The Crown Prince

The crown prince rode close behind his father, King Aulus of Albasia. The prince's back was erect, and his head was held high; but his mind was weighing heavy. About girls.

"Vivian has still been sending me letters." He sighed.

"On the war front? That's a tenacious girl." The king looked ahead, his eyes following the trains of soldiers and supplies making their way down the hill as he spoke.

"Obsessive girl might be more accurate. I told her before I left that we weren't courting anymore. I should show you some of the letters, I stopped reading them after the third. That one was full of threats more than anything."

"Hm. You've got your hands full there, Aurelian." Aulus didn't smile but Aurelian could tell his father was amused. Aurelian was not. "What about Chloe? Wasn't she a good option?"

"I'll have you know she's the one who broke it off with me, not the other way around." Aurelian scowled, shifting in his saddle.

"Have you tried again? Some women appreciate a little persistence." King Aulus accepted a scroll from a soldier and looked it over as he spoke.

"Oh believe me I did. Chloe is not one of those women. I'd rather not she tore me down brick by brick again." Aurelian sighed. “Are all women this demanding?”

"Son, I've found it's not so much a matter of finding a woman who won't demand something of you. It's a matter of deciding what woman you love enough to gladly do anything she demands." Aulus rolled up the scroll and handed it back to the foot soldier with a nod. “Besides, Aurelian, an undemanding woman would be an awful choice for you.”

“Oh? Why is that?”

"You like to impress women. To prove yourself. If you had a wife who never wanted anything from you, you'd wilt like your aunt's flowers always do. You like to be useful, and relied on." King Aulus patted his son's shoulder in a rough but reassuring way. "You're as sharp as a hunting dog. We have to keep you in good condition, hm?"

Aurelian narrowed his eyes and scowled lightly, leaning forward on his horse. "I suppose so." He grunted. He wasn't sure how he felt being compared to a dog. The two rode for a while, King Aulus surveying the sea of men taking down camp below them. Fresh men had come from the capital, and they were still amidst the logistical chaos.

"I intend to send you home with the departing legions, son." Aulus spoke. "They have been out for a long time, they deserve some rest at home."

"Me? So soon?" Aurelian asked. Aulus snorted.

"You've already got a nick on that arm, I have to send you back to your mother in one piece. Besides, it will give you some experience leading an army on your own. Without the threat of our enemies." Aulus rotated his horse, and kicked it into motion, Aurelian followed suit. "I'm sending Febian with you, as a bodyguard. He can offer some logistical advice. But it is not a difficult journey back, you shouldn't run into any issues."

The king spent the next few days preparing and instructing his son. When the time came, they traded their goodbyes. Aulus did not often hug his son at home, but out here had been different. As if the armor protected him from discomfort as much as it protected him in the field. They embraced each other for a long moment before Aulus pulled away and pounded his son's back affectionately.

"Give your mother my regards." Aulus said. "And the necklace I've packed with the supply train." He winked.

And so, the young prince rode home at the head of a tired and worn army. There were shouts of joy and whoops of celebration from the men as they sallied forth. Winter was coming, and they would get to spend it warm at home with their families, arriving just in time for the week long Festival of Barbosa.