Lordaeron Palace.
As his brother was away, walking in deputation, as a prince of his kingdom, and with his sister, not very intrested in spending time with him, as his mother said, becouse girls grow faster, he felt bored.
His father is a ruler, meaning he always have something to do. He always spends his time with Arthas instructing him how to behave, how to fit to be a ruler, how to be wise and so much more. Arthas know his father care for him, but truth be told, he was boring.
His relation with mother was good, but she was always behind his father, only being less harsh about it. She understands, like she says.
"He is a young boy, and like other boys, he wants to go and play the game of youth"
That doesn't mean she was easy. Sometimes she was even more strict then his father, to the point of him crying over it.
But this was only sometimes.
He had other friends, not many, but few in his surrounding.
One with he spend most time with was his personal guard, a shield of the prince, Falric. He was alredy used to the captain, his life was controled by him, to protect and care for Arthas.
They often talked, Falric spening his life in capital city, Arthas was for him like a son he haven't had. He spend hours with the prince, even after his worktime, talking, teaching young one about the life, how it is from a perspective of simpler people.
This is why Arthas always sparked hope and good mood, when he was moving by a street. He know not all people live like him, and this made him decide to care for his people well being, his very life for them.
Beside him, Arthas had few friends, mostly of noble blood, when their fathers came to speak to the king. He liked them, but they were copies of their fathers. Good looking youngsters, speaking properly, but when no one was around, speaking bad words on one another.
He despide their action, but as they, he needed to play the role of proper prince.
Even if he was young, he knew their actions were wrong. He felt it, when he had a fight with one of them, and was accused of provoking, when this was situation of his defence. His father gave him harsh lesson then. He don't want to feel this again.
As the day followed, he was studying. His mentor, priest Uther, was giving a prayer, spreading words of the light. He was very religious, his faith inspired many individuals, giving them confidence. Uther was in Lordaeron City for the part of the year, when rest of it he spend in Stratholme, where leader of the Church of the Holy Light, Alonsus Faol, has his seat.
Therenas Menethil was a religious man, making their family often visit church. Well, beside his brother, Ainzah, who visited the chapel only few times a year, when it was either needed or there was something important as a part of ceremony.
Once Arthas overheard the discussion of his father and older brother. He remembers it.
It was in a throne room, on some occasion.
"My son, what is a meaning of this?! What do you mean by not attending the ceremony! This is a royal family duty to show to the people best way of life, with virtue and devotion! This is a tradition, my son!"
"Oh, father, what do you mean by this. There isn't written rule that states directly, that all members of royal family must follow the strict tradition of the church. There is nothing like this father, and you know it!" Ainzah pointed his father.
"This is disrespect of out tradition son! Menethil family belives in the light, this was always the case, from the beginning. Now, you want to throw it away like that?! You are disrespectfull of your ancestors!"
"I'm what?! You blindness is foolish, father. Perspective is the key. How do you suppose to feel for the people that do not follow your faith!? And how will you argue, that all of our ancestors were belivers. Is there a record of it?! Is it, father!? I'm just saying that there is nothing of it, also, there is no power that make me say, that there is a infallible truth, that the light is all that loves and cares. I seen what priests can do father. This is just another form of magic."
Anger on Therenas face exploded.
"Enough of this. This is disrespect my son, this action. But, as a grown man, you decide for your own. I must have made a mistake while raising you, to let you learn of such contempt. Leave now, i am done talking with you on this matter, son"
"Very well, father. As you insist." he left.
I remember that, this day was hard. Father was angry, very angry.
No one wanted to step in the wrong time. No me, not my sister, not my mother.
Arthas always felt the light, it's greatfull feeling. But he understand that not everyone could do this, what made him understand, at least partly, his brother point of view.
His brother was always intresting. He often did not understand him, sometimes being confused by him.
He know Ainzah was studying a lot, making him often unavaileble to speak too. His older brother wasn't much intrested in him, as they did not speak often. Ainzah was often rude, sometimes demanding. He can't recall situation, when he seen his brother smile much.
He know he can look happy, intrested or impressed by someone, but as his noble friends, this was but a game, most of the time.
That doesn't meant he was not intrested in Arthas. They spend few occasions together, mostly talking.
He played few times with him, and was corrected many more by him. His brother is strict, and he showed him, when Arthas was learning with him how to ride a horse.
He recall the image of his brother being scary to everyone, shouting at Arthas incompetence, and correcting him harshly.
This was not the experience prince recalled with happiness, but after all, he learned how to ride a horse very good, becouse of his brother advices.
Well...not that good to win with winter.
