The next day all the palace people were in the throne room. Advisors, ministers. I had felt I had made a mistake, those people I needed to win favor with, and I kicked that chance away. I assumed the bullying season would be between us. But the entire palace population was watching in the throne room. I was against bullying, but I also wanted to survive. For that, I needed to win favor with influential people.

Edvard was one year older than us. He was eleven. My father wanted to humiliate him because we had a twelve-year-old brother, but we were there instead of him.

Emperor John said, "Welcome Edward to my palace. You will be my guest until you get to be the new king of Begonia." And he said, "You are here for a few days. I hope you are satisfied with your conditions." Edward said, "Thanks for your hospitality, your highness. I am very satisfied." Emperor said, "I want to test my sons and their teachers capabilities" Two wooden swords are brought. Edward said, " Your Highness, a prince should take necessary risks to prove his mettle. I believe we should use real swords and fight until first blood had been drawn."

John said, "Good, let's do it the way you want; bring real swords." Two same size real swords had been brought. Mike looked nervous. He never used the real stuff.

Mike and Edward took swords and took positions. When they took positions, I felt sorry. That Edward guy had no match for Mike. Maybe a year ago, he could be a challenge but not today.

Fought began as I guessed Mike started to dominate the fight. But he wanted to prolong the show and show his prowess to all. At the moment, Edward had used a slight size and power advantage and had an opening. It was for a moment, but it was enough. Blood had bled from my brother's stomach. The court doctor rushed to treat the wound.

Emperor was furious. But he didn't show much. He said, "Well done, Edward, you are truly amazing, but I also want a shot to my other son to prove his prowess." Edward had to humor my dad and said, "As you wish, your highness."

John said, "But this time, let's increase the odds; the fight will continue until one of you gives up and beg for forgiveness on his knees. Edward said, "As you wish, your highness."

John came near me and whispered to my ear, "I know you are better than your brother; I want this piece of shit to be utterly humiliated and make him beg bloodied; if you can't win, you have to fight until death, I have no son to beg an enemy." I said, "As you wish, my Emperor."

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

We took swords, and the fight began. I let Edward make a few moves, but I started to scratch him with every move. He was utterly outclassed, and he didn't have a chance to get away with one lucky stab this time.

He had become wounded, and I knew I shouldn't truly incapacitate him or kill him. He needed to beg for my father's satisfaction.

With every move, the fight looked like more of a torture and less of a fight. To keep fighting, I started to hit my enemy with the flat side of the blade. So he kept fighting and kept getting pain.

He finally fell onto his knees. Emperor said, "Beg for forgiveness." Edward said, "Kill me!" I hit his face with the flat of my blade, but his mouth bleeds; he spits blood toward me and says, "Kill me!"

I smiled and said, "emperor wants you to beg; there is more to life than honor, like being a proper man. Ether you beg, or I will make you a eunuch. Emperor showed a twisted grin. I pushed my blade toward the poor hostages' genitals. He said, "I beg for forgiveness, the great prince; I beg for forgiveness." I smiled while the court doctor rushed to treat the wounds of the defeated prince.

The emperor came near me and said, "My son, always teach people who are the boss. That way, they know their place." I said to my father, "Yes, Father."

Mike looked disappointed in me. My father looked at me proudly. When Mike saw this, his disappointed eyes became angry. I really liked Mike; our rivalry made me this good of a swordsman. Without him, I wouldn't be this successful. But the reality was reality, and eventually, we were going to fight against each other.

After people watched the humiliation of a hostage prince, they scattered to their homes. My mother comes near me. She was sad. I said to her, "Why are you sad, mom?" She said, "I am from Begonia. I have taken as a slave in the war there. Edwards's father was a good king. As people, we liked him. But today, my son beaked the son of my people king, future king of Begonia." I smiled and said, "There is much more than a simple defeat and a few words to break a person. He is fine; he will be fine." She said, "You are brutal like your father. That is good, right?" I said to my mom."That is the only way I survive and become the emperor. If I am weak, I will only die. Don't worry, Mother, you will be an empress. Mother took hold of my five-year-old sister; my sister looked at me with fearful eyes. I told her." Don't worry, Anna, I won't hurt you; I only hurt people trying to hurt you.

Father looked proud to me, called me near him, and said, "I liked what you did; you humiliated that sucker. As a reward, I will give you the right to see out of the palace today, not when you are twelve. I will give you a slave soldier guard too. Also, I will provide you with extra ten gold for using in outside of the palace.

Slave soldiers were the elite troops of the Draken empire. They were an analog to Ottoman Janissary. They have taken from conquered parts of the empire as blood tax. Maximum of one child per family. As the Ottomans did, unlike most people know, these children were not taken as young children most of the time. They are taken when they are between fifteen to seventeen years old. Young enough to be loyal but not too young to take care of themselves.