Prescott’s pov
“497,” I grunted as I pushed the barbells over my head. My arms shook with effort, balls of sweat dripping down my face.
“498,” I counted, the air burning in my lungs. I felt lightheaded, my vision blurring at the edges. But I couldn’t stop now. I had to push through to get the thoughts off my head.
“499,” I panted, the world narrowing to the two weights I held above my head. My body was howling for me to stop, but I kept going.
“500!” I shrieked, gritting my teeth. My arms were on fire, my chest heaving as I gasped for air. But I wasn’t done yet. Not when I still had the thought of killing someone on my mind.
“501!” I roared, the barbells wobbling as I combated to keep them still.
“502!” I could barely see straight, my legs throbbing with the effort of standing. I could hear faint grumbling beside me but I could care less about anyone or anything else at that moment.
“I think you should stop!” Wharton barked for me to stop, he tried to move closer to me but I howled out for him to come bear me and die.
“503!” I gave one last, energetic push, and the barbells clattered to the floor, making a loud ear-blasting sound as soon as they collided with the marble floor.
I collapsed, breathing hard, my muscles shaking. But I had done it. Over 500 reps and like magic, the thoughts vanished from my mind.
“I told you to leave, didn’t I?” I groaned, my chest rose and fell as I panted heavily.
“How can I leave when you’re losing your mind?” Wharton yelled and I shook my head.
“Great! You never listen to me.” I kissed my teeth, propped my knee on the floor and stood up to my feet.
So much for having a King and elders who seemed to be more significant than the King himself.
I walked away from the mini gym and entered my office, I grabbed a bottle of water from the table and gulped down a large quantity. I plugged into the seat across the table, panting heavily.
“How long have you been here? Let me guess, since last night?” Wharton asked, walking over to me with a face towel in his hands.
“So?” I groaned, unable to say much due to how unsteady my breath was.
“Shouldn’t you be having a nice night with your bride, why did you choose to spend your wedding night at the office?” he smirked and I shut tight my lids.
Was he trying to get me mad, or was he being honest right now?
“I have nothing to say to you.” I flickered my eyes open, grabbed the towel from him and wiped off the balls of sweat that formed on my face.
“Guess Ulrica was right, you used her for your withered plans.” he rolled his eyes before shaking his head.
I didn’t know what Ulrica discussed with him and I wasn’t in any way interested in knowing what they had said behind my back.
“When you’re done blabbing, you get out of my office.” I relaxed into the seat, glaring at Wharton who wouldn’t shut his mouth.
“Are you still mad at the elders? Do you seriously want to get rid of the elders?” he asked, resting his butt on the table.
“Get your ass off my table!” I howled, glaring at the tons of files that piled up on the table.
“You need the elders, Prescott. You need them in your diplomacy more than anyone.” Wharton tried to touch me but I moved away from him.
“That’s where you get it all wrong, I never need them, I don’t need them in any way!” I tossed the bottle at him, and he ducked and grabbed it in the air.
Wharton dropped the bottle on the table before crossing his arms around his chest.
“No, Prescott, I think that’s not true,” he slapped his forehead in annoyance and released a deep sigh. “They are the executives, I believe they have their reasons. Why…”
“I can’t withstand such nonsense anymore!” I cut him off his speech.
I sprang up from the seat, fuming in anger as I feared they all must have thought of me as a lagged King.
Was I lagging?
“I am still the King of this nation and I ought to oversee everything that is going on in the nation.” I didn’t know why it was so hard for them to understand me. They called me their King, yet I couldn’t tell if I was ruling my people or if someone is ruling in my stead.
Wharton sighed sadly, he tilted his head to a side and nodded as if he suddenly remembered something or someone who seemed to be a missing link to the situation.
“Is this about Eruba?” he asked the question I had been asking myself for quite some time now.
Was I getting all worked up because someone like Eruba was still out there, ravaging the nation I had put my blood and sweat to protect? Or because I couldn’t tell if I was doing the right thing as the King?
Apparently, I had a lot of fear that no one knew about.
