Chapter 67: Emotional Baggage
Prince Tyfin was having difficulty getting any real rest, he didn’t show it around his knights, but he was extremely uncertain about everything that had been laid on his shoulders.
However, as the only beast he was boarding with was the estranged Alice, who had been still sleeping the entire time they had been at the village so far, the young lion was finally able to let his concerns out, speaking to the dreaming beast as the only audience for his confession.
"I’m terrified, Alice..." The prince took a heavy breath in, pausing in the silence to be sure the cat didn’t stir. The prince continued his rant, knowing he could now safely vent it here.
"Tomorrow, I may find out if I’m going to have to be a king yet... A king an entire world away from his throne. How am I to lead my people, when I can’t even speak with them? When I can’t reassure them... How will I be remembered, as a king that wasn’t there for his kingdom’s darkest hour? What if there is no kingdom left... I know that’s not too likely, but we just don’t know..."
Prince Tyfin shuddered as his dark confession spewed forth uncontrollably from him, laying his weary head into his hands.
"And that demon... What madness is that monster? You destroyed it, we all watched... There was no way you missed it’s heart, no matter where it may have hidden it... General Rixator gave his life to sink his axe in its chest, and it was like it didn’t even feel it! What are we hoping to do against something like that? How can we even hope to fight it?
"After what it did to you... I just... I don’t know if we can. It even crumbled Aster’s shield last time... Could it do that all along? I thought we had a way to fight it back at least, but we don’t! I CAN’T DO SHIT ABOUT IT... THAT MONSTER PROBABLY KILLED MY FATHER, AND I CAN’T DO A THING ABOUT IT..."
The lion quieted down after he felt his voice crack up. The prince let his tone drop to a near sob.
"I can’t do anything by myself... Sure, I know the basics of combat training, but I’m barely average with any blade, unlike my mother, who was one of the most skilled warriors our kingdom had ever seen... I’m too afraid to use my father’s bloodskill. Too afraid I’ll end up like him...
"I can understand almost nothing of the language of the gods, so any real magic, too, is out of my reach... All I can do is just use my mother’s bloodskill... All I can do is lend a little strength to the ones that have to fight for me... I am not fit to be king, Alice... Alora deserves a stronger king..."
The prince curled up a bit tighter on his bed, pulling into himself, wishing they were here with him... They would know how to make this better... They would tell him what he needed to do...