Chương 65: The Water Drop

Father Leandro rode out of the village through the pouring rain. Behind him, on the horse, Felicity was being carried without the slightest care, her wrists and ankles bound like nothing more than a piece of baggage.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked, her voice tense.

"You'll find out soon", he replied without looking back. They reached the entrance of a cave hidden among the rocks. Father Leandro dismounted, lifted Felicity with ease, slung her over his shoulder and disappeared into the darkness. The air inside was cold and damp. He set her down against the wall and grabbed a chain that had already been fastened to the rock. He secured one of her wrists, then the other, tightening the shackles carefully.

"What are you doing?" Felicity snapped, irritated.

"I'm saving you", he answered simply. A drop of water fell onto Felicity's forehead. Then another. And another. The sound repeated itself at an agonizingly slow pace. Father Leandro watched her in silence for a long moment.

"You're leaving me here?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes, sweet Feli. I'll come back in a few days…hoping to find that you've changed for the better", he said calmly. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Then he turned around.

"See you later". His figure vanished into the darkness of the cave. Felicity struggled with all the strength she had. She pulled against the chains, twisted desperately and clenched her teeth until her muscles burned. But the chains were firmly anchored to the stone. Eventually, her strength gave out. She remained motionless in the darkness, as the drops of water continued to strike her forehead at regular intervals. Alone. Defenseless.

In the royal palace's underground training hall, Oscar was sparring with one of his soldiers. The soldier launched a series of quick slashes. Oscar blocked every strike and counterattacked decisively. The other man defended himself well, dodged, and attempted a thrust from the side, which Oscar managed to block at the last possible moment. They exchanged several more blows before the soldier dodged and pointed his sword at Oscar's chest. At the same time, Oscar pressed his own blade against the soldier's throat.

They stood perfectly still for a moment before stepping away from each other.

"You've improved tremendously, Your Highness", the soldier said respectfully.

"No", Oscar replied coldly.

"You were holding back, weren't you?"

"Only to avoid hurting you, Your Majesty". Oscar stepped closer, his expression hard.

"If you hold back again, you'll lose your position. Am I clear?" The soldier nodded. They resumed fighting, but just then Teresa arrived.

"Leave us alone", she ordered. The soldier glanced at Oscar.

"Yes, you may go. We'll continue tomorrow at the usual time", the King said.

"Yes, Your Highness", the man replied before walking away. Teresa approached her son and gently cupped his face in her hands, studying the bruises and small cuts scattered across his body.

"You interrupted my training, Mother".

"A king must also know how to rest", she replied.

"He cannot devote himself only to toil".

"I need to become stronger".

"And you will", Teresa said calmly.

"But not by rushing the process. You have talent, you have the physique and you have the discipline…the only thing you're missing is patience. Once you learn that as well, you'll become unstoppable. The strongest king history has ever known". Oscar nodded slowly.

"Shall we go eat?" he asked. Teresa smiled.

"Let's go". Together, they left the underground halls.