The Broken Crown

Chapter 29

Asha

When Thomas had returned home the night before, he had been even more tired and even more drunk than she could remember having seen him before – and that was to say something.

 The state of the Royal Bank, which was his duty to uphold, was crashing downwards as much as he was. As a result of that, he drowned his worries in spirits every night and every morning, he woke up guilty and miserable, set on working away his bad thoughts.

 He had been teaching her the arts of war for weeks now. He still taught her, as he had promised, and she knew one day he would be her enemy and she would have to use his knowledge against him in war, but still she worried. Despite herself, she worried for his misery and his drunkenness.

 The only times she really saw him smile these days was when he was with Celeste. She was one of the Queen’s ladies-in-waiting and probably one of the most beautiful women Asha had ever seen. She was also one of the richest and kindest, and whenever Thomas spoke to her, it seemed a bit of hope lit up his face. And yet, when he returned home, he would bury his face in his hands and shake his head in shame before pouring himself yet another cup.

 She watched as he did this, late at night, after he had tutored her in the arts of war. He did not know much, but he knew enough, and she thought that soon she would know all that he knew.

“My lord,” she said, and he turned around, lost his footing and regained it again just in time to prevent his small body from toppling to the floor. “Thomas, I think… I think I might be ready now.”

“Ready?” He frowned, sipped from his drink and jumped onto a chair.

“To go back home.” Asha shuffled in her seat. Her legs were pulled beneath her body, folded the way she did at home. She loved Thomas for allowing her to sit like that in their classes. “I think I’ve learned enough.” He nodded and took a sip from his cup, almost as though he did not care, but Asha had learned to recognize sadness in his eyes. After all, it had been almost ever-present. “I’m sorry to go.”

“And I’m sorry to see you go,” he told her. “You’re a very bright young lady. Your people should be happy to have you back.”

 She could not help but smile. She knew that Thomas was not just bright; he was one of the cleverest men in the country. His compliments were some of the most valuable to her. “Thank you.”

 “When will you go?” he questioned. She thought she heard regret in his voice.

 She shrugged. “I don’t know yet. Soon. I will talk to the King soon, and thank him for his hospitality.”

 He nodded. “That’s good. Do you know what they say of you? At court, I mean,” he added when she looked puzzled.

 “No.” Her body tensed slightly in anticipation.

 “They say you’re the most delightful little girl, with manners to match a princess.” He smiled warmly, sadness still present in his eyes, but at least it was a real smile. And of course, a smile crept onto her face, too.

“Is that so?”

“Yes.” He nodded. “It is.” He blinked away what she thought looked like tears and put away his cup. “I think you should go to bed now.”

If there was one thing she had learned about Thomas these past years, then it was that to him, there was no big difference between sadness and happiness. One triggered the other so easily, so every now and then, he would need to be alone. “Okay,” she said.

As she left, she took his hand and squeezed it, giving him a little smile. He returned it, but she knew that his smile had vanished as soon as she could no longer see him.