Chapter 3:
ALSO THANKS A TON TO ALL OF YOU WHO FAVORITED, FOLLOWED AND REVIEWED, BUT A SUPER-SPECIAL THANKS TO KisunaUzumaki WHO HAS KINDLY AGREED TO BETA-READ FOR ME AND I AM REALLY REALLY GRATEFUL! :D
In the previous chapter, Law is off on a border patrol with the Kou Empire's army as after dinner entertainment while Kouen stays in her quarters going through her things. While on patrol, Law looked off into the distance, spotting the rapid advance of an army bearing the Leim Empire's crest just as Kouen spotted a picture in Law's photo album, depicting her with an older boy being too close for his comfort. "Borrowing" without asking (A.K.A. Stealing) said picture, he intends to interrogate her about it afterwards, but…
Start of actual Story:
? POV
"Lady Scheherazade." I bowed, speaking to the magical communication tool that one of the mages carried "How would you like us to proceed?" Lowering my head respectfully, I awaited our High Priestess' judgement.
"Be very careful when you bypass the border; the Kou Empire is a strong nation despite its relatively young age… And not for no reason either; in fact I'll wager that even now there's probably a patrol army going around so please be alert okay?"
Bowing once more, I rose, signaling to the mage that he could cut the connection and take a break for now. Adjusting my robes before mounting my horse, I glanced back, making sure that everyone was ready before delivering my speech.
"As you all know, the Kou Empire has been growing stronger and stronger at a rapid rate… So rapid in fact, that it has caught the attention and concern of our Empire's High Priestess Lady Scheherazade…" Hearing the soldiers begin to growl in dissent, I grinned and continued "HOWEVER! While the Kou Empire may be strong, it is still a nation; and like other nations, it can still be ended." Drawing my sword, I lifted it, watching as all of the soldiers returned my gesture "If you come across the patrol army, use everything in your power to subdue them."
My eyes glinted in the moonlight as a smirk spread over my face "Take no prisoners; we will crush the Kou Empire before they get even stronger and nip it at the bud." Hearing the roar of assent, I turned back to glare at our destination "For Lady Scheherazade and the Leim Empire! CHARGE!"
I am a son of the Royal family of Leim, Nerva Julius Caluades… I will not fail my first mission!
Lawrence's POV
"This isn't good…" I looked away, holding my finger up to my lips in a shush gesture before beckoning for the rest of the patrol army to dismount and approach silently. Taking a look for themselves, a brief murmur of dismay rippled amongst the men before they turned to me.
"Prince Lawrence…" I glanced over at an anxious but determined looking Sai "…What should we do?"
"…" Climbing up onto a rock so that I could address all of the 500 odd men that made up the patrol squadron, I let my gaze shift over them searchingly "…First of all, know that the Leim Empire is extremely strong and that they have a bitter rivalry with your empire, the Kou Empire…"
I paused, watching as the men exchanged glances uncertainly "That army is most likely an invading force; probably no less than 7000 men in total, so I understand if you wish to go home… In fact, if you want to leave now, I won't stop you or hunt you down…"
Pausing again, I gave them time to let my words sink in before unsheathing my claymore and lifting it in front of me with a grin as I delivered the last part of my impromptu speech "However! If there are any idiots who want to go to battle alongside me and are willing to die for your Empire; then draw your swords and fight!"
"OOOH!" I grinned at the enthusiastic response from the men before raising a hand for quiet. Hearing them go silent almost immediately, I gave a brief but grateful smile before scanning the crowd appraisingly "I have a lot of things I need to ask and the first thing is; who here is the fastest rider?"
A breath murmur rippled through the crowd before the men pushed a single soldier forward. Clasping his hands together in respect before bowing, the soldier looked up at me with an eager gleam in his soft brown eyes "My name is Souzen, Prince Lawrence, and…" rubbing the back of his head sheepishly before continuing, he hesitantly stuttered out his next words "…And… I don't mean to brag, but I came first in last year's horse-riding race, so I'm currently the fastest rider here."
"I see…" gesturing for him to stand before helping him up, I gave him a reassuring smile "That's great, because I'm giving you a very important job. You see… to be brutally honest, they outnumber us by a lot, so even if we do engage them in battle, the best we can hope to do is hold them off; in other words, slow them down until reinforcements arrive…" letting my smile turn into a grin, I poked Souzen gently in the chest "…reinforcements that you'll fetch by riding to the palace… How long do you think you'll take?"
