"He's gone. There's no pulse," the physician said with a heavy heart as he placed a hand on the prince's head that was now covered in blood from the fatal wound.

Princess Eri looked down from the balcony where she had been playing with her brother now wearing a look of horror as she saw his broken body lying in a pool of his own blood. She hadn't meant for him to be pushed so hard that it sent him over the railing.

"Oh, god, no..Kei.." she muttered before the tears began to run down her face.

The sobs hadn't come yet. She was still in shock and trying to process what just happened as the tears simply fell as she stared down at the body.

"I'm sorry, princess, but he is gone. He lost too much blood. It was a fatal head injury. I should go inform the queen."

He was about to leave when he suddenly froze, gazing down at the prince's body. It started with his fingers twitching then Kei slowly getting up with a groan, using his arms for support.

How did I end up..here?

He looked around, dazed and confused, as he looked up at Eri on the balcony and himself on the ground floor. He glanced down with horror at his arms coated in blood and the pool of it around him. His breaths were short and panicked as he gazed up at the physician.

"H-how did this happen? How am I alive? Is this..my blood?" he asked in a breathless whisper, eventually getting onto his knees.

He vaguely remembered toppling over the railing of the balcony but nothing after that. When he tried to recall, it was all black like his mind couldn't process it. Now, everyone around was gawking at him like he had just climbed up from the pits of Hell. No one was talking, and it was irritating him. What was worse was that he couldn't logically explain what just happened. If this was his blood, he should be dead. There was no way medically that a human could survive or be conscious after losing this much blood.

"Um, yes, that is your blood..Prince Kei. You..y-you were dead. You fell from the balcony and landed on your head, cracked it open. I didn't feel any pulse what so ever. Clinically, you were gone, and now you're back."

The physician quickly knelt down and felt for the pulse just beneath his jaw from the artery in his neck. Just like nothing had happened, he felt the familiar pulsating feeling. He then inspected where his head had been cracked open, only to find it just fine. The hair had even grown back in as normal.

"I-I can't medically explain this. It's a miracle I suppose but scientifically impossible. I don't understand this." He slowly backed away and went to go inform the queen of the incident.

"Kei!" Eri called and ran down to the ground floor when she saw him getting up. "I can't believe this. You're alright!"

How it happened was the last thing on her mind as she hugged him, not caring that he was covered in blood. All she knew right now was that her brother was safe. Her legs nearly gave out from running even just that little distance, but Kei held her up.

"Eri, you shouldn't exert yourself like that. Come on, I'll help you to your room."

Kei decided it was best to shrug it off for now. It could've just been a miracle, but he felt that it was something else especially from the physician's reactions and the amount of blood. Servants and maids were already starting to clean it up. There was no doubt that this was going to be the talk of the kingdom. Rumors among the servants usually spread fast. He bit his lip thinking about what they were going to say but focused on taking care of Eri for now. Let them rumor what they will. He was still the prince after all. He would ensure that nothing would change that.

In the Western Territory

Sweat dripped down from Kai's forehead as picked any weeds he found in the fields. The sun shone down harshly as it was just a little into the afternoon. Since his father had been arrested about a year ago, he was the only one who could work the fields as his grandpa couldn't afford to hire anyone. Kai didn't really mind since it gave him work to do. Of course, his grandpa insisted that he'd work the fields, and Kai should enjoy his youth and go travel, but Kai insisted on helping out, saying it would help him keep out of trouble.

With the weeding done, he wiped his face and headed back over to the house, dumping the weeds into the waste pile nearby to be burned.

"Ah, Kai. Done already?" his grandpa asked, getting up from the table.

"Yup, fields are weed free for now. I think we're due for some rain and maybe a storm tomorrow. The air is humid and heavy, which is a telltale sign of rain to come thankfully," he said, setting the basket down and smiling as he sat down at the table to join him.

"Here. You must be thirsty after laboring in that hot sun." He handed Kai a cold glass of water. "Fresh from the well, so it's nice and cool."

Kai nodded in thanks and gulped it down in less than a minute, sighing happily afterwards. Agriculture was hard work, but it was rewarding in the end when they'd get the payoff from selling their crop to the kingdom. It was about mid-season now, and the different crops were growing as they should.

"Say, Kaito, I hear a group from the royal palace will be visiting the town today. I hear the prince is looking for a new servant as well as general servants for the palace. I think you should take the opportunity. In all my years, I've only seen the palace from a distance. I've never actually been in it. It'd be a great experience since you're still young."

