The Prince had picked himself off the ground from the beating he had taken earlier from the princess, still a little embarrased by the whole event. However, something about her stuck with him. It's not like he hated her for it, rather it was a nice learning opportunity for the young lord. Not once did he ever think that a princess would ever carry herself in such a way. So sassy, so adept in combat, and most of all, so boy-like. If not for anything else, that surprise made the entire experience worth it.
Hoping to not be seen by his knights in such a condition, though, Marth was picking his route carefully. They were just a few bruises and scrapes, but he can't imagine the humiliation he would get from Cain or even Abel if they found out a girl beat him up. They wouldn't show it, but would think it all the same. It was then that a blonde muscular figure was approching him in the distance, seeming to be alone. As the figure grew closer, it became more apparent that he was someone of incredible strength, looking as if he could snap the boy in half with ease.
"Are you prince Marth?" The male asked as he was still a few yards away, the blue haired youth stopping in his tracks. Was he going to get another beating? What did he do?
"U-Uhm, yes. D-did you need something?" He asked extremely unsure of himself as the towering figure walked ever closer before halting just before the prince, its shadow practically covering his entire body and the ground around him.
"Well, the princess informed me that she had just won in a fight with a prince from another country, so I assumed it to be you." The blonde figure then smiled as he got a good look at Marth's light injuries. "And I can see that she didn't exactly have mercy." The prince frowned, sulking his shoulders.
"You mean she's already spreading it around?" He whined, ready for the whole island to know of his loss. The figure shrugged.
"As far as I know she's only told me. Oh that's right, I'm Ogma. King Mostyn may have spoken of me." So this was Ogma? It did make sense. He looked really strong after all.
"He did, he informed me that you were the captain of Talys's elite."
"More or less. I'm also princess Caeda's personal guardian." Marth's eyes widened, trying to imagine this towering figure as a guardian of the princess of a country. Though it did make sense a little given who said princess is. She also did mention that she studied how Ogma fights... perhaps he was not too sharp to put two and two together.
"I see. I would normally be surprised, but given how Caeda acts, I suppose it makes sense if she's always around you." Marth said with a sigh, gazing up at Ogma to see him tilt his head with a puzzled look on his face. It was then that the prince realized what he said was rather rude to both him and the princess, beginning to sweat profusely. "U-Uhm not to say that's a bad thing, I wasn't trying to be rude!" Ogma simply smiled now before letting out a soft chuckle.
"You don't need to worry about that. The thing I found confusing is how you think the princess was influenced by me." Now Marth was the one confused. What was he getting at?
"What do you mean?" Ogma now turned, beginning to walk in the other direction, gesturing for the prince to follow.
"Let's take a little walk."
"O-Okay!" Marth almost tripped over himself as he stammered forward to keep up with the mercenary. After a few moments of complete silence, Ogma spoke once more.
"You see, ever since I met the princess she's had this kind of... attitude about her. The same kind she has now." He spoke slowly, seeming unsure on how to properly portray the meaning of his words. The prince could follow well enough, though.
"You mean she's always been this way?" Ogma nodded.
"Sure has, ever since she rescued me from my life as a gladiator one-two years ago." Marth's ears perked up at his words. He supposed it did make sense that he was a gladiator given his build and likely battle prowess. However, he was even more intrigued by what he meant by "saved".
"She 'saved' you?" Ogma nodded once more, keeping his gaze forward now.
"I remember it clearly..." He murmured as his mind began to replay the event...
"How dare you help one of my star fighters escape?!" Cried out the unsettling voice of a male as a club came crashing down onto the head of a muscular blonde who was ridden with blood and scars. This was Ogma. A sword then slashed at his face as two whips aggressively clashed against his ribs and back, the blonde haired male letting out a groan of pain. However, he never spoke a word.
"Hmph, do you still not understand the weight of your actions?" The male placed the flat end of his sword under Ogma's chin, forcing him to look up into his eyes. "We beat you to near death again and again, and yet you still do not understand the wrongs you have committed." The gladiator's eyes narrowed as blood trailed down his face, finally beginning to speak between heavy breathes.