“The rogue’s leader or not, I ought to be a free King, not the one that would be tied to a seat in the name of being the King while other people rule for me.” I blurted out with a burning feeling in my chest.
I thought I could keep up with the situation, but my tolerance was at its peak.
“What do you…”
“Hey, best friends!” Ulrica’s annoying yet cheerful voice chipped in through the exit, cutting Wharton off amidst his sentence.
I ruffled my hair, letting out a muffled sigh.
Ulrica walked up to us and stood in front of Wharton, glaring hard at him.
“You?! Didn’t you know what today is? Why did you keep Prescott here when he should be getting ready for the royal breakfast?” she huffed, her fist clenched into a tight ball.
“What did you mean by I was keeping him here when he is the one who was holding me back from leaving here?” Wharton grumbled, returning the cold stare Ulrica was giving him.
I hissed and strolled towards the small room in my office.
“I never asked you to stay. In fact, I wanted you to leave, but you chose to stay even when your presence did nothing to make me feel better.” I spat out before entering the room to get dressed for breakfast.
I wouldn’t have acknowledged the royal breakfast if it wasn’t for Aunt Velvena who would come for my head if I miss the gathering.
I took more than necessary time in the bathroom before striding back to the room. I walked to the closet and fetch what I would be wearing for breakfast. Something plain but cool.
I was clad in a dust-streaked plaid shirt over a pair of black jeans. I rolled up the sleeves of the shirt and styled my jet-black hair to the back, leaving a few strands on the side of my face.
I stepped out of the room only to meet Ulrica pacing back and forth in my office with Wharton gone. I was expecting to meet either of them, and I was a little bit upset to still find Ulrica there.
“Why are you still here? Aren’t you supposed to leave the room with him?” I groaned out the words that came to my mind immediately after I saw her.
“Oh, gracious goodness! I am waiting for you to get out of that freaking room?” she stomped her foot on the floor and I knitted my brows at that.
What was that for?
“Why is that? Do you have anything to tell me?” I asked, walking passed her to fetch my chain from the table.
“Because I want to join you at the royal breakfast!” she dropped the bombshell and I widened my eyes in shock.
“Why would you want to feast with the royals when this is for the Queen?!” I crossed my arms over my chest, staring right into her chestnut eyes.
What could be her reason for wanting to eat with the family?
“Because I am your friend! Besides, I don’t think Aunt Velvena would mind tho, would she?” she reluctantly dragged her feet to the ground.
I picked up the chain and wore it around my arm.
“If that’s what you want, don’t just stand there and come with me.” I turned around and strolled towards the exit with Ulrica running after me.
“Do you know, I’ve been wanting to ask, why did you keep living in your father’s building when you could have moved into your building with your Queen?” she emphasised on the last word, I uncomfortably moved away from her and took in a drag of air.
“Could you please stop talking about women and marriage? Isn’t it obvious that I don’t want to move into the building my father made the built for my future mate, with her?” I groaned out, basically getting angry with the way she kept reminding me of that girl.
“Oh, I’m sorry!” Ulrica pouted and rested her head on my shoulder.
I didn’t read the meaning of her action. She has been doing that for years and I let her be.
We were still walking and Ulrica still had her head rested on my shoulder. On getting to my building I had turned into a hall because I did not want it to be empty for long.
Nova was standing there with a maid beside her. She seemed to be engrossed in the fountains because she couldn’t stop grinning hard as soon as her gaze moved to it.
I whizzed angrily and tried to move Ulrica away from me, I gripped her waist and was about to pull her away when Nova turned around to look at me, her bottle-green eyes glinted and I shook in shock.
She turned around and strode inside the building with the maid running after her.
I felt neglected and I was curious to know why I felt that way when it was I who told her not to cross my lane, ever again.
I gently shoved Ulrica away from me and turned over to face her.
“You should head back from here, eat breakfast in your room and come over to my office later, come help me with the paperwork.” I turned away from her and strolled inside the building.
Leaving her there to mull over how she was going to get back to her room.