"W-Well… Between 25 to 30 minutes to reach the palace… and waiting for everyone to gear up would take another 40 to 50 minutes… and coming back again would take another 25 to 30 minutes… So we'll still take a minimum of an hour and 30 minutes…"
"Could you make it an hour and 20? Every second you cut back on could save another life."
"Y-Yes! Understood!"
Giving him a grin as he mounted up, I turned my attention back to the rest of the soldiers just as Sai stepped up wringing his hands nervously "But Prince Lawrence… What do we do? You said that we would hold them off and it's not like I don't trust you… but 500:7000 sounds like a tough ratio to beat…"
I smiled patting him on the arm reassuringly "Don't worry! This isn't the first time I've been in battle where the enemy army outnumbered mine by a lot. The scouting force I command back home consists only of 200 men I handpicked; once, we went against an invading army of about 5000 soldiers…"
"And you still won?!"
Smiling at the awed-looking Zou, I waved my hands in an effort to bring his attention back to the current issue at hand "That's a story for another time… The point I'm trying to make is while they have advantage in numbers, we have an advantage too…" Seeing their confused expressions, I let my smile widen "They're in our territory."
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…
…
"And that's the last of the preparations…" Grinning, I helped Sai roll the last boulder into position.
Panting as he leaned against his horse, Sai gave me a tired thumbs up "All done… Although, I don't know how or why you haven't even broken a sweat yet, Prince Lawrence…"
Chuckling, I stripped off all of my armor for the next part of the plan "Well let's just say… Given that Avalon has been targeted more than once, I'm a practiced hand… That being said; be careful, good luck and break a leg – preferably someone else's" Winking as I slid off my breastplate and put on a hunting cloak, I made to leave but a hand on my shoulder stopped me.
Turning back, I met Sai's anxious gaze as he squeezed my arm worriedly "You've got the most dangerous job, Prince Lawrence; you be careful." Giving a reassuring grin, I batted his hand away, giving it a squeeze before letting go "I will." Glancing back one last time to make sure that everything was in place, I lowered the hood of the cloak and left to execute the plan…
Nerva's POV
I grinned at the lack of resistance as we crossed the border into Kou territory, unhindered by any scouts or patrol armies. Looks like Lady Scheherazade may have overestimated the Kou Empire… They may be strong, but they are still young… They don't have as much experience as the Leim Empire which has had over 730 years of history… Add that to Lady Scheherazade's 200 years of continued protection and the Kou Empire doesn't stand a chance! I was brought out of my thoughts when my horse reared.
"!" I tried to keep hold of my horse, but the stupid animal bucked and dumped me before bolting "Ungrateful beast!" I spat, rubbing my arm. Turning to face my soldiers, I glared "Well?! What are you waiting for?! HELP ME UP!" dismounting, they hastened to obey, pulling me to my feet. Scowling, I dusted myself off, rubbing my sore rear end while one of my soldiers, Muu, looked around in confusion.
"That's strange… Horses don't normally get spooked for nothing…!" Hearing his change in tone, I looked up to see a silhouetted figure, standing almost invisible in the shade between the two walls of a ravine.
"You…" I nearly grinded my teeth to dust staring at the figure "You startled my horse into dumping me?! INSOLENT FOOL! I'll have you whipped then sentenced to death! COME OUT HERE AT ONCE!"
Chuckling, the figure stepped out of the shadows into the clearing before giving a mocking bow "As you wish your bratty highness. But I assure you, I am not at fault for your appallingly disgraceful horsemanship." The soldiers surrounding me gasped at such a blatant display of disrespect while I gaped like a fish. That insolent-! But before I could get another word out and give that ignorant savage a piece of my mind, he turned around and fled into the forest.
Giving a vicious snarl, I raised my sword, booting a random soldier off of their horse before mounting it myself "AFTER HIM! I will not allow anyone to besmirch my honor!" Feeling my soldiers rally behind me, I led the charge, determinedly chasing after that dimwitted Neanderthal who clearly had a death wish.
"My Prince! Please wait! This is probably a trap!" Muu grabbed me by the arm, but I shrugged him off impatiently and glared "Are you disobeying the orders of your Prince?!"
I looked on triumphantly as he lowered his gaze to his sandals "…No your highness…"
Turning back to the ravine that the figure had disappeared into, I narrowed my eyes "CHARGE!"
