Chapter 149: Ten Years Ago: Part Two
At the other end of the village of Reigh, the sound of guards marching forwards like a slow stampede became an almost humming background noise to the young twelve-year-old prince Conrad Hart who sat staring outside the carriage window. His short dark blonde hair almost fell into his golden eyes; the white and golden embroidered double-breasted jacket he wore made his eyes shine brighter. The only part he seemed to share with his siblings showed he was, in fact, royal blood.
"You should get on your horse now," The Queen, Annika, who sat across from him, spoke. She was a thin petite woman with pale blonde hair and icy blue eyes surrounded by white lashes, her ethereal beauty known across the lands. Conrad looked up at her, who could not bear to look at him. She never could, as though he was a beast ready to kill her at any moment.
"As you wish, mother." Annika flinched at the term and held onto her youngest, princess Marna who was but five, closer to her. Marna was the only relative who was too young to not despise him and would cling to him whenever she could, beaming at him like he was not something scary. For now, Marna was the only one to bring him joy, but he knew when she grew older, Marna would cause him the most pain because he cared more for her than any. She, too, was the only one in the family to share his unique dark shade of blonde hair.
His younger twin brothers, two years younger than he, Harald and Halvar, were sleeping together next to his side, at the far side that was. Their matching golden blonde hair made them look all the more prince-like, as though they wore halo’s, but when they were awake, they were nothing but terrors. He was glad they were asleep because Harald and Halvar were such headaches when they were awake. They also learned from the eldest brother that it was okay to spite Conrad until he would lash out and hurt them.
Conrad knocked the top of the carriage, and it stopped with a few calls sent out to the front of the line to stop. Opening the door, he climbed down and searched for his horse at the front of the troops, where his brother, crown prince Arvid and his father, King Horik, waited. The King glanced at him, impatience growing on his weathered face, and his brother Arvid smirked at him, his dark golden eyes full of malice. Usually, he didn’t show such displeasure towards him in public because of his almost white hair, golden eyes and good looks; he was known as the heartthrob and angelic prince.
More like a dark angel.
Conrad hopped onto Shardeigh after an attendant placed a white cape over his shoulders, clicking the golden chain in place. Before they moved once more, the attendant draped the cape properly over the side of the horse, staying clear of its hooves and was obviously scared of it. King Horik tapped his white horse’s belly first, and then the prince’s followed suit, either side of him. Their capes draped behind them with the golden eagle crest of Hatherland.
"At least mother now can get some rest. It must have been hard protecting her children from you, demon child," Arvid remarked sarcastically with a curl of his lips.