Updated this finally. Be forewarned that this is a long chapter, almost 2000 wrds longer than my usual so please stick to it. And remember to REVIEW.
Well here it is
Enjoy,
The boy has talent. But talent alone will not make a good king. He needs strength of mind, as well as body. Van must learn to control his anger. He must be ready for the trial tomorrow. I have done my best to teach him the ways of the samurai. What he chooses to make of what I have taught him will be up to him...He is much like his brother was and that is what concerns me. I will not fail again.
Moving through the castle corridors in the direction of the training room, Balgus' attention was set on matters that had been troubling him ever since Van's outburst the other day. He truly hoped that the raven-haired boy had thought about what he had said and was willing to work on controlling his temper. Otherwise, Balgus didn't know what he would do. He was not looking forward to a repeat of the last failed trial, when Van's brother had died.
The death of Folken Lacour de Fanel had hit the kingdom hard, had hit him hard. It had taken many years for anyone to get over the prince's untimely demise and some were still coming to terms with it. Balgus himself occasionally had difficulty adjusting to his failure. Folken had not been ready. It was as simple as that, but the tall samurai hadn't realized it until the 15-year-old's blood had been spilt by the dragon he had been meant to slay.
The boy's passing however, had not been completely in vain. It had opened the sword master's eyes to the reality of things. Van was headed in the same direction as his brother. Balgus could see it. If he was not careful, he would lose the last heir to the Fanelian throne and he could not allow that to happen. Van would succeed in the trial, even if it had to be postponed. There was no more room for the death of another prince to haunt Balgus' soul.
"Master Balgus," an errand boy ran up to the tall man just as he was shifting open the door of the training area, "A message has just arrived for you, sir." The young man barely came up to the sword master's chest and seemed to be uncomfortable under the scrutinizing stare of the aging warrior. He stood nervously before the looming form as Balgus accepted the envelope and thanked him. Afterwards the boy quickly bowed his head and hurried back the way he had come.
When the boy had left, Balgus carefully unfolded the enclosed parchment and began to read the cursive script. He was pleased to see that the note had been sent by his former pupil, Allen Schezar, but from that point on his mood darkened with every syllable read. It was apparent in his eyes that the note did not contain good news and when he had finished perusing, he neatly folded the message and returned it to its envelope, which he slipped inside his shirt. He stepped into the training room and was not surprised to see that Van was not waiting for him. The note had made him expect that much. He looked around the empty chamber with a deepening frown. Van was too much like his brother.
"There it is now young highness," Ruhm said, almost mystified, "Fanelia Castle."
Van watched as the cart came over the grassy hill. Standing in the near distance was the great stone barrier that stretched across the valley, dividing the city from the outlying fields, and at whose center was set the large wooden doors that gave access to the rest of the valley. Beyond the wall was the vast labyrinth of streets and houses that formed the city and in the farthest reaches, along the mountain range, was Fanelia Castle. Van was almost home.
"Uh, Ruhm?" said Van.
"Yes, majesty?" The wolf man shifted his gaze slightly to the side so he could regard the young prince. Van lowered his head, placing a hand on the wooden rail of the cart and proceeded to speak, "I appreciate what you've done for me, I know I've been imposing greatly and-"
"Not at all," Ruhm broke in before Van had time to finish, "I would be delighted to escort our future king back to the castle. It is the least I can do after the night you had."
Van had to conceal a frown as the wolf man returned his attention to steering the cart. Ever since he had regained consciousness and had been informed of the previous night's events, Van had been wondering how to tell the wolf man in the politest way that he did not need an escort to the castle, but coming over the hill he realized they were too close for pleasantries. He had to get Ruhm to stop before the guards in the look out towers on the wall were made aware of his presence. Balgus could not know of his little escapade. He would never hear the end of it.
"Ruhm!" Van stood up, but quickly fell backward into the hay as the cart dipped suddenly from a large divot in the road. Straw flew up around Van, tangling in his hair and clothing. Ruhm turned and smiled at the boy for what felt to Van like the millionth time in their short trip. "Now, now majesty, don't worry about it. It would be unheard of for me to make you walk. Just sit comfortably. We are almost there."
Van scowled. He'd had enough. There was no polite way to convince Ruhm that he should stop. The young prince grabbed the edges of the cart and pulled himself up, sticking his arms out to maintain his balance until he could stand unaided. Screw manners. He called out to the driver in his most commanding voice. "Ruhm stop! I order you to stop this cart at once!"
Van tumbled backward, smashing his hip and thigh on the back rail of the cart as the wolf man made a sudden stop, causing the beast to rear up. The heap of hay the young prince had been sitting on flew out of the cart and scattered on the dirt path. Van held onto the rail with one hand as he rubbed his side, trying to get over the shock of making such quick a stop. He hadn't realized that Ruhm would take his words so literally. At least he can take orders. Van groaned.
