"I!" Bryan stood up bravely and faced the prince, who was now grinning. The people didn’t know why the prince was looking for a person named "Nicholas."
The prince pointed his gun at Bryan, and the people quickly bowed down in fear, but Bryan didn’t seem to fear death and was ready to give his life.
"Capture him," ordered the prince, and the guards quickly obeyed. They grabbed Bryan’s arms, but he didn’t resist and let them drag him.
The prince mounted his horse, and Bryan, along with the other guards, followed behind, walking toward the palace prison.
...
"I know you," the prince whispered in Bryan’s ear, but Bryan showed no fear or begged for mercy. He kept his eyes focused on the door in front of him.
Bryan was brought into a room that only had a chair and a light above it. He couldn’t see the rest of the room because it was too dark.
But he could feel the eyes of the prince’s guards watching him. "Bryan," the prince said slowly, and Bryan looked into his eyes, which were filled with anger.
Suddenly, the prince whipped Bryan, and he felt the sting on his right cheek, along with his blood dripping down his face to his neck.
Bryan didn’t scream or groan because he knew if he did, the prince would only enjoy punishing him more. So as long as he could, he would keep staring at the prince, even if it cost him his life.
"Where is he now?" the prince asked directly, staring at Bryan’s face. Bryan didn’t answer the prince; he just glared at him.
For the second time, the prince whipped him, this time on his left cheek. Bryan let out a small groan as the pain doubled.
"You know, you wouldn’t be hurt like this if you just told me where your friend is," the prince said, but Bryan didn’t listen.
"But if that’s what you want, I won’t force you. Goodbye, Bryan." With one last look at the prince, Bryan saw the prince holding a gun, the barrel pointed right at him. The shot rang out, and Bryan’s body fell to the ground.
...
The rich people of San Mariano were all terrified because this was the first time they had seen the prince holding a gun.
As fellow humans, they also felt worried for the man who was captured by the prince’s guards and taken to the palace prison. They didn’t know if the man had done anything wrong, but there was nothing they could do. They were only the prince and king’s servants, so all they could do was cry and pray.
One man ran quickly to Nicholas’s house. He almost tripped because he was running so fast to warn Nicholas that the prince had captured his friend.
"NICHOLAS! NICHOLAS! NICHOLAS! NICHOLAS!" The man shouted Nicholas’s name until it seemed like his veins would burst.
The first to appear was Nicholas’s sister, Nicole. "Hey, why are you shouting?" She came out of their wooden house, scratching her head.
"Where is Nicholas? I need to talk to him!" the man said frantically, scaring Nicole with his loud voice, so she immediately went to the backyard and called her brother, who was feeding the chickens.
"Hey, Peter! You’re here, friend?" Nicholas walked toward Peter, who quickly ran to him, surprising Nicholas, making him step back.
"What? What’s happening? Why are you out of breath?" Nicholas asked, worried.
"Nicholas, Bryan... he was taken... by the guards... and brought to the palace prison with the prince," Peter said, still catching his breath, and Nicholas went silent.
Even though Peter was panting, Nicholas understood, so he quickly asked, "Why? Did Bryan do something wrong? Where’s the prince? This can’t be happening."
"The prince was looking for you, but when he didn’t find you, he asked who among us knew you, and Bryan quickly stepped forward. Things happened fast, and then they took Bryan to the palace prison," Peter explained.
Nicholas borrowed a horse from his neighbor, who was his father’s friend. The man nodded to Nicholas, and Nicholas quickly rode the horse to the palace.
"I hope I’m not too late," Nicholas whispered to himself.
...
"Don’t enter the royal family’s kingdom, or you will be punished," said one of the guards standing in front of the large palace gate, along with another guard.
"PRINCE! KING!" Nicholas shouted until he ran out of breath, but he didn’t stop yelling until he saw the king and the prince.
"I want to see the king and his son!" Nicholas struggled as the palace guards held him until a deep voice caught their attention.
"Let him go," a voice commanded the guards.