The heir-apparent’s foil hissed through the air and swatted Jaysynn’s weapon from his hand. The black-garbed prince charged forward, thrusting his blade at his brother. Jaysynn, reacting instinctively, miraculously dodged the attacks by swaying. Then, seeing an opening, he lunged to Shar’s right to avoid his brother’s blade, rolled past him, grabbed the fallen foil, and sprang to his feet. With that, he thrust his weapon haphazardly at Shar, who merely stepped sideway, letting Jaysynn’s momentum carry him along. As Jaysynn stumbled past him, Shar smacked him on the buttocks with his foil like a father spanking a child.
Jaysynn staggered as he turned to face Shar. He felt a welt start to form on his backside. But the fight wasn’t over. Only a thrusting blow to the upper body could end a fencing duel. He’s playing with me! I hate that!
The young prince shot a few thrusts at Shar, but his opponent parried each one as if bored.
Suddenly, Jaysynn felt the button tip of his brother’s foil hit his chest, threatening to impale him. The bent blade arched into his vision. The boy clenched his unarmed hand into a fist. Jaysynn knew Shar was smirking under the mesh mask. That pierced his heart more than the foil ever could.
The elder prince laughed. Under his mask, his laughter was muffled and sounded hollow. He pulled of the mask. Shaking his head, he said, “If this was a real fight, I wouldn’t need magic to defeat you.”
Jaysynn hung his head.
“What a pity you’re the only non-Select member of the family. If you channeled magic like us, then maybe you’d stand a chance.”
“Maybe he’s adopted,” injected Bulon.
Jaysynn’s six older siblings guffawed.
The boy closed his eyes in hopes of shutting them out. But he could no more silence them than use magic. Every second they laughed was another needle pricking his heart. Now his eyelids were damming hot tears he desperately wanted to hide.
Thankfully, his siblings’ laughter slowly grew distant as they all left the gymnasium. When his siblings’ voices faded down the Palace’s hallway, Jaysynn slammed the foil he held on the floor, plopped onto the dueling strip, and buried his face in his hands.
“Damn them!” was all he could whisper.
“Stand up!” a voice from behind him commanded.
Jaysynn looked over his shoulder. Marching toward him from the gymnasium entrance was a tall man wearing a black Thyrian military officer’s uniform. Shiny medals hung from his chest. His cap and shoulders were emblazoned with four yellow lightning-like stripes, indicating he was a supreme general. His face, chiseled like a marble statue and dented by battle, bore a fatherly expression, although Jaysynn only knew this because he frequently saw the Emperor look at his oldest brother like that.
“A prince of Thyrion should never act like a scolded dog.”
Jaysynn did stand, but mostly because the general’s presence demanded it.
The man stood in front of Jaysynn, his slate-gray eyes seemingly peering into his soul. The prince’s gaze fell.
“Look at me!” ordered the general.
Jaysynn nervously looked up.
“I heard you challenge your brother while I was walking past the gymnasium. I watched your duel with him.”
“But I lost!”
“Yes, but I’ve never seen someone move so fast while dueling Shar.”
“So what?”
The general put his hand on Jaysynn’s shoulder and squeezed tightly. “I would like to train you, to refine your raw talent.”
“What talent? I’m not a Select.”
“Do you think only Select are capable of greatness?”
“Around here, yes.”
“Wrong. I am the commander of your father’s armies even though I can’t use magic.”
Jaysynn’s eyes widened. “General Dracon?”
A small smile appeared on the general’s face. “It took you long enough to realize who I am.”
“You can’t…use magic?”
“No. It’s not something your father likes to talk about.”
“Then how did you become a general?”
Dracon stepped back and offered an outstretched hand to Jaysynn. “Come with me and find out.” His eyes were full of sincerity.
Have I really found someone like me who’s accomplished great things? thought Jaysynn. A grin crept up his face.
Without hesitation, the prince grabbed the general’s hand and shook it.
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