Chapter 163 - Development (6)

In the middle of the training grounds surrounded by a deafening silence was a boy holding a wooden sword with his right hand pointed to the ground. Chandler was out of breathe and is panting as if he just ran a marathon. He was sweating and he had his head down low, his hair was messy and his bangs were covering his eyes. His grips tightened around the sword's hilt. It has been so long since I trained alone, he thought to himself and let out a sigh trying to regulate the pace of his breathing. It's still early in the morning yet he was already sweating so much. Aside from that, he just took a bath earlier.

Cortez would scold me. Well, it's not like he is not used to this either since I always train in the morning when I am here in this palace because I got nothing to do, he thought to himself. He could already imagine what his personal knight would say to him seeing the current state that he is in. Well, he asked him to leave him alone for a while since he wants to train all alone by himself, he doesn't know where he went through. Probably in the knights' training grounds or area.

Despite of training for an hour already and sweating so much, he wasn't tired a little bit. Even when he was panting and out of breath, he wasn't exhausted. He wanted to train more, to get stronger and rid all the thoughts inside his head for a while which bothered him every day. He raised the sword that he held with his hand and swung it downwards, imagining that there was an enemy there. He remembered everything that his brother taught him about the sword, the techniques and such.

He recalled the time where he went to the library and talked with Christian. He was angry when he learned that he became close to Alexandra, once again, he didn't listen to what his elder brother said. He always does things on his own and would always remain silent, not relying and trusting on others. He wasn't open and he was hard to read. That's probably why they can't get along with each other. They were like oil and water, no matter how hard you try or how many times you do it, they just mix. They won't get along with each other.

-- Chandler was angry, he was having this squeezing pain in his chest and he couldn't breathe. The fact that his brother continued to get close with Alexandra even with what he warned him before. Even with what their father just told them a few days ago at the dining room while they were eating their breakfast and they witnessed that girl eating along with them as if it was normal when it is not. Seeing her look that happy with his family made him angry and made an aching pain soar his chest.

Chandler stomped his feet in anger as he made his way to the library to meet Christian and scold him. Not even his personal knight, who was following behind him quietly as he witnessed how Chandler is acting, couldn't even stop or persuade him. It has always been like this when it comes to Christian, he hates him and his personal knight doesn't even know why despite being under him for years already. He just won't tell him about it. Probably something happened between the two of them making them act like this when they are around each other or do they really not get along, after all, he thought to himself as they walked towards the library.

If he tried to stop him, he would just get angrier and would try to do it later. Aside from that, he would just tell him to shut up and let him do whatever he wants or something like that. Despite Cortez's happy, carefree, and easy-going nature, he still knows and respects the prince that he is serving. So he just can't deny his order and refuse to listen to him.

Not more than 10 minutes, they arrived in front of it and Chandler was the one who opened the door loudly as if he was announcing his presence through that way and stepped inside. He walked towards the stairs and his knight roamed his eyes around the place as they walked. This might be the first time after years that I stepped into this library, it seems like it became more packed with books but it's still big and spacious. It was emitting this comfortable and warm atmosphere, if he would be given a break as a knight, he would try to read books during that time. He doesn't indulge himself into other things that much because he was a royal knight, he trains every single day and has to guard and follow the prince around.

They arrived at this one particular spot in the library, it was on the second floor and the far end of the hallway, and there they saw the prince that they were looking for. He was sitting on a chair behind a desk with books placed on top of it, stacked neatly while others were on the ground beside his desk. Is he planning to read all of that? He thought to himself as he stared at the thick books on the desk and the ground. To think that the youngest prince was just spending most of his time reading in this library without talking with anyone, that seems unbelievable and amazing. He must be also an intelligent person.

"Eh? Brother Chandler? This is unusual, what brings you here? If you are looking for Brother Calixander, you know that you can't find him here," The young prince seating on the chair behind the desk noticed their presence and it took longer than he has expected. He was so absorbed by the book that he was reading that he didn't notice that they were there. "Don't act dumb with me!" The prince beside him responded, anger lacing his tone of voice as he spoke. If things get out of hand, I will immediately stop it even if he would get angry at me later.

Prince Gilbert was also there along with his personal knight but he was laying on the couch with a book covering his face. It seems like he is sleeping and his personal knight just let him be. But he was shocked when they saw them here as his eyes widened while he stared at them. Philip was his name, right?

