Her Graceful War Song

Connor clutched the tree with both hands and leaned forward, pressing his face against its rough surface.

His eyes were clouded with confusion as he murmured, "I don't know. My mom has always been good to me, but that one time... my stomach hurt so terribly. It was so bad that it made me wish for death itself."

Connor turned to Ryan and asked, "Does Aunt Carissa treat you well?"

The eldest prince knew that his friend's mother had passed away. In the past, Connor would have spoken of such things without hesitation, but he was more sensible now. Also, Ryan was an important friend to him, and he didn't want to bring up anything that made him sad.

Victoria had often spoken of the importance of true friendship-the care and respect it entailed.

"Aunt Carissa is very good to me, especially so," Ryan responded.

"Then, do you think she would ever poison you for some purpose? Regardless of whether you were in pain until you wished for death?" Connor asked.

Ryan didn't even need to consider the question. His answer was immediate.

"No, of course not."noveldrama

"What if it were for your future?"

This time, Ryan didn't answer immediately. He paused and thought about it. Having lived as a beggar on the streets, he understood the complexities of human relationships far better than most children his age.

If he said Carissa wouldn't do such a thing, wouldn't that just fuel Connor's resentment toward Kylie? But if he said Carissa would, that wasn't right either.

Friends shouldn't lie to each other.

After weighing his words carefully, he finally said, "For my future, Aunt Carissa would surely find another way. But perhaps your mother couldn't think of any other solution at that time, and had to take a desperate gamble."

"A gamble indeed," Connor sneered. "Even in my dazed state, I heard the royal physician whisper that the poison could have killed me. I could have died."

"Her Majesty would never have wanted that. She wouldn't want you dead," Ryan said, comforting him.

Connor stretched out his legs and swung them slightly, trying to mask the ache in his chest. "She definitely didn't want me dead. But the truth is, I was ready to listen to Aunt Carissa and apologize to my father. Still, my mother decided to do what she did. She just couldn't accept having such an ordinary son. She thought I was an embarrassment."

Ryan reached over and gently ruffled the prince's hair. "That's not true. A mother would never think her child is a disappointment."

"Ryan, am I really that stupid?" Connor muttered dejectedly, pressing his face against the tree.

"Of course not! Even Mr. Young and Uncle Rafael have said you've made great progress lately. If you were stupid, you wouldn't be able to learn at all. And during riding practice tonight, your maneuvers were great!"

Connor's shoulders slumped slightly. "But you've already mastered those maneuvers. We learned together, and even Caden can do it better than me."

"Don't compare yourself to others. Compare yourself to yourself. Haven't you already made progress?" Ryan said.

Connor had told Ryan about how Carissa said those words to him during the Verdant Hunt. Ever since then, it became the eldest prince's personal mantra. Whenever he felt exhausted or on the verge of giving up, he would repeat those words to himself, drawing strength from them. Ryan had heard him say it a few times now.

The shadows in Connor's eyes lightened a little as he straightened up.

"You're right. I won't compare myself to anyone else. I'll compare myself to who I was yesterday. And when I'm better, Mom won't see me as a disgrace anymore," he said, renewed determination in his voice.

Ryan grinned. "That's the spirit! We'll both keep pushing forward and growing together."

"Yes!" Connor declared, his voice steady with resolve as he nodded firmly.

Ryan waved his hand, as if brushing away the gloomy mood. "Enough of all this heavy talk. Mr Young gave us a list of middle names, and we're supposed to pick one to use after our coming-of-age ceremonies. There were so many-have you chosen yet?"

Connor tilted his chin up proudly. "Clarence. It means by cultivating oneself and governing one's household, one attains both internal and external clarity. I want to improve step by step and refine both my character and my skills."

"That's a good one," Ryan said with a smile. "You'll definitely grow better and stronger with a name like that."

"Of course," Connor replied with a grin of his own. "What about you? Which one did you choose?"

"Clement for peace and clarity," Ryan answered.

Connor's eyes shone with hope and determination. "That's perfect too. One day, our kingdom will surely achieve peace and prosperity, just like the meaning of your name."