Being perpetually angry and frustrated is exhausting, but, he'd like to say his stamina and endurance is top notch.

  He had lots of practice keeping his emotions to himself; that's what boot camp and all that training is all about! Those drill Sergeants don't scream in your face because they like the smell of your breath. If you're not a different person in some way by the time you're allowed out of the barracks, your training was a failure.

  His jaw worked itself side to side as he tapped his foot. He stared blankly at two armed men outside ornate wooden doors. His face was expressionless- in truth he was actually thinking about how in his old body his jaw used to pop- but he was also using an old tactic to unnerve the people around him.

  “There's nothing we can do, your highness,” said the one on the right, “the King told us specifically that no one was allowed in to bother him today…”

  He kept staring.

  “The steward should be back…any moment now,” the one on the left said, and the one on the right nodded.

  He didn't change anything, accept he now slowly folded his arms.

  It's a relaxed posture to show he would wait and comply, and yet studies had shown, and proven, that this simple gesture when coupled with specific facial expressions made the other team more nervous.

  And as expected, the guards shifted from one foot to the other.

  Mind games were a teachers and a sergeants everyday tools. No one passed that rank without knowing how to mess with someone past the point of no return.

  After a hot moment where both guards had long started to sweat. The steward had still not come back. He understood that the guards could not leave their post, but they COULD let him IN.

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  “Your name is…Benson,” the Prince said to the one on the left, and the poor guard nearly lost all the oxygen in his body.

  “Ye-”

  “I wasn't asking.” The prince wanted it known that they were not dealing with the same person they were used to. “I have a memo-ah, a missive, to hand over to the King. It goes from your hand to his hand, do you understand?”

  He held up a wax sealed envelope.

  “Your highness, the steward is-”

  “-a failure.” He finished with a smile, and raised his voice, “the steward is clearly neglecting his duties and can't possibly be trusted.”

  If it was possible for the men to become more pale they achieved it. The scratching behind the door had stopped and the prince smirked.

  “If anything,” the prince continued, his voice deliberately carrying through the door, “I'd say it's Borderline treason-"

  The door opened and a man with clean, tied back hair, and very polished attire stepped out. He didn't look or even give the air of being rushed at all given how quickly he'd opened the door.

  "You Highness," the steward gave a proper bow THIS time, "his MAJESTY asks that you return tomorrow."

  "That doesn't work with my schedule," the prince said with a shrug, "if you'd all just let me in, MY FATHER and I could hash this out between the two of us. And you wouldn't have to be the middle man."

  The stewards lips thinned in irritation.

  "His MAJES-"

  "FATHER," the prince interrupted, "needs what I have to say. And you, failure of a Steward, didn't even tell him I was here yet."

  The prince made sure they were locking eyes and that the man understood clearly that he knew his every sin.

  "Now, Steward Vargas, do your damn job or I will make your life a living hell."

  The guards simply stood stiff, unwilling to be involved.

  The steward bowed, and went back into the outer office.

  Once the door was closed he felt he could breathe again!

  The prince had indeed changed!

  Vargas had scoffed at the men who had returned from the war with the prince saying the prince was a "new person".

  Of course he behaved a bit more grounded, a bit more grown up. And that was good. Good for the country at least. But their other claims were obviously ridiculous!

  The best they could hope for for this idiot prince was a good wife and educated Queen!

  There wasn't a braincell in the poor boys head!

  But...but who was that standing outside the door?

  That was definitely not the same stupid prince who left for war...