Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 52: Northern ambition(2)

As Maesinius gazed at the imposing figure before him, he couldn't shake the thought that perhaps there was truth to the rumors about the Falstaff lineage. Uther appeared more like a giant than a man of their own race, prompting Maesinius to wonder if there was indeed giant blood coursing through his veins.

"The wolf got your tongue, little prince?" Uther's deep voice rumbled through the air, breaking the silence.

Maesinius snapped out of his reverie, replying absentmindedly, "No, I still have it." Then, his curiosity getting the better of him, he ventured, "My turn now. Did your father fucked a she-giant?"

There was a pregnant pause as Uther fixed Maesinius with a steady gaze. Before the prince could retract his question or apologize for the jest, the giant burst into laughter, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"People snicker behind my back," Uther began, a hint of bitterness lacing his words. "They call my house one of abominations. It's nice to see someone have the actual balls to ask about it directly to my face. Most would be scared that I would kill them, and rightly so."

Maesinius felt a pang of apprehension at Uther's words. "Do I have reason to fear for my life?" he inquired cautiously.

Uther's response was surprisingly jovial. "Are you skilled with your sword?" he asked, gesturing towards the hilt at Maesinius's hip.

"Not skilled enough to challenge someone like you," Maesinius admitted, his hand instinctively resting on the pommel of his sword.

"Then you have nothing to fear. I don't bully small men like you," Uther reassured him, his tone carrying a hint of amusement.

Returning to the topic at hand, Maesinius pressed, "Regarding the question?"

Uther's expression softened as he reminisced, "Nay, my mother was no giantess, though she possessed the strength of one. Whenever my brothers and I made too much noise, she would grab our heads and thump them onto the table. Every week, my father would bring a new one, harder than the last. But in the end, they always broke.Maybe one of my ancestor was a giant who knows."

Maesinius listened intently, his curiosity piqued by Uther's tales. "Quite a harsh upbringing," he remarked sympathetically.

Uther chuckled, his eyes glinting with nostalgia. "Aye, but my mother was an angel. However, my mother's mother was a different story. She regaled me and my brothers with tales that made us tremble. Surely you have stories of your own, prince?"

Maesinius's expression darkened slightly as he remembered his tumultuous past. "Not like yours, no," he admitted quietly. "My father was not the disciplinarian of our household, and as you may have noticed when I first arrived here, I was fucked in the head." He absently traced a finger along his temple. "Though I paled in comparison to my brother."

Uther nodded thoughtfully, his eyes holding a glimmer of understanding as he gazed at Maesinius. "She likes the little prince, you know?"

Maesinius furrowed his brow in confusion. "Who, Elenoir?"

Uther hummed in affirmation, his expression solemn. "If it were another who played that prank, he would be short of a head."

For once, Maesinius found himself speechless in the face of the giant's words.

"You look sad and pensive all the time, small prince. What is the matter with you?"

"You know, you are more observant than most people I know," he admitted quietly.

Uther laughed heartily. "When people go the other way when they see you, you learn to observe," he remarked, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "But don't change the topic. What is weighing on the small prince's mind?"

Though he inwardly cringed at the nickname, Maesinius knew it was futile to protest. Since the incident at the hut, it seemed that the giant had taken a liking to him. Not that he minded; having Uther as an ally bolstered his confidence, knowing his strength could ward off any potential threats to him.

"I am scared of making a big mistake ," Maesinius confessed in a small voice, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders with the admission.

Uther nodded knowingly. "Mh, mh. Let me tell you a story, little prince." His tone softened, carrying a hint of nostalgia. "Me and my brother were inseparable,we always played together.There was not one moment we were not in the same place. I was a small boy, walking with my big brother. We were playing and wandering about when my brother spotted a frozen lake. His smile was mischievous as he beckoned to me." Uther's eyes clouded with memories, his voice tinged with sadness. "He walked onto the ice, calling out to me, 'Uther! Uther! Come, come!' But I couldn't move. I was too scared. I told him as much, but he only laughed and jumped onto the ice, urging me to join him."

Maesinius listened intently, captivated by Uther's storytelling.

"My brother continued to call out to me as he calmly walked to the other side of the lake," Uther continued. "Each step he took carried him farther away. And though I was terrified of the ice breaking beneath me, the fear of being alone was even greater." A bittersweet smile tugged at Uther's lips. "I forced myself to move, slowly and hesitantly, until I finally reached him. When I did, he enveloped me in the biggest hug, his smile reaching from ear to ear."

The prince said nothing just listened

"If a man does not hold fear, how could found the courage to go ahead?" Uther's words echoed in the crisp winter air, carrying a weight of truth. "Only when a man is scared can he truly become brave."

The prince did not know how to respond to that .

"What was his name?" He then asked

Uther's smile softened as he answered, his gaze distant with memories. "Arduth. He was taller and stronger than me, and yet he had a heart as big as the north." There was a hint of sorrow in his tone as he continued, "Winter was harsh that year. He did not make it."

"He would probably be proud of what you have become."The prince found himself saying

Uther's smile widened at the prince's words,he reached out to pat the prince's back

''How can other have faith in you, if you lack it yourself?Trust yourself,a leader should never second-guess himself or that will be his end...''

With that Uther turned and retreated deeper into the fortress, leaving the prince alone in the blanket of snow.

''Putting the soul of a philosopher inside a giant body, the gods truly like to jest with their creations'' He murmured as he gazed at the distand snow.His eyes drawn to it, while his heart still warmed at the giant's words.

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