"I... see no problem ... in my actions... Samuel is a good man... he deserves to be free and follow his heart... every time you torture me... it only makes me more happy that I helped him... because if it wasn't me... it would be him... I regret nothing... it's the same answer you'll always get from me-"
"Silence!" The man hissed before beating him across the face, causing the bloody gladiator to fall to the ground, unable to even hold himself on his hands and knees. "First you set him free and now you're speaking of him by name as if he's an actual person! Don't make me sick! You two aren't people, you're filthy animals who kill each other in a pig pen that we call an arena. The fact that you could ever even think that there's anything human about you is disgusting!" Ogma shook violently, unable to hold back his rage.
"Shut up! How dare you call us the animals?! Do you think we chose this life?!" Tears began to form in his eyes that mixed with the blood. "We all had families once, but when we had nowhere else to go... fighting was all we knew how to do! The real animals are creatures like you who get off to watching people suffer like this for money!" The man began to growl, the other man preparing to lash out on the beaten gladiator, this time aiming to kill.
"That's it! You have tried my patience for the last time! This time, you die!" The man cried, whips and clubs crashing down on Ogma in rapid fire, him hardly able to groan in pain before the next strike. He closed his eyes and truly felt like he was going to die here, but really her accepted his fate. He hated to admit it, but the man was in reality partially correct. While he wasn't an animal, he let himself practically get turned into one. Now, he would die as one. How pitiful...
"Stop this!" Cried out the voice of a little girl, causing the wave of strikes to suddenly cease. Ogma slowly opened his eyes once more to see a little girl through his blurred vision. She couldn't be any older than 6 or 7. Who was she? Behind her was a taller man who appeared to be of royalty. However it didn't matter if Ogma did not know who they were, for the other men seemed to as they stepped down.
"Ah, King Mostyn of Talys! What can I do for you today?" The younger version of the king stroked his beard before answering.
"I simply could not stop my daughter from coming back here. She was insistent on seeing some of the fighters, however it seems we're interrupting something." All the while, the little girl who happened to be Caeda was staring into the eyes of the bloody Ogma, almost seeing through him. Something was wrong.
"Father, I think those men are trying to kill him..." She said as if already at the brink of tears.
"What! Preposterous! We are simply punishing him. He misbehaved." The man answered, a drop of sweat forming on his forehead. Caeda shook her head, brashly running over to the beaten Ogma.
"Caeda! Wait!" Mostyn called out after her, but she wouldn't stop.
"You rotten men lie! I can see it in his eyes! You're torturing him!" Ogma's eyes widened in amazement as the man became angered. Who was this little girl? Did she truly wish to put her life at such risk? Did she not understand the dangerous situation?
"Please forgive my daughter, she often speaks a little harsh to others without thinking it-"
"No! Father! Can't you see? Look at h-him! H-he's suffering!" Caeda stubbornly knelt down and held out her hand, touching his forehead gently.
"Little girl, I would advise not to touch that beast. He could kill you in less than seconds!" She didn't listen, staying right by him. Ogma rose to where he was sitting upright, gazing at the girl. "I won't warn you again! Stand back now and let us finish this mad dog!" The man hollered as he got even closer.
"No!" Caeda cried before hugging the bloody and beaten gladiator. "You won't hurt him! He didn't do anything wrong!" Ogma simply remained in shock, even his mind unable to focus. This girl was not the least bit afraid of him! In the girl's embrace he felt comfort, a kind of comfort he had never felt in his life. One that told him everything would be fine. For the first time he could remember, he felt safe. It was then that the king had made his decision.
"I must agree," Mostyn interrupted. "In a state like that the man can hardly even walk, much less fight. If I am not mistaken, sir, another gladiator of yours escaped awhile ago. It would be a shame if it turns out a reason for said escape would be abusive tendencies like we see here, wouldn't it?" The king spoke sharply, sinking deep into the man with each word.
"I-I..." The man was unable to respond. He knew he had lost. Mostyn shook his head in disappointment.
"So it's true. I have no choice, then. I will hearby take this warrior out of your hands so that he may be restored to proper health. I can tell it is what my daughter wants as well. Now that I know what really goes on here, do not expect me to be a viewer of your games any longer."
"Father!" Caeda cheered with a smile, keeping her embrace on Ogma. "Do you hear that? You won't have to be tortured anymore! My father and I are saving you!" She began to tear up, and as he gazed down at this spunky yet gentle spirited princess, Ogma could not help but do the same, except unlike her, his tears came in a flood. Starting today, he would be a word he could never have imagined himself saying... Free...
