Chapter 3: A Royal Education and A Birthday

I reached King Hydros' Palace in practically no time at all. One of the guards stopped me and asked, "Are you Piers?"

"Why, yes I am." I said, a little surprised.

"Come. King Hydros has been waiting for you." the other guard said.

He took me by the arm and escorted me inside. I had heard stories of how remarkable King Hydros' Palace looked from the inside, but thought it looked more grandiose than I could have ever imagined. The next thing I know, I am in King Hydros' throne room. "I have brought Piers, milord." the guard announced.

"Well done. You may return to your post." the king said.

He had a very kind, gentle, almost grandfatherly voice. After the guard left, King Hydros came walking up to me. "Piers!" he said, embracing me like I was the son he never had. "How are you, my boy?"

"I am a little distraught and confused, your highness." I said.

"Why is that, Piers?" he asked.

"Well, I am distraught because a messenger came to our house yesterday and told us my father had been killed in battle." I replied, fighting to hold back tears in the king's presence.

"I am so sorry to hear that, Piers." King Hydros said, embracing me again. "I truly am."

"Thank you, your highness." I said.

"And, what has you so confused?" the king asked, changing the subject.

"Because my mother told me something I am having a very difficult time trying to comprehend." I said.

"What is that?"

"She told me something you told to her during my christening ceremony." I replied, a little worried.

"Let me guess: That you were the one to fulfill the following prophesy, 'The great master of Water shall be born a son of Lemuria.'" the king said calmly. "Am I mistaken?"

"How did you...?" I asked, amazed that the king was so calm in the face of such an outrageous claim.

"Piers, I did tell her that," he said.

"You did?" I asked. "But, why?"

"Because the moment your mother put you in my arms, I saw the mark of the chosen one on your wrist." the king explained.

"Your highness, I am not sure if I have the mark you speak of." I confessed.

"Why do you think your parents wanted you to wear that cloth on your wrist, Piers?" King Hydros inquired.

"They always said it would bring me good luck." I said.

King Hydros smiled. "Remove the cloth, Piers." he said.

"But my mom said never to take it off unless it was important." I said.

"Trust me, Piers." the king said. "It is important."

I removed the cloth and gazed at an odd-looking mark. "Wow..." I said, running my fingers over it. "It looks remarkable."

King Hydros patted me on the shoulder. Then, one of the king's servants came in. "Lunch is served, your highness." he said, bowing.

"Lunch?" I said. "Already?"

"Would you care to join me, Piers?" King Hydros offered.

I was famished. I had not eaten breakfast because I headed to the palace before I had a chance to eat anything. "Certainly, your highness." I said, as my stomach growled.

King Hydros smiled and turned to the servant. "Set two places," he ordered. "One for me and one for my guest."

The servant bowed, and left the room. Wow, I'm the king's guest! I thought excitedly. Then I immediately calmed down, because I did not wish to be deemed rude. "Follow me, Piers." King Hydros said.

The king led me down what seemed to be a very long hallway. Eventually, we arrived at a very beautiful dining room. "Come on in, Piers." King Hydros said, watching gape in amazement at the room.

I entered, but I continued to look around in astonishment. "You can sit down now, Piers." King Hydros said.
"Oh, um, sorry." I said, a little embarrassed.

"It's all right," the king said. "I used to people gaping at the architecture."

I nodded and sat down at the table. The king's servants brought out lots of food, some of which I had never seen before. I felt very strange in the king's dining room because I was just a villager, and yet King Hydros was treating me as if I had noble blood of running in my veins. But, I eventually got over it, as I was busy putting food in my mouth. "A little hungry, Piers, my boy?" King Hydros asked.

"Starving." I said in between mouthfuls of smoked salmon, my favorite food in all of Weyard.

Surprisingly, some of the meal past in silence. King Hydros ate some food, and then pushed his plate away, clearly full. The servant came and took his plate away. While I was still eating, King Hydros looked at me and said, "Piers, there are a few things I feel I should teach you."

"What things, your highness?" I asked, now shoveling in some mashed potatoes.

