Part 1

Vance Rayleigh and I were the best of friends. He was a naughty, hyperactive kid who liked to cause trouble. But he was also quite smart and charming. He held a certain charisma even as a child and you really can't help but follow the guy no matter what sort of trouble he gets you into.

That's what I did anyway. I was his partner in crime. We did many crazy things together. As for what those things were, I'll leave that to your imagination.

Then there was Felise Hayward. She was a veritable goddess. And I'm not exaggerating. She truly was beautiful. She had a sweet, gentle yet firm and unyielding personality. All the village kids admired her. The sight of her lustrous flame red hair fluttering in the wind as she walked elicited admiring sighs from both the young and old folks in the village.

She also had Vance and I wrapped perfectly on her little finger. Whenever we went to cause some mischief, she'd be there to reign us in and prevent us from going overboard.

She was also my first crush.

You really can't blame me for falling for her though. Heck, most of the guys in our age group had crushes on her. She even charmed some of the girls.

Well, all except for one guy. Vance, that idiot, was as dense as a rock. He was more interested in swords and adventurers than girls. Somehow, it seemed quite appropriate though.

Part 2

Vance and I dreamed of being adventurers. He was in it for the thrill and excitement of an unbridled life. I was in it for silly things like wanting to restore the Evrard house to its (rumored) former glory and attaining the hand of my lady love. I was a kid. Kids tended to have some pretty crazy dreams.

We were able to study the sword under Felise's grandfather, Galvan Hayward, after a few rounds of passionate (i.e. desperate) pleas (i.e. shameful begging).

I was pretty into it at first. I followed the assigned training menu religiously. I did my best during spars. I filled several bundles of parchment with research notes about the stances and techniques of the Sevenfold Paths of Radiance sword style that grampa Galvan taught us. Most of it were just incoherent scribbles though.

I even had the gall to declare that I'd use my sword to protect Felise forever. She showed me a meaningful and somewhat mysterious smile whenever I did that. I was too caught up with myself to notice anything though.

But after a while, the huge difference in talent between Vance and me became readily apparent. He absorbed gramps' teachings at an alarmingly fast rate. It didn't take long before Vance completely surpassed me in skill, technique and strength. I was no longer a worthy opponent for him in spars.

It's not like I was particularly bad at swordsmanship. Vance was just too overwhelmingly gifted at it. Even grampa Galvan started to have trouble with him shortly after he took over as a sparring partner.

I was proud of him. I really was. He was my best friend after all. But I can't deny being jealous of him either. It's an ugly feeling. But I can't deny it.

The difference in the looks gramps gave to the two of us when we graduated from his tutelage made it much worse.

With Vance, there was a look of overwhelming pride. There were even hints of awe and reverence.

But, as for me, what stood out was pity. I was being pitied. Gramps tried not to show it, but I could tell. And I was truly bothered by it.

Maybe Vance's talent was just that overwhelming. It made me seem all the more drab and, well, ordinary. But even so, I thought that this still didn't justify the look of pity gramps gave me.

I was still decent with a sword wasn't I? Okay, well, barely decent. But I could still put up a fight. I wasn't useless. But that look took a serious toll on my self-esteem.

Felise did admonish gramps about the obvious difference in treatment - a small consolation. But I still felt down in the dumps. Vance being as oblivious as always didn't help either.

Part 3

I can't ever forget the look of disappointment on Vance's face when I decided not to go with him to register at the local adventurers guild in the neighboring town of Ambrose.

Even the usually dense Vance sensed something from my attitude back then. We stood in silence for quite some time after I broke it to him. We did promise to start adventuring together after our training ends after all.

But I couldn't do it. I couldn't bring myself to follow after him anymore. I was afraid - afraid I might eventually come to hate him if I continued staying by his side.

I knew I was being unreasonable. I shouldn't have let jealousy get the better of our friendship. But I was already deeply mired in it. I was simply being petty. And not a day goes by that I don't regret the way we parted ways that time.

I was the only one who kept up with him no matter what kind of mischief he engaged in. He did tend to get carried away and often overdid his pranks after all. I covered for him whenever we got busted by the adults. Being the village chiefs son, my words did hold some weight. So we got off not getting the worst out of it.

We used to think we were inseparable. But it turned out not to be the case. My insecurities won out in the end. It was the worst.

But what got me the most was that he didn't blame me. He might have even blamed himself.

Before Vance went on to start his adventuring career, he tapped me on the chest with his fist in a familiar gesture. I was supposed to tap him back. It was a good luck charm as well as a sign of faith. I didn't return the gesture and just continued to stare at him stiffly. He showed me a strained and helpless smile.

That was the first and last time I got to see him truly close to tears. He departed for Ambrose soon after.

