Tsugi opened his tired eyes, dawn had already arrived with the faint light streaming in through the window.

"I'm late!" Tsugi quickly got up and got ready, rushing out the door.

"Is there something you need?" The knights were still by his door.

"Uh...restroom." The knights escorted him to the restroom again.

‘So it really wasn't a dream?’ He checked his body over, pinched his cheek, even poked at the bruise on his face, but he was still awake. "I'm not dreaming." He said to himself.

He returned happily back to his room, and buried his nose into his books, and ate when the maids brought food. "I could get used to this." He leaned back into his chair and stuffed grapes in his mouth.

After being cooped up in his room all morning, he stretched and put on his boots.

"Did you need something?" The knights asked as he walked out.

"I just w-want to get s-some fresh air." Tsugi smiled.

"The Commander has ordered that you be confined to your room."

The smile disappeared from his face. "Conf-fined?" He couldn't understand the reason. "I can't even g-go for a little f-fresh air?"

"My apologies but it's the Commanders orders." They closed the door.

His heart sank, he knew it was too good to be true. Something was up. Why would he be confined to his room? Was he that weak and disappointing that his father just wants to lock him up in his room forever? His thoughts ran wild and the voices were arguing again.

..."No, that's not it. He really is just concerned and just wants you to fully heal before doing anything." The first voice said.

..."I told you it was a trap!" Said a second voice.

..."Yeah, why would he ever treat you nicely?"

..."No, you have it all wrong, you are just weak."

..."Yes, you are too weak, that's why you get beaten."

..."Yes he has a valid reason for treating you like that."

..."He is very strong and the Commander of the Royal Knights after all. You will embarrass him."

‘No. I have to focus on good things or I will lose my mind. I'm sure he meant what he said. Once I am better, I will be able to leave and start training again. It's just a few more days.’ He hardened his heart and started reading again.

For the next few days, he was stuck in his room, doing the same routine until a knock came at his door.

"Come in." He said, closing his book about monsters. Sir Gorou stepped into the room. Tsugi abruptly stood up and bowed. His heart pounded fast, although he wasn't sure if it was from fear, or the unknown.

"What can I help you with, My Lord?"

"How are you feeling?"

"Much better my lord. I thank you...for your...kindness."

"Good. You can start going back to your regular schedule tomorrow."

"Yes, My Lord."

Sir Gorou turned around and left. Tsugi's racing heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest. He plopped down onto the bed and placed a hand over his heart.

'So, it really was real!’

His father had actually been trying to make him stronger.

Before dawn the next day, now full of determination, he raced down to the storage shed.

"...and so he's actually been t-trying to get me to be stronger this whole time!" He told Mare excitedly.

"That sounds wonderful, Young Master Tsugi." She placed another chunk of wood on the chopping block. "I'm glad it all worked out."

That evening he met up with Sir Bjorn to do some more sword fighting.

No matter how hard he tried, his progression was slow. He worked on his stance and swung the sword, but he was continuously disarmed again and again.

After Tsugi had recovered, the maids no longer tended to him. It was back to the way it was before with very little food.

Once a week Sir Gorou would summon Tsugi into his office to check on his training, and at least once a week, he would get a beating. After every beating, Sir Gorou would tell him, "Be better, and I won't have to hurt you. I'm only doing this because I need to make you stronger." Tsugi would be left with bruises, broken bones and cuts from lashings.

On stormy days Tsugi would cry and beg to not be chained to the iron pole, but all his pleas fell on deaf ears. Until one day, Sir Gorou chained him to the pole and said to him, "Let's make a deal." His eyes lit up dangerously. "For next time, as long as I don't find you, then you won't get chained. If I do, I will break your limbs before chaining you." His voice was sinister.

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Terror was all Tsugi could feel. How can he hide from his father? He's never been able to. He slowly nodded, and saw Sir Gorou smile for the first time, but his smile was deadly. Sir Gorou turned and left toward the castle.

Thunderous clouds rolled in like monstrous waves. The turbulent storm propelled giant pellets of frozen rain at him like catapults launching rocks. An eyeball sized ice hit him on top of his head, sending surging pain down his neck. Blood trickled down into his eye and turned his vision red. Every hit left bruises and cuts on him.

"I knew it was short lived." He mumbled to himself. As much as he told himself that he deserved every beating, it still scared the life out of him. Just the sheer fear of anticipation wondering when the next beating will come was enough to bring him to his knees.

Although terrifyingly painful, Tsugi managed to endure the pain better and no longer fell unconscious. Still exhausted by the end of the storm, he panted and grunted at the continuous radiating pain down his back.

Footsteps approached behind him and the shackles unlocked, dropping him to the floor. He could smell camomile and sage again.

"Wh-who are you?"

A thin lady picked up his little body in her arms and walked away. He felt a cold wetness on his back, as she placed him down in the grass further down the hill. She placed her warm hands on his chest. He felt a comfortable warmth flow through his veins and his vision went dark.

Tsugi awoke to a warm room. The fire cast shadows onto the wooden walls, the smell of camomile and burning sage filled the room. Grunting, he stirred and pushed himself up to sit.

"Please lay back down Young Master Tsugi." The soft spoken voice came from a thin woman. Her black hair was starting to gray and was tied into a ponytail. Her discolored eyes were soft, her face slightly wrinkled.

"Who are you?"

"Forgive me, Young Master Tsugi." She placed a tray of food and medicine next to Tsugi. "I am Yahni."

"How l-long have I been as-s-sleep?"

"Just overnight. It's dawn right now. My children and I have been taking care of you." Two faces could be seen peeking out from around the corner. "Come say hi." The children looked to be around six and eight. "This is Rygo and Ryna." The children gave a little bow and hid behind their mother.

