Murder Prince
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by: Asurahime
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- Chapter Three -
Faster.
Fayt's eyes narrowed as he drew up a hand, surrounding himself with a shield to block the blades of air coming towards him.
Stronger.
Albel growled in annoyance but rushed at his opponent again, striking at him with quick horizontal slashes that grew stronger with each swipe.
You're too slow.
The shield broke, leaving Fayt vulnerable to his opponent's attacks. He dodged quickly to the left and stealthily pivoted to emerge behind his enemy. With all of his strength, he jumped into the air and kicked his companion into a wall, leaving a sizable crack on the marble surface.
Not bad.
Albel turned around and braced himself, blocking most of the impact by holding his arms like a shield before him, However, that did not stop him from flying into something particularly hard. Instead of becoming thoroughly pissed, his crimson eyes just glittered with excitement as he pushed off from the wall.
Just not good enough.
Fayt concentrated on the area surrounding him and willed the bright green leaves in the trees to sharpen into blades. His green eyes darkened with power as the leaves fluttered around him like a maelstrom of death. The emerald whirlwind stopped for a moment before the lethal foliage hurtled towards Albel.
The crimson-eyed swordsman turned serious as he deftly knocked each deadly leaf aside, constantly moving towards his opponent. Reaching Fayt, he quickly slid his blade towards the former prince's throat. It was a mere feint, but Fayt took it seriously and stepped back. Albel took advantage of the broken concentration and transferred the Crimson Scourge to his clawed hand. Using his free hand, Albel slammed an open palm into Fayt's chest, knocking the air out of his lungs and toppling him flat on his back. Albel quickly stabbed down into a corner of Fayt's shirt, literally pinning him to the ground like a butterfly in a display board, immobilized.
"It's not the great who are strong, it's the strong who are great!" Albel mocked Fayt from his dominant position, feeling the satisfaction in a win he had not felt in a long time. "Muahahaha!"
Fayt curbed the rising temptation to levitate Albel and drop him from an exceptionally fantastic height. He was Albel's servant now and Albel was generous enough to be his sparring partner. "Will you release me now?"
Albel leaned on the Crimson Scourge and smiled wickedly. "I told you before, I don't do charity. It's going to cost you."
Scratch that, Albel is just a greedy, sadistic bastard.
"I'm already your servant!" Fayt shouted. "I do not have anything other than the shirt on my back!" Fayt started to regret even saying that when Albel's face loomed closer.
"That is an amusing revelation, maggot," said Albel with a grin. He pulled out the Crimson Scourge but pinned Fayt with his foot as the former prince was about to stand up. "I will be taking that offer."
Before Fayt could utter a protest, Albel drew the Crimson Scourge down the white fabric, slicing it neatly.
The door slammed open to reveal Mirage and Cliff, who had come to inform the two of the coronation in the afternoon. Albel smirked and finished ripping Fayt's shirt off his body, enjoying the shock spreading across Cliff's face. He was slightly disappointed that Mirage just smiled good-naturedly, but felt immediate satisfaction when lighting struck the ground two feet from where he was. "That was not called for, maggot." With another smirk, Albel left the training grounds with the Crimson Scourge slung over one shoulder and the abused white shirt over the other.
"The coronation is this afternoon, your highness," shouted Mirage after the retreating Albel, who merely raised a hand in acknowledgement.
Fayt stood up and dusted himself off, looking unfazed despite being only half-dressed. "I'm going to my room, then I'll come back down to meet the two of you."
"Wh-what happened here?" asked Cliff when he finally regained his ability to speak.
"Nothing much," replied Fayt, nodding to Mirage before making his exit. "Just a spar."
"Did he say 'spar' or 'war'?" Cliff exchanged glances with Mirage before assessing the damage. The marble wall was cracked in several places by what looked suspiciously like leaves. The trees have all but lost their foliage. There were great fissures and trenches of dirt on the ground and there were also large patches of smoldering grass.
"'Nothing much'?" sighed and exasperated Cliff as he scratched the back of his neck. "If this is nothing much, then I'm a fairy! This looks more like the aftermath of a war zone!"
Mirage patted Cliff on the back. "Worry gives small things large shadows, Cliff."
---
The citizens of Aquios flocked to the throne room of the castle. Anticipation and excitement painted the faces of all present. They were finally going to meet their prince, beloved by all but seen by none. Tradition decreed that having a male inherit the throne would bring turmoil, but in these days of war, any leader is better than none.
The prince's accomplishments flowed through the crowd like a stream, convincing those dissenters of his right to ascend the throne.
"Did you know that the Aqueduct system under Aquios was designed by his highness? Without that, getting clean water would be so much more difficult, especially in these times!"
"I heard that the prince has pale skin and kind eyes. He is very brave and strong with Apris' rune circlet shining on his forehead! What a king the prince would make!"
"Story is that he can take on ten Airyglyph soldiers at once!"
"Well, I heard that they keep him away because he's a direct descendant of Apris! He's so beautiful that he has to wear a mask to prevent everyone, whether man or woman, from falling in love with him! Now that is a throne worth protecting!"