Scowling as I rode after the figure, I cursed them and all of their ancestors and descendants to the depths of hell; as a result, I was so lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice Muu calling me until he was practically shouting in my ear "PRINCE NERVA!"
"?" I turned to scowl at him over my shoulder "What do you want Muu?"
Eyebrows furrowed in worry, he gestured around us "Prince Nerva… Doesn't this seem strange to you? We've been chasing that person for quite a while already… It may not feel like it, but it's been over 5 minutes; nearing 10 even. That and we're riding horses but we still haven't caught up to that person yet despite the fact that they were running on foot… Add that to the fact that they probably intentionally led us into this ravine… That person was clearly a trained soldier and this is almost definitely a trap!"
Pausing briefly to draw breath, he continued to plead with me, red eyes gazing into me imploringly "I beg of you Prince Nerva; I know this was a deliberate attack on your honor, but I ask you to overlook it just this once in the best interests of the mission and our army."
"…!" I didn't like to admit it… But following his thread logic, he seems to be right… Nearly grinding my teeth to dust in frustration, I held up a hand to halt the charge "ALL FORCES RETREAT!" I ordered as loudly as I could.
"Too late."
"!" Just as I rounded the corner, I spotted the hooded figure climbing up the large pile of boulders that blocked off the exit of the ravine. Reaching the top of the pile, the figure sat, resting his head on his knuckles "You haven't changed at all Prince Nerva… Always too overly proud, pompous and impatient."
I barely registered the sound of Muu gasping beside as my heart leap to my throat – granted I was royalty so many would easily recognize me, but less than a handful of foreigners could claim that they met me personally… and of those, the number that could and would address with me with such disrespect could be counted on the fingers of one hand…
"…Who… Who are you?" I managed to gasp out at last.
Chuckling, the figure reached up and lowered his hood… Or should I say her hood, because the next thing I knew, I was being blinded by the bright color of the Avalonian Royal family's famous trademark red hair.
~Flashback to 7 years ago~
I stood by my father's side smirking as he talked with the Avalonian king, exchanging pleasantries during the ball. Father had sent a letter in advance, inviting the foreign king to come to the Leim Empire to discuss political matters, so he had thrown a ball to welcome the foreign ambassadors.
I don't even know why they're negotiating, there's clearly only one way this can end; the Leim Empire is the strongest country in world, so all other countries should be grateful to be offered the chance to be incorporated into our Empire! Still, this foreign king doesn't quite seem to get it.
Breaking myself out of my thoughts, I looked the foreign king up and down. Coal black hair… Blue eyes… No kingly poise or anything incredible about him at all; his expression is so kind that it makes him look dopey and stupid and his hair's not even blond… What's he smiling about?! Condescending and conceited jerk! Clearly he doesn't know that he's in the presence of the royal family of the strongest country in the world – he should be grateful and honored that I'm even giving him the opportunity to come this close to me!
Turning over to my father, I tugged on his sleeve and sneered into his ear, not even bothering to keep my voice down "Father! Why are you wasting your time? Our country is obviously superior in terms of strength, numbers and resources, so hurry up and make them join our Empire! I want to go to bed already; I'm tired and bored."
I glanced over at the foreign king slyly, but if he was angry, he didn't show it. Instead, he continued to smile pleasantly with a benign expression on his face – What is wrong with this guy?! Is he too much of a plebian to even comprehend that he's just been insulted?! Or is he trying to play mind games with me to get me worked up?! Yeah! That must be it!
Making little to no effort to mask my contempt, I straightened myself to my full height to scowl at the foreign king "Listen here you stupid king!" I ignored my father's warning look as he increased the pressure he applied on my shoulder. Sneering, I went on "You might not know this, but I'm the best fencer in the entire Leim Empire! I can beat any adult who's stupid enough to challenge me!"
"Nerva! That's enough-!"
"Oh? You are a fencer?" the Avalonian king cut across Father eying me with interest. Good! So the peasant finally knows his place! Smirking, I nodded affirmatively "That's right, I'm the best; so treat me with respect!"
"Oh?" he hummed, briefly tilting his head to the side in deliberation before seemingly coming to a decision. Looking around, his gaze landed on the three girls chatting away in the corner. Grinning, he walked over and, after a brief conversation with the trio, returned with one of the girls in tow.
Gently pushing her forward, his grin widened "This is my youngest daughter Lawrence, and she just recently started fencing. The problem is; most children don't start fencing until they are at least 13 or 14, so Law doesn't have many opponents her own age…" Smile not leaving his lips, he glanced between Father and myself "Would you be so kind as to consent to one match?"