As the driver whispered soothing words to calm the large animal, Van pulled himself upright and leapt out of the cart. Without so much as an apology or a look back, he tore across the field, trying his best to stay out of sight of the guard towers. Luckily enough for him, he knew how his soldiers operated in the early morning hours so getting close to the wall without being seen would be a simple enough task. The guards would most likely be half asleep by now because they did not change shifts as regularly in Fanelia as most other countries. There was no need to. Not in a country whose basic economy relied on agriculture.
Van was about fifty yards from the wall, peering over at the massive doors from behind a tree when he noticed two Fanelian soldiers nodding off in opposite guard towers. Now was his chance to make a break for the wall. From what Van figured, the guards would be just about ready to change in a few minutes so he had to be quick.
Van broke out from behind the tree, jet-black hair scurrying in the morning breeze, and ran towards the wall, away from the doors and towers. When he had gone half the distance to the wall, Van peeled off his shirt and sprang into the air. Embrace it. Van could hear the familiar whisper echo in his mind. The moment he was free of the confining red garment and the morning sun rained down on his back, a large pair of beautiful white wings spread into the open air, pulling the raven-haired prince high into the sky and clear over the stone barrier. Once over the wall, Van quickly landed in an alleyway, not yet lit by the rising sun. He would have liked to have kept flying straight to the castle but it was too dangerous. He was too visible in the cloudless sky. It was too much of a risk despite the city being, for the most part, still asleep. Van couldn't take the chance of being seen by anyone, especially when he was flying. He wouldn't let anyone see his wings. Not again. He had promised.
"Master Balgus, I think you should have a look at this, sir."
Balgus was stalking down the hallway, leading to the main castle entrance, to wait for Van when a soldier called out to him from the garden. He turned on his heel and strode purposefully through the doorway to meet with the soldier. He did not have to ask what it was about. It would have been difficult for anyone to have missed the shattered remains of a previously magnificent statue of a dragon that stood at the very center of the garden. The once proud beast was now a luckless pile of rubble scattered across the stone path and Balgus knew almost immediately what had befallen the creature.
The tall samurai growled low under his breath. If he hadn't received the note from Allen, he probably would have been able to figure out where Van had gotten off to. It was becoming all the more alarming how much the raven-haired prince resembled his brother. Something had to be done before Van met the same fate as Folken.
Van breathed a quick sigh of relief as he came upon his castle. He had managed not to have any run-ins with anyone the entire time he was creeping through the back alleys but now, he feared, would come the difficult part, getting into the castle without being seen. Unlike the city wall, the guards at the castle were numerous and always changing their shifts and numbers. It did not matter what time of day it was, there was always at least thirty wide-awake soldiers patrolling the gate and surrounding wall. This would not be fun.
Van watched the guards going about their duties from the quickly disappearing shadows. He couldn't stay where he was hiding for much longer. Besides the rising sun, the city was already beginning to come alive as people started their days. Carts were being loaded with fresh produce to sell and shops were opening up, as well as windows to let in the morning air. Fanelia was waking up and Van was running out of time. He couldn't get in the front way. That would be like suicide, but where else could he go? Van figured that his best bet would be the way he had left. He would have to enter through the garden and hope to hell that nobody had noticed the statue he dismembered many hours ago.
The young prince slinked along the wall, close enough that he would not be visible if someone were to look straight down at him, but dead in the water if someone glanced to the side. It was a chance he was willing to take if it meant Balgus remained in the dark concerning his soiree. He moved quietly along, knowing full well that the few soldiers at ground level would spot him in a flash if he made too much noise. He was getting close to the area that wasn't as heavily guarded, where the generals' housed their guymelefs. Van thanked the Gods as he moved along that the samurais' melefs were not held in as much esteem as Escaflowne. Van shuttered to think how difficult it would be for him if he had to pass anywhere near the Ispano guymelef's shrine.
Perspiration was dripping off his forehead, mostly from anticipation, but partially from the looming sun. The shadows were vanishing and Van was running out of space to hide. He scowled. Even the shadows are against me. A few guards walked by and took no notice of him. He was well enough hidden in the remaining shadows that they did not see him. And even if they had, Van could easily have explained why he was walking around the castle grounds at such an hour. They were his after all and if he didn't want to offer an explanation, he didn't have to. The soldiers were below him. Still…Van didn't want to risk Balgus being notified of his presence. He also wanted to avoid giving any lies that may get him in trouble later on.
Van continued walking stealthily along, the garden right in front of him now. He could see the trees peeking over the stone wall. Van was about to make a break for it but stopped short. A soldier stood at attention right in front of where he had made his escape the previous evening. Shit, now what am I gonna do? There was no other way to get into the garden without being seen. Van would have to distract the guards somehow. He looked around and noticed a large rock on the ground. I swear if this works I'm getting that guy a promotion. Van hurled the rock as hard and as far as he could. It smashed against the wall with a clunk and the soldier immediately turned to face the source of the noise. Van took this opportunity to run up to the wall. He leapt quietly over, landing silently on his feet like a cat. No one could have heard him…or so he thought.
