"Hey, I'm trying to be a villainess here, so could you leave me alone? I'm in a bad mood."
"Miss, you just threw coffee over your fiance and now he's crying."
"He was being annoying!"
"He's the crown prince of this country!"
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"You are the crown prince, Luis. Do better than that."
Terren held the wooden sword, his expressions sharp against Luis' fearful posture.
Luis lowered his posture, swallowing tight. Both hands fidgeted around the hilt of the wooden sword, and his eyes were stuck on Terren's every move.
Terren was much more relaxed. Holding his own with only one hand, he stood straight, calm, and with an elegance in his posture unmistakable of an expert.
He wasn't that much older, though.
Terren glanced to the side. Luis looked over, curious-- and gets sharply bonked on the head. He whined in protest, Terren only sighed.
"Luis," he started morosely, "training you to the art of the sword at this point is meaningless. That is not what I've been told to teach you."
Luis shrank, knowing what came next. It always went this way.
"Knighthood training will begin in two years for you, but it will all be meaningless if you do not become stronger," Terren told him firmly, "you are the crown prince, Luis. You cannot be weakened by a mere setback like this."
Terren was always the nicest one. Even Victor, Luis' own younger brother, was strict and held himself strongly. He was the precise opposite of Luis, and although no one showed it, Luid knew that some people preferred for Victor to succeed the throne.
Luis was weak-willed. He was not a leader.
But Victor-- he was strong. He was responsible and understanding.
"I know what you're thinking," Terren crouches down before Luis, a judgemental gaze locked into his eyes, "you're thinking that Victor would make a better king."
Luis shrank back, not denying.
Terren held his sword before him eyes softening at the younger. Luis' eyes did not meet him even once— how could such a small and meek child become a brave king? It was too much pressure on Terren. How could they expect him to train such a weak prince?
So he crouched down and smiled at Luis.
"I don't think you'll make a good king, Luis," he said, frankly, but his words were not sharp, "but I believe you can become a great man."
Luis' eyes brightened, filled with confusion and disbelief.