Me fence against a kid? And a girl at that? Is this king mocking me?! Gritting my teeth, my eyes narrowed into a glare, I scowled at the foreign king. Wait… this could actually work to my advantage… Letting my grin turn to a smirk, I pointed at the foreign king "Fine… But if your daughter loses against me, then you have to join our Empire." Murmurs filled the hall as all of Father's guests, the kings from the foreign lands and their ambassadors, stopped what they were doing to crowd around.
Smirk growing wider at the attention that I drew, I sneered at the foreign king; now what will you do? If my memory serves me correctly, Avalonian knights that back down from battles suffer a blow to their much beloved pride and honor… What will you do? Either way I win; if he backs down, they lose their pride… and if they agree… I smirked, motioning for my servant to bring me my fencing sword …If they agree… No one has ever beaten me in fencing before!
To my surprise, the foreign king showed no signs of fear or resignation in the very least; rather, he clapped his daughter on the back as she pulled on her fencing gloves. Stepping forward, she ripped off her skirts to reveal the hilt of the sword strapped to her belt and the breeches she wore underneath much to the disapproval of the crowd as their murmurs grew even louder.
Completely ignoring them as she faced me, she clasped her hands together and bowed "Lawrence, 7th Imperial Prince of Avalon; pleased to make your acquaintance." Straightening up to draw her sword, she held it in front of her, blade glinting in the light as she smiled "May I have the honor of knowing the name of the opponent I'm fencing against?"
Scowling at her casual attitude to our match, I scowled as I lifted my own sword "I'm Nerva Julius Caluades; son of the Royal family of the greatest Empire to ever exist! Remember that name because it's the one you'll rue and fear for the rest of your days after I'm done with you!"
"Hmm… I see… Nerva, huh?" Eyes lighting up, she gave a sudden grin much to my displeasure "That's right! If I lose, Father's Kingdom will be incorporated into the Leim Empire right?" waiting for my nod, she continued "What happens if I win?"
Huh… Does she actually think she has a chance of winning? Smirking, I decided to humor her for now "Not that it'll happen, but if you do then I'll comply with any of your demands; does that sound fair?"
"Alright, I'm glad we straightened that out!" Grinning, she waved to a red-haired man who was passively watching nearby with his arms casually crossed over his chest "Uncle! Sorry to bother you, but is it alright if you refereed this match for us?"
Shaking his head as he stepped over, he shook his head with look of pride in his face "Not at all Lawrence; I must say, you beat my record – even I was 13 when I started my first fencing duel." Looking over to my father, her uncle bowed "I am Coram; Duke of Avalon and Commander of the Avalonian Army; would it be alright if I presided over this match?"
Nodding his head, Father gestured for him to do as he pleased "By all means."
"Excellent." I smirked and shifted impatiently, waiting for the match to begin.
Looking between us, the red-haired man made sure we were both ready before counting down
"3, 2, 1, En garde!"
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…
No way… I looked up at the girl – Lawrence – as she stood over me, fencing sword at my neck while I lay defenseless and disarmed as my own fencing sword lay several feet away – out of my reach. Eyes still wide with shock, I watched as she lifted her sword away and leant down to offer me a hand up "That was a good match Nerva; you almost had me when you pulled that feint earlier"
Knocking her hand away, I scowled as I got back up on my own "How…?" tilting her head in confusion at my question, she slid her sword back into the scabbard at her waist. Glaring at her at her cluelessness, I spat out again "How…?! I'm supposed to be the best fencer in the Leim… no; in the world!"
Finally nodding in understanding, she let a smile tug at her lips as she stuffed her still-gloved hands into the pockets of her breeches "I guess by fencing standards you're not bad… it's not you're skill that's at fault, it was your mentality."
"My mentality…?"
"Yeah." Glancing up, her sea-green eyes pierced me with clarity I didn't know they were able to hold "You fought like it was a game; I fought like my life depended on it… Maybe if I didn't know what was at stake, I wouldn't have fought all that hard, but with my country on the line, I knew I had to go all out." Lips twitching into a smirk, she turned to leave, pulling her uncle along "Because you had no reason to, you didn't take the match seriously and that's what cost you your victory."
Smiling she looked to her uncle "Hey Uncle Coram? I won the duel, but I don't have anything I need at the moment; what do you think Father would want from the Leim Empire?"
