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Piece 01: Prince and the Mission

A blinding light welcomed my unstable consciousness. There was a voice in the background and shadows of faces. It was getting hard for me to discern the words or it may be so that the words fail to reach my now partly conscious mind. My heart traveled back to the past, I would not have believed it should I not remember it to occur before. I felt a smile drawn on my face and a splash of water on my skin.

Breeze of cold sea-wind shaped my long-silver hair with every movement made, I've been training myself rigorously just for a chance to strike him even once, even in this ship, with hope to achieve my goal before we reach Sol-Falena.

"You're really into it, aren't you Prince?" I heard him say. I told him to be quiet but I guess he doesn't have the intention to listen. Maybe he was trying to confuse me again.

"I said no talking Georg." I repeated. And with that, I found myself sitting on my butt for the third time today.

"Ha! I told you to concentrate, didn't I?" he mocked me. I was focusing on his sword that I missed his foot sliding down to trip me. Hard to admit it, but I never once landed a good hit on him.

"That's so great, Prince."

I heard a voice behind me and found my bodyguard Lyon standing clapping her hands with devotion and wearing a smile that I hardly deserve especially after losing that bad. Radiant and fluid like the ocean of Falena, her blue garb made her smile appealing. There was a rumor around the castle that she was as popular as the Queen's Knights. Well, I believe the people would agree that her beauty was of noble class. Same as always, she tried to comfort me again saying that my movement has gone far better and that our skills may no be that far apart.

There was no way to buy that, I am the Prince so I should be at least at par or even stronger. Pride was never my thing but honor, a different story. Behind Lyon, another shadow of a lady appeared. She was late but it's nothing new anyway. Many nobles got their eyes on her but I guess she's out of their league. I myself would have made a hit on her should I have not known of her ridiculously ever-changing mood, tantrums and the fact that she's my aunt. Such behavior of the Queen's sister was something far away from the image she portrayed when in front of the commoners.

"Well, at least you made Georg use his dominant foot. The fact that he just can't continue to parry your tri-nunchaku means you've improved quite well that he even have to confuse you with words."

Somehow, I felt good after hearing that from my aunt. She really knows how to pamper me, it must have been the reason the rumor saying that I am her favorite nephew started to spread. At least Georg acknowledged the mind games, he just played on me. And even told me that I can pass as a Queen's Knights anytime, but my capability to defeat Lyon even if I get serious enough was close to zero, and just when the praises was about to fill my cup, he struck me down again.

"…aside from your unstable concentration, you need to control your aggressiveness Prince. Each expression you made can easily be read by your enemies… lastly don't yell when attacking, it's like giving your opponent the signal of when to defend."

I was crushed to a pulp, Lyon was all happy and laughing though so I really don't mind. More words would have escaped my lips if not of the sun that's almost blinding. Not far in the horizon was Sol-Falena. We're home.

On our way to the palace, Lyon and Georg stayed a few steps behind. Lyon was giving Georg a lecture about his way of addressing the royal family. Aunt Sialeeds gave a comment about this issue as well but the proud knight simply said, "…don't worry. I can handle myself."

I doubt he'd listen. The port was half-empty as usual. I heard Georg's unsatisfied remarks because of it. Aunt Sialeeds could never have been right; a prince in Queendom was valued only greater than a peasant. Soon as we entered the palace, an arm caught me by surprise and had me by the neck. If this was a fight, I'd probably be dead; this habit of mine to relax when within the walls of the palace was one of the things Georg was pestering me about for months.

"How are you, my boy?" King Ferid made his introduction and I was forced to submit.

"…Ah, it hurts…father." I told him yet he continued until Aunt Sialeeds took a noticed that I'm about to be crushed. My face has turned pale and I was definitely close to passing out. I was really close to further embarrassment, thanks to Father's ridiculous strength.

"This is nothing, my boy…a-haha-ha.."

Georg stand proud and placed his feet together before calling the attention of the King and announced, "Your Majesty, your loyal subject Georg Prime of the Queen's Knights reporting for duty Sire."

"What in the world happened to you, Georg?" The King inquired.

It was almost a common knowledge in Sol-Falena that Ferid and Georg were best of friend as they came from the same country. When the King took Georg under his wing and made him the Queen's Knights, it was the subject of many nobles at the time, even now I guess. Nothing surprised me when Georg answered without the courtesy His Majesty deserve.

"Hah! You were never the one to listen to other's opinion so why start now…on second thought, a little display of modesty may well be observed as we have a lot of nobles who came in and doesn't have the slightest idea about you."

Not longer, the King apologized to us and that we cannot retire yet to rest as the Queen has been waiting for our arrival. We followed his orders to the letter and entered the audience chamber. Inside, the Queen was standing, waiting in front of her throne.

"Your Majesty, your most loyal subject has returned." Each word I delivered with respect and utmost devotion. The Queen reacted the way I visualized and added, "My, why the formality, you can call me mother, you know…but still it makes me proud to hear you so gallantly. Now tell me, what did you see in Lordlake?"

Silence filled the audience chamber of the Queen; it wasn't easy to describe what we saw in words. The Queen repeated and asked us again, this time Aunt Sialeeds responded. The people of Lordlake have suffered greatly that the bountiful and once glorious lake was no more than just a barren waste land. Trees have withered and wild animals roam the land killing the townsmen for food. All this we shared to the Queen and than begged that may she bestow mercy and let Lordlake be restored back but the Queen refused to listen.

Instead, the power of the Sun rune took over her and she started cursing the people of Lordlake and even proclaiming that they deserved greater punishment for the treason that they have committed. The rune on her forehead prompted me to take a step back as I felt the surging heat emanating from the Queen.