"Is it true?"
"Er… that was the rumor I heard…"
Elena Frahm and Laselle, the royal retainers, waited behind the closed doors for the prince to descend. Laselle was far from satisfied with the explanation that Cliff and Mirage provided, but there was not much he could say to circumvent a direct order from the throne. From the door to the left of them entered Adray and Romero, and the four merely stared at each other in surprise.
The silence was shattered when Adray took a great leap forward and engulfed Elena in his massive arms. "Elena! It has been such a long time since I've seen you! And Laselle, as grumpy as ever!"
"Adray Lasbard, have you finally returned to Aquios after all these years?" Elena smiled mildly before insisting that he put her down.
"To finally accept your duty to the throne!" screeched Laselle, pointing an accusing finger at the much larger man. "You ran away when you were needed the most!"
"Are you calling me a coward, you sniveling excuse of a yellow-bellied man?" said Adray tightly, putting Elena down.
A dangerous tone edged Romero's voice as he advanced upon the group. "Do not make assumptions upon circumstances beyond your feeble comprehension, mortal."
Laselle felt a deathly chill go down his spine as he stared into infinitely empty eyes. "And who are you?"
Romero drew near and returned the stare, unblinking. "I am Romero, a servant of the gods, created by Folstar, the god of death. You, who were abandoned by the rulers you served, and left behind on this land… May I, in my great kindness—"
Adray laughed loudly at the sight of Laselle's deathly pale face before thumping the mortified man's back. "Don't worry, Romero may be undead, but he won't kill you."
"I beg to differ," muttered Romero quietly, hiding a secret smile as an astonished Elena Frahm drew him into a conversation.
The clanking of metal drew their attention as Albel and Cliff stormed down the stairs, followed more sedately by Fayt and Mirage.
"What is the meaning of this?" demanded Elena, gentle eyes questioning at the amount of metal one of them was wearing.
"Aquarian royalty are not allowed to bear arms, let alone enough of it to supply a military arsenal!" Cliff pointed at the Crimson Scourge, the steel claws and metal boots. He lunged at Albel in order to gain control of the Crimson Scourge, but he found himself careening to the floor.
"Indeed, they are not! Take those off at once, such a break in tradition is a sacrilege!" Laselle sputtered but was instantly silenced by Romero's icy gaze.
Fayt shook his head before approaching Elena. "I suppose that Cliff and Mirage told you all what has happened." Elena nodded and pointed at the black band encircling his forehead. Fayt touched the cloth. "To hide the runes. From today on, I am simply Fayt Leingod, an engineer from Greeton who has sworn fealty to the prince of Aquios."
"Many things can go wrong with this plan, your highness," said Elena, worry clear in her tone.
Fayt shook his head. "It is not a time of peace, Elena. There are things we must forfeit in order to gain something more important. I cannot always have people sacrificing themselves for an ideal. Let Albel keep his sword, for he just might be what can save us all. Without my brother, we must keep hope alive somehow and this is all I can do."
Elena smiled. "You would have made a great king."
"I was never meant to be king, so that is a loss that I will never miss."
A loud crashing sound signaled Albel kicking Cliff through the front doors. "Get to it, maggot!"
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The crowd before the throne room became silent as the blond castle warden barreled into the room, obviously shaken and seething with distaste. Little children hid behind their parents, terrified of the growling man.
A sharp voice snapped from where Cliff came from. "Do your job, fool. Stop wasting my time!"
"I'm getting there!" snarled Cliff. He turned to face the audience and in monotone, announced his lines. "I humbly present to the kingdom of Aquaria, his royal highness, Prince Albel!" By the sound of his voice, he might as well have been reciting lines from an instruction manual.
Albel sauntered out from between the doors to stand before the congregation. Upon seeing the steel claws and wicked smirk, some of the children started to cry. The crowd began murmuring to each other, none of which sounded optimistic.
"As the thirteenth sovereign of Aquaria, Prince Albel will now address his subjects." Cliff held back a snort at seeing the bawling children break Albel's composure. Of course the bounty hunter would not be good with children, not with that face anyway. "Don't say anything rude."
"He is scaring the children," coughed Adray, torn between dismay and amusement.
Albel turned around and draped himself on the throne. "I will unify this kingdom. I am Albel Nox and you worms are now my—"
A hissed "Silence" stopped Albel from finishing his sentence as Fayt walked out from the doors with a silver crown with three jewels. The center gem was dark red, flanked by two smaller yellow ones. Fayt unceremoniously placed the crown on Albel's head before taking his place beside him.
Cliff sighed. "Presenting Fayt Leingod, engineer emissary from the kingdom of Greeton. He is the castle's Head Runologist, succeeding Lady Elena Frahm, and he—"
"—is my consort." Albel's announcement caused Fayt's face to pale and Cliff's jaw to drop in shock. That had not been part of the script. The murmurs of the congregation grew frantic and in the back room, Elena could hardly control her amusement.