"Invincible" was his royal horse. The mighty mount he had loved, but when tragedy happend, had to kill, to end it's torment. He always remember this as his moment of weakness. He wasn't strong enough. Wise enough.
His family cheered him. His parents helped him recover from the sadness.
His sister was with him, sad as he was. They spend a lot of time playing, riding those horses, so this was hard for her also.
Even his cold brother spoke the words that warmed him. He was not helping him, he know his brother did not care that much of him, but he tried to do so.
In those hard moments, there was family for him. People for him.
For now, he is not in position to wear the crown. Aiznah, first prince, will be next, if anything.
But there is hope in Arthas. Even under his brother rule, he will care for the people of Lordaeron. He will care for his family.
Arthas walked back and foward few places inside the palace.
The kitchen to steal a sweet snack from the old lady.
A libary, when books of his family were placed, with many works of literature, history, and poetry is placed on the walls and keept save.
And the Armory, where he trained with the short and drunken specialist of old jokes, Muradin Bronzbeard.
Now, he prepared himself for another training.
Muradin was an emisary from the Kingdom of Ironforge, and here he was doing his political buisness. But, as a part of the agreement with Therenas, he is training sons of the Lordaeron royal family.
He was training his brother first, but after he become a great magus, they trained only few times a month, to keep one in check. Ainzah wasn't bad, but was clearly better suited for range and of course magic.
With the first prince not training, focus was set on Arthas, who is shown to be better build for future first frontline combat.
With that so, trainings increased in numbers, 6 times a week, only a free day being the holy day.
This made Arthas a solid fighter for his age, but also meant he had little to no free time right sometimes. If the lessons of Muradin, Uther and his father were on the same day, he was wasted.
He is being trained in the fighting with a sword, being a one-handed one for now, but sometimes using two-handed or even a mace or club. They will train sometimes for many hours, to perfect as much, and to strenghen physical strengh and endurance.
"Oi Lad, how you doing. Am i too hard on ya?" Asked the dwarf.
"Not really, might drunk warrior. Take your ale and fight!" Pointed prince, clearly out of his mind.
"Oh, you want to be beaten again, boy! Well then lad, here i go!" Shouted excited and now drunk Muradin.
Their interactions were of the friends, beside the time Arthas was beaten hard and laughed out, but in most cases, they were friends. Prince often joked that if he waits few years, he will outgrow Muradin to the point of him being only small problem for him.
Arthas liked Muradin, becouse he always had a tale for him. Muradin was a second brother in the family, Magin Bronzbeard being first, and the king of Ironforge, and third brother, Brann, being an explorer.
Prince loved the stories of Brann Bronzbeard. They were wild and out of the world. He spoke of undiscovered ruins, races of strange sizes and shapes. He watched and walked in beautifull landscapes and deadly regions.
He had a fun life. Muradin always liked his tales. And so does Arthas.
They spend the day together, fighting and playing around.
Muradin, as a dwarf in bone and blood, decided to spend the rest of time drinking good beer, trying to convince prince to drinking with him, only to be yelled by the maid that walked into the room.
Dwarven warrior started to argue with woman, making young lad laugh.
Then, after a last meal, prince ended his day in bed.
Next day was followed by the unexpected visit of his sister in his room.
Calia Menethil entered his room while he was still sleeping.
When he was still in a state of dream, he felt a movement on him. He was being shaken by someone.
When he was slowly waking up, he suddenly find himself in the air, only to fell on the floor.
He suddenly realise the situation, he went up and took a defencive stance against the intruder, only to realise his sister was standing on his bed.
He looked confused, irritated and shocked at the same time.
"What the hall are you doing sister?!" He shouted at her.
Her little smile said nothing, when suddenly she jumped at him, thowing him off guard into a floor.
"Finally! You such a heavy sleeper brother, i sat here for so long and you were still not waking up. I had to kick you out of the bed to do so!" She argue, looking at his still confused face, pinning him to the floor, while not letting him stand up.
"Father said that you were training, and yet, i am able to not let you stand up. I had to talk with sir Muradin, he is letting you free to much" She stated, still being in dominating position on him.
"You caught me off guard! That's all!" He argue.
She watched him, amused of his situation. Then he said the line she was not expecting.
"But i had a weapon that can deal with a girl like you" She said, with a smug and satisfied face.
Be broke free his right hand, and moved foward, towards the spot he was aiming for.
In one moment, he was ready.
"I know you have ticklish there" He stated, starting to attack her neck.
Now, she was caughted off-guard, loosing control over the situation.
He changed the role, now she was laying down, and he tortured her without mercy.
"Hahah, Arthas stop! Please! Stop, hahah, stop dummy!" She yelled at him.
