AnyaKimlin
Confuddled
Is this better?
CHAPTER ONE
“Fight! Fight! Fight!”
“Get him, King-Boy.”
“Smack him, Jack.”
Salty blood pours from my nose. The cold winter air and the chorus of our classmates fades into the ether. My only focus –causing him pain. I smack him against the rough stone cloister wall and smile at the agony on his face. But he doesn't cry out. He has too much pride for that. Inches off the ground he flails like a rag doll. My fist travels towards him --I'm going to smash him. Crap! I drop him and cover the king's jewels. Swearing will be an option when I can find my breath.
Crap! Crap! Crap! Tears stream from my eye. I'm on my back on the snow covered ground before I know how I got there, curled up in a ball to protect myself from his kicks. He thinks he's won and is celebrating. Hands held high and parading for the courtyard of schoolboys. In his arrogance he makes a fatal mistake. I reach out and grab his ankle, bringing him down to join me. Rolling over, I sit on top of him. This is where my height and weight give me an advantage.
“Go on, King-Boy.” He mouths the words and spits out blood over my school tunic.
I tug my arm. And again. But it doesn't, it won't move. Once more. The strong grip at my wrist registers and I look up. My half-brother looks down at me. When he's pissed, Soc is scary and it sucks all the adrenaline out of me. He lets go and I get off Jack. What on Litae have I done? Why? Jack accepts my offer of a hand to help to his feet. He picks our navy uniform great coats up off the ground and hands me mine.
“Sorry.” His grin is lopsided due to the split and swollen lip. “Your eye-patch.”
“Thanks.” I take it back off him and put it back on to cover the eye he damaged beyond repair in a fight last year. “And, yes, sorry.”
His arm is dangling, so I help him put his coat on over his torn tunic.
“Sorry. You two think you can kiss and make up and this will all be OK?” Soc is furious. His phone vibrates and he takes it from his pocket. “Too much to hope he wouldn't know.”
The courtyard is empty and very quiet. Two hundred boys know we are in the sh*t and not one wants to join us in it. I shrug and study my bare feet. Not sure where I left my boots but I wish I hadn't. My toes are starting to hurt and turn numb.
“Sorry, Master Lorenzo.” Jack also puts himself in the position of disgrace. Hand clasped behind his back, legs slightly apart and his head bowed. I take a quick glance and can see the pain he's in. This time I've got off far more lightly.
“The Abbot wants to see us. You've both well and truly landed me in it.” He leads the way along the covered cloisters. Past plain wooden door, after plan wooden door. Behind each one is a classroom.
The ground is cold here but at least there's no snow. Jack moves closer and whispers, “Do you need help? You're limping.”
“No.” I hadn't even noticed.
My phone vibrates and I take it out. I hate you. B. My wife isn't about to forgive me for this morning's stupidity. I'm sorry. Call me. A. She probably won't respond but I can hope.
“Is that why the queen threw her fan at me this morning? I'm lucky I'm not missing bits.”
Distracted, I stare at the screen. “If she'd wanted to take bits off you'd be missing them. She never misses.” As I predicted, there is no response, but I can't seem to stop looking and hoping.
“What did you do to her?”
“Stay out of it.” There are times I hate my life. Nothing is ever private. If I pick my nose it makes front page news. “This is between Bea and me.”
“I'd love to stay out of it. But you're both so bad tempered... I can't.”
I drop the phone – it smashes on the ground – so I can grab him by the lapels of his coat and smack him back up against the wall. He looks up at me, straight in the eye and showing no fear. There are times I want to be my grandfather and just run people through with my sword when they annoy me. “I warned you to leave me alone. Twice.”
“Scholars!”
I'm dragged off him by Soc. “Scholar Sorenson you get up to The Abbot's office. Tell him I will be with him as soon as I've finished calming His Majesty down.”
Jack doesn't need to be told twice and takes off down the cloisters.
“No running.”
He slows down until he reaches the door to The Abbot's office and he goes through it.
“Sit down.” Soc points at a bench against the back wall.
“Leave me alone.”
“I'd love to, but whilst you're in school it's my job to keep you in line.” He was assigned as my schoolmaster because no one else wanted the job. “Now sit down.” This time he doesn't give me any option and does what nobody else would dare do, and pushes me onto the bench. I'm guessing he sits on the arm of the bench so he doesn't lose the height advantage. “What's eating you?”