"Oh my…"
Fayt smiled but his clenched fist shook with barely-restrained fury. Some individuals standing before the throne smiled back involuntarily in response to the gentle expression, but when Fayt turned his gaze to Albel, the green eyes promised retribution.
All of a sudden, the windows of the castle burst from their panes one by one. Fayt quickly threw up a defensive shield large enough to cover all present in the congregation. Because of the extent of the area it covered, the shield was not particularly strong. It was strong enough to protect against the falling shards of glass, but the barrier was stretched too thin and smaller pieces fell through.
The crowd did not have time to panic, for when the last window broke, the front doors burst open. Clapping was heard as Belzeber and Berial stepped into the room.
"Congratulations, congratulations, your highness," simpered Belzeber mockingly. He sneered with contempt at the people inching away from him. "Berial, guard the door. No one goes in or out."
Berial blocked the door with his body. He did not particularly want to harm anyone needlessly, so he settled for a menacing glare to thwart any would-be heroes. He was satisfied when people ran away from him as if he was the devil.
Belzeber licked his lips and languidly flicked his whip from side to side. "So sorry to crash your party, but I came here to kill you, your highness."
"Be my guest, worm."
Amusement turned to rage as Belzeber struck at the throne, intent on tearing the smirk off of Albel's face. Along the way, he struck a child aside, sending her hard on the floor with a large cut on the left side of her face. Her blood stained the floor, but no one dared move an inch to help her. Belzeber threw his whip, cackling as the weapon hit flesh, but as he tried to recoil it, he found the task impossible. "You!"
Albel had not as much as moved an inch from the throne, keeping the same smirk on his face when Fayt dashed in front of him. The blue-haired boy winced when the whip wound around his arm but braced his stance and caught the end of it with his hand. He looked down the length of the whip to a stunned Belzeber. His eyes darkened with fury. "Get out of my kingdom."
"Who is this fool?" spat Belzeber as he vainly tried to withdraw his whip. Before he could grab his other whip, he found himself bodily hoisted from behind.
Both men and women in the crowd covered their children's eyes and turned away at the sharp, sickening sound of bones breaking. Belzeber screamed in agony and tried to free himself, but Albel's grip on his arms was unyielding. A low, sinister whisper spoke into his ear. "Keep moving and I'll gladly break the other one. Move even further and I'll break your legs. Offend me and I'll snap your neck. I am the only one allowed to insult that particular maggot."
Belzeber grit his teeth in pain but smiled coyly. "Do you really think you have time for this, your highness? Right about now, Berial should be—"
A form that looked suspiciously like the aforementioned Berial was thrown over their heads and sailed out the window. Fayt picked up the wounded child and snapped his fingers. A massive explosion rocked the foundations of the castle. Fayt began to heal the child but he kept his eyes, almost black with rage, on Belzeber.
"Now just imagine if that was you," hissed Albel. "Or maybe not. The little maggot's too kind-hearted even if you manage to thoroughly piss him off. He wouldn't kill you. On the other hand, there is nothing I would love better. You won't be using your whips anytime soon, fool." With that said, Albel threw Belzeber out the window. Another explosion rocked the castle. "How surprising… the maggot's not a saint after all."
The little girl opened wide, brown eyes to see Fayt smiling down on her as her worried mother stood closely behind. Her eyes filled with tears and she buried her face in Fayt's shirt. "I was so scared!"
Fayt awkwardly patted her head, but she was quickly lifted out of his hands.
Albel turned the bawling girl around to face him and scowled distastefully. Crying children gave him a murderous feeling. "How long are you going to continue crying?" barked Albel, startling the girl out of her tears. "Crying is for those who cannot move on past their weakness. I will not have such people following me! If you are going to keep sniveling like a brat, then there is no reason to have saved you."
The crowd gaped at the harsh words their new king had for the young child and fully expecting the child to be terrified. No one anticipated the girl to dry her glassy eyes and manage a small nod. Her cheeks were crimson and damp, but no more tears fell.
Albel smirked and ruffled her hair with his clawed hand. "You're a strong one to stare death in the face and survive, little worm."
The girl ran back to her parents, smiling despite the threat of fresh tears. As she reached them, the spell over the crowd broke and they surged forward, choosing to revel in the unconventional strength of their newfound king.
They have never had such a strong ruler. He is one who would jump in battle himself rather than be protected by the lives of his people. He can make tears dry and the Lord of the Dead obey. With such powerful magic by his side, he will slay all those who threaten his kingdom.
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End Chapter Three
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Author's Notes:
I finished watching the anime of Murder Princess about a month ago and the second book a couple of days ago. I was surprised to find the two stories to be very different. The anime and all its technological backdrops is a better fit for SO3, but there are certain aspects to it that seemed rushed and unsatisfying. Not to say the manga was too much better, but both left me rather torn. My decision: "Screw it! This story is mine! I'll write what I want!"
I contemplated adding other warnings to this story, but I decided not to because it would spoil things. See you guys soon.