"What do you mean by that? I completely don't know why you are here. To think that you would come here, it must be something important. Would you like to take a sit first?" Christian, however, just remained calm and composed regardless of what is happening. There was a gentle smile on his face as if he wasn't bothered by his brother's sudden visit to the library. That ticked Chandler off and he clenched his fists, "You became close with her, right?"

"Who? Are you talking about Alexandra? Yes, I became close with her and we are treating each other like the siblings that we are. What about it?" Christian said in a gentle voice, his eyes wide with wonder but it sounded like he was mocking him as if he doesn't care about what he is saying and just want this to end quickly so he can continue reading his book. "You became close to the witch of our bloodline? She's a curse! You didn't listen to what brother told you again!"

"And? What about it? Tell me, brother, did you even listen to what father told you a few days ago in the dining room during breakfast after we left? It must be related to Alexandra, you want us to hate her but why? Is it because her existence was unusual, being born in a bloodline where it is composed of males? Was it written in our bloodline's history that if a girl would be born in our bloodline, she would be a curse or a witch? Just because it was unusual, it doesn't mean that it is bad already!" Christian replied, his tone of voice was gentle but there was a hint of anger. Christian was very close to Alexandra and he already knows what her personality us. She went through a hard time and was being kept inside that palace of hers for 7 years, she wasn't allowed to interact with anyone except for her maids, that is what she told him.

In those 7 years, she must have wanted to escape the palace and do whatever she wanted. She never asked to be born in this family, nobody knew how and why it happened.

"How did you know about what we talked about? You eavesdrop, didn't you?"

"It's just simply through observation and a guess,"

He clicked his tongue before he spoke once again, "That girl is weird! She is not normal!" Was what he said and Christian's eyes widened when he heard what he said. "Then brother, tell me, what is normal for you?" He asked and he clenched his fists. Why is he trying his best to defend Alexandra? Was it because he loved her as a sibling? That must be one of the reasons. He wants to protect her, he knows almost everything about her even when they just became close for a few weeks.

His brother remained silent and was struck still in his position as if he wasn't expecting this. "I-I'm your older brother, you should listen and do whatever I say!" He replied, now he is using his privilege as my older brother, how annoying. This is the first time, he was more annoyed than usual while talking to him and if this continues, he might lose his composure. It was probably because he interrupted his time that he should have used on reading instead of talking with him, aside from that, he was exhausting to talk with. They both have their sides to defend and protect.

"Whatever you say, brother. I will do whatever you want, so please, just let me be," Christian said and he let out a sigh not wanting to argue with him any longer. "That girl, she must have used some sort of magic spell on you. Considering how you are suddenly acting like this. She is a witch! Regardless of her gentle and kind personality which you would always tell me, she might be corrupted and evil inside."

"This is annoying, I don't want to argue anymore. Just like what I was saying earlier, she isn't what you think!" Now, he lost it.

"But if you continue to get closer to her, something bad might happen to you!"

"You still haven't gotten close to her, right? Why are you making such assumptions? Did anything bad happen after she got close with father? It doesn't mean that something completely unexpected happened, doesn't mean that it is a bad thing. You will never know if she was a bad thing or not because you still completely don't know her."

Ah, they were probably way too loud considering that Gilbert, who is a heavy sleeper and hard to wake up, arose from his sleep. Wait, but judging by his response, he must have been already awake a few minutes earlier. How long has it been already since he entered and argued with me?

"But she was born in this supposedly all-male bloodline! It's a curse, she's a curse," He just repeated what he said earlier. As seconds passed by, Christian was getting more and more exhausted as he talked with him.

"Did the prophecy told us that? Was there a prophecy telling us that a girl with a curse will be born in our family? She might be either a blessing or a curse, we will never know. Although I hate how mysterious she is, that doesn't mean I'm not interested in her." Gilbert continued to speak.

"Aside from that, her attitude and personality are likable and better than yours," Silence. Silence surrounded the place after Gilbert said that. "Ha! Suit yourself!" Was what the prince only said before he turned around and he saw Alexandra standing there. She must have witnessed what happened judging by the look on her face. But who cares, he still left anyways. He glared at her though before he continued to walk.