"I appreciate you thinking of me, but I have to help you out here. I can't just leave," Kai sighed, placing the glass to the side.

"It's alright, Kaito. I've saved up enough where I think I can hire a helper if I need it. I want you to go out into the world and see the world outside of the Western territories," he encouraged, clasping a hand over Kai's.

"Gramps," he muttered. "I..suppose I can at least go over to where they're going to be and see what happens. If you're sure about this."

"I'm certain of this, Kaito. The fields will be just fine."

"The prince's servant..I've heard some things about the prince. People are saying he's like immortal or something," Kai said, remembering what he had heard at the local tavern.

"Rumors that's what it is. I wouldn't believe any of it. You know how people can be."

Kai nodded, drinking the rest of the water before getting up with a groan.

"Well, I'm going to wash up. Might as well look my best for this."

He thanked him once more and headed over to the wash basin.

The prince..they say he died and came back to life. I wonder if any of it is true.

Once washed and wearing clean clothes, Kai waved as he headed out down the road that went through the woods and into the nearby town. Besides the fields, Kai always felt at peace in the woods. He enjoyed hearing the melodies of the birds and the natural sounds that filled the forest. It actually made him a bit nervous thinking that he could potentially be chosen as the prince's servant or just a general servant for the royal family. It would mean trading the nature that had always been around him since he was a kid to the gigantic walls and richness of the main palace.

He noticed a small crowd forming as he made his way into town, heart beating faster as he noticed a royal carriage parked in the middle of town. He had seen horses before, sure, but this was the first time being so close. They were huge and a dark brown color, but what really caught his eyes was the arrival of another carriage pulled by pure white horses.

"Wow," Kai whispered to himself and pushed his way through to the front of the crowd so he could see.

"It's the prince's carriage!" he heard hushed whispers and shouts.

That really got Kai looking as he eagerly waited with everyone. It took a few moments, but the door finally opened, and the crowd went quiet as the prince gracefully stepped out of it. He looked plain enough with the raven colored hair and fair skin that was common for the royal family. What really caught Kai's eyes was the color of the prince's eyes. They were a deep scarlet that made his gaze quite piercing. Kai was so busy focusing on that, he hadn't noticed that the prince was looking him up and down specifically, studying his physique and looks. Kai's breath caught in his throat as he noticed the prince walking forward, and he was heading right for him. He reminded himself of his manners and straightened up as the prince approached him.

"What's your name?" Kei asked, still glancing over the other.

"Um, it's Kaito..Kai for short if you prefer, my prince," he said, bowing lowly.

He hoped his manners were somewhat impressive. Many in the Western territories were farmers and laborers who weren't exactly known for their good manners.

"Hm, not bad. I'm rather impressed by your build and those golden eyes. They're much brighter and keen than the usual variations I see of it around here. So, tell me, would you be interested in serving me? Training is in order, but with you, at least I won't have to start with the basics," Kei said in a rather bored voice.

It was his mother who told him to seek out a new servant. She insisted that a royal should always have a servant of some sort by their side. It was proper. Like always, Kei had rolled his eyes but agreed, knowing better than to go against her wishes. He could do most things on his own anyway. It's not like he needed a personal servant.

Kai wasn't sure if refusal was even an option. He looked towards the ground, not wanting to look directly into those eyes, but he could feel them practically boring into him. He wondered what the prince would do if he did say no.

"O-of course. It'd be an honor to serve you."

"Excellent. We'll head back immediately."

Kai's words caught in his throat as he watched the prince starting to walk back to the carriage. He knew he was expecting him to follow. With a begrudging sigh, he followed after him.

"If I may, sir, I used to help my grandpa out with his fields. Could a message be sent to him, letting him know that I'll be going to the palace to serve you?" he asked, sounding as polite as possible.

Kei sighed before turning to one of the guards.

"It shall be done, my prince," he said and set out to relay the message to Kai's grandfather.

Kai took one last look behind him before climbing into the carriage after the prince. He knew this was what his grandpa wanted for him, but he couldn't help but worry as he watched the small town grow smaller and smaller.

"Um, if I may speak..why did you choose me?" Kai asked.

He remembered that the prince had looked him over, but out of everyone in that crowd, why him? Kei glanced at him with those scarlet eyes.

"You look like someone I can trust..I guess. I don't know. You were the one that caught my eye," he said with a shrug and looked back out the window again.

Kai nodded slowly and did the same, not exactly happy with the answer since it was still so vague, but he decided to take it as an honor. So far, he didn't seem like a monster or anything that he had heard from the rumors. He seemed normal enough.