Fallen Kingdom ✔️

Survival

I was awoken from my slumber by my noisy brothers rushing inside screaming about deer and rabbit. I got out of Prince Bowen's tent to find that my brothers hunted seven rabbits and two deer. We had enough food for everyone and some for travel.

"Dearest brothers, I am so proud! You remember your hunting skills from Father! At least we'll be able to survive with everyone's skills. Did you three get any berries?"

"No." Rolande spoke up.

"Any leaves?"

"No." Jovsin replied.

"What about nuts or vegetables or fruits?"

Svenon snapped. "Of course not! You told us to get food, here is food! We need meat, that's all."

The others all groaned at the three idiot princes. I stood at my eldest brothers front, looking him in the eye. "You are so stubborn. You can't even admit when I'm right!"

"I am the one who's going to be king, not you. You weren't locked up in a cage, tortured every day of those seven years?"

"Tortured? I was more than tortured. Stop being such a little girl! I've been through more than you and I am still acting more mature than you! I raised myself to adulthood! I was nearly killed every day of my life! I worked and worked until my fingernails fell off, practiced fighting for the day we would take down Irseval, did more work, practiced magic, made dinner for myself and Timour, then fed the horses and cleaned out their stalls! I had no rest other than a few short hours of sleep. I walked around all of Servania every day for money! My feet were so blistered that I stopped feeling pain! They just were swollen all the time! If I were home, that wouldn't have happened! I hate that they died too and I wish I was in captivity with you, but I wasn't! Something mother would have said was fate."

"Fate? Fate that you could to live freely for seven years while we had knives to our throats?!"

I rolled my eyes. "Svenon, you're twenty seven now, act like it! I had knives to my throat constantly too! Get over yourself! I'll take the high road here and get the rest myself. Prince Bowen, care to accompany me?"

"If I get to learn more about survival, I'd love to."

Together, Prince Bowen and I walked out of the safety of the cave and into the dangerous forest once again. I had a basket with me so we could carry all the food we gather.

Prince Bowen crouched down at a tree. "Are these edible?"

"Yes, those are truffles. They are quite yummy too. Like a dessert. You can take as many as those as you'd like. I'll keep gathering food. Then together we can hunt for rabbit or deer or whatever you'd like to eat."

"You're sure being kind to me today."

I sighed. "At this point, I think you're the only one I can trust."

"It was the opposite when we first started."

"I know, that's the worst part. Striker is acting crazy, my brothers aren't themselves and Rathelia and George are confusing me with who's side they're on. Svenon and I never got along well, but the way he's acting now is not the way he used to. Something happened to him and I don't like it. He used to encourage me to eat my other food, as I only wanted to eat meat. Having him only want to eat meat is strange."

Prince Bowen put his hand on my shoulder. "You're worried about him, aren't you?"

"Who isn't worried about their siblings? We're about to do the most dangerous thing we possibly can and my eldest brother is acting like a child. Even more of a child then he was before the fall."