"That there are kinds of Psynergy other than your own." the king replied.

"Other kinds...?" I said, a little shocked.

"Oh, yes." the king said. "Do you know of the four elements?"

"No, but I am eager to learn about them, your highness." I said, now eating some really rich and delicious red velvet cake.

"There are four elements that were the building blocks for everything on Weyard: earth, fire, wind, and of course, your element, water." King Hydros explained.

"So there is Psynergy aligned with each of these four elements?" I asked.

"Yes." the king said. "The four elements once formed a great power that was once commonplace all over Weyard."

"What power was this, your highness?" I asked, after finishing the last bite of cake.

"The power of Alchemy." King Hydros. "It wrought the base elements I told you about earlier into thriving civilizations, like lead into gold. Peace and prosperity reigned supreme. But, in time, the power had to be sealed away."

"Why is that?" I asked, pushing my plate away, showing that I was full.

After the servant came and took my plate away, the king continued. "There were those were corrupted by the power of Alchemy. Many who sought to use it to attain infinite riches, immortal life, or even dominion of all of Weyard."

Good Sol... I thought. This too was quite a lot for me to be taking in. "When did this all happen, your highness?" I asked.

"Ages ago, long before your birth," the king said. "I was a young lad like yourself at the time."

"Wow..." I said, not thinking of anything else to say because I was so surprised.

"Well, Piers I believe you should head home." King Hydros said. "I don't want your mother worrying herself sick about you."

"Literally." I said, with a wry smile. "Good day, your highness."

Then I proceeded down the hallway, headed down to palace entrance and I was heading out the door when I bumped into someone. "Oh, excuse me." I said.

"Watch where you're going, boy!" the man said in a very gruff manner.

There was no mistaking that tone of voice. It was Lord Conservato, head of Lemuria's senate.

"I am truly sorry, milord." I said as politely as I could, considering my family never liked the old blighter.

"You should be!" he said, once again in his gruff manner. "Delaying my usual meeting King Hydros! You should be ashamed of yourself!"

Before he could say anything else or ask what I was doing in the palace in the first place, I bolted out the door. I didn't stop until I reached my house. I stopped to catch my breath, and then I slowly opened the door. "SURPRISE!" my mother and uncle shouted, popping out of their hiding places.

"Uh," I said, once again a little shocked for what seemed to be the millionth time that day. "What's the occasion?"

"Really, Piers." Mother said with an affectionate scold. "It's your birthday. Whether you wish to remember it or not."

I smiled at that. But, I could not believe I had forgotten my own birthday!

"Happy birthday, my favorite nephew." my uncle said, embracing me.

"Uncle, I am your only nephew." I said indignantly.

"That is why you are my favorite," my uncle said, patting me on the shoulder. "No competition."

I rolled my eyes at my uncle displaying his wry sense of humor once again. "I got you a nice present, Piers." Mother said, taking me over to the kitchen table. "Close your eyes."

I covered my eyes and she guided me to a nearby table. "Okay, open them!" she said.

I uncovered them to find a gleaming sword sitting on the table. "Whoa!" I said in astonishment. "Wherever did you get it?"

"Do you remember that Lucky Medal I found buried in the garden a couple years ago?" Mother asked.

"Yes, I do." I said, nodding.

"Well, I decided to use it in the Lemurian Spring today, and I won that sword." Mother said. "I hope it's a good present."

"It's a great present, Mother!" I said excitedly. "Thank you very much!"

Then, the three of us sat down to eat some of my birthday cake. I was surprised that I managed to fit in two pieces considering how much I ate at the palace. Afterwards, I let out a big yawn.

"You've had a big day." Mother said, with a smile. "Get some sleep, Piers."

"Good night, Mother." I said, hugging her.

As my headed to my room, my uncle stopped me. "What? No 'good night' for me?" he asked with mock concern.

I laughed. "Sorry, Uncle." I said, hugging him. "Good night."

"Sleep well, Piers." my uncle said, ruffling my hair the way my father used to.

As I climbed into bed with my new sword sitting on one of my shelves, I felt this was the best birthday I have ever had since Father left.