Part 4

Things got awkward between Felise and me after Vance left. I was still caught up in conflicting emotions and continued to sulk while sporting a gloomy expression.

She often got out of her way to hang out with me despite my attitude. She never said anything. She just simply sat by my side. But that was enough. It was more than enough.

Truth be told, I thought she would hate me. I went back on my word and betrayed the hopes of my best friend just because of some unreasonable inferiority complex. I thought she would be disillusioned. But not once did I hear any words of admonishment coming from her.

Instead, she continued to silently support me. She was waiting for me to open up. But I never got the chance to express my feelings. Fate would not allow me to.

***

It happened so suddenly. Armed men came to the village and requested an audience with my dad, the village chief. They demanded to see the former Royal Guard commander Galvan Hayward.

I got confused. Old grampa Galvan was a knight commander? And to top it off, he led the Royal Guard. They were the crème de la crème of the knight regiments of Vandel kingdom - the true elites. Whenever they spearheaded the army at the behest of the king, all the kingdoms opponents trembled in dread.

If so, why was gramps out here on the sticks? Even if he retired due to old age, normally, he would have been given an important position as an advisor to the king and the royal family. Or perhaps, he would have been made the dean of the Vandel Royal Knight Academy to nurture the next generation.

Here in Lindorf, he was just your plain old village guard captain. Hes also commonly referred to as an eccentric who preferred to hunt wild boars using only his sword and his sturdy body, even at his age.

Well, come to think of it, there were indeed some signs pointing that he wasnt exactly ordinary. But still, former Royal Guard commander was just too much of a jump in status. My poor fourteen year old mind couldnt keep up. And to think I was going to be officially recognized as an adult on my next birthday

I was out of it for most of the conversation between the men and my father. But some words got stuck in my mind.

“A major change in the situation…”

“An impending war with the demons…”

“The king dying because of a disease…”

“Suspicions of treachery…”

“A deal between the demons and some of the kingdoms nobles…”

“A change is needed…”

“A symbol of hope…”

“Princess Felise…”

I was jolted awake.

“No way…” I thought.

“It can’t be…” I thought.

An incomparable sense of anxiety and unease came over me.

“Not her too…”

Part 5

My fears were confirmed after gramps came and brought Felise over with him to meet the men. They knelt down and greeted her with utmost respect and reverence.

They all called Felise princess. She didnt get flustered, but instead took it all in stride as if it was but natural. And then, she turned to me.

Her face displayed that meaningful yet strangely mysterious and somewhat uneasy smile she gave me from time to time. Only at this moment was I finally able to grasp some of its meaning.

I really am a self-centered fool I thought.

***

The men really were members of the current Royal Guard who remained loyal to the royal family. They told us that they could no longer sit still and do nothing as the nobles ambitions threatened the very foundations of the kingdom they loved and swore to protect. The last straw was a suspected conspiracy between the nobles and the demon army which was currently annexing parts of the neighboring Silvanus Union in open rebellion against the humans and other races of the continent.

The nobles had seized power after forcing the rest of the royal family into exile and making the king into a puppet ruler. They had the support of a part of the Royal Guard forces and most of the military. Those loyal to the royal family were either exiled, executed due to trumped up charges or forced to submit through threats of violence against them and their loved ones.

They had been cowed and humiliated for years.

This was all news to me. The people had felt the worsening state of the kingdom long before. The state of living for commoners, especially in the royal capital, rapidly deteriorated in recent years. The nobles did as they pleased and didn't listen to the cries of the people.

But we all thought the king had been privy to all the abuses and simply refused to act against them. Some even secretly resented the royal family but were too powerless to do anything about it. All signs of rebellion were stamped out before they could even gain some sort of momentum.

Attempts by commoners to smuggle themselves out of the capital, and even out of the country frequently occurred, but few succeeded. Grampa Galvan and Felise were some of the few that did. That's how they got to Lindorf. But I never could have imagined that the royal family also fell victim to those corrupt nobles and that our village had been housing a royal princess all this time.

Most attempts to escape were thwarted. But the few who did manage it were never pursued. It was like the nobles couldn't be bothered to focus on such endeavors.

Thus, gramps and Felise had managed to safely disappear from the nobles sights. But the men who came were imploring for Felise to take the helm and spearhead a massive coup de tat with her as the central figure. This was in order to stop the kingdom from falling into the demons hands because of a deal made by the nobles that supposedly ensured their rights to rule by handing the country over without a fight.

"As if those damned demons would spare their pitiful lives!" a sharp eyed man who was apparently the leader of the group spat out.

The deep resentment of the demons for all other races that lived in the continent was quite well known. Centuries of open animosity and oppression towards their kind fostered their hate. Although it had somewhat abated during our generation, a majority of the continents populace still treated demon-kind as a scourge upon the land.