"He looks scary, mommy." The little boy said. "Is he going to be okay?"

"Rygo, don't say that. He's just hurt, but he will be just fine."

"Because you saved him right?" Ryna said proudly.

"Mhm!"

"Will he stay with us now? Or does he have to go away again?" Rygo crossed his arms across his chest.

"No, Rygo. He has to go back." She said sadly.

"Why? He's just going to get hurt again. Just like when we were still living with father. If he stays here, he won't get hurt by Sir Gorou anymore."

"Shhh." She quickly covered his mouth. "You can 'never' say that out loud again. You understand? If anyone finds out, we will all get in trouble." He slowly nodded his head.

"Well, he can at least stay for a while and play right?" Rygo said.

"Yes, if he's up for it." They all stared at him with pleading eyes.

"I would love to." His heart felt so light at their cheers of excitement. Rygo and Ryna showed Tsugi around their little house and shared their wooden toys and dolls 'till the sun set.

"Thank you f-f-for your hospitality m-my lady..." Tsugi said.

"Oh, I'm not a lady. You can just call me Yahni." She smiled sweetly.

"Well...thank you...Yahni, but I...should get going."

"Rygo."

"Yes, I know." The boy stood up. "Come on. I will guide you back to the castle." Tsugi gave him a confused look. Was he not in the village?

Rygo carried a lantern with him as they walked through the dark woods. "If you change your mind and want to come live with us, it'll be great to have a friend to play with." He said cheerfully. "It's just my mom, my sister and I. We ran away, and hid here where my father couldn't find us."

They reached the edge of the woods, the clearing opened up at the top of the hill. In the far off distance he can see the iron pole sticking out of the ground.

"Will you at least come and play with us every now and then?" Rygo said.

"I-I don't know if I can, but if I-I-I am able, I definitely w-will." His heart felt light at the proposal yet fearful that his father would find out.

"Well, now you should know your way, so come by anytime!" Rygo smiled brightly and turned back into the forest.

***

The rainy season was upon them and had been raining on and off for a few weeks. Even in the rain, Tsugi continued his strength training, chopping wood with Mare and sword training with Sir Bjorn. Tsugi pushed harder with every failure but seemed to make no improvement. His giant chunk of wood still wasn't split and he was constantly knocked down by Sir Bjorn.

Some nights after training, he would sneak into the woods and play with Rygo and Ryna. They would run through the woods playing tag, or hide-and-seek. He would even help Yahni around the house with cleaning and cooking. Although they didn't have much, it was mainly just potatoes and maybe a little meat.

"So I can call you my f-friend now r-right?" Tsugi said, stuffing his mouth full of the bland soup.

"I thought we were already friends." Rygo lifted the bowl to his mouth, drank the rest of his soup and set it down with a thud. Tsugi felt happy and content. He smiled from ear to ear when he saw the huge grin on Rygo's face. They collected the dishes and laughed as they cleaned together.

"See you next time!" Rygo smiled and waved at Tsugi from the edge of the forest. Tsugi smiled, his heart felt light and he ran happily back to his tower.

"You call this working harder?" Sir Gorou approached from the shadows of the hallway by his door. "Where were you?" His voice was threatening. His aura screamed blood lust. A great sense of dismay fell upon Tsugi. He takes off in a run toward the stairs, but he was too late, a hard kick to his side sent him catapulting through his door as it broke to pieces.

He could taste blood in his mouth. Grunting in pain, he reached a hand up to wipe the blood from his lips.

"I thought I told you about trying to run already!" Sir Gorou screamed at him. Sir Gorou picked him up and dragged him to the dungeon. His wrists were bound in shackles that lifted his feet off the ground, and his ankles were bound to a heavy iron ball.

Sir Gorou whipped him with the lash, splitting the skin open revealing the underlying muscle as blood rushed down his body and dripped to the floor like a leaking faucet. Was all this really to make him stronger? How? How will whipping him make him stronger?

…”No, it will build character!” Said the first voice.

‘No, how can this build character? It makes no sense.’

…”Yes it does! It will make you stronger mentally!” Said another.

Well, if it does make him mentally stronger, why is he still so deathly afraid of his father? He clenched his eyes and bit his tongue as tears poured down his bloody face. The taste of blood filled his mouth and dripped down his chin.

Tsugi was chained in the dungeon for what seemed like days. When his father was tired of the punishment, he wrapped Tsugi in a cloak and brought him to his room, tossing him in like a rag doll.

"Pathetic." Sir Gorou growled and closed the door. Tsugi lay on the ground, his heart felt empty. All the sounds of the world disappeared and he was alone, lost in his own mind.

‘It will be better if I just died than to live through this again. No one loves me, so no one will miss me. I am weak and worthless. If I die, I will just disappear like dust in the wind and no one will blink an eye. It's not going to matter to anyone, so why should I stay and continue suffering? Even my father wouldn't care if I died.’

He pushed his bloody body off the cold hard floor and ambled out the door dragging his bloody swollen feet.

‘Yes, it would be better to die.’

Slowly he stumbled his way up the stairs with his weak shaking legs. His eyes were blank as if life had already left them.

‘There's nothing good about being alive at all.’

Reaching the top of the tower, the rain sprinkled and the wind blew in his face. His heart felt heavy, as if weighing his chest to the floor.

He meandered over to the edge of the tower and looked at the view below. The vast land was dark and gloomy, just like him.

Everything looked so quiet and lonely...just like him.

He closed his eyes, and leaned forward. The wind filled the gaps of his loose clothes and his feet no longer touched the edge.

"TSUGI!"