The prince's heart turned as he listened to Ogma retell the event in absolute awe. Caeda did all of that for him? So brash yet touching...
"Wow... I can't believe it..."
"She truly is one of a kind, isn't she?" Ogma turned to look down at the prince with a faint smile, and even then, Marth swore he could pick up on the faint mark of freshly dried tears on the former gladiator's face.
"Yes... indeed." Marth agreed as the mood returned to normal.
"Well, I'll be off now. It was a pleasure." The blonde mercenary began to walk away with a wave, leaving the prince to sort out what he had just heard on his own. It was at this moment that Marth's objective had changed. He no longer was embarrassed about his loss, she was worthy of the win. Now, only his determination to prove himself to her remained. He began to make his way over to the training grounds, hoping that Jagen would agree to train him. It was the only way he could possibly get stronger at this rate.
"Draug! Did you see that shot?" Gordin cried out as his arrow dug into one of the targets A perfect bullseye! Draug glanced over at his friend, taking a brief break, and analyzed the position of the arrow as well as Gordin's stance, sighing.
"You're still too slow." He replied bluntly, turning his attention back to his own training, which entailed the armor knight attemtping to block as many strikes from Jagen as he could.
"What did you say?! I hit it right on the mark!" The junior archer replied in frustration.
"You need to keep practicing." He replied as blunt as before while blocking a strike from Jagen, moving quick to block yet another.
"You big lug!" Gordin yelled once more.
"He has a point, Gordin." Jagen interrupted. "You took far too long to aim your shot. While it is great to be completely accurate, a shot that is a little off the mark but comes out twice or even tripple as fast will usually be the shot that makes the difference between life and death. Time is important." Gordin sulked back to his position in silence, knowing both of them were right. He took a moment to glance over at Norne who was firing and reloading about once every 5-8 seconds, consistently hitting the ring on the target right outside of the black dot. A little less accurate... but much faster.
"I'll show them..." He grumbled. "I can shoot in 3 seconds!" He quickly took out an arrow and placed it on his bow, merely eyeballing it before releasing. "I did it!" The arrow flew right passed the target, completely missing it, before bouncing off of a tree, killing the moment before it even began. "...I thought..." He muttered, walking to retrieve the arrow in shame, causing Draug and the veteran knight to sigh in disappointment.
"He always let's his emotions ruin his performance." The armor knight spoke out loud while blocking another strike, causing Jagen to halt his blows.
"Perhaps we ought to train him to keep composure, then." The veteran knight suggested in a serious tone to the surprise of Draug.
"Are you serious? Composure and Gordin don't belong in the same sentence, sir."
"That may be, but there's always room for improvement. Wouldn't the pay off in execution be worth it?"
"I suppose," Draug admitted. "I've seen him shoot when focused, he's not bad."
"Then perhaps it's worth looking into. Here, you can take a break. Tell Norne that she's welcome to break as well." Jagen placed his training weapon down and went over to Gordin. This wouldn't end well. Draug took a seat on a nearby log, Norne seeming to overhear Jagen as she placed her bow down and took a seat next to the armor knight.
"So, how has your trainin' been?" She asked trying to make conversation.
"Oh you know... training..." he replied a little awkwardly, looking at Jagen begin to scold Gordin in between shots.
"So about your friend..." Norne began as her attention shifted as well.
"Don't mind him," Draug cut in abruptly. "He's just a little insecure. He usually gets like this when he feels a need to prove himself. Basically he feels like you'll replace him." Norne raised an eyebrow.
"Me? Replace him? Where did he get that idea?" Draug kept his eyes focused ahead of him as she asked this, trying to hide a small blush.
"He thinks I... I... have a..." He trailed off trying to find the right word. "An... interest! Yes! An interest in you!"
"An interest...?" A blush began to form across Norne's face as well as she asked this.
"Y-Yeah... why would he think that, right?" Draug asked nervously with a small chuckle, Norne following suite to ease the tension of the situation.
"That sure would be crazy wouldn't it...?" She added uneasily. Whether or not he had an interest in her, she did know for sure she felt at least a little something for him. Was she too obvious? Is that why Gordin thought this?! Her mind was a lot more active than her words, becoming less attentive to her surroundings. "S-So does that mean you don't?" She asked worried, wondering if she should just give up now.
