Of the ten male offshoots that Hesbig IV had, only four survived the epidemic that ravaged the palace weeks before the king's death. One of them was the crown prince, who would die during the burial ceremony of his father, the second was Bemlos, the third one, named successor to the monarch, Alanzor, and the fourth was Malakar.

—Greet the king! Greet the King of Sults! —A herald was announcing the arrival of the royal carriage, which left very little time for the occupant to see the true state of the army they were going through.

Malakar Hasbim was the second son of Hesbig IV, and also the second child he had with the then queen. Besides this, the only thing that Alanzor knew about his half-brother was that because he had not inherited the golden eyes of the family he had decided to make a career in the army. And he must be good at his age, he was already commanding the Royal Armed.

—This is supposed to be a small conflict —The boy king peeked out of the carriage window to speak to his faithful shadow Tanmi—. Why are so many soldiers here? —He began to fear that this was the beginning of an uprising against him, because if he was going that way, the young man had just entered the wolf's den.

After all, he was the only thing that stood between his half-brother Malakar and the throne.

—I can send someone to ask if you wish, your majesty —Tanmi replied.

On the way, he had been studying a bit thanks to the book that Hokas had given him: how many ministers there were, what was the function of each one and what was expected of him as king during the meetings of the council of ministers. He did not want to think bad about the dead, but he did not remember that his father had been as busy as that policy book implied he should have been.

—It is not necessary —He answered his faithful guardian.

In addition to read over that policy book, the boy had wanted to learn about the conflict in the west. According to the records, everything had started because, due to a bad harvest, the farmers had refused to give their share of the tributes; then they had attacked the governor of the region for no apparent reason and that is why the royal army was almost there.

(It does not make sense) thought the young man, who would have never expected that there was practically all the army of the kingdom. Are you sure you were fighting against farmers and not warrior teachers? Because the aspect of the royal forces was quite deplorable, almost as if they were losing.

—Greet the king! Greet the King of Sults! —The herald announced once again his arrival at the top of his lungs.

(Someone, silence him) Alanzor prayed silently, he already had a headache just to hear the same announcement during the entire trip.

Fortunately, there were only a few hours left before they arrived at the home of the regional governor of the west, or so the disillusioned young man, who had seen no world but the palace, the interior of that carriage, and the few open spaces in those who were allowed to leave to do their needs. He was so eager to leave that he would have gladly shared a horse with one of the many guards who escorted him, but he needed to appear calm and mature because he was already judged by his age.

—Greet the king! Greet the King of Sults!

—Long live the king —Someone greeted the royal cortege.

—Your Majesty —Tanmi told him—, it is your brother, Prince Malakar.

Should he go out to greet him or invite him into the carriage? The stranger was his older brother, but he was the future king.

—Told him to come to see me.

Being alone in the carriage if something happened to the boy who was with him would be accused of treason and beheaded for killing the king, so in a way those four mobile walls were safe. Or at least that was what the boy believed, that he knew that his position was the most dangerous in the whole kingdom.

The carriage stopped long enough for a stronger and younger version of his late father to enter it. Malakar did not have the golden eyes of the Hesbig, but if Alanzor, who had barely spent time with his father, had recognized the monarch's shadow in his half-brother, then it was more likely that others would have done so.

—Majesty —The stinking newcomer greeted him.

And it seemed that he had not a bath in several days.

—Take a seat —The young man invited him, despite his own opinion, as he tried to disguise the disgust caused by that stench.

They looked at each other for a few seconds, maybe they were thinking the same thing, because the existence of one could endanger the other's.

—Majesty —The warrior broke the silence—, I'm not good at giving speeches, so please let me get down to business.

His sword had not been taken from him, maybe because they were at war, but the fact was that when he put his hands on the belt, Alanzor began to fear the worst.

(God, try to look calm) he said to himself as he wondered if Tanmi would arrive in time to save him if he gave a shout.

Without getting to draw his weapon, Malakar extended the sword with both hands towards his king and bowed as best he could given the limited space he had to do so.

—Do what you must with me, but forgive my family, I beg of you —Those last words he uttered with visible effort; he was a proud prince after all.

(Family?) as far as he knew his stepbrother was not tired.

—What are you talking about?

—What other reason could there be to come here except to finish with a possible rival? I know I can not ask for anything, but please do not harm my family —He prayed again.

That a man, because there was a difference of more than ten years between both brothers, begged him in that way… Somehow that moved the child king and made him feel ashamed of having distrusted his brother. He knew that Malakar could betray him at any moment and yet he was not predisposed to distrust him. The same thing happened with Bemlos.

—Calm down, brother. I did not come here for you —He lied—, but because I do not want to be crowned when my people are at war with themselves —He was disgusted, but placed his hand on the warrior's shoulder so that he would abandon his pleading position and move away from him a little—. Tell me about your family; I did not know you were married —He smiled, trying to appear cordial.

—Your Majesty is the first person to whom I entrust it —He confessed—. I have a wife and a beautiful daughter… She has no golden eyes —He added suddenly.

If he was somewhat more familiar with noble families both inside and outside the kingdom, Alanzor would have asked about the origins of the woman who had taken his stepbrother to secretly marry. For the moment, however, he decided it was better to focus on the contest.

—Don't fear, brother. Your family is my family —Which did not necessarily mean they were going to be safe—. Now tell me, why our army looks so decayed? —Indeed, there was an atmosphere of defeatism there, in addition to the plague that his brother gave off.

Alanzor then knew by word the Satapatish, or commander of a hundred men, Pheyald who, in addition to having a foreign name, had been commanding the farmers in the contest against the royal army. Apparently, that was not being a classic war in which both forces were facing in an area away from the population, but citizens had started the conflict by burning the provisions of the royal army and attacking them when they least expected it. This had forced the invaders to bend the guards and precautions, and that the officers themselves, like Malakar, had to personally collaborate in the construction of barricades and other defences of the military camp, which explained their current appearance.

—No, there was no prior negotiation —His brother replied when asked—. The regional governor wanted to try before we arrived, but it was in vain.

For some reason, all the great unknowns of what had happened there ended in something that the governor wanted but could not do, which led the child king to imagine what kind of person would be the one who governed the western part of the country.

—Brother, I want you to do three things for me.

That conversation not only gave him an idea of the kind of person the governor was, but also the rebel Pheyald and his stepbrother there.

—Whatever you wish, your majesty.

—To start you must stop hiding your family, none of them have to fear anything while they are faithful to the crown —And so it would be easier to find them and investigate them if Malakar gave him any problem.

—Yes, your majesty —He bowed, grateful.

—The second thing —The boy went on—, is to tell me about the governor: what kind of person he is, how he lives, how he speaks… Everything. The same about the rebellious Satapatish —That last seemed to confuse his half-brother, but he accepted as well—. And the third thing, but I want it to be the first thing you do —He emphasized—, is to take a bath —He could not stand the plague that had invaded the carriage and his nose.