Jonathan jerked awake. Pain faded with the nightmare that had plagued him, a convoluted mixture of battle and pain and fear. In the dream his failure in battle had greater repercussions than it had in reality, and those he loved bore the price. He sat up and covered his face with shaking hands. Frustrated he threw off the blankets and dressed. He pulled on his chain-mail and boots and crept quietly into the room where Gavin and Logan slept. He stopped and thought about waking Gavin but decided not to. He slipped from there through the rest of his living quarters and into the hall. The guard on duty came to attention. As he started to walk away the guard spoke.

"Would you wait just a moment sire?"

Answering with a nod and a glare Jonathan crossed his arms. The guard slipped into his quarters and in moments emerged with Gavin on his heels. Gavin came close enough to speak without being heard.

"You had another nightmare." Jonathan shrunk at the observation. Gavin put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I'll be ready presently."

The training ground was silent. Gavin stayed at the entrance giving him space. He moved to the middle of the battle ground and stood comparing his memory of the fight he'd had with Quinn with the dream that played through his mind night after night. He could see the fight in his mind as clearly as if he were watching it play out before him.

He heard a soft footfall behind him and turned slowly to see Caleb.

"I am sorry Captain. I had no intention of disturbing you."

"Kyle heard you come in. He informed me you were here."

He shot a glare to Kyle who was standing just behind Caleb. "I will head back and let you get back to sleep." Jonathan made it to the edge of the battle ground.

"You do not have permission to leave the grounds." Caleb waited until Jonathan turned back around. "Kyle was right to wake me. Front and center."

Jonathan slowly trudged back over. "I want to know how Quinn beat me." Only the very edge of anguish was in his voice, but Caleb knew him well enough to know it was there.

"Quinn had prepared you to fight and you are one of the best with a sword. He didn't tell you how to think in battle. That is how he won. He let you draw first blood to make you over-confident. Then he made you angry. He kept pushing until you were in a blind rage. It made you take risks, and he knew you would. So, when there was an opening he was prepared, had been pushing for it, watching for it, knew it was coming. In battle you have to keep a clear calm head. You have to see beyond the chaos. He out - thought you."

Caleb had been brutally honest. Jonathan absorbed everything he said. He replayed the battle in his mind again and lined it up with what Caleb had said. It was so clear.

"Now, you need to quit asking 'what if' and look at what is. We all made it home. Wounds will heal, and you have a chance to learn what you need to. I am going to make sure you do before you see any kind of fighting again. Not tonight however. You need to head back to the castle and get some sleep. In the morning report back and we'll talk."

"Thanks Captain. Do I have your permission to leave?"

"You do."

~~~~~

The sun wasn't even peeking over the horizon and Jonathan was back on the training ground. Sleep had completely alluded him as he mulled over all Caleb had told him. It had been months since he had been in training. Now he was anxious to see what Caleb would tell him. Thankfully Caleb did not make him wait.

"The day before the harvest festival is your coronation. In the two months until then the King wants you focused on what you need to learn as Prince of the Realm. After the harvest festival I will be implementing a regular training schedule. Training will be intense, more so than you are used to. I expect that you will show up ready to listen and learn. You have my word that you will be fully prepared if you face another battle."

"Thanks Captain. Between now and then may I join the soldiers?"

"As long as your other obligations have been met first."

"Excuse me your highness," Gavin, Prince Jonathan's primary guard, interrupted as respectfully as possible. "You are due back at the castle."

Jonathan headed back somewhat reluctantly to receive his schedule for the day. His next task turned out to be more troublesome than he had anticipated.

A scowl formed as he turned another corner in the royal wing. He knew every inch of the public areas of the castle, could draw a map of the grounds from memory, even in the dark never got lost thanks to his training in The Guard. Unfortunately, the royal wing had restricted access, and knowledge of its maze of halls was only given to those who needed the information. He had been informed this morning that he needed to know it. Setting out with a smug smirk he was certain short work would be made of the task. Hours later he was lost. Generations of royal families had remodeled and reconstructed the seven floors of the royal wing. There were halls that led nowhere, rooms that led to other rooms but did not open to the same halls. He was hungry and frustrated. Staring out a window he determined that he was on the fifth floor looking out at the south wall.

"I like this room. You can see the ocean from here." Sam's happy voice filled the room.

"How in the world do you know about this room?" Jonathan asked shocked.

"When you are small, people don't notice you. I like to explore and when you were hurt you slept a lot."

"Did you explore all over?"

"Yes." Her eyes widened a little.

"How much of this wing do you know?"

"All of it. Want me to show you?" Before he could even answer Sam had grabbed his hand and started dragging him. "We'll start at the top. You can't get there from here though. You have to go to the fourth floor to find the staircase to the seventh. And you can only get to the sixth from the seventh or the secret ladder."

Jonathan grinned at Gavin as they went passed him. Gavin had orders not to help him. With Sam the frustrating maze became an adventure worth having. She had smuggled snacks from the kitchen on her way up and they munched as they explored. Somehow, she managed to keep track of time and got Jonathan back to his room in time to get ready for watch. Learning the whole of the wing would take a lot more time but now it would be an enjoyable task.