Never have I felt such fear before and from my mother of all people in Falena. The scorching heat from the Sun rune made me realize the capability of the runes to drive people to madness. I cannot help but think that my mother did change from her amorous self from two years ago into a domineering queen now. I never thought that such runes do exist and to possess an incredible power enough to drive a soul mad.

"Mother…!" my voice toppled by the queen. In that instant, my thoughts were that of a dead prince if not of the shadow that leapt in front of us.

"Your Majesty…" my father stopped the Queen in time. King Ferid went ahead and dismissed the group. Though he tried to hide it, the Queen was surely not herself at the time, "…you will have to excuse us, Her Majesty is exhausted."

Outside the audience chamber of Her Majesty, not a single lip dared to say a thing until Aunt Sialeeds broke the deafening silence. She forcefully dismissed herself and went ahead to her room without another word aside from, "…man, I'm tired. *sigh* Well, goodbye for now."

Georg Prime disappeared to the Queen's Knights quarters without me realizing until he was on his way to the right side of the castle. *Sigh* I took a deep breath and looked around. The castle was the same as always, the carpet was painted red with flowers embroidered and the stones beneath were sturdy as always. The pillars were good as new and soldiers all around, sure there maybe new faces but nothing new on my eyes specially this one before me whose been calling my name the entire time.

"Prince!"

"Yea, I heard you Lyon but first we need to go and check on my sister." Definitely need to visit her immediately; I nodded while thinking of this. I dragged Lyon with me and went ahead to my sister's room but only the room attendant was there. Lyon thought that she may have gone to my room instead; I followed her instinct and went with no avail.

"Room's empty, where could she be?"

"Prince, lookout!" Lyon nabbed me to the floor, pressing her body against me, her face close to mine. I was fighting off this feeling for so long that I have a feeling I may lose grip at any given time.

"Hey, love birds, you don't have to do it in the hallway you know," a blonde-tall guy wearing the same yellow-black armor garb as Georg was the culprit.

"Why, you, Kyle, told you to be careful when walking on the hallway." Lyon exploded. She was always like this whenever I get hurt or something bad occurs, acting more of a mother than bodyguard most of the time.

Looking at the guy again, it was definitely Kyle, one the Queen's Knights. He got some bad reputation of being lecherous and a bit perverted. I am sure that Georg and father was having a hard time controlling this idiot. He was the closest that I have for an older brother though, so I tend to neglect all his negative aspects. He used to drag me to trouble most of the time that the King began ordering me to go around town and even asked Georg to accompany me. Come to think of it, maybe Lyon was right about him being bad luck for me.

"By the way, Prince. Have you seen your sister already?" I nodded no at his inquiry. It seemed like the princess was going around the castle as well trying to look for me. Kyle told me that she might be at their quarters so I didn't hesitate to tag along and went down the stairs from the hallway on the second floor.

"Prince, welcome back. I hope you enjoyed your travel." The Queen's Knights welcomed me with a smile. The talk was all about Lordlake and reaction from each knights was quite something to hear. Zahhak and Alenia seemed to be in favor of the Queen's decision while Galleon preferred to thank us after we voiced our wishes to ask the Queen to forgive them, two years should have been enough.

"His Majesty, King Ferid blessed us with His presence." Georg announced.

"At ease…" The King, although not the true ruler of the Queendom of Falena, he was the one ordering the highest order of knights in Falena, the Queen's knights, and as such the commander of the Army. Everyone wearing the same gold and black garb followed and decided to act freely.

SWoooooSH!

The door sprung open and with it a girl went out hysterically. The crowd inside the room was shocked, no doubt about it, it's the princess. She comically jumped on me and pinned my exhausted body to the ground. One of the reasons I wanted to meet her first before going to the Queen. She started to nag me about not visiting her firsthand.

"A-haha, okay, that's enough Lym." It was a relief that father explained in detail the reason why I was delayed in meeting her. Guess I really did indulge my sister too much and now she just can't let me go unless an official order from the royal chamber came.

After a promise that I'd pay her a visit later this afternoon after her class, I was finally able to walk freely with Lyon and Kyle by my side. Nothing else to do, we followed Kyle's suggestion of going to a Rune shop. I remembered the Sun rune as he mentioned it, now I fully understood why limit the control of runes and a law was actually devised to govern the use of it.

On our way, Kyle was able to enlighten me about the rules of using the power of the Rune. "It is not like anyone can carry a weapon right! And a Rune was no different; it was actually far more dangerous than ordinary weapons."

Unlike weapons which can easily be discarded, special runes requires the assistance of a sorcerer to permanently remove it. While on the subject, Kyle showed me his rune, a sky blue was engraved on the blade of his weapon.

"Uh, it didn't surprise you, huh," did he really thought that I have no knowledge of runes?

There were many types of runes and Kyle possessed a sword rune, this only means the weapon itself was the source of the power invoked by the wielder. Sword rune requires the skill and strength of the wielder, unlike the parasite type which uses the blood of the host.

"Parasite types of runes are far more dangerous and powerful at the same time…" He explained with a stern look on his face. The topic was inadvertently changed as we approach the rune shop, but that event showed me a different Kyle. This was actually the first time I saw a serious side of him, perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence for a playboy and carefree Kyle.

Our little adventure did not produce any result though, the expression in Kyle's face as we entered the rune shop thought me that the target was nowhere inside. Apparently, she was on vacation and was not expected to come back in a week. Really, there was nothing to be depressed about but as expected, Kyle was sulking.

My eyes wondered, all these runes roused more questions in my head, what if…if the Queen doesn't have the Sun Rune, or any runes don't exist at all, this disaster would not have occurred, right? Lordlake would have been safe, no Dawn rune or Twilight rune to treasure means that, Lord Rovere would not have died. Is it okay for a Prince to think that? Uhg! What am I thinking?