“Have you become familiar with the castle, Mr. Arthur?” Prince Eliot asks him as they walk along the hallways of the third floor.

“For the most part, yes.” Arthur nods. His body is tense and his steps feel awkward. “T-Though I have not been to the fourth floor.”

“Then let’s go there,” the prince says easily. “You won’t feel bad for walking around there if I go along, right?”

“R-Right.”

Radiant Castle has 4 floors and 2 basements.

The second floor basement is reserved for training rooms. The first floor basement is for the rooms of new recruits, low ranking knights and castle staff. The first floor has the throne room, a big ceremony hall and other, smaller rooms for other purposes, like waiting rooms. The second floor is for meeting rooms. The third floor is for the bedrooms of high ranking knights and other officers. And finally, the fourth floor is, in its entirety, reserved for the royal family. Of course Arthur couldn’t just waltz in there.

He follows the prince through the stairs to said floor, his stomach twisting in nervousness.

“Please, Mr. Arthur. Relax,” the prince says with a wry smile. “I might be a prince, but you’re still older than me. What’s more, you’ve earned the right to become a knight. I believe something you’ve won with your own hands has more worth than anything gained through birthright.”

While those words do manage to help Arthur relax, the melancholic tone with which the prince spoke them… annoys him. But out of fear he’ll say something inappropriate, he keeps his mouth shut.

“Anyway,” Prince Eliot chuckles. “I bet you wonder why I wanted to speak to you.”

“Well, yes.” Arthur nods as the two of them reach the top of the stairs. From here, there’s a hallway that splits left and right, with a wall right in front of them. The decoration of the castle on this floor is completely different. There are blue carpets along the hallways, the windows are bigger and give an incredible view of the city, the walls are decorated with high quality paintings, and sculptures and potted plants give the place an even greater air of elegance. There are maids cleaning the place and a couple of guards patrolling.

Prince Eliot leads Arthur through the hallway, which is basically them walking around in circles, walking past several doors. “Beyond these are my room, my brother’s, the king’s, and of course, our living spaces,” the prince tells him.

He opens a door to what’s, by definition, a living room. Yet it’s nothing like what Arthur has ever seen. Sofas with pillows enveloped in silk arranged around a low, wooden table, all with intricate carvings. A big fireplace with the crest of the royal family hanging over it, the sword enveloped in radiant blue flames. Different paintings hang on the walls with images of the kingdom’s landscapes and portraits of previous rulers.

“Please, take a seat,” Prince Eliot says, sitting on the sofa.

Arthur sits on the chair across from him, fearing that doing it will wrinkle the immaculate silk.

A maid approaches the prince and bows to him. “Your Highness, do you require anything?”

“Would you like some tea, Mr. Arthur?” he asks.

“Y-Yes. Thank you,” Arthur answers by rote. He guesses that’s a good thing in this case.

The maid leaves to brew the tea, leaving Arthur alone with the prince.

“I would’ve liked you to meet my older brother, but he seems to be… out, at this moment. I apologize,” Prince Eliot smiles wryly. Yet he starts speaking again before Arthur can tell him not to worry about it.

“The reason I wanted to speak to you is because I believe it’s only fair,” he says, looking directly at Arthur. “I’ve heard a lot about you from Sir Samuel, and I witnessed the extent of your condition in the castle’s infirmary the other day. Yet for all that, I haven’t even been able to introduce myself to you.”

“It’s not like my condition is a secret or anything,” Arthur says.

“Perhaps, but nevertheless, it doesn’t sit right with me,” the prince chuckles. “Therefore, although you may already know me by name, let me properly introduce myself. I am Eliot Ulster, second son of the late king, Matthews Ulster.” He bows politely.

“My name’s Arthur, Your Highness,” Arthur bows back. “Son of Scarlett, a courier.”

“So I’ve heard.” The prince grimaces. “Sir Samuel told me of the incident. Is your mother alright?”

“Far more than a one-armed old lady has any right to be,” Arthur groans before he stops himself. “S-Sorry. That’s rude, right?”

“Hahaha. Please, relax. Truth be told, I’m not a big fan of the usual courtesies of nobility, but I understand the need for them,” Prince Eliot smiles. “But why do you say that?”

“She’s worked too hard for too long. She deserves some rest, but she insists on going out there anyway,” Arthur sighs. “I can send money home now, but she’ll keep traveling, no matter what I say.”

It seems his frustrations cause the prince some amusement. He laughs lightly at Arthur’s story. “You care about her a lot, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” Arthur chuckles. “I don’t have many memories of my dad, but my mom raised me on her own. She trained me and taught me everything I know.”

“I guess I’m the opposite,” the prince says with a wry smile. “My mother died only a couple of years after I was born, so it was always my father, my brother and I. Then, well, father passed away as well.”

“My condolences, Your Highness.” Arthur says, solemnly.

“Thank you,” Prince Eliot says with honest gratefulness.

The maid arrives and pours both of them the aromatic tea in fine, small porcelain cups. She bows and leaves again.

“I wanted to ask you something, Mr. Arthur.” The prince speaks after a sip of his tea.

“Please, go ahead.”

“What do you think of this country?” He asks with a slight grimace.

“…” Arthur sets his own cup on the table and takes a deep breath. “I think it’s amazing how we’ve managed to live in general peace for so long considering the dangers that surround us.” He answers. “This is a good country.”

“I agree. Yet my heart is heavy with worry,” Prince Eliot says. “No matter what we do, monsters roam the land. They attack villages in search for food and make travel a great risk. Bandits only make things worse. The wall separating us from the rest of the continent both protects us and serves as a reminder of the even bigger dangers beyond it. I can’t help but feel that the peace in which we live is too fragile.”

“But that’s what we’re here for, right?” Arthur says.

“What do you mean?” The prince asks, curious.

“W-Well, it’s too soon to include myself in that statement, I suppose,” he laughs nervously. “But I meant the Radiant Knights. And not only them, but the regular army and the mercenary guild as well.”

Arthur nods to himself, more confident in his words. “The people know how hard it is to live with monsters all around us, but they’re not helpless. I believe these hardships are what’s made the people strong. I used to see it every day. Just because a group of monsters attack a farm and kill some animals doesn’t mean the farmers will drop to the ground and cry themselves to sleep. They will still wake up with the sun the next morning and start rebuilding. I think that’s what makes this country strong.”

Arthur sees the prince blink a couple of times as he stares. He fears he somehow said something weird, but then Prince Eliot smiles.

“Thank you, Mr. Arthur,” The prince says with closed eyes. “Truly, thank you. You’re right. It’s the people that make this country strong.”

With the way the prince said it, Arthur gets the feeling there’s something deeper in that statement, but perhaps it’s only something the prince knows.

“Is there anything you’d like to ask me? I feel like I’ve been the only one asking questions.” The prince chuckles.

“N-Nothing at the top of my head, Your Highness.”

“Then I won’t take any more of your time. You have preparations for a mission to take care of, right?”

“Yes.”

“But please, if you ever need me for anything, don’t hesitate to call me. I’m only the second prince, after all. It’s not like I’m all that important,” he laughs.

Right. He’s the second prince of the kingdom.

…

‘Somehow, it didn’t feel like I was talking to just the SECOND prince at all.’