"Huh? W-well, I wouldn't say that... I uhh... have never really thought about it! Anyway, point is, Gordin's a little jealous." Draug recovered the situation before it got too out of hand.
"I understand." Norne replied as Draug's lack of a blatant "no" recovered some of her senses. A silence returned as the tension faded. "You say this as if he does this often." Norne broke the brief silence.
"What? Get insecure? For sure."
"Does it get annoyin'?"
"Everytime. Bu-"
"I know," Norne cut in. "He's your friend so you put up with it." Draug was taken aback for a moment before nodding.
"Yes, exactly right," He began. "See, in our time so far of training to be knights, we've been all we have. We didn't really fit in with any group of friends, so we were outcasts by default. But it was because of that fact that we became fast friends, partners. Besides, he does a good job at hiding it, but he left his little brother behind when he escaped Altea. He must be worried sick, which is why I need to do my best to make sure he's himself. He's got my back and I got his." A nostalgic looked appeared on Draug's face as he spoke, showing an immense amount of truth in his words. Norne smiled softly, resting her hand on his.
"You're a good friend, you know? A lot of people in this world need your kindness. He's lucky to have it from you..." She spoke softly, whether she was referring to a specific person or not being unknown to the knight. Regardless, his words were never more true than now. He really was all Gordin had.
After a few more shots, Jagen seemed to allow Gordin a break as he placed his bow down.
"Good work today, you three. Deep inside, I know all of you have the ability that will win us back Altea one day!" He praised, not bothering to stop Cain and Abel who were doing their own thing. It was at this point that Marth was finally right outside of the grounds, listening in on the conversation.
"Tomorrow, you will all be completing an elaborate training exercise with equipment and combat dummies that the Bord, Cord, and Barst were so generous to supply us with. I will further explain the details of said training before we begin. Understood?"
"Understood." All 3 junior knights replied with a nod.
"Very good, Cain and Abel will be supervising you all since I will take that time to train the prince myself."
"Wait!" Marth called out, stepping out from behind a tree. "I want to partake in the training exercise!" The four of them turned to look at the prince, not aware that he was there the whole time.
"Sire! You're back! Wait, where did you get those bruises?" Jagen asked with concern.
"Nevermind that! I want to train with the knights tomorrow!"
"But sire, the course is a bit too advanced for you to tackle as of right now. It's designed for knights who have been training their whole life!"
"What about Norne?" The prince pointed out. "She just started her official training today, so how come she can? I've had a decent amount of training from my father."
"That's true, but-"
"Jagen, is it not important that I be strong enough to carry Altea's victory as well?" Jagen looked away, beginning to run out of excuses.
"Yes, but to start here is... not the right way!" Marth shook his head, not even budging an inch.
"I feel like you aren't telling me something! What's the real reason?" Jagen sighed, knowing he was losing this battle.
"Sire, I find it rather improper that a future heir will train alongside his knights. At least, not from the ground up."
"That's what this is all about?" The prince was now frustrated. "What difference does it make who I train with? It feels wrong to have my knights work harder than me to get my own country back! If I were to train by myself then..." Marth thought on what Caeda said about a ruler who was approachable by the people, one who is a friend rather than a master, "Then I have already failed as an heir!" Jagen was appalled, the other three watching with intrigue.
"Sire! Explain yourself!"
"If I am to succeed, my people must feel at ease! I must know what it's like to live like my people if I am to know rule them! I do not want to be so professional that there's no attachment!"
"Prince Marth..."
"Jagen! Please, train me with the other knights! I want to be a friend to my allies, and... training alongside them is a good way to do that. My people trust me so I must trust them! If I do not have the people what do I have?" His words shook all four of the others there, and after a moment of silence, Jagen's expression changed from one of astonishment to pride as a smile slowly crept on his face.
"Sire... where did you get all of these ideas? Your father would be proud to hear such a mature resolve!"
"Where? From a princess, a princess I am not afraid to admit I lost a fight to!" Even as Marth answered proudly, a tiny blush could still be seen on his face as he admitted this.
"You got beat by a girl?" Abel asked as Cain and himself were walking over, his tone more of genuine curiosity than judgement.
"She's not just any girl!" Marth retorted. "She's a princess, and a special one at that..." Cain smirked, chuckling as the prince said this.
