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The Boy's POV
My chest had just filled with relief… when Chris's next words crushed it flat.
"But," he said, his tone like stone striking stone, "your choice, while bold… comes with a price."
The courtyard went quiet again. Even the wind seemed to stop moving.
Chris turned his gaze back on me, sharp and cold.
"With that disobedience… you are no longer captain." His words cut straight through me. "From this moment forward, you are demoted to Lieutenant."
The whip I had dropped might as well have been my rank falling beside me.
My men shifted uneasily. Some bowed their heads. Others avoided my eyes. They knew what this meant. I wasn't their commander anymore—I was back under the chain of command, stripped of authority.
I wanted to argue, to cry out why, but my voice failed me. Chris's eyes dared me to speak, and I knew if I did, the punishment would be worse.
"Yes… my King," I managed, forcing the words through clenched teeth.
Chris nodded once, satisfied. "A lesson in loyalty and humility. Learn it well. Rise through the ranks again—this time with obedience carved into your blood."
The soldiers saluted him as he turned to leave.
I stood there, hollow, rage and pride burning inside me at war. Demoted. Stripped. But not broken.
If anything, I swore to myself—this was not the end. This was the fire that would make me stronger.
And I could feel my mother's trembling hand slip into mine behind the eyes of the crowd. That was enough to keep me standing.
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