"There is no mercy on the battlefield, sister" He anwsered on her trying, not giving her moment to rest.
She tried to stop him, but was unable to, becouse of the laughing. She should had prepare for this situation!
He was having fun, clearly.
In one moment she focused, she tried moving again, to do the same to him. She knew he had to have one!
They went on this fight, until the one moment, when maid Felicia entered the room, to be supriced to find prince and princes of Lordaeron on the floor together, in a fight.
She looked supriced, with a clear confussion.
But her reaction was nothing compared to the youngling she was looking on.
They looked on her, then on themselfs, clearly horrified. They splitted apart, Arthas hittin a wall with a window, and Calia his bed. They were instantly red, emberessed, trying to find words for their actions, but unable to.
Maid looked at them and just simply asked, clearly somewhat unsure of situation.
"May i only ask, My prince and princess, what were you doing?" She asked.
They now looked even more red, realising how it might have looked. Both of the know those legendary stories of loved ones uniting. Those were always a tales to the sleep.
Now, they panicked.
Calia trying to cover herself under a bedding. Arthas covered his emberessed face.
Now, Felicia was unsure of this, now also emberessed, letting her imagination go little fancy.
She decided to just leave the room for now.
As she left the room, siblings looked at each other.
They pointed their fingers, both on the other one.
"It's your fault!" They argue, shouting.
Arthas was first to recover.
"You were the one to wake me up by jumping on me!" She said.
"But you decided to not let me go with a tickle!" Argue Calia, leaving bedding.
"Oh, is my fault then!" He argue back.
They thowed lines on each other, before they calmed down, now laughting together out of situation.
Then Arthas asked the most improtant question.
"Why were you waking me in the first place"
She jumped, supriced.
"I..i wanted to wake you up to go together look after summer festival! O..of course" She tried to state.
But Arthas knew this was lie.
"You wouldn't care for me. You would go with the girls and have fun together. You lying sister!" He pointed.
She jumped.
"No, i'm not!" Princess argue back.
But she was caught, so there was no point of lying.
She looked at him, clearly emberessed and with a thinking mind.
"Brother. I have to do this!" She went to him, looking at his face, into his eyes.
"There is a boy i like and... and..."
She took a deep breath.
"I wanted to know is if i do something, how would boy react to this!" She shouted.
He looked clearly confused.
She looked desperate at him, and asked.
"Arthas, do boys like it, when they are kissed?" She gently asked.
He looked at her, with a wide eyes.
But had no words for her, but as expected for his age reaction.
"Wwwwwwwhhhhhhaaaaaaaaattttttt?!" Long word flew into the air.
He looked at her shocked.
"What do you mean!?" He stated at his, now red emberessed sister.
What is going on?! WHY THIS IS HAPPENING?!
She looked at him, clearly in need of an anwser. She looked at his messy hair, into his eyes. She was watching his reaction. Like a predator, watching his pray.
She was tempted to do it now. To try it.
She was getting closer to him, when doors to the room open again, with Felicia now very calm, all happy, to suddenly realise previous situation did not ended, vice versa, it went deeper into confusion.
But this time, Arthas was calm, becouse he was saved.
His maid helped him get away from his today crazy sister.
Felicia Doan, Yuri Alpha in new body, stated with a pokerface, trying to not get the wrong idea.
"Princess Calia, it seems that you are trying to do something that our prince Arthas is not ready for"
In this very moment, Calia snapped back to reality, abashed.
She quicly went down from her brother, sprinting in direction of the doors, to run away to the hallway.
This was probably most confusing ten seconds of this day, for Felicia, Arthas, and probably anyone that would seen this scene.
Felicia looked into a hallway, partly lost, partly amused.
"It seems that my little princess is growing up" She stated, and closed a door. She turned towards the prince, who she helped to get up from the floor.
"Good morning, my prince. It seems that you have seen a girl intrest in first hand" She lightly joked, on still mixed Arthas.
She offered him a cup of tea, and slowly explained what just happend.
This was the first time young boy experienced a girl with deep emotions, and some time will take for him to meet another. This time, not from his family.
Thx for reading. Sorry for the problems with chapter 7, but fanfiction has some issues for some time now, and this chapter might await the same fate.
Also, this was a contrast for the last chapter, but after all, hint was given.
As always, i might have made a grave grammar mistake somewhere in the text, but i hope i didn't. Don't kill me pls.
Have nice day/night, reader.
Ps.
If you know of any side that could transform my english into fantasy like language, like dwarven or elvish, i would appriate a link. I am bad enough with a simple form of english to play with fantasy like languages. I don't want to mess this thing more then i do already.