Chapter 40: Street Rat.

“I’ll come back as soon as I can,” Helios whispered, leaning closer so only Ezra could hear. His smile was calm, reassuring. “But even if I’m not here, I know you can handle them. Use this time to get to know them properly. Not just as knights. Be their captain.”

Ezra frowned slightly. “And what exactly am I supposed to do?” he muttered back. “Train them? Watch them spar? It’s been a while, I’m—”

“You’ll be fine,” Helios cut in gently. “Be the captain. You were only gone for five years. Captain Ezra didn’t disappear.”

That smile again.

Ezra stiffened.

He knew that smile far too well. It was the one Helios wore when he had already made up his mind. The one that said I trust you, so please do this for me.

Ezra let out a quiet sigh.

’Damn it, Helios,’ he thought, rubbing a hand against the back of his neck.

“Yes, Your Highness,” he said finally, nodding. “Of course.”

If he were honest, he wasn’t thrilled about being left alone with thirty unfamiliar faces.

Curious, yes. Interested, maybe. But tired.

He had just come back. He wanted to be done. He wanted to return to Lior, to something familiar, something safe.

But it was Helios.

And Ezra had never been good at saying no to him.

“Good luck,” Helios said lightly, giving him a quick wink before turning to follow the aide.

Ezra watched him go, standing still as Helios disappeared down the path. Only then did he turn back around.

Thirty knights.

All eyes on him now.

Helios was out of earshot.

And it was just Ezra.

He exhaled slowly.

’I’m too tired for this,’ he thought flatly.

Then his lips twitched, just a little.

’…But it might make for decent stress relief.’

Ezra watched Helios disappear down the path until the prince became nothing more than a flash of gold between stone and light.

He let out a slow breath, shoulders settling.

’Well then…’ he thought dryly. ’This is when things get interesting.’

He didn’t turn around.

He didn’t need to.

“What are you doing?” Ezra asked calmly, voice flat, controlled. Not loud. Not sharp. Just enough authority to slice cleanly through the air.

And right on cue, he felt it.

The shift.

The subtle tightening of space behind him.

That familiar prickle along his spine that had saved his life more times than he could count.

Animosity.

Not just one source. Several.

And beneath it all, the unmistakable edge of danger.

Ezra kept his gaze forward.

’Still knights,’ he reminded himself. ’But barely.’

There was a tall presence at his back. Too confident. Too comfortable. Ezra didn’t need to look to know who it was. He could smell it.

That blend of arrogance and self-assurance sharpened into provocation.

“Relax, Captain,” a voice drawled behind him, casual and amused. “You and I need to talk.”

Guy Man.

Ezra’s lips curved into something that wasn’t a smile.

“About what?” he asked, still facing forward, as if Guy were nothing more than background noise.

Boots shifted.

Not one pair.

Several.

Ezra’s eyes flicked ahead, and that was when he saw it.

Five knights had moved into his path, spacing themselves just enough to block him without making it look like a formation. Close enough to threaten. Far enough to pretend it wasn’t intentional.

’One… two… three… four… five…’ Ezra counted automatically.

Alaric Valebright stood to the left, posture rigid, eyes sharp but uncertain.

Cedric Haleward beside him, jaw clenched like he’d already decided this was a bad idea.

Rowan Goldmere looked uncomfortable, shoulders tight, gaze flickering like he wanted to disappear.

Gareth Ironwyn and Thorne Ashvale flanked the edges, hands flexing, trying very hard to look fearless.

’Six,’ Ezra added silently.

Behind him, Guy was still close. Too close.

Ezra could practically feel the man’s breath at his back, the confidence rolling off him in waves.

’So that’s how you want to play this,’ Ezra thought, surprisingly calm. ’Corner me the second Helios leaves.’

It wasn’t new.

It wasn’t clever.

And it certainly wasn’t anything he hadn’t seen before.

He finally turned his head just enough to glance over his shoulder.

Guy was smiling.

No.

Smirking.

The kind of smirk worn by men who thought they had already won.

Ezra slowly turned fully this time, unhurried, eyes sweeping over the loose circle that had formed around him.

The rest of them were watching now.

All thirty knights.

Some leaned forward slightly, curiosity lighting their faces.

Others stiffened, sensing the tension but unsure which side they were on.

A few looked entertained, like they were expecting a show.

Ezra took it all in.

The circle.

The posturing.

The barely contained thrill some of them were getting from this.

Then he exhaled softly, almost bored.

’Good,’ he thought. ’If this is going to happen, I might as well get something out of it.’

He deserved at least that much.

Especially when this little display was costing him time he could have spent with his sweet little boy.

“You’ve got five seconds,” Ezra said evenly, folding his arms across his chest. His posture was relaxed, almost lazy. “Tell me why you thought surrounding your captain was a good idea right after the prince leaves.”

Guy chuckled behind him. “Captain already, huh? Didn’t take long for you to slip back into that role.”

Ezra tilted his head just slightly. “Four seconds.”

Something shifted.

Rowan swallowed hard.

Cedric shot a glance to the side, like he was already calculating escape routes.

Even Alaric stiffened, eyes narrowing as if realizing this wasn’t going the way they’d imagined.

Guy’s smile sharpened instead of fading. “You walked back in here after five years and acted like nothing changed. You took a role you already left.”

Ezra turned his head just enough to meet Guy’s gaze fully.

“And?” he asked calmly.

That single word landed heavier than any shout.

Guy leaned in a fraction, voice lowering. “Some of us carried this order while you were gone.”

“Some,” Ezra echoed. “Meaning you?”

Before Guy could answer, Gareth spoke up from the front. “He’s been leading us for four years,” he said firmly. “Even without the title. He led every mission. Every operation.”

A few more nodded.

“We do not accept you as our captain,” Rowan added, crossing his arms like that alone would give him backbone.

Ezra blinked once.

Then he smiled.

“Oh,” he said lightly. “You don’t accept me?”

A murmur of agreement rippled through the group. Guy’s smirk deepened, clearly pleased.

Ezra let the silence stretch. He looked at each of them slowly, deliberately, as if committing their faces to memory.

Then he raised an eyebrow.

“So why tell me?” he asked. “Prince Helios has been right there. For years. I only came back because he asked me to. So why didn’t you say all this to him?”

He gestured lazily around the circle.

“Why wait until he’s gone, then surround me like a bunch of scared little whelps hiding from the one who actually called the shots?”

The effect was immediate.

Shock.

Offense.

Anger.

A few faces flushed red. Others stiffened like he’d slapped them.

Ezra straightened fully, any hint of looseness draining from his posture. His voice stayed calm, steady, but there was an edge to it now. Something honed.

“You want to be captain?” he said evenly. “Then fight for it. Demand it from Prince Helios.”

He met Guy’s eyes again, unflinching.

For the first time since this little ambush began, Guy hesitated.

It was brief.

Almost imperceptible.

But Ezra saw it.

Then Guy laughed and smoothed it over, his mouth curling into a grin that was all teeth and no warmth. Obnoxious. Deliberate.

“Funny,” Guy said lightly. “Because from where I’m standing, you only got that role because His Highness values his friendship with you.”

A few knights stiffened. Others leaned in, hungry.

“He kept the captain’s title open for five years,” Guy continued, stepping closer, lowering himself just enough to be provoking. “Ignored my achievements. Ignored what I’ve done for this order.”

His eyes gleamed.

“Anyone with half a brain would know asking him directly would be suicide,” Guy went on. “Or pointless. He already made his choice.”

Then his smile sharpened.

“Must be nice,” he added casually, “to grow up beside a prince, even if you were just a street rat.”

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