"Sounds to me like sire's in love. It only took one day." He laughed to himself, Marth becoming deep red in embarrassment.
"I-it's not like that!" He cried out as Cain walked away amused. Guilty or not, the knight couldn't help but find humor in this situation.
"Nevermind Cain's muses," Jagen said clearing his throat. "You have swayed me, sire. Very well, you will be training with the others from now on." Marth lit up, excited to hear it would be so.
"Truly? Thank you so much, Jagen. You won't regret this!"
"I would hope so. Your training starts tomorrow. Until then, how about we get a look at where we will be staying?" The veteran knight suggested, receiving agreement from all who were there.
"I know I for one am rather tired after training, so a good rest would be nice." Abel added. And with that, they were on their way to their quarters, Marth's head still spinning with the events that had transpired so far on that day. While walking, Cain's teasing words about his feelings had stuck with him for some reason. Him in love? There's no way, he was just a boy. Besides, they just met. He respected Caeda as a... rival of sorts, nothing more. How could he feel any different? However, try as he might, he could not get her out of his thoughts for the evening.
Marth and the knights had arrived at their makeshift quarters and settled in by sunset. Abel was in the process of cleaning up their dinner he had made over a fire. Despite being trained as a knight, he was quite skilled with cooking. It was then, that Cain had come out to assist his partner with his current duties.
"Need a hand?" The red haired knight asked, looking over at the assortment of pots and other cooking utensils. Abel studied his friend before accepting the help, still remembering the outburst he had as they escaped Altea castle. He hid it well, but the panther was not fooled by his plastered on expression. Cain was hurting, and he knew it.
"King Mostyn was sure nice to welcome us in like this, huh?" The red haired knight began a little small talk, picking up a few utensils off the ground.
"Indeed," Abel replied, tending to the slightly alive fire. The red haired knight began to clean the utensils in hand, however his expression showed something else was on his mind.
"I'm not gonna go easy on you like I did today again, you know. Prepare for my worst tomorrow!" With this, Abel had heard enough, small talk was never Cain's thing.
"You know, Cain, this whole change in... lifestyle is going to be hard on all of us," Abel began, Cain's eyes becoming fixed on the ground. "You don't need to rush it, you can take time to let the wounds heal."
"Let my wounds heal?" Cain questioned, his stare unchanged, "Abel, these are no mere battle wounds. These are wounds on my honor, no my duty, as a knight! They cannot simply be healed, they are eternal scars on my soul." As his red haired partner spoke, Abel noticed no sort of passion or heat in his words. Only shame, his voice not even raising an octave.
"I see, then... pardon me for assuming." Abel backed down, returning to his work. Cain looked over at his partner, his expression an uneasy one.
"Don't worry about it, I'll be fine." He forced out with a fake smile. The dying light of the fire was quite fitting in this moment.
Meanwhile, Marth laid in his quarters, the events of that day staying deep in his conscience. It had certainly been a long one, but it was filled with its own excitement. It would be the first of many days he would spend in Talys, the place that would become a second home to him. Still, even with what happened, he was still unable to forget the pain. He knew that he could never grow too comfortable with this life, for one day he would have to leave it to liberate his home. But would he ever be ready? Time would tell, it seems. There was no guarantee, but the least he could do was try. Training alongside his knights tomorrow would be a great stride in doing so. With his goals and a certain someone in mind, the prince found himself dozing off before coming into a deep sleep...
The early morning sunrise coated the soil of Talys in a warm light as it slowly swept over the island. Today was the second day that the prince and his knights would spend here, it also marking the first day of Marth's training. As the knights were waking up, Ogma, Barst, Bord, and Cord were in the process of setting up the training course after hearing word from Jagen about their plans the night before. It wasn't much, but the different elements of the exercise would use all the space of the training grounds. Dummies, wall climbs, rope swings, and even more, it would be a rather brutal test for trainees so young such as the prince and the others. However, it would be a huge and meaningful step forward in all of their training if they could prove victorious.
"Captain, how old's that prince?" Barst asked as he positioned a training dummy into place. Ogma rubbed the back of his neck, not sure himself.
"I don't know. However, I think I heard his majesty say he was about the same age as princess Caeda..." He trailed off, Bord and Cord dropping the supplies to build the wall as they calculated the age in their heads.
