Chapter 422: Fight for what you want (3)
"Your Majesty. It is preposterous to expect my family to ride out to the border," Otto said, fully against his family taking part in the war.
What would his sons who had been so focused on reading and trying to join the court know about using a sword? They weren’t meant for that kind of life so should he send them out, they would die. He couldn’t have his sons die now when they had not given him grandchildren. More boys to carry on the family name.
Annalise looked right ahead at Mark who didn’t appear the slightest bit bothered by Tobias’s news. It made her wonder if he was confident in his swordsmanship that he could survive being sent to the border or unlike the other men in the room, there was no one beside himself to be sent off to the border.
Mark noticed Annalise watching him and turned to face him, ignoring the panic filling his fellow courtmen. "What do you wish to know? You are staring so intently and I don’t want Rafael to get the wrong idea," he said.
"Why aren’t you upset like the others?" Annalise asked, tapping her fingers on the table as she awaited the answer. So far, she liked Mark though he could secretly be one of the men who didn’t want her here and was quiet because she was in his presence.
"The men in my family are already giving their time to fighting wars and I have no children to be worried about," Mark answered.
"He’s gotten used to the fact he will die old and alone. Don’t feel sorry for him," Edgar said, hoping Tobias would send Mark off to the border to be killed. It would be a good day for Edgar if this were to happen. One less court bastard he had to put up with.
"You know Edgar, if I were to marry your mother, that would mean you would then become my family. A man meant to be sent off to the border," Mark said to anger Edgar and it did just the trick.
"Now is not the time for the two of you to be taunting each other," Hazel said, sighing because even in the court where it was meant to be serious, the men were childish. "I agree with the king that those who do not wish to leave the land and have a truce should offer men to fight. You should fight for what you want and not expect someone else to do it when there is a peaceful option."