Chapter 5 Training

Logan walked away from Getrude, confused at her behavior. She had never really paid him attention, so why now?

Most times it was as if she silently supported her mother's treatment of him because there seemed to be this right sickening smile on her face each time her mother commanded him.

Moreover, he disliked her behavior; she had a sense of self entitlement and carried an air of arrogance which Logan despised. She was just like her mother, quick to find faults in everything the servants did for her.

Most times at breakfast she would find something unpleasant to say about the meal; although in the past few weeks, she seemed content with it. Whenever she brushed her hand against something, there would always be dust and the servant who had cleaned that place would be punished for it by her mother.

There has been times he has heard some maidservants complained that she was never satisfied with the baths prepared for her. It was either too hot, too cold or lukewarm.

She did not appreciate her seamstresses; she would either complain if her dresses being too bulky and heavy, to loose, too tight, suffocating and the likes of it.

During her trainings in the evenings, Getrude would complain about the trainers being too easy on her because she was a woman and when they went hard on her, she complained that there were too brutal.

Logan could count a thousand and one thing wrong with Getrude.

He went on to carry out the servant tasks assigned to him by the queen; clean the fountain and weed her garden. Once had cleaned the fountain in the queens garden, he sighted her at a far end, sitting amongst the vines.

She was dressed in all black with dark lipstick and Kohl in her eyes unlike at breakfast were she wore bright colours. She held a book in her hand and did not look up at him but she seemed to sense his presence. "You need to weed!" She commanded in a surly tone, then she turned the page of the book.

"I am aware your majesty," he called out, going over to the shed in which the tools were kept.

He got the things he needed and began to dig up the unwanted plants.

"You are making a mess!"

"It will be cleared your majesty. There is nothing I can do to control the soil from coming up."

"Find a better way to do it."

He said nothing because there was no pleasing the queen.

"What was it that my daughter Getrude asked you to help her with this morning?" The Queen asked.

Logan did not know what to say. He groaned internally. "This and that... just a few tasks."

"Those tasks do not have names?" she finally looked up at him and closed the book she was reading.

"It was nothing of great importance your majesty," Logan said. "She just needed help in lifting a few heavy items that her maids could not."

"Is that so?" The Queen asked with a raise of her brows.

"Yes your majesty."

"Very well then," she muttered, yawning. "Go ahead and finish what you have to do."

"As you wish your majesty."

After about three hours, he was finally done, he headed towards the training ground. His body ached from all the weeding he did but it was his duty to be there. The king has made it compulsory for him to be a part of the army. If not for the queens intervention, Logan would have been at the top ranks. He was however grateful he was in the shadows. Most people did not treat him like royalty but that did not matter. After all this was not his pack.

The only person that acknowledged him personally was the chief army commander.

"Logan," a voice called out to him. It was Ghengis, the chief army commander. He was a man on his sixties still looking like he had just gotten to forty. "You are late. Three hours late at that! As you know, I do not appreciate tardiness."

"I apologize my Lord. Unfortunately I got up in activities the queen set me up to do."

"It is not an excuse," Ghengis replied. He was a no nonsense person. "You could have woken up early, done what you had to do before breakfast and head down here. Or better still, complete all your tasks before a meal."

"It is compulsory I attend breakfast."

"It does not concern me. This will go into your report. The king will heat that you are not being serious with the tasks he has out you in charge of."

Logan said nothing. He was sure the king would be understanding if he said he had been helping the princess out with something. Then again, he did not want to use Getrude as an excuse.

"It shan't happen again."

"This is the what time you have said it now?" Ghengis asked. "I shall let you off this time."

"Thank you sir."

"We start with your regular drills," Ghengis said. "But first, four laps round the field as punishment."

"Of course," Logan replied running off. Once he had finished with that, he returned to Ghengis and was surprised to see the princess standing beside him.

"Your highness," he said giving a bow. She only harrumphed and gave a tight smile. Logan was not bothered, he had no expected much from her.

"The princess has just finished her lessons and is here for sword practice."

"I see," Logan said, although he was quite surprised. He knew that she usually had her trainings in the evening when the sun had gone down.

It was about noon and the sun was bright and slightly scorching so he did not expect her to be at the training ground.

"She has asked me just a few minutes ago if it is possible you train her," Ghengis said. "I am certain she prefers someone younger and with more vigor than me."

"What?" Logan asked, a look of horror on his face.