"I don't know Law; there's a reason why I gave up my right to the throne you know? All this thinking makes my head hurt… Let's ask the man himself aye?" Squealing as her uncle ruffled her hair, messing it up, the two made their way over to where the Avalonian king was standing with a proud smile on his face.
Glaring at their retreating backs as I clenched my fists, I nearly grinded my teeth to dust at my crushing defeat in front of countless spectators. I will never forget them! Those ingrates that humiliated me in front of everyone… I scowled to myself as I stared at their red hair, still visible even from this distance. Never!
~Flashback End~
Instantly recognizing the impudent smile on the familiar figure's lips, I felt years of suppressed rage bubbling up inside of me as I spat out one word… one name… "PRINCE LAWRENCE!"
Lawrence's POV
"Yeah? You called?" I smirked, still sitting on top of the mountain of boulders as the Leim Empire's Imperial Prince gasped and stuttered, trying to find words. Finally managing to come out of his tongue-tied state, he glared furiously at me, shaking his fist while the red-haired man to his side tried to calm him down "You insolent cur! I should have known it was you! Get down here so I can teach you your place you plebian!"
"'Fraid not." Taking Zou's hand as he helped me up onto the top of one of the cliffs that made up the ravine, I nodded at all of the Kou soldiers "Do it!"
"Got it!" leaning all of their weight against the boulders that we rolled up to the cliff edge in advance, the Kou soldiers dropped them onto the trapped Leim army below, wincing at the screams and sickening cracks. "What a horrible way to go…" Sai commented, peeking gingerly over the edge as his brother rolled another boulder up beside him.
"Sai! If we don't kill them, they'll kill us! So are you gonna help me squash them flat or what?!"
"R-right!"
Rolling the boulder over the edge, I watched with amusement as both brothers visibly flinched at the resulting crunch and screams before rushing off to roll up more boulders.
Muu's POV
"Muu! Don't just stand there! You're a Fanalis right?! QUICKLY CARRY ME OUT OF THIS RAVINE AND SLAUGHTER THOSE SOLDIERS AFTER YOU KILL THAT INSOLENT PLEBIAN LAWRENCE!" Resisting the urge to put my hands over my ears, I gave a mental sigh before slinging the prince over my shoulder "As you wish…"
Quickly scaling the walls of the ravine, avoiding the falling boulders as I reached the top, I cracked my knuckles as I sized up the opposing force. Only about 200 odd men; good – most likely a patrol army… I can take them out easily! Letting my gaze wander over the men as they drew their weapons, eying me warily, my eyes finally landed on the red-haired girl that had been the cause of Prince Nerva's anger.
Setting Prince Nerva down as he voiced his displeasure over being "treated like a sack of potatoes", I crouched, digging the soles of my sandals into the ground before lunging at her, hoping to finish her quickly before taking care of the others.
Lawrence's POV
! I watched grimly as the red-haired man from earlier carried Nerva out of the ravine. Red hair and red eyes… I shifted my hand down to my waist to grab my claymore …No doubt; with that speed and monster strength… he's a Fanalis just like Masrur…! Letting a small smile form on my lips at the thought of the young Fanalis that I'd come to regard as a little brother, I drew my sword and held it in front of me, biding my time as I searched for an opening in his near-perfect guard. Damn… he's strong…!
Letting my gaze shift back up to his eyes, I blinked, noticing just in time that he had marked and lunged at me, aiming a punch at my sword arm; probably trying to disable me and win the match quickly – even before he had come within 10 meters of me, I knew that he was too fast for me to dodge… meaning my only option was to block. Thinking back on it, every hit I've ever tried to block from Masrur always ended with me breaking something…
Shifting around to protect my sword arm, I lifted my left arm in an attempt to deflect the impact.
Big mistake.
The faint crunching of metal giving way as my breastplate pressed up painfully against my ribs reached my ears before the blinding pain from the left side of my chest made itself known. "!" gingerly lifting my hand to the fist-shaped dent that the Fanalis had punched into my armor, my eyes widened in shock as dark red droplets fell onto the stiff brown leather of my gloves. Shifting my gauntlet-covered arm around to peer at the metal plating, I saw the red trickles making their way down from my reflection's lips.
Damn it, he's strong… Swiping the blood away, I got back onto my feet as steadily as I could before working up all the blood-mingled saliva in my mouth and spitting to the side; a handy (albeit unladylike) trick that Uncle Coram taught me to get rid of the unpleasant taste of iron on your tongue.
