As Jacob walked towards the throne room, a faint anger started swelling in his gut. He knew it wasn't his father's fault, but hearing Maria's story made him harbor a small bit of resentment for not helping her sooner.
'Now's not the time. Not yet. Just focus on getting stronger.'
Jacob pushed open the massive doors of the throne room. He saw his father sitting on his throne, looking down at him.
"My son, what a pleasant surprise. I unfortunately do not have the whereabouts of your uncle quite yet if that's what you came to talk to me about."
Jacob straightened his back and looked at his father with a confident stance. His face was stern and prideful as he spoke.
"I need a favor from you, father."
"A favor? Interesting... you never ask for favors often. What is it you need?"
"I need you to slow my blood down. Constantly."
A look of surprise spread over the king's face.
"Constantly? Why do you want me to do that?"
"I need to get stronger. Much stronger. I want to try pushing my limits as much as I possibly can."
The king looked at him impressed.
"You do realize the consequences of slowing your blood down, correct? Your heart will be working overtime to try and pump oxygen through your body. There's no guarantee you will not have a heart attack from the strain."
"I understand. I'm ready for it."
The king let out a low chuckle.
"Very well. But I will only slow your blood down by half. Anymore and you will be sure to die."
"Do what you must."
With that, Jacob slowly felt a strange sensation wash over his body. His heartbeat quickened, his limbs started feeling weaker, his head felt light and he couldn't think straight.
Jacob dropped to his knees for a moment, trying to get used to the state his body was currently in.
"What's wrong? Can't take it already?"
Jacob angrily grinded his teeth and used all his might to get back on his feet and look at his father.
"I'm... fine. Don't you dare stop it."
The king felt a small chill wash over him for a moment.
"Woah. That's one scary look you got there. You are definitely my son."
Jacob slowly turned around and attempted to walk out of the room. Every few steps he needed to catch his breath. Before he made it through the doors, he grabbed on to the wall for balance. Immediately, a servant rushed to help him up.
"Please don't help me. I have to do this on my own."
With that, Jacob slowly walked out of the room. Each step he took felt like he weighed as much as a massive boulder.
'I have to start off small... Then I can slowly climb up more and more from there. Just one step at a time. One step at a time.'
Jacob kept repeating these words in his head while he continued walking through the palace.
'I'm not allowed to go to sleep until I do three laps around the kingdom. The palace alone isn't enough. It needs to be the whole kingdom.'
He left the palace doors at a snail's pace. Walking down the stairs of the palace into the streets was extremely difficult, but Jacob already started to get used to keeping his balance while walking. Beads of sweat were dripping down his face and leaking through his shirt.
'Damn it... has it always been this hot?'
He clenched his teeth and continued walking, panting heavily with every step he took. Minutes turned into hours as Jacob was finishing his second lap around the entire kingdom. The sun was already starting its descent in the sky. He had only a few more hours before nightfall.
'One more lap. Just keep walking. One foot in front of the other. You're basically done Jacob.'
Before continuing, he took out a pouch of water and greedily drank from it. He used more of it to pour over his head to cool him off a bit.
'Just one more step. One more step.'
The last lap was the most grueling. He was beyond exhausted, running low on water, hungry, and he still had a small flight of stairs he had to ascend before reaching the palace once more.
'Damn it.'
Staring at the stairs for a few moments, Jacob waited for his heart to settle as much as it could before he took the first step. It felt like he was tied to a tree trunk and was told to drag it up the stairs. Every single step he made took used every ounce of strength he had.
'One more. Just one more. You're seriously going to let a single step stop you?! Like hell!'
The words he repeated were no longer being used to keep his focus, they were being used to keep him sane. There was no doubt what he was attempting was beyond the realm of what any reasonable, sane man would do.
After what felt like hours, Jacob finally reached the top of the steps and fell to his knees. He turned around to look at the sky with its newfound violet hue.
'I did it. I did it. I...'
And with that final thought, Jacob fell asleep on top of the stairs. Luckily, a servant was able to spot him after he collapsed and ran over to him.
"J-Jacob?! Jacob, are you okay?"
It was Maria. She just happened to be walking by the palace front doors at the exact moment he collapsed. She held Jacob in her arms and listened for a heartbeat.
Relief washed over her face as she held her ear to his chest. Studying the sleeping prince, she looked over his body to make sure there weren't any wounds she was missing.
However, she didn't find as much as a scratch on him. His clothes were drenched, either from water or his own sweat. His pants he wore were ragged and torn at the knees, most likely from when he would lose his balance or fall.
Confirming the prince's condition to just be from exhaustion, Maria scooped him up in her arms and carried him back into the palace.
As she was walking towards his chambers to drop him off, the king noticed her carrying his son and approached.
"Ah. What do we have here?"
Maria stopped in her tracks, refusing to turn around to meet the king's glare.
"Is that my son in your arms, servant?"
"Yes, my lord. I found him collapsed outside. I examined him for any wounds, but he appears to have just fallen from exhaustion."
The king let out a low chuckle and slowly approached Maria from behind. He whispered into Maria's ear.
"Allow me to take him from your hands. I don't believe it's your job to touch my son, is it?"
Maria shivered as his voice escaped his mouth.
"I must insist that I should be the one who carries him back. I assure you, no harm will come to him."
The king walked around her to look into her eyes directly. Maria refused to meet his dark gaze.
"Oh? Are you not going to answer my question?"
Maria felt a small bit of panic loom in her stomach.
"It is not my job, my lord. I thought I was just doing a service to the kingdom to make sure your son is safe. You may take him the rest of the way."
Maria gently laid Jacob down on the floor and stood up with her back firm.
Suddenly, the king threw a massive fist into Maria's stomach. The force made the walls around them shake. Maria coughed up a mound of blood from the sudden attack and fell to the ground clutching her stomach.
"You listen to me servant and listen well."
Maria didn't respond. She struggled to push more into her lungs with each breath.
"I don't want a weakling like you being around my son ever again. Do you understand?"
Maria nodded her head, still shaking.
"Good. Now go back to where you belong and stop holding my son back. I didn't want to have to do this."
The king slowly bent down and lifted up his son in his arms. Jacob still laid motionless as the king turned around and walked away.
Maria used her strength to push herself off the ground and stand up. Instead of being depressed, her eyes were filled with tears of wrath. However, it was not the king she was mad at. She was mad at herself for being so weak.
"I will get stronger. I must. I have to for the prince. He's relying on me. I can't let him down."