(Earl’s POV)

Earl was already slightly drunk. While he was at the bar he had drunk two pitchers worth of mead, and had socialised with most of the other knights, learning their strengths and weaknesses, and trying to make allies. The alcohol was making this insanely easy. However, he did notice that someone was missing. The boy that was next to him in the introductory ceremony. He thought that maybe he would arrive with some other stragglers, but he never did.

Now that he was stumbling into the Great Hall for dinner, he could see that the boy had no intention of joining them for drinks. If he didn’t, there would be no way to properly learn his weaknesses. He couldn’t have that. He loaded his plate up and sat a few seats down, looking expectantly at the boy in the hopes that he would maybe initiate a conversation.

After a few minutes of intent staring, the boy finished his food and looked up at Earl. His eyes matched his hair, a deep dark chocolate brown. Earl waited expectantly for him to say something, but all he got was a full body scan from those chocolate eyes, then he stood up and left Earl without saying a word.

The nerve…

He watched the boy leave with an insulted look on his face.

Tsk… Disobeying me like that… I’ll show him who’s boss… He think’s he’s top shit…

“Earl, you alright?”

He snapped out of his thoughts. “Yes, whatever. Do any of you know that boy?”

“No. He’s not from anyone’s kingdom, I think he’s a lone knight from a kingdom… I don’t know which though.”

Hmm… The only one from my kingdom’s rival kingdom. He must either be very good, or the only option they had… I’ll teach him a lesson.

Earl spent the rest of dinner time brooding, and the rest of the two hours at the bar getting drunker and more irrational. Eventually, he decided to leave the bar and make his way back to the barracks. He wasn’t first into the barracks, and when he stumbled in he leaned on the door and scanned the room to see who was there. The men were all either passed out sloppily on their assigned bed or half naked and stumbling towards the showers.

There was only one man who was nicely tucked in and fast asleep. The boy who refused to get drunk with them. Earl’s jaw tightened and he made his way in a zig zag pattern over to the boy’s bed. When he gets within arms reach, he kicks the bed hard. That would hurt in the morning, but he would cross that bridge when he got to it. The kick woke the boy up with a jolt, eliciting an annoyed groan from him.

“What makes you think you’re so much better than everyone else?”

“What-?”

“You eat alone, you don’t come to drink with us? Too good for that, huh?”

The boy sat up and looked at Earl with an annoyed glare. “We have to compete for the princess’ hand in marriage. I’d rather rest and gather my strength than make friends I’d eventually have to fight.”

The boy then turned away from Earl, grumbling, which sparked a nerve in him. Without much thought behind his actions, Earl reached forward and grabbed a large chunk of the boy’s hair, yanking his head up.

"Ow! Fuck off!”

“What’s your name, stupid boy?”

“Thomas! It’s Thomas! Now let me the fuck go!”

Instead of letting go, Earl leaned into Thomas’ ear. “I’m going to teach you some valuable lessons, Thomas. Starting tomorrow.”

With the threat out of the way, Earl shoved Thomas’ head into the pillow and flopped down into a nearby bed. He was satisfied with his actions. Surely now Thomas would fear him and obey him, which would make climbing the ranks and winning the competition ever easier for Earl.

With a satisfied, smug sigh, Earl relaxed into the bed. His clothes were all still on, but he was much too drunk to care. He knew that even with the alcohol, his body would wake him up before dawn. He would wake Thomas up and show him who was the boss with a sword before the first competition tomorrow, Archery.

He was going to win this competition. He was determined to.