“You know, it’s rude to make assumptions about people’s upbringings,” he snaps.
“Woah. Okay, sorry. I didn’t know it was a touchy subject for you. Probably because I don’t know much about you at all.” I sit up and give my barking legs a stretch.
He turns his back to me, striding to put away the scattered weapons, sweat beading on the tips of his dark hair. “You know nothing about me,” he mutters under his breath.
“Because you don’t let me. We’ve spent every morning together for months. We might as well get to know each other. Maybe it will ease some of this hostility.”
“You haven’t seen hostile yet, witch,” he says.Withhostility.
“So you’d prefer to shut everyone out? It’s getting old. This act where you belittle me, degrade me, pretend not to care about anything. I don’t think you’re as tough as you pretend to be.”
He heaves an annoyed sigh, tossing the weapon in his hand to the ground and turning to face me in a dramatic manner.
“What is it you want to know?” He holds his arms out.
“Anything.” I pull my knees in, wrapping my fatigued arms around them. “How did you become Captain of the Guard?”
“The normal way. I worked for it.”
“Were you a fighter before?”
“I fought in the king’s armies, yes,” he answers tightly, annoyance edging his voice.
“Have you…” I trail off, suddenly wondering if that’s too personal a question to ask.
“Have I what?” His brows raise expectantly.
“Killed people?”
I hold my breath. He looks at me like I have a third eye.
“Yes, witch. I have killed before. It’s sort of a requirement for winning a war.”
“Right.” I nod. “Of course it is.”
“When the time comes, you’ll do the same,” he says, casually pushing his hair back. I jolt forward.
“Woah, woah, woah. I don’t plan to kill anyone.”
“Your destiny is to ride the last dragon left in Solterre. Killing comes with the territory. It comes with defending a nation.”
“I can’t.” I shake my head. “I can’t kill anyone.”
“Why not?”
“Is that a serious question?” I sputter.
“Yes. What are you afraid of? What are you afraid will happen if you do?”
“I won’t be able to live with myself knowing that I killed someone, that I took their life.”
“Believe me when I say from experience you can. Not everyone is good.” His eyes harden.
“That doesn’t mean we should be the ones to decide who lives or dies.”
“When the time comes, you’ll be able to do it. When you’re faced with the choice to kill or be killed, you will choose to kill. To survive. You will kill just like the rest of us vile creatures.”
With that, he stalks off, leaving me to contemplate mydestiny. What they’re hoping I will become for the good of the kingdom.
