The Bastard Prince

7 A jealous rage.

Prince Phillip stared at Karic and his stupid overgrown horse ride way with Bella. He clenched his jaw as anger vibrated within him that he literally saw red.

His brother tried calling for Karic, he ignored them.

He did notice the proprietary hand the little bastard had on Bella as if he was claiming her for his own.

No….no…no…no…no! A monstrous jealous churned through him taking a life of his own.

Phillip hated that bastard with every ounce of his being. He hated that he lived, that he was born a few minutes before him – that he was born with a bigger and imposing stature than him, that he was more handsome, and he didn’t have to try hard to look attractive, that the army loved him and saw him as their next leader when he was his father’s heir, and the one next in line.

An embarrassing moment in the soldiers’ ring filtered in his mind, making everything worse. They hadn’t even given him a seasoned soldier to train with but a new green sign-in that Phillip thought he could easily beat. But he couldn’t land a simple blow. The green soldier had run circles around him, making him look the fool right in front of the commander, and Karic.

And they had the nerve to laugh at him, laughed even long after he had run back to the castle. The soldier never respected him ever again. They treated him well enough, but he could see the way they looked at him, and the way they looked at Karic.

It’s not the same.

And ever since that day. Phillip had decided to make Karic’s life a living hell. He thought that he tortured him when they were kids. He didn’t know the cruelty he could get to.

At that very moment every feeling flared up as Phillip stared at Karic and the woman he thought he could make his play thing, just as his father had his play things in the dungeon.

He’d decided he wanted Bella from the first moment he laid his eyes on her, as she clung to Karic as he saved her.

If it hadn’t been for him he never would have noticed her.

She had looked perfect, and beautiful that he had wanted to claim her for his own. He couldn’t pull himself away from her no matter how hard he tried.

He knew he was there to woe the duke of Marinne’s daughter. That was a marriage wanted by his father. And he was going to do just as his father told him to do. Marry Marinne’s daughter and then have his own woman.

And that woman was Bella.

But she was riding away on Karic’s overgrown horse. They looked perfect for each other, even from here he could see it. There was something about the way their bodies melded together and swayed as the horse moved.

It was like he was staring at the work of fate. And it looked perfect.

No…he screamed in his head, rage coiling inside him like a live animal. He let it take hold and poison his insides.

No more! He screamed in his mind. He never could understand the charm that Karic had. The way things came easy to him. Even his horse was some overgrown war mongrel that wanted only him. While Phillip’s horse was a pure breed that his father acquired from some Arabs he’d managed to get into his pocket, but still Thunder could outrun him, and fight with him if he chose to.

He’d refused to run their horses on the road to here, because he knew they will all be eating Thunder’s dust.

He didn’t want to lose to Karic even if it wouldn’t have been a race. To him it would be a race. He was competing with his half-brother…even though the bastard didn’t know it.   

And now he has the audacity to put his filthy palms on what he had deemed his. Bella might not know it yet, but she was going to be his woman.

His woman…Phillip laughed hard as the word sounded ridiculous in his mouth. She was going to be his to take, to use as he pleased, because he couldn’t see living a boring life with Marian.

Yes, Marian was beautiful. She was everything a high born lady should be. But he didn’t want her. He wanted Bella.  

His mind whirling Phillip tried to think of something to say. He straightened his shoulder, straightening his expensive clothes. He was the son of King Stefan no mere bastard was going to take what was his.

“Why?” Phillip asked turning his haughty stare on Prince Dominic, Bella’s brother. He should have protected his sister from the filthy hands of that bastard. “You don’t know that he’s my servant,” Phillip lied, relishing the look of surprise on Killengly’s face.

Good, he thought stepping closer to him. “He’s not supposed to fraternize with the likes of your sister. He’s beneath her,” Phillip whispered as though they were conspirators.

Killengly took a step back, and stared at him as if he was strange. His eyes narrowed on Phillip’s face. And then he seemed to understand what he was saying.

“I asked him to give her a ride. She liked the horse so much I couldn’t help but ask him,” he said already turning away as if it was nothing of importance. “They will return soon.” He said with a wave of his hand.

Phillip wanted to shake him. But he followed him to the house instead. Philip studied Dominic. He wanted to know everything about the Killengly siblings so that it would be easier to woe Bella.

She hadn’t been warm towards him. Not the way she seemed to be with Karic.