"Prince Lawrence!" Sai had drawn his sword and was determinedly making his way over to me, but I stopped him, holding up a hand in his direction. Not yet… I thought, shooting a reassuring smile over my shoulder …I haven't lost this battle just yet…!
Closing my eyes and allowing myself a 3 second grace period, I exhaled softly before turning my sword over to stare at the 8-pointed star that gleamed there. I know I don't ask much of you and the times I've called on you for help can be counted on the fingers of one hand… but please bear with me for just a little while…!
Will do my king; I am your vassal and tool to command.
Grinning in spite of myself, I held my sword out in front of me, tilting the blade so it lay flat against my palm. That's right… If all else fails, I still have you…
Call on my power my king; say my name.
Got it.
Raising my sword, I opened my mouth, but before I could get a single word out, the Fanalis inexplicably lowered his fists, shifting into a far less aggressive stance as he stared off to the distance behind me, eyes widening …? What's up with him? I thought, turning around to take a look for myself. Squinting past the glare of the sun, I spotted an army bearing the flag of the Kou Empire marching towards us, a figure with hair glinting red in the sun leading the charge.
"MUU! What are you doing?! ARE YOU DISOBEYING MY DIRECT ORDERS?!"
Ignoring Nerva, the Fanalis –Muu– lowered his gaze to meet mine, mouth opening before he spoke "… Looks like reinforcements are coming… And at the rate they travel, they'll be here in minutes…" stepping over to scoop his prince over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, ignoring his squawks of complaint, Muu spared me one last glance over his shoulder before leaving "We're retreating for today, but don't think for a moment that this is over, Lady Knight…"
Watching him leap back over the edge of the ravine with the protesting Nerva, I gave a small sigh before the adrenaline wore off and my knees buckled beneath me, giving way as I collapsed, feeling a dull ache start to spread through my ribs …Guess that blow he landed earlier did a number on me after all… I thought, letting an ironic smirk tug at my blood-stained lips …Dammit… The last thing I saw before my eyes closed was Sai and Zou making their way over to me, identical looks of fear and worry etched over their faces.
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…
"Unh…" I slowly opened my eyes, blinking as I gazed up into the ceiling of a room …An infirmary…? Slowly sitting up, I winced, putting a hand to my throbbing ribs before a teasingly playful voice spoke up "Hey Law! You shouldn't be moving; as your best friend, I order you to lie down!"
"!" Letting a smile spread over my lips at the familiar voice, I lay back down, offering no resistance when a pair of gentle hands pushed me back into the bed "Hai, hai…"
Kouen's POV
"Is it true…?!" Leaning forward, half-risen out of my chair, I looked into Hakuyuu's eyes, trying to keep the desperation and urgency out of my voice. It's been nearly two days since the attempted invasion by the Leim Empire and Lawrence hadn't woken up even once since. But now… I could feel a little bit of the anxiety in the pit of my stomach melt away slightly. Now…
…Of course I… I don't really care about her…! Lowering my gaze, I nodded to myself affirmatively …I just don't want our nation to be blamed by Avalon for our irresponsibility which resulted in the injury of one of their princes… right…? Glancing back up to meet Hakuyuu's gaze, my face reddened at his amused expression "What's that look for?!" I bit out angrily.
Giving a chuckle, Hakuyuu shook his head, resting his head on his hand "It's nothing… Although I must say Kouen; this is the first time that I've seen you get so emotional over anyone…" amused smile widening, Hakuyuu's eyes twinkled "…Could it be…?"
"NO!" Growling, I stormed towards the exit, but Elizabeth's voice called out to me, making me pause and turn back, one hand on the door. Beaming at me from her seat beside Hakuyuu, Elizabeth waved excitedly with the hand that wasn't tucked into the crook of her future husband's arm "She doesn't really care for flowers… But Law really likes laurel wreaths!" Cheeks reddening even further if that was possible, I exited the room, slamming the door in their faces "I DON'T CARE!"
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…
Sighing, I stood outside of Lawrence's room in the hospital, a handcrafted laurel wreath in hand …Why am I even here again…? I thought to myself, eying the various bandage-covered cuts littering my hands and fingers – cuts from trying to cut the laurel branches into a perfect length while making the wreath. This thing is more trouble than it's worth… I thought, glaring at the object in my hands.
