Jacob was slowly awoken by a beam of sunlight resting on his face. His eyelids felt heavy, but he forced them open anyways.
"What...where..."
After his vision adjusted to his surroundings, he could see that he was in the palace's medical ward. A clean white sheet fell off his body as he struggled to sit up. His head was still aching severely; his lips were dry and cracked and his entire body was sore.
Jacob looked to his left and saw Maria laying in the bed next to his. Her dark hair was spread out over her pillow, her chest slowly rose and fell as she let out soft breathes, bandages covered most of her face, but her features were still intact. She seemed to still be asleep. Relief slowly washed over his body.
"Quite an eventful night we had yesterday."
The kings low voice rang through the room as he spoke. Jacob didn't even notice him standing so close until he said something. He walked over to Jacob and placed a hand on his shoulder for a short moment.
"I have to talk to you about something."
A troubled expression spread across the king's face.
"My brother... your uncle. He took something from the castle."
The king pulled his hand away and looked across the hall.
"It seems like banishing him from the kingdom didn't stop him from planning my downfall after all. I thought I was being merciful out of respect for your mom, but it seems like I can't allow him to live anymore."
He stared at Jacob in the eyes once more.
"I need you to become strong, Jacob. I can see your potential after what you did to that man when I found you."
Jacob looked away from his father when he said this. He knew that he hardly did any damage to Veal. It was Maria who did all the fighting practically. Pushing down his shame, Jacob started to speak.
"What did he take from the palace?"
His father hesitated for a moment.
"An enchantment. An extremely powerful at that."
"What kind of enchantment was it? What does it do?"
"It has the ability the suppress a person's power, and I don't mean that it weakens them physically. It suppresses their curse, blessing or rend power."
Jacob is shocked such an enchantment exists. It practically defies the law of how the world currently worked between powerhouses. It was not an understatement to say that this enchantment may one day give someone the potential to rule the world.
"So... why do you need me to get it? Isn't someone else available like Mr. Katra?"
"I need to stay here and protect the kingdom as best I can. If I go out, that gives him an opportunity to sneak in and go on a massacre. As for my right hand, I have other plans for him for this situation."
Jacob nodded to show he understood.
"Before you can leave, you need to become stronger. I won't be there to save you if you get in trouble again. I will summon you when I feel the time is ready."
"Yes sir, I understand."
"Good."
With that, the king started walking towards the exit. Passing Maria's bed, he looked down at her.
"By the way, I forgot to ask. Who is this girl that I found with you?"
Jacob looked at Maria's bandaged body.
"The worst meat shield a prince could ask for. She's fired for sure. However, she proved to be surprisingly adequate in the fight against that man. She also follows my orders to a tea. If possible, I would like to keep her by my side for this mission you request of me."
The king let out a low chuckle and smirked.
"It is your choice if you choose to keep someone who looks so weak by your side. Just don't let her hold you back."
Jacob ignored these remarks.
"How much longer do I have to wait before I can start my training?"
The king shrugged.
"Eh... only three more days. The nurse I assigned to you both is using his blessing to speed the healing process."
Jacob looked around the room searching for the nurse. There, sitting in a corner, was and old man sitting on a stool. His head was tilted sideways and he was fast asleep, with drool dripping out of his mouth on to the floor.
"...maybe four more days."
"Is that really the best nurse you could find? He looks senile!"
"Hey, healing you two was no easy feat. I'd give the man more credit if I were you. He basically brought you two back from the dead."
Jacob just slumped over in his bed
'Four more days... Ugh. And how come it seems like everyone has a power except for me? I thought they were supposed to be rare...'
"Until next time."
The king left the room and quietly closed the door behind him. As soon as the door closed, Jacob heard the voice of a woman.
"Why did you not tell him?"
Maria was awake. Her jade-colored eyes stared up at the ceiling. Jacob seemed confused.
"Tell him what?"
"About my power, about me uh...throwing you over my shoulder. I hurt you and I failed you. Why leave me unpunished?"
Jacob looked at her. A frown appeared on his face.
"Because I failed you too. Believe it or not, but for me being so amazing, all I do is fail. No matter what I do, no matter what I accomplish, it is never enough. Not for me, not for my father, not for anyone. At this rate, I'll never live up to the legacy I am destined to inherit."
Maria sat up in her bed.
"Then I think you should create your own legacy. One much greater than your fathers."
"You must've kicked your head too hard. What you are asking of me is impossible."
"Then it looks like you have to make it possible."
Jacob laughed silently to himself.
"It looks like I do."
He rubbed his head for a moment before continuing.
"Are you well enough to move around? I want to run a few errands before we start training."
Maria met his gaze and smiled slightly.
"Are you commanding me to accompany you around?"
"That's not what I asked."
"I feel good enough to accompany you."
Jacob then stood up from his bed and stretched. His lean muscles moved underneath his bandages. Maria looked away, slightly blushing for a moment but quickly composed herself. Jacob noticed her look away but was unsure why.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
Maria answered quietly.
"Yes. I am fine. Just getting used to sitting up."
"Good. Because I have some exciting news!"
"What is it?"
"For the time being, you are promoted from meat shield to crippled meat shield! Congratulations!"
"What's the difference?"
"The difference is people will feel worse about needing to beat you up! Anyway, let's head out. We have a long day ahead of us."
Maria smiled faintly once more before leaving her bed and following the prince out of the room.