He who carries his blade on his shoulder;

Shalt die with the blade on his chest;

My young boy, when you grow up and become a knight;

Make sure you know this one best.

-A Knight's Tale, excerpt from the Principalian Rhyme Collection First Edition

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Tarsuria, Year of Severus, 15, I.R., the 58th day of Fall, Arenfall

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"Syleon Crovar has died in service of the Principalian crown. May this letter serve as an acknowledgement for his many accomplishments for expanding and defending our beloved empire. His years of service had brought nothing but prosperity to the realm and thus he will be given an honorable burial after his remains are shipped from the lonely isle of the Crescent.

My deepest sympathies to the bereaved family. His name will be echoed throughout this land and the Senate will be requested to provide him a place in the hall of honors, his effigy will never die along with his memory.

In Pace,

Prince Arterius Prima

Maraus, Year of Severus, 15, I.R. the 57th day of Fall"

It took Prince Arterius almost more than two days to finally finish the letter he was supposed to send to the Crovar family regarding the demise of their head. He massaged his neck as it ached tremendously after a long night of thinking and drafting the letter, he's yet to give it to the messenger early today.

He wanted to give a more heartfelt message to the family, but unfortunately, their customs prevent him from doing so. Commander Crovar was his staunch supporter from the very start. He was a very good friend of his godfather and thus he treated him the way he treated his godfather, with love and lots of respect.

The letter he finished just now felt like a disservice to his loyal subject who gave away his life for his cause; a cause that was now fading into the obscurity as time went on. Stolas approached him a few moments later bringing a strong tea to wash down his worries and clear his mind to ease his sleep.

"You need a good sleep, you know that." Stolas said as he placed the tea on the table. "Writing that letter…for a lack of a better term, had aged you in a night." He added.

Prince Arterius smiled at his ward's jest, although he knew there was a hint of truth in that statement. He sipped his warm tea and sighed as the aroma took over his nose. It was an exquisite tea with a wonderful aroma all made the better in the hands of a masterful brewer.

"I think I will." Prince Arterius answered as he sipped tea once more. "Here, take the letter and send it immediately to the Crovar household. These damned traditions, I hate it! Why can't I say something nice and heartfelt for the family? This is ridiculous! Take it…or better yet read it first. I might've missed a spelling or two." He asked Stolas who sternly picked up the letter and read it while squinting his eyes.

"Ahhh…uhmmmm…ohh…" The ward groaned.

"I need your opinion, not your groans." Prince Arterius complained.

"Well…ahem…as much as I admire the content of your letter…" Stolas remarked. "You're writing is incorrigible." He clicked his tongue.

"Give me that!" He grabbed the letter from Stolas and read it again. "See…It's legib—oh! On second thought, you're right." Prince Arterius clicked his tongue as well.

His lack of sleep affected his handwriting to a point that he didn't notice how the last two lines converged into one messy blot. He sighed at the mess he made and was about to tear up the letter when Stolas stopped him from doing it.

"You don't have to tear it!" His ward scolded him. "Let me have it and I will rewrite it for you! All you have to do after is put your seal on the letter once its done." He snatched the letter from Prince Arterius and hid it in his pocket.

Prince Arterius didn't protest his ward's idea. He needed his rest, his heart had to rest as well. His sleepless nights were caused by his worries about the result of his expedition. It was already taking a toll on him especially with what happened recently; the return of a knight who barely survived inside the hole.

He took another sip of his tea before standing up. "How's the knight?" He asked.

"If you're talking about the poor soul who carried the Commander in his arms, he's currently detained outside in the middle of camp, exposed to the elements." Stolas answered him without blinking.

"Couldn't there be a tent put over his—"

"You already argued that with your godfather and he still wouldn't budge."

"He's just being cautious about it. He said it might be some creature from the hole disguising as one of us." Arterius sighed as he approached his tent's opening while looking outside. "Why is he naked now?!" He shouted to his surprise.

"Earlier today, 305-M approached the man and ordered him to strip while they bathe him in clean water." Stolas answered back. "Much later, he asked the man about what happened down there, but the man never answered him—not even once." He added.

"And why was he left naked?" The Prince raised his eyebrow. "Was there no clothing that this man can fit?"

"Fitting is not the issue." Stolas retorted, "The knight didn't want it."

"What did you just say?!" Arterius' eyes bloom wide open at the man's logic. "This night might've gone insane already! Who in their right mind wouldn't want to have something to wear during this time?!"

"Apparently, that man!" Stolas pointed the naked man sitting inside the cage.

"I must speak to this person!" Prince Arterius tried to go out of the tent but was immediately stopped by his ward by grabbing his arm.

"I'm sorry Arterius, but I cannot let you do that." Stolas answered. "It's too dangerous and Lord Prestonheim had commanded that no one was allowed to approach that man." He added.

"And why's that? Is being naked too dangerous now?" Arterius raised his eyebrow. "What's the worst he could do to me? Bite me? Grab me by the collar and choke me to death? Or better yet, stab me with his dick?!" He sarcastically asked.

"The commander is afraid that if this guy changes into a monster and might break out from its cage." Stolas adamantly emphasized what he said earlier. "Remember, you're the Prince, the next in line to the throne. He's afraid something bad might happen to you."

"He's still treating me like a child, doesn't he?" He asked his ward without looking back.

"You know he's just trying to—"

"Protect me?! I know how to protect myself!" Prince Arterius stomped his good foot on the ground in frustration."

"Well, you should—"

"Where is my godfather?" He asked, but before his ward could answer he already stormed out of the tent and went looking for Lord Prestonheim. He had a lot of things to say to his godfather about how they were treating the knight survivor.

As he went out of his tent, he accidentally caught the knight's eyes staring at him and saw something different in his eyes. For a while he thought he saw the knight's pupils turned into slits. The sudden image surprised him and caused him to stop. He rubbed his eyes and when he looked at the knight's eyes again, it became normal.

It was a pair of deep blue eyes that met his, not dark eyes he saw earlier.

"Are you alright?!" Stolas patted his back as he walked pass him. "You need to—"

"I am alright!" He answered immediately. "I will rest after I speak to him!" Prince Arterius said while he shook off the idea of what he saw. It was more likely out from his sleepless nights that caused him to see things…weird things.

Hopefully there was nothing to it.