Chapter 3 Prince Weakness

The following day, Prince Dylan was returning from the side of the area where ordinary people reside. Vegetable farming was the sole source of revenue. He went there to see if the residents’ standard of living was still good.

The prince is riding a horse close to the palace, along with a few troops. He descended when they approached the castle, and the soldier brought the horse’s rope into the stable. The troops handling the large door greeted him as soon as he entered. They bowed simultaneously, but General Agustin hailed him as soon as he entered the palace.

"Prince, good morning. Did you travel well and safely?"

"Yes, but I must nap beforehand because I’ve been traveling often." The General dissuaded him from leaving just as he was about to.

"However, the king is calling you first. Even though you may be exhausted, what your father says is important."

He grumbled and eventually followed General Agustin, despite his desire to recline and relax. After entering his father’s office, they moved to the area where a table could seat six people—two on each side and one at each end. He sat close to his father, who was placed at the table’s head.

“Father, what subject will we discuss today? General Agustin interrupted my desire to sleep. Do you have something important to tell me?”

The king’s hands clasped. “Yes, that’s crucial, and I have to express it right away—not later. It would help if you retrained with General Agustin afterward."

He was surprised by what the monarch, his father, said, "That’s what you’re saying, Father. Could that be considered important?"

“Yes.”

"But after going to far-off areas, I haven’t yet had a chance to rest."

"You may now go to bed, but you must awaken and work out before sundown."

Looking at his father, he scowled. "Why not train on a different day?"

“No, it can continue doing that for at least an hour, and then you can stop.”

He is unsure of his father’s words because he cannot express them. He’ll work out for an hour. General Agustin’s training sessions used to last five hours, but they now only last an hour. Given that the instruction only lasts an hour, what else can they do? He nevertheless followed his father’s orders.

"Then I'll go to my room to catch up on some sleep before sundown." Prince Dylan's father nodded before eventually walking out of the room.

General Agustin and King Stephen remained in the background. "Please inform Adira that the Prince agreed to participate in a training session."

General Agustin exited and went to Adira’s room with a courteous bow. "Hello, young lady. May I enter?" Standing in front of Adira’s chamber door, he said it firmly.

As soon as it opened, General Agustin walked in. "Good news! At the palace, the prince is present. We shall train before dusk because he gave his consent. If you wish to watch it, you can climb to the top of the castle to see how he moves. However, if you have an eagle-like vision, you should exercise caution since he might see you and stop quickly, preventing you from seeing how he practices."

“Okay, I’ll handle it.”

"I will be leaving soon," he said. "Don't forget to reach the summit of the palace before sunset." She had nothing to do in that enormous room when General Agustin eventually emerged, so she chose to retire and pass the time.

Adira was at the top of the palace by the afternoon, but the prince was still at the palace’s lower level when she arrived. She only had to look for a short time when two people carrying various weapons, including bows, swords, and pointed wooden poles, came out and headed toward a location. They are currently in the center. It is simpler to move because of its size.

She is in the higher part of the palace, so she can only see the prince’s head; she has yet to see his face. She observed them as they prepared for training, but she immediately recognized the prince’s frailty. He was clearly holding something ready to be released because of how loosely he was holding the sword’s handle. She observed General Agustin and watched his skill in combat, particularly when wielding a sword. General Agustin began to rush, but the prince, she noticed, was not good, especially when he had the sword. Based on what she observed, she was confident that he would perish in battle due to his weakness. Adira saw the two men’s hands closely and observed how the prince elevated his sword above General Agustin’s sword. It is clear from the power with which the General struck the prince’s sword that she observed the prince’s grasp on the weapon relax. General Agustin was serious, but the prince was not, so she warned lest the General’s sword slip and slash the prince in the face. She struck a little pot so intently that she didn’t realize she had just seen it fall. However, when the jar hit the ground, the two stopped at the bottom, and General Agustin and the prince turned to face Adira. She bowed when the prince’s eyes landed on hers.

"He most likely didn’t see me, did he?" She questioned.

Prince Dylan, meanwhile, scowled. "Is my observation correct, General Agustin? And who is that young lady?"

General Agustin's eyes fluttered and he responded, "Where? I didn't see anything that caught my eye."

“I saw a real person, and she is a woman.”

"Could it be possible that you are merely dreaming, Your Highness?"

“But—” He promptly let go of his sword after taking a glimpse at the dropped pot. “My plant!”

Prince Dylan is concerned about the plants that have sprung everywhere, the dirt that has split, and the plants with no pot. “My plant!”

General Agustin scowled at the prince’s remarks. “Your plant, my dear prince?”

“Yes, I own it. After a month of growing, it suddenly fell." Prince Dylan took another look at the palace’s roof before hastily approaching it.

Adira sneaks in again, but Prince Dylan and the general have left.

“Where are they right now?” She was taken aback as the door suddenly burst open to expose her.

She was surprised when the prince moved closer to her. “You! ” He indicated her with his finger. “You’re to blame for my plant falling.” He tightened his eyes even more.