~Flash Back~
"…" Observing the cuts on my hands before balking at the large pile of failed rejects, Koumei turned to me, an uncharacteristically serious look in his normally lazy and unassuming eyes "… Big Brother Kouen… I know you aren't exactly an artisan craftsman, but your work sucks."
~Flash Back End~
To have had Koumei of all people state an opinion so assertively stung a lot. Sighing, I steeled my courage and raised my hand, knocking on the door twice before entering "Please pardon the intrusion-!" Stunned to silence at the scene, my jaw dropped slightly at the sight of a masculine figure sitting on the edge of Lawrence's bed. What does that pervert think he's-?!
Not even bothering to finish that thought, I leapt into action, seizure the figure by the collar before shoving him into a wall, making sure he felt the full impact of the collision. Turning around to face Lawrence as I held the figure up, choking him, I managed to call out "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine!" Making an effort to sit up in bed, she reached out wearily, shaking her head "He's not a bad guy; you can let him go."
"Huh…?" But that was all I got out before the figure managed to slip through my fingers and dash towards Lawrence, long purple hair billowing behind him as he ran "Law! How many times do I have to tell you; lie back down before you hurt yourself!"
Lawrence's POV
"Sorry Sin!" Grinning as the older male fussed, golden eyes clouded with concern, I obediently lay back down before turning over so I could keep looking at Kouen "So what brought you here, Kouen?"
Growling as he thrusted something behind his back, he turned to glare at Sinbad who was giving him a wary smile in return "That is none of your concern… More importantly…" Giving Sinbad a look of great dislike, he continued, voice dripping with contempt "…Who is this and what is he doing here?"
"Oh, that's just Sinbad; or Sin as I prefer to call him… And he said he was here to see me" he still hasn't told me how he got here… but I can ask him later I guess. Grinning, I gestured between them "Sin, this is Kouen, the eldest son of Emperor Hakutoku's younger brother Koutoku."
"I see…" Straightening up slightly, Sin made his way over to Kouen offering a hand for a handshake, a nervous grin on his face, no doubt remembering his less than gentle treatment at the hands of the redheaded prince "Nice to meet you Kouen; I'm Sinbad but you can just call me Sin."
Staring at Sin's offered hand for well over 10 seconds, Kouen reached out his own hand and took it, with a smile on his face "I see… How do you do Sinbad?" Failing to notice the callous gleam in Kouen's eyes as he crushed Sinbad's hand, I grinned as the two boys gave strained smiles to each other, trying to break each other's fingers. Looks like they're already getting along great!
Glancing up to grin at me, Sinbad gave a wink and gestured towards the door "By the way Law, someone's here to see you; best not to keep him waiting right?" giving a wink and his signature playboy smirk, Sinbad made his way over to me and held out his hand "I can escort you there but I'll wait outside with Kouen."
Someone here to see me…? Moving to get out of bed, I gave Sin a grateful smile as he helped me up before we exited the room together. Absently making my way through the Kou palace, I was vaguely aware of the sounds of Kouen's sandals and Sin's boots following behind me though I failed to notice the intense glaring contest between the boys. Who could it be…?
…
"Ah, Law." Glancing up from the documents he was signing, Arthur set his quill down and waved me over with a smile, gesturing for me to sit down beside him, opposite of Emperor Hakutoku and his younger brother Lord Koutoku. Taking his glasses off and setting them down on the table, Arthur reached out a hand and rested it gently on my shoulder, a worried look of concern in his cobalt blue eyes "I heard everything from Lord Hakutoku; are you alright?"
Giving him a reassuring smile, I reached up my own hand and rested it over his, bringing it away to hold onto it with both of mine "I'm fine Arthur; a bit banged up but that's all within the job description of a knight." I joked trying to lighten the atmosphere. Although, if the look on Arthur's face was anything to go by, it didn't seem to have worked.
"Prince Lawrence, it is a relief that you are safe and finally well enough to join us." Turning to Emperor Hakutoku, I lowered my head, bowing in acknowledgement and respect "Your Majesty is kind for allowing me to rest in your infirmary."
"Think nothing of it; we are family are we not?" Dismissing my words with a wave of his hand, he gave a pleasant smile before Lord Koutoku cut in. Red eyes blazing with a fiery impassiveness as he leaned on the knuckles of one hand, his gaze flickered between Arthur and me before he spoke "…So Prince Lawrence… You fought off the Leim Empire's invasion army all on your own…?" Leaning back into his throne as his crimson eyes bored into me, a slight frown tugged at his lips "How is that possible?"
