Castle Courtyard

A sword whistled through the air, slicing into a dummy. Hay exploded from where its head should have been. A smirk played over Zephyrus's face. "Too bad it wasn't an actual human." He said before slicing it again, this time the stomach. He pounced backward, as if avoiding an imaginary seing from his oppnent. He stabbed, slashed, and sliced the dummy until there was pretty much nothing left. Sweat beaded above his brow as he used his shirt to clean specks of dirt off his sword. Unlike the other soldiers who only trained for an hour or two, he had trained for most of the day. He didn't stop until he had everything perfect.

Edgar moved from the barracks, his arms filled with various dummies and things for training. He placed them into his cart before his eyes landed on Zephyrus. He shook his head lightly, his face stone like as usual. He then moved back into the barracks to gather yet more equipment. The training was going well, she was picking up the techniques rather quickly. But there was still a long way to go.

Zephyrus spotted the old man moving in and out of the barracks. He wiped the sweat from his brow and moved over to him, leaning on the cart as he eyed Edar. "Looks like you go through them rather quickly." He said simply. His eyes never looking away, he was surveying Edgar, taking everything in about him.

Edgar's face remained stone like as he dumped the next load into the cart. "Mind your own damn business." he snarled to him as he tapped his body away from his cart with his staff. He didn't like him. From the first moment he saw him he took an instant dislike to him. He reminded him too much of the rest of the high ranking men in the kingdom. Bitter, powerful and ruthless. Not a good combination.

Zephyrus rose an eyebrow before backing up a bit. "Someone's not in a good mood." He muttered before walking back to the training area. He was smart enough to respect elders and those of higher authority, his father had pounded that into him as a child. Women were the one exception, there job was to bear children, clean the house, and satisfy a man when he needed it. A smirk rolled across his face as he thought of Amelia. "I heard a woman has been terrorizing the place, her name is Amelia." He said turning back to Edgar.

Edgar's jaw clenched as he glared at him. "Then leave me alone." he said as he began to sort through the things in the back of his cart. His head lifted to him as his eyebrows rose momentarily before they cam together in the stone like manner once more. "Go and ask someone who gives a damn." he said simply as he sorted through which objects would benefit new training and ones that would perfect skills already learned.

Zephyrus rose his eyebrow again. "So defensive, do you have anything to do with her?" He asked. He knew for a fact that someone was helping Amelia but he wasn't sure who. He knew that Edgar had been talking to Amelia for she was pregnant. But the king took care of that matter. "I will just ask the king then." He said simply.

Edgar looked up to him with a snarl. "Not any more." He said simply. As far as the king or anyone else was concerned he had nothing to do with her since the incident where she had lost the baby. "Go and ask him. I'm sure he'd love for you to interrupt his time with the queen." he said as one corner of his mouth perked up slightly. "Let's see what you get."

Zephyrus picked up his sword as Edgar talked. "I am not that stupid, old man." He retorted, he only asked the king questions when he sent for him. Yet he was careful, he knew when to ask them and how to ask them. "I heard she lost her baby too." He said, a slight smirk appeared on his face.

"You could have fooled me." he barked across to him. His fists clenched tightly within the wagon as she mentioned the baby. "She did." he said through gritted teeth, although you couldn't really tell the difference from his usual tone. He closed the back of the cart and pushed past him to the front. He stroked the horse lightly before pulling himself onto the cart.

Zephyrus smirked, he hit home. It was fun to anger people with words. "That's too bad. It would have been fun to fight him." He drawled on as he inspected his sword. He knew Amelia was here somewhere and soon he would find her. Word was slowly getting out that he wanted her for other purposes. Yet if the king had other things in mind, he wouldn't stand in his way.

Edgar's knuckles cracked. "I'm sure a baby is just about in your calibre." he said with a light smirk. He'd heard what he was planning to do to Amelia. Laughter echoed in his head, if he tried to do that when the training was complete, he wouldn't be a man to say the least. He had grown attached to the girl in all honesty. He'd never let on that of course, he was a stone hearted man, that's how people saw him these days.
But he did care for her. Even though he wont show it not take it easy on her.

Zephyrus laughed lightly. "Of course I would wait until he was an adult, its no fun until then." He said, twirling his sword about. Carelessly swinging it through the air. His training was done for the day, he was satisfyed with the results as they were always getting better. He continued to watch the old man. The thought of following him crossed his mind but he knew he couldn't go anywhere unless ordered to.

Edgar shook his head lightly. "Of course you would. Your skills only match that of a baby Zephy." he said saying the nickname as if speaking to a child. He then whipped at the reigns, the horse set off in a steady trot. As he disappeared from Zephyrus's view a servant approached him. "The king demands your attendance." he said in a slightly fearful tone. He had grown to fear everyone in the castle that wasn't a fellow slave, he had received beating from them all at on time or another.
"Please, f-follow me." he stuttered slight before swallowing. He then lead the way into the castle.

