Bernard had ever rejected his advice. It was just like that cursed day when he had stubbornly opposed to his father's advice and drove them into a destructive war against the Kassarathi.

Mikal absently raised his hand to his neck where Bernard had tried to choke him earlier. That was it. Mikal would never be able to trust Bernard again. How could he ever feel safe around him after what he had said and done? Bernard had never dared touch him before. But today, he had almost killed him, if only Vilfred hadn't appeared on time. This was not the way Mikal expected things to turn out.

"What do you say, Mikal?" Bernard asked out of nowhere, and Mikal looked at him blankly. He had not even listened to a word of what was being said.

"I don't know," Mikal said, and everyone looked at him with curious stares.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Bernard snapped.

"Do whatever you see fit, my lord. You will not listen to me anyway," Mikal said coldly, and Bernard only scowled at him. "Besides, where is Hilda? I am surprised she is not attending such an important meeting."

"I am right here, Sir Mikal!" Hilda suddenly appeared at the entrance, holding her dark blue skirts as she walked into the hall with long confident strides. "I am truly flattered by your concern for my absence," she teased. "I deeply apologize for keeping you so worried. But it was out of my hands. You see, I had to stay with the healer and tend to Lady Alina."

Alina... Mikal had been doing all he could not think of her now. He turned to Bernard with a dark stare. "A healer? You've beaten her hard enough that she required a healer!"

"I don't see why that should concern you. She is my wife."

"Right, your wife should not concern me, neither should your war plans," Mikal said. "I believe Lady Hilda had come just in time to join you in my stead. I am sure you will find her advice far more valuable than mine."

"Mikal!" Bernard called in a threatening tone.

"If you excuse me, my lord, I am not feeling well," Mikal said before he turned to leave the room, and his eyes met Hilda's briefly.

"Good night pretty face," she said with a teasing smile as she waved her fingers at Mikal, and he only answered her with an expressionless stare before he left.

Mikal did not return to his room. Instead, he flew North to the gargoyles graveyard where his father's ashes were buried. He knelt before the large gargoyle stone that guarded his father's grave, the tall thick trees shadowing over him and adding to the darkness of the already moonless night. Bitter tears escaped his eyes despite his will.

"Father... What shall I do?" Mikal whispered.

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