The humans and elves in particular, had staged many subjugation attempts to drive them out of the continent. We had succeeded in confining them within the Al-Zeberuk wastes - an unforgiving land where death lurks in every corner.

They were supposed to wither away in that hell. But somehow, they came back. And they were extremely pissed off.

They began conquering the scattered tribes which lived in the wastes borders and have now pushed well within the Silvanus Union, and will continue to head to the heart of the continent if nothing stops their advance.

Part 6

The Silvanus Union consisted of the high elven forest-city of Yllyr, the dwarven city of Giliead and the human cities of Myrn and Vendice. They held the most power and influence in the northwest areas of the continent. But now, they were in a desperate struggle against the demon forces and are close to falling.

As the rogue knights relayed the information, everyone's countenance gradually turned grim.

Perhaps, blinded by fear of the might of the demon army, the nobles had quickly agreed to the demons proposal of guaranteed ruling rights without realizing they were being fooled. Most likely, the demons were just doing this to preserve their forces. After all, no matter how powerful a force, casualties are inevitable. Their reproductive abilities are low, so the demons manpower is quite limited. If they manage to take Vandel without bloodshed, they'd be poised to attack the Almadeus theocracy with their full strength.

After Almadeus falls, there will virtually be nothing stopping them from taking over the entire central continent.

***

Grampa Galvan recognized that the situation was indeed dire. But he still held reservations. Why call upon the child of the king and a commoner borne out of wedlock in an illicit affair to be the heart of a coup de ta to reinstate the royal family? The king still had a number of children, each brilliant in their own right, who could possibly succeed the throne.

The rogue royal guard knights smiled bitterly after his question. They once again dropped another shocker - every other member of the royal family is dead. The nobles were very thorough. They eliminated all that may hinder the deal they made with the demons. All except for one that is.

True, the nobles were fools. They deferred the elimination of the royal family loyalists within the royal guard because they enjoyed watching them suffer indefinitely under their oppression. This, along with their deal with the demons, showed they prioritized impulsive whims instead of sound logic. But they did succeed in silently taking over the kingdom, so they couldn't be underestimated.

Felise had managed to avoid their notice because only a handful knew of her existence. But now that the nobles have a precedent for getting serious in rooting out rogue elements, it was only a matter of time.

Gramps nearly fainted from his seat. Felise's expression turned dark. The situation was more pressing than they thought.

Finally, with a determined look, Felise had agreed to take up the mantle as the last remaining royalty of Vandel kingdom in order to bring the nobles to justice and to protect the country from the approaching threat of demon invasion.

Part 7

I was dumbstruck. Things got crazier and crazier and my thoughts were swept up by a tide of confusion and worry.

Felise was the last remaining princess of the kingdom and now she was headed towards a dangerous battle for the kingdoms survival. That was way over my head. I didn't know how to take it. What could someone like me do in a situation like that?

Felise suddenly entered my room while I was immersed in my thoughts. That caused my mind to instantly grind to a halt. Why was she in my room? In a boy's room. At night. I panicked even more when she sat down right next to me on the bed.

Then she spoke.

"It's just as you've heard." she began.

"I have the blood of the king flowing through my veins. He wasn't always the ideal father. But, for a time, when he spent his days with me and my mother, I was truly happy."

Her expression grew solemn. Hints of melancholy were present within her clear, jade colored eyes.

"I... I've decided to take on the responsibility of leading this kingdom. I know it's presumptuous of me. It's certainly going to be difficult. I know nothing when it comes to being a leader. But if... If someone were by my side to support me... Then perhaps..."

The distance between our faces gradually shrank and we could feel each others breaths. And, at this moment, I did one thing I would regret for the rest of my life.

I turned away.

That effectively served to ruin the mood. Felise flushed red and her eyes wandered restlessly across the room. In the end, she gave a quick apology and went out of my room with panicked steps.

***

Why did I turn away?

I wussed out, that's why.

I knew that she wasn't requiring anything unreasonable of me. She only wished for me to stay by her side, just as she had for me. But is that truly alright?

She was about to undertake something with the lives and futures of countless people hanging in the balance. Was it truly okay for someone like me to stay by her side? Will I be forgiven for something so selfish? I'm sure quite a few will not recognize my worth to be with Felise. And I held those doubts myself.

A part of me was saying "To hell with that!". But in the end, my insecurities won out once more.

And so, I turned away.

***

The carriages departed in the dead of night the following day.

I kept going back and forth with wanting to accompany Felise and holding myself back.

When I finally decided to see her, the carriages had already departed in the distance. A flash of crimson came from the carriage window.

I couldn't see her face.

But why did I feel she was in tears?

-Chapter 2 End-