Zephyrus watched as Edgar left. "I know you hiding something." He muttered to himself, then turned to the slave. He nodded his head and followed the slave. He took in how the slave feared all those of higher power. 'It is good that some know their place.' He thought to himself as he followed the slave.

The slave knocked lightly on the door. "What!?" came a voice from the inside. The slave pushed the door open slightly. "S-sire Zephyrus is here to see you." the slave stuttered. Hazari was just finishing a large feast, he liked to feast after sex. "Bring him in." he said as the slave pushed the door open fully, allowing Zephyrus to enter before closing it behind him as he himself exited the room.
Hazari licked his fingers as he placed a large chicken skeleton on to the table where various other scraps and naked bones rested. From pigs and the like. He then moved his hands to the side as a young maid, no older than 14, wiped his hands clean for him. He then slapped her ass and sent her on her way.
"Ah, Zephyrus. Good to see you."

Zephyrus walked forward and bowed his head with respect. "Good to see you as well, my king." He said before standing straight once again. He glanced the maid as she was sent away before turning his attention back to Hazari. "You called, sire?" He said carefully.

Hazari rubbed his hands together lightly. He was in one of his rare good moods. Due to the events that had happened previously. He smirked as he thought before looked back to Zephyrus. "I have been told that in my absence you have been constructing defences and the like." he said as he stroked at his chin lightly. "How goes that?" he asked with a strangely welcoming tone.

Zephyrus smiled lightly. "They are doing well, the ballistas are performing much better than I expected. All of them have been made in the exact way to the designs." He said, he had made sure that they wouldn't snap. He himself had tested them. He had taught the soldiers how to use them and how to quickly repair them if they could be. "The agriculture is also improving as well."

"Good, good." he said with a tilt of his head. "It has also been brought to my attention.. that you have history with Amelia." he said with a raised eyebrow. The smile suddenly wiped from his face only to be replaced by a smirk. "I haven't heard from her in a good few months. Which is clearly the calm before the storm." he said as he cracked his neck. "She will attempt to come for me. She has allied herself with a lycan, who in turn is a member of a tribe." he said as he traced a finger over his bottom lip.
"She is a quite powerful enemy. But I did not get to become king just sitting here and waiting to be attacked." he said with a laugh. "Your defences are merely part of it." he looked out of the window before back to him. "She will clearly have more allies than a tribe of lycans. So I need more defences and plans than what you yourself have provided, with my utmost gratitude might I add." he cleared his throat then.
"Vampires." he said simply.

Zephyrus smiled lightly. "I don't exactly have a history with her, although I will admit. I want to create a future with her." He said with a dark smile. Then his eyebrows drew together. Lycans? Why would she ally herself with them? He dismissed the thought for later as Hazari continued to speak. "Vampires, my king?" He asked curiously. "And how will you use them?"

Hazari raised a finger to him. "You wont touch her until my say so." he said sternly before smirking once more. "Lycan's will not attack any vampire for risk of a war. So I have convinced some vampires to take up 'residence' here." he said with a raised eyebrow. "That way her lycan allies are rendered useless to her and she will be alone." he laughed darkly then. "She may have other allies. Which is what I want you to find out." he said with a tilt of his head. "You can remain hidden and spy or you can do it your way. But if you touch her in a specific way. I will kill you myself. Do you understand me?"

Zephyrus nodded his head. "I understand, sire." He said, bowing his head. He wondered to himself what Hazari planned to do with Amelia. He kept it to himself for the last thing he wanted to do was have his head rolling on the floor. "Is there anything else, my king?" He asked, straightening himself once more.

Hazari smiled lightly. "Good." he said as he cracked his neck once more. "Not for the moment. Do you have any questions for me?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. This was a rarity indeed. He never let anyone question him usually. Unless of course he was in a good mood like he was right now.

---

Edgar pulled the cart outside the hut. "Girl!" he shouted as he dismounted himself before stretching his back before it clicked. "I have the equipment. Have you been doing the hand techniques which I told you to do?" he hissed to her. He pulled the back of the cart down. "Get out here and unload all this stuff! You don't expect me to do the work of a woman do you?" he said gesturing a hand before sitting himself in his chair in the grass next to where he had set up the outside training area.

Zephyrus thought for a moment. "Will the vampires get in the way?" He asked carefully. Not wanting to upset the king in any way. He would do as he was told so long as no one else got in his way. He remained tall, not looking the king in the eye.

---

Amelia came out from behind the tent. "Yes, I have done the hand techniques." She said calmly before going to the cart. She surveyed the equipment for a moment before lifting it out. She took it to the training area and set it down. She looked over at Edgar, waiting for his next command.