That very first time she was in his arms, she had seemed to melt against him. And she wasn’t like that with him.

Phillip stared at Dominic as they walked.

For a man who was about to get married he seemed very distant from his betrothed.

They were a strange pair, Killengly and Marian. Phillip wondered what the story was there.

They arrived at the house to find there was more people arriving. And the duke was beside himself.

“What is going on?” Killengly asked the duke placing a calming hand on the duke’s shoulder. The duke seemed to easily relax from his touch.

He took a deep breath, and wiped at his face with a handkerchief he pulled from his breast pocket.

“There is news,” the duke said his eyes going wide. “The Grand King Lionard will be here by tomorrow. A messenger just arrived to tell me, his entourage has set camp just a few miles from the forest. I haven’t planned for his visit. I didn’t think to send him an invitation, I didn’t think he would grace me with a visit,” the duke rambled on.

Phillip watched as prince Killengly paled right there where he stood. He let his hand drop, and stepped away from the duke.

“Excuse me,” Killengly excused himself and then walked into the house.

Phillip guessed that he didn’t expect the Grand King either – but that was a strange reaction to the Grand King’s arrival. Not that he did know himself. His father didn’t tell him that the Grand King will be there.

Phillip guessed that he didn’t know either. Or he would have told him. 

He turned to his brothers, as they looked as surprised as everyone. The Grand King was a man of great power. He ruled the entire country. He was above all the other kings, many feared him, while others worshiped him.

“You have a magnificent home. I am sure the Grand King will be pleased with everything,” Phillip said comforting the duke.

He was about to walk into the house when Derrick appeared looking like he ran all the way from servant quarters. 

“My prince a word,” he said bowing and then straightening. Phillip nodded and followed Derrick as he walked away to have a private moment.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Derrick came to a stop at the back of the servant quarters. He stared behind Phillip at his ever present brothers. He wondered if they didn’t have a life of their own, beside following Phillip around like lost puppies.

Derrick shook his head.

“I think we might have a problem.” Derrick whispered stepping closer to Phillip.

Phillip stared at him not sure what he was talking about. The only problem was that Karic was somewhere with Bella doing God know what. Phillip’s nostrils flared at the thought.

But Derrick didn’t know that. 

“Problem? I don’t think so. Marian finds me attractive. I’ll convince her to break her engagement to the prince of Killengly in no time,” Phillip said.

“The arrogance,” Derrick said with a shake of his head.

Phillip’s anger flared. He knew Derrick didn’t respect him either. He might not like Karic but he was in awe of the bastard.

But him, he thought the was weak.

Phillip ground his teeth, stopping himself from screaming. He’ll show them, he’ll show them all that he could rule.

“What?” Phillip shouted.

“Keep your damn voice down,” Derrick said giving him an evil eye. “The Grand King’s arrival might be a problem for us. Karic won’t be able to do what he needs to do if there are guards at every turn.”

What Karic is supposed to do?

“What is he supposed to do?” Phillip asked confused. Wasn’t the bastard here as their servant?

“Your father didn’t tell you?” Derrick asked with a shake of his hand. “He’s here to kill Marian’s fiancé so that the Duke of Marinne can just give her to you.”

“What? I thought I was supposed to woe her?” Phillip asked his heart squeezing in his chest from the pain that suddenly radiated through his body.

His father didn’t trust him too.

He thought he was weak. That he wouldn’t achieve this simple task – to get a woman to want him. And of course he has to bring his trusted soldier, his bastard son. The one he trusted to get things done.

What the hell?

Phillip screamed as the rage inside him exploded. He laughed manically feeling betrayed. He thought his father would have a little faith in him.

I am his son, Phillip thought to himself.

I am his son, I’ll prove it to him, he said to himself. He straightened his shoulder and then stared at Derrick.

“So he’s supposed to kill the Prince of Killengly,” Phillip said thinking. The way Karic was wrapped around Killengly’s sister there is no way he’s going to kill him. If he was correct Karic is probably thinking of making another life with Bella. He had nothing in Kantarina accept his mother, who his King Stefan will never release from the dungeons.

In essence he had nothing there, and he had just found something here.

Bella.

His father’s plan was doomed with or without the Grand King’s arrival.

Phillip raised his head to the warm sun as a plan formed in his mind.

“When he returns, tell Karic I want to see him,” Phillip said walking away.