“Nothing.”
“I believe you.”
“Sarcasm doesn't suit you.” I go to take my phone out to see if Bea has responded and remember what happened. “sh*t.” It's in pieces on the floor of the cloisters. “Can I go get my phone?”
“No. Not until you tell me what on Litae is going on?” He folds his arms and fixes me with the stare that is so like dad's. It's hard to believe they share no DNA. They're both dark and elegant, tall without being monstrous. I now know I come from a long like of huge blond kings but for most of my life I've wondered how I fitted into the Covesea Island royal family.
“I can't Soc. I just can't.” I bury my head in my hands and lean forward. “Please, don't make me say what I did.”
The comforting way he's rubbing my back won't last once I tell him what I said to Bea. He'll start yelling at me and telling me what a rubbish person I am. And he'd be right. What I need is to go home and see Bea – but I'm trapped here in school until just after three. Inside my soul is a flutter but I shove it aside and ignore the feeling I can escape.
“Tell me, Angus.”
“No. I said leave me alone.” I stand up, knocking his hand aside as I do. “I just want to be left alone. Why can't you all do that?”
“Because you decided to have a scrap with Jack in front of everyone and now the Abbot wants to tear us all to shreds. You have well and truly dragged me into this, Angus.” He touches my shoulder. “And I'm your brother. I'm here for you.”
“No you're not. When was the last time I saw you at the palace? When was the last time you did anything with me outside of school?” His touch is unwelcome and I brush his hand aside. When I became king he promised to help me deal with it but he's swanned off to his nice new life in a cottage with his boyfriend and wants nothing more to do with me. I'm heading out of the cloisters into the courtyard.
As he follows me he shouts, “You know I hate the palace – when was the last time you came to visit me in my home? Or is it not good enough for you?”
I turn back to face him. “I'll swap. Bea, Daisy and I will live in your place and you can have the palace.” Neither of us wanted to be king. He lucked out when a DNA test proved he wasn't dad's son. “Then I can finish school, go to university and get a job with the space program instead of being King.”
I then go on to turn him into Mayhem (Great White Falcon) and then have him shot.
CHAPTER ONE
“Fight! Fight! Fight!”
“Get him, King-Boy.”
“Smack him, Jack.”
Salty blood pours from my nose. The cold winter air and the chorus of our classmates fades into the ether. My only focus –causing him pain. I smack him against the rough stone cloister wall and smile at the agony on his face. But he doesn't cry out. He has too much pride for that. Inches off the ground he flails like a rag doll. My fist travels towards him --I'm going to smash him. Crap! I drop him and cover the king's jewels. Swearing will be an option when I can find my breath.
Crap! Crap! Crap! Tears stream from my eye. I'm on my back on the snow covered ground before I know how I got there, curled up in a ball to protect myself from his kicks. He thinks he's won and is celebrating. Hands held high and parading for the courtyard of schoolboys. In his arrogance he makes a fatal mistake. I reach out and grab his ankle, bringing him down to join me. Rolling over, I sit on top of him. This is where my height and weight give me an advantage.
“Go on, King-Boy.” He mouths the words and spits out blood over my school tunic.
I tug my arm. And again. But it doesn't, it won't move. Once more. The strong grip at my wrist registers and I look up. My half-brother looks down at me. When he's pissed, Soc is scary and it sucks all the adrenaline out of me. He lets go and I get off Jack. What on Litae have I done? Why? Jack accepts my offer of a hand to help to his feet. He picks our navy uniform great coats up off the ground and hands me mine.
“Sorry.” His grin is lopsided due to the split and swollen lip. “Your eye-patch.”
“Thanks.” I take it back off him and put it back on to cover the eye he damaged beyond repair in a fight last year. “And, yes, sorry.”
His arm is dangling, so I help him put his coat on over his torn tunic.
“Sorry. You two think you can kiss and make up and this will all be OK?” Soc is furious. His phone vibrates and he takes it from his pocket. “Too much to hope he wouldn't know.”
The courtyard is empty and very quiet. Two hundred boys know we are in the sh*t and not one wants to join us in it. I shrug and study my bare feet. Not sure where I left my boots but I wish I hadn't. My toes are starting to hurt and turn numb.