Shaking my head slightly, I gave a grin to lessen the pressure I felt from his compelling gaze "I wasn't completely on my own; I had the Kou Empire's patrol army with me and they did most of the work really."
"Still… that is little more than 500 men against more than 7000 men from the Leim Empire… Avalon must have some secret training regimen… Otherwise how did you do it?" Brow creasing as his frown deepened, Lord Koutoku reached for his tea and raised the cup to his lips "I wonder if King Jonathan and Duke Coram are raising an army to conquer more land for your kingdom…?"
Indignantly opening my mouth to speak at the implications, I closed it again when I felt Arthur's long, slender fingers wrap around my wrist, wordlessly instructing me to remain silent. That's right… conversation with foreign royalty is different from discussions with regular nobles… Briefly meeting his gaze, green staring into blue, I squeezed his fingers lightly and gave the slightest of nods to indicate that I'd gotten his non-verbal message and that I'd leave the talking to him.
Giving my arm one last pat, he reached for his glasses again and put them back on, adjusting them in such a way that only I caught his small smile of satisfaction. Giving Emperor Hakutoku and Lord Koutoku a polite, close-eyed smile as he brought his hand away from his face, Arthur leaned back into his chair, lacing his fingers together delicately "Your highness is kind to give us so much credit; we were just lucky that the one to lead the invasion – Prince Nerva – has no experience on a real battlefield and recklessly charged into battle head-on." …Everything you say can and will be used against you…
Glasses glinting slightly as he shifted, Arthur met Lord Koutoku's burning gaze with his calm and composed cobalt blue orbs "Avalon has no secret training regime to speak of… although I suppose being able to use the terrain to our advantage comes from being a kingdom with unique topography and mountainous highlands so that is a feature unique to Avalonian training…" …Such is the perilous world of politics.
Trying not to look tense, I quickly glanced between Lord Koutoku and Emperor Hakutoku, noting their reactions to Arthur's words. Emperor Hakutoku was smiling benignly, but the dissatisfied frown had not left Lord Koutoku's face. "Topography? So you're saying this is only because the land that your kingdom exists on in different?"
Polite smile not leaving his face as he tilted his head forward to nod in confirmation, Arthur laced his fingers together before resting both hands in his lap "That is the point that I'm trying to make, yes."
Catching the smallest tremor in Arthur's clasped hands, I reached under the table and rested my hand over his reassuringly. Hang in there Artie… lots of people can become a knight and swing a sword around, but not many can remain calm and levelheaded in situations like these… Which is why, out of all our siblings, you are the number one candidate to become a king…!
~Meanwhile back with Sinbad and Kouen in the drawing room~
Kouen's POV
"What're you reading anyway? That all looks like chicken scratch!"
Flipping the page with a slightly shaking hand as a vein throbbed in my temple, I exhaled lightly and resisted the urge to throw the purple-haired male out of the palace. Calm down Kouen… it is unbecoming for a member of Kou royalty to do something so uncivilized… Finally finding my voice again, I set down my quill and turned to face Sinbad "This is an ancient language known as the Toran language… Not that I expect you to know of it."
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Slouching further into his seat as he pouted, Sinbad folded his arms over his chest, molten gold eyes narrowing to reflect his displeasure over the jab "And anyway, I HAVE heard of it! Law mentioned it once…"
"Oh?" Lifting my eyebrows skeptically, I rested my head on my knuckles as I let a smirk spread over my features "And under what circumstances did she do that?"
"In the dungeon that we conquered together…" Reaching over to pick up one of the cups of tea that the maid had delivered earlier, Sinbad grinned, golden eyes shining with a hint of nostalgia"…Right after we first met!"
~End of Chapter 3~
Author's Note:
Sorry it's kinda late, but I had the opposite of writer's block where you get so many ideas you can't decide which one's the best one to use ;w; Also, I have a question for you all; in the next chapter, would you prefer for me progressing on with the current storyline or put in a filler chapter to explain the past between Sinbad and Lawrence? Looking forward to hear what you all think! :D
(If anyone is willing to be my beta-reader and help me decide next time, I'd be really happy coz I can post quicker which will make all my readers happy as well so if you wanna volunteer, please PM me :D)
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I will update again depending on how much love I get so please favorite/follow/review if you like this story or go on my profile to check out my other stories x3
