All I Need ✔️

Chapter 29

Third Person POV

"Are you even trying?" Cassius exclaimed gleefully to his sparring partner, Edward, knocking him to the ground for the fifth time in a row.

"It's not my fault!" Edward replied, slowly rising to his feet. "You're fighting better than you ever have. Find a hot runaway slave girl for me and maybe that'll give me the same level of inspiration."

Prince Cassius smiled while wiping sweat from his forehead. He couldn't deny that having Safania around had improved his battling immensely. But whether that was from inspiration or sexual frustration, he couldn't say.

"So how is it with your mysterious lady?" Edward prodded.

Exciting. Frustrating. Confusing. Fascinating. Addicting. A slew of words floated around in Cassius's head, but unable to pick any single one that would sum up his time with Safania, he shrugged instead.

"Come on, you have to give me more than that," Edward pried.

What could Cassius say about his time with Safania? She had an effect on him like no other. Unlike his brothers, he found it easy to stay emotionless, in-control. That is, until Safania came along and turned his world upside-down. Now he was suddenly okay with her questioning his military strategy, refusing to follow his orders, talking back to him. Alterius and Orphasius would certainly say Safania was making him weak, but despite his change in behavior, Cassius somehow felt even stronger with Safania by his side.

"Hey look," Edward said, ripping him from his thoughts. "King's Guard."

Cassius looked over to see one of his father's guards approaching.

"Wonder what he wants," Cassius said.

"Your highness," the guard said, once he finally made his way across the field. "His Majesty requests your presence in his chambers."

"Is someone in trouble with daddy?" Edward mocked.

"Show some respect or I'll have your head," Cassius replied.

Edward laughed. The two had been friends since childhood, and Edward was one of the few people who understood Cassius's humor.

Prince Cassius left with the guard, leaving Edward behind. "Do you know what he wants?" he asked the guard. The guard shook his head. The two walked in complete silence the rest of the way to the King's chambers.

"Cassius!" the King exclaimed upon seeing his son in the doorway. He was seated at a large, ornate desk. "Come in," he said, gesturing to a chair opposite him.

"Hello father. Why did you send for me?" Cassius asked.

"What is this I hear about you allowing the occupants of one of Abree's border towns to remain there?"

Cassius exhaled sharply. Of course his father would know about that.

"It's a strategy father. I believe that we can flip the border town to our side."

"Risky, no?" his father said, not looking at him, but writing something on the papers in front of him.

"It is worth the risk," Cassius responded.

His father looked up.

"Cassius, you know that war with Irado is imminent. They are the only kingdom remotely equal to ours in power and they are building up their armies. Do you think that is a coincidence? I told you to push back the invasions from Abree, not to engage in kingdom-building during the build up to a war."

"Father, with all due respect, Irado, Peria - to most people they're the same."

"Irado is more ruthless than we would ever imagine being," King Theodore said angrily.