She is initially unable to speak because the pot dropped due to her carelessness, but she is curious why he is so worried about the plant.

He squinted. "Who are you, I ask you? What on earth are you doing in this palace? You are a spy. General, apprehend this woman immediately." General Agustin, though, remained still as he stood behind the prince.

He wondered about the fact that General Agustin was standing still. "Why didn’t you act and have her arrested, General?"

At the prince, he hesitantly grinned. “I’m sorry, dear prince, but I can’t follow your instructions.”

“Why?” He glanced at her. She was now grinning. And all that was going on had him perplexed.

"We must return to your father's office, Prince Dylan."

"Why must we return there once again?"

"Just follow me, young woman, and you."

Prince Dylan stared at her in shock. “Why is she still included?”

The General did not respond to him and instead began to move. She commanded, “Go ahead and follow him; my time is wasting, and I’m in a hurry.”

"What are you doing here, and who are you?"

She gave him a severe look. “Follow the General to learn more about me. You won’t follow the General’s orders because you are a prince, especially the more question you make."

"Who are you to make that statement?"

She beamed. "You’ll learn more when you visit your father’s office, but I’ve made a choice you won’t like." It left him wondering as it went away, but after a short while, he followed, and they both sat down on the seats close to the table.

Prince Dylan instantly questioned, “Father, who is she?” before taking a seat. "She behaved in a manner that I didn’t particularly like previously. She is guilty since she killed my plant."

She elevated her eyebrows. "I meant no harm. You make it sound like I intentionally tripped over the pot and fell."

The prince glared at her angrily. “My plant would still be alive if you weren’t here!”

“After that, excavate and plant seeds to create a new plant. Is that a matter of concern?"

The two were startled as the king violently struck the table. “Enough!”

“But my father—”

"Listen, Dylan. I’ll tell you why she’s here; you two must concur." The king glanced at him. "Have you made up your mind yet?"

She nodded. “"Yes, I accept."

The king’s smile caught Dylan off guard. “Father, what’s that for?”

"She will teach you how to use a sword and other attributes of a prince, so you can fight even if you are their only foe."

With a grimace, he appeared to be evaluating her. “I do not comprehend. How can she instruct me? Being a woman, she lacks fighting skills as well." He even took pride in what he said.

Despite Adira's covert smile, the king chuckled aloud at what he said about her.

“Son, that’s premature to say. Don’t pass judgment on the person you just met because you could regret why I chose her to educate you because you don’t know who she is."

She raised an eyebrow at the prince as he turned to face her. “Why do you seem so eager to become a fighter? We don’t have any adversaries, and the area is peaceful."

The monarch turned to face General Agustin. “Son, you can’t control time. When a surprise conflict breaks out or you must face an adversary, you had better start learning immediately to avoid returning home defeated."

The king presented her with a document. “Sign this, and I’ll make your passport legitimate so you won’t have trouble leaving and returning to this country. The access will be in your possession by tomorrow, before you depart."

She thought, “It’s so easy when someone has power.” She signed the document while shaking her head.

Prince Dylan merely observed, puzzled by what was going on. He questioned abruptly, “Does that mean she’s from another country?" All of the people halted, except for Prince Dylan.

“Yes.”

"How talented and influential is the woman standing in front of us? Why does she take me so aback, my father?” He had a question in his mind.

Adira signed the contract, and King Stephen continued to speak. "Could you give each other a brief introduction?"

She didn’t speak either as she studied the prince, who didn’t appreciate his father’s suggestion.

“Dylan, please introduce yourself to her, and then we’re done.”

The prince seemed to dislike her thoroughly, so she could see he was attempting to stop her from creating a scene. "I am Prince Dylan, King Stephen’s lone child, and ruler of Stalwart Castle."

On the other hand, she prepared herself and allowed herself the privilege of making an introduction. "I’m the most dreaded person in the gangster community, Adira, and I’m from another country."

The prince gave her a close-up look while looking at her. "What’s a gangster, exactly?"

"People who kill anyone who crosses their path are callous and kill with no mercy."

He abruptly turned to face his father. “Father, who exactly did you hire? Why a criminal?" Her ability to perceive fear in his eyes.

She chuckled aloud as she proclaimed, “Your son, King Stephen, is not only a weakling but also a coward.” A furious eye met hers. “Don’t be concerned, my beloved prince. Even though I frequently fail to fulfill my intentions, I promise to take care of you and ensure you don’t have any more scars. She froze and stared at the prince when she ran out of things to say. I’ll punish you in a way that you won’t soon forget. You are powerless since I’ve agreed to the mission. "I won't change my decision, even if you beg before your father."

She steered clear of his persistent gaze. “Therefore, it's important to pay attention during training so you can use your internal conflict to your advantage. Don't wait for your opponent to attack before engaging in combat." She gave the prince another glance and smile a little.

But that tiny smile had such a powerful impact on the prince that the quickening of his heartbeat took him aback.