"LORD VAN!!"
Van's eyes went wide as Merle's sweet sing-song voice drifted across the garden to his ears. NO! Before he could prepare himself or run back the way he had come, the cat-girl threw herself at him with all her force, knocking him harshly into the stone wall. She held him in a death grip as she licked his cheek again and again, spilling a few muffled words of worry between her affection. Van tried to wriggle free but Merle held him in place with surprising strength for someone of her stature until Balgus' powerful voice made her back down. "Good morning Prince Van, I trust you slept well?"
Merle released Van and sank back into the crowd of soldiers who had gathered to admire their future king's handiwork. Balgus stepped forward. "Come, there is much to do, your majesty.
Van's stomach flip-flopped as Balgus rested a hand on his shoulder and steered him towards the garden entrance of the castle. He didn't know what his master wanted him for but he was nevertheless shaking inside from the idea that Balgus knew what he had been up to and was about to confront him. Something about the tall samurai's calm was terrifying.
Balgus led the way down the corridor and straight into their usual training room used for mortal sword combat. He walked to the center and removed his shirt, placing it to the edge of the room. "Get into position prince Van," Balgus said to his pupil as he gripped his sword, but Van's attention was not directed at him. The boy's scarlet eyes were on the envelope that had slipped from his shirt and was now lying on the training mat. Van made a move to get it and Balgus did not stop him. He allowed the young prince to pick up the note but spoke before he opened it, "It is time for training. Unsheathe your sword and prepare yourself, Lord Van."
Van's raven hair fell into his eyes as he peered down at the message in his hands; a simple beige envelope with a tiny embossed design around the lip, no insignia and a broken seal. Who's this from? He raised his gaze to his master's, "Balgus, what is this?"
"Open it," said the old man shortly, staring at Van with no emotion in his eyes. The boy did as he was told, pulling the folded note out, feeling queasy the moment he read the name of the sender, Allen Schezar. The knight had come back to haunt him. The fury Van had felt for the blond man before was nothing compared to the boiling rage coursing through his veins as he read on. Not only did the young prince feel humiliated because of what happened the previous night, but now Balgus knew everything as well. Van would make Allen pay dearly for snitching on him.
He crumpled the note in his fist, tensing the muscles of his forearm, squeezing tighter and tighter until his leather glove creaked under the pressure. Van didn't know what to do. He was so furious he wasn't thinking straight and he did the first thing that sprang to mind. He ripped his sword out of his sheath and in a blur, ran straight for Balgus. The samurai had seen Van's body tense and was prepared for the attack. He dodged quickly out of the way of Van's swinging blade and side longed the prince across the back, sending him sprawling across the tartan mat. Van skinned his elbows against the floor but in his frenzy, ignored the pain and jumped up to attack once more.
Balgus could see that his pupil was in a dangerous state, if he was not careful Van, or himself, would get seriously injured. Before Van could charge, Balgus dashed forward and pinned Van to the wall with his long blade pressed across the boy's shoulders. The Van struggled to get free but was too weak. "Van," the swordsman breathed, forcing the youth to stay still as he held him against the wall, "Relax and let go of your weapon. I will not have you take your anger out on me, or anyone else. You should not be angry with anyone but yourself for what has gone on. Sir Allen did the right thing by informing me of your actions."
Van looked up to his master in an icy glare. Balgus' words hadn't moved him in the least.
"Do you honestly think I'd have been proud had you succeeded in slaying a dragon?" inquired Balgus, freeing Van from the wall. The boy did not respond to his question but sank to his knees, staring off into space. "Only the foolish seek fights they cannot win."
"But I could have defeated it," said Van quietly, head lowered.
Balgus gazed at the youth's tired body crouched on the mat, "Just like you were able to defeat the knight Caeli?" he inquired, seeing Van's eyes flash beneath a tangle of raven hair.
Van remained silent from then on, not able to find a comeback. In fact the more he thought about it, the more Balgus was beginning to make sense. He hadn't been strong enough to defeat a dragon last night and hell if he was right now. Van could barely stand. The pain in his body was starting to catch up with him. The ache beginning at a constant throb in his head, spiking down his spine until his legs quivered and arms felt like nothing. Of course the physical aspect was only the start of his agony. Balgus struck him with the final blow.
"There will be no ceremony tomorrow. You will not be king. You are not ready."
Oh my god! I have never written that much for a chapter, let alone anything before. Wow, I hope you guys enjoyed it cause I put a lot of effort into it.
Also let me know if it's too long. I don't really know
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