5 chapters today.

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“You are dodging the question. It couldn’t be that we were defeated, weren’t we?”

“Oh, no, no. Everything is under General Maceo’s control, Your Highness. Our soldiers have managed to completely push the enemies out of our territorial border. After yesterday’s strategic attack, our army won back the western fortress and the General is now defending the borders. Since we already won back the fortress, today’s attack is easier for us since we are on the defensive.”

“Good to know.” Prince Theron started to stand up.

The knight panicked and held the prince. “Your Highness, where are you doing? What are you doing? You need to rest!”

“When my soldiers are fighting, do you think I can rest?” Prince Theron said.

“There is no need for your presence, Your Highness. The engagement has already started by dawn, and it is noon now. The troops are mostly resting aside for those assigned to harass the enemies with catapults. General Maceo is leading our troops towards victory,” Sir Galien informed him.

“Still…Cough! Cough!”

Prince Theron coughed blood and felt a crushing pain in his chest.

“Your Highness? Your Highness! Where’s the doctor? Men, call the doctor to quickly see His Highness!” Sir Galien held the Prince who was about to lose his balance as he called for the physician.

Prince Theron was in severe pain. He could barely breathe, and whenever he tried, it was as if his lungs were being pierced by a dagger. The military doctor could only give him some medicine to relieve the pain.

Sir Galien could not help but hover around the prince and ask, “How is His Highness?”

“Pardon my lack of skill, Sir Kenelm, but I can only at most relieve His Highness from the pain he’s suffering. He has no wounds on his body, but he seems to have internal injuries that would require an operation. I am ill-equipped to help him further on this dirty battlefield. I highly recommend we send His Highness back to the palace as soon as possible. The royal physicians over there can provide him with the best treatment possible in an environment that would help him recuperate. However, please make sure to travel in haste but keep the carriage as stable as possible, or else His Highness’s body would not be able to endure the travel.”

Sir Galien kept in mind what the military doctor said and decided to take Prince Theron back. He went out and instructed his knights to prepare for Prince Theron’s departure as nothing was more important than his safety at the moment.

Within an hour, their group was prepared to leave. A nondescript yet solid carriage with the fastest and sturdiest warhorses was prepared for the Crown Prince, making sure he could travel while sleeping comfortably. It was also taken into consideration that the return to the palace had to be kept from the eyes of the public, as it would surely cause problems with the public if it were known that the Crown Prince was assassinated twice in a span of months. The public outrage was something the royal family would not be able to address well during this wartime.

Sir Galien sighed. ‘Riding directly on the horseback might be faster, but His Highness will not be able to handle it. Internal injuries need immediate attention, but will it be all right to travel for days in his condition? From the western border, it would take several days to reach the capital with a carriage even though we chose the best horses…’

When Prince Theron was being taken into the carriage, he was roused from his sleep as he was being carried out of his bed. He slowly opened his heavy-lidded eyes and found his knight beside him.

“What’s going on?” he asked in a weak voice.

“Your Highness, you are returning to the capital,” Sir Galien replied.

Prince Theron coughed in shock, causing the military doctor attending him to panic. He weakly waved the doctor to leave the tent as he addressed his knight with a scowl. “What? Who said I am returning?”

Sir Galien bowed in apology. “Apologies, Your Highness. I had to take this decision on your behalf considering your safety.”

“I am fine, Galien,” Prince Theron said as he tried to sit up.

Sir Galien hurried to stop him and said, “Please keep sleeping, Your Highness. The military doctor said your internal organs are damaged and you need to head back to the palace so the royal physicians can give you proper treatment or your life will be at risk.”

“Galien, it’s the physician’s job to worry for nothing—-“

“Your Highness, I am responsible for your safety, and as your guardian knight, I have the right to decide on things to keep you safe,” Sir Galien interrupted the prince.

Prince Theron knew his loyal knight was generally easygoing, and if the situation wasn’t dire, he would not behave like this. Although he was being rude at this moment by not listening to royalty, Prince Theron could not be angry at him.

“Galien, I understand your concerns, but you should understand my responsibilities towards this kingdom and my people.”

“Your Highness, I won’t deny what you are saying, but for you to be able to protect our kingdom, your wellbeing needs to be guaranteed first. This kingdom needs you, its future monarch, so you should take care of yourself. What Megaris needs is a strong ruler, not a dead hero. Moreover, there is someone who is waiting for you to return safely. Do you wish to disappoint her?”

Prince Theron felt speechless. His knight sure knew what to say to persuade him. The man didn’t hold himself back from expressing his honest thoughts.

“Your Highness, please rest.” Sir Galien softened his battle-hardened expression. “I am not saying you should give no importance to your responsibility as a Crown Prince, but at this moment—no, for the sake of the entire kingdom, getting proper treatment is the most important thing. You have already done your best in the past month, and although the war is still ongoing, you have participated in the battles to acquire our territories back. Sustaining a severe injury, even for an ordinary soldier, warrants being pulled out from the frontlines and discharged from serving in the army.”

Prince Theron narrowed his eyes. “I am not severely injured—”

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