“Sorry, Master Lorenzo.” Jack also puts himself in the position of disgrace. Hand clasped behind his back, legs slightly apart and his head bowed. I take a quick glance and can see the pain he's in. This time I've got off far more lightly.
“The Abbot wants to see us. You've both well and truly landed me in it.” He leads the way along the covered cloisters. Past plain wooden door, after plan wooden door. Behind each one is a classroom.
The ground is cold here but at least there's no snow. Jack moves closer and whispers, “Do you need help? You're limping.”
“No.” I hadn't even noticed.
My phone vibrates and I take it out. I hate you. B. My wife isn't about to forgive me for this morning's stupidity. I'm sorry. Call me. A. She probably won't respond but I can hope.
“Is that why the queen threw her fan at me this morning? I'm lucky I'm not missing bits.”
Distracted, I stare at the screen. “If she'd wanted to take bits off you'd be missing them. She never misses.” As I predicted, there is no response, but I can't seem to stop looking and hoping.
“What did you do to her?”
“Stay out of it.” There are times I hate my life. Nothing is ever private. If I pick my nose it makes front page news. “This is between Bea and me.”
“I'd love to stay out of it. But you're both so bad tempered... I can't.”
I drop the phone – it smashes on the ground – so I can grab him by the lapels of his coat and smack him back up against the wall. He looks up at me, straight in the eye and showing no fear. There are times I want to be my grandfather and just run people through with my sword when they annoy me. “I warned you to leave me alone. Twice.”
“Scholars!”
I'm dragged off him by Soc. “Scholar Sorenson you get up to The Abbot's office. Tell him I will be with him as soon as I've finished calming His Majesty down.”
Jack doesn't need to be told twice and takes off down the cloisters.
“No running.”
He slows down until he reaches the door to The Abbot's office and he goes through it.
“Sit down.” Soc points at a bench against the back wall.
“Leave me alone.”
“I'd love to, but whilst you're in school it's my job to keep you in line.” He was assigned as my schoolmaster because no one else wanted the job. “Now sit down.” This time he doesn't give me any option and does what nobody else would dare do, and pushes me onto the bench. I'm guessing he sits on the arm of the bench so he doesn't lose the height advantage. “What's eating you?”
“Nothing.”
“I believe you.”
“Sarcasm doesn't suit you.” I go to take my phone out to see if Bea has responded and remember what happened. “sh*t.” It's in pieces on the floor of the cloisters. “Can I go get my phone?”
“No. Not until you tell me what on Litae is going on?” He folds his arms and fixes me with the stare that is so like dad's. It's hard to believe they share no DNA. They're both dark and elegant, tall without being monstrous. I now know I come from a long like of huge blond kings but for most of my life I've wondered how I fitted into the Covesea Island royal family.
“I can't Soc. I just can't.” I bury my head in my hands and lean forward. “Please, don't make me say what I did.”
The comforting way he's rubbing my back won't last once I tell him what I said to Bea. He'll start yelling at me and telling me what a rubbish person I am. And he'd be right. What I need is to go home and see Bea – but I'm trapped here in school until just after three. Inside my soul is a flutter but I shove it aside and ignore the feeling I can escape.
“Tell me, Angus.”
“No. I said leave me alone.” I stand up, knocking his hand aside as I do. “I just want to be left alone. Why can't you all do that?”
“Because you decided to have a scrap with Jack in front of everyone and now the Abbot wants to tear us all to shreds. You have well and truly dragged me into this, Angus.” He touches my shoulder. “And I'm your brother. I'm here for you.”
“No you're not. When was the last time I saw you at the palace? When was the last time you did anything with me outside of school?” His touch is unwelcome and I brush his hand aside. When I became king he promised to help me deal with it but he's swanned off to his nice new life in a cottage with his boyfriend and wants nothing more to do with me. I'm heading out of the cloisters into the courtyard.
As he follows me he shouts, “You know I hate the palace – when was the last time you came to visit me in my home? Or is it not good enough for you?”
I turn back to face him. “I'll swap. Bea, Daisy and I will live in your place and you can have the palace.” Neither of us wanted to be king. He lucked out when a DNA test proved he wasn't dad's son. “Then I can finish school, go to university and get a job with the space program instead of being King.”
I then go on to turn him into Mayhem (Great White Falcon) and then have him shot.
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Jo and I disagreed on Angus when she read part of the first book - she was far more positive about him than I was.