"Captain, we're putting this together for an eight or nine year old?!" Bord sounded off, surprised.
"Are we sure this is a good idea?" Cord added, picking up his dropped supplies. Ogma sighed, shutting his eyes.
"It's not our call, those knights in training aren't much older either. I'm sure that Jagen guy knows what he's doing." The blonde mercenary said in a way as to put a stop on the conversation all together. And it did, as the other three got back to work in understanding.
With this, the course was promptly finished and ready to be used as the prince was getting dressed back in his own quarters. He had been awake before anyone else, or so he thought. Anticipation was eating away at him, he could only hope he was prepared.
"Prince Marth, are you awake?" Called Draug from the other side of the door.
"Yes I am," Marth replied, "Has Jagen already left to scout out the course?"
"Yep," Replied a squeaky voice, showing that Gordin was right next to Draug. "Cain and Abel went ahead too, so just Norne is outside waiting for us. Not my fault. No girls allowed in this cabin!" He stood with his hands on his hips, delivering that last line with a little bit of sass and authority, as if it was the coolest thing ever. Draug rolled his eyes, letting out a sigh.
"I see, I'll be just a moment." The prince assured in a slight panic. He didn't want to hold everyone up, especially after he had gotten up so early. Not on his first day! He knotted his boots before coming to the door, opening it to find that Draug and Gordin had not left their position.
"Sire, by your leave." Draug sounded, both awaiting his orders. Marth shook his head.
"You guys can leave without my permission. As far as training goes, starting today we are on equal ground." The prince reasoned, receiving a reluctant nod from the other two. They made their way out of the cabin, seeing that sure enough, Norne was waiting.
"Took you long enough, I thought I'd be waitin' all mornin' for you." The pink haired archer teased, placing down the stick she seemed to be amusing herself with.
"Sorry about that, it's my bad." Marth apologized politely, beginning to march up the path without saying another word. Perhaps a step to being more approachable was to have less of a special presence? If so, he hoped this would prove to be a way that he could do that.
Regardless, the four of them arrived at the training course, Marth wide eyed as he gazed at the complex arrangement before him. It seemed to be more intense than he could have imagined, but he couldn't back down now.
"Ah, you four finally made it." Jagen greeted, walking out in front of them. They remained silent, studying the course. For Gordin and Draug it was nothing too surprising, but this would be Marth and Norne's first time ever doing something like this. The pressure was setting in. The veteran knight could sense the tension, smiling faintly. "I hope you all feel rested, because this course will no doubt exhaust you by the time of its completion. Given how quiet you are, I asusme you're ready to jump right in, no?" The veteran knight asked. Still silence.
"Uhm, what are the rules...?" Norne asked very unsure of herself and the response she would receive.
"Glad you asked," Jagen began, "Go through the course as it appears. First, you will all run through the path of training dummies. Whoever knocks the most down, and I will know who you are, gets 5 points. Second, we will be testing your speed. There are a series of walls set up for you to climb up and over. First one done, gets 5 points. Third, you will swing from a rope over a puddle of mud. Whoever has the smoothest landing gets 5 points. Lastly, you will perform a sprint to the finish where you must treck through coming debris. Naturally, first one to the finish gets 5 points. Depending on your score, you will get rewarded or punished. 2nd place in all of these gets 3 points, 3rd gets 2, and last gets 1. Understood?" The four nodded slowly, trying to take in everything he had just said. In simple terms, the better you performed in each stage, the better your total score would be. Seemed easy enough to understand. The veteran knight then walked away, giving the four a chance to prepare.
"Don't be afraid to do better than me," Marth said to the others simply, clearing his throat. He didn't want the others to hold back in fear of humiliating him.
"You don't have to tell me twice," Gordin replied, "I don't want whatever punishment Jagen has for who gets last."
"That's what you're worried about? I don't see how a little clean up duty could be any harder than this." Norne remarked, intimidated by the challenge ahead of her.
"It is worse when you have the old man breathing down your neck the whole time! I can't concentrate like that! I'd be scared if I were you, there's no way Draug or I will lose!" Gordin boasted to the girl.
"With that mindset he's as good as gone..." Draug murmured to himself. The prince looked over at the armor knight in training, noticing how his face lacked any sort of nerves at all. The challenge was mostly based on speed, being trained to be a shield, was he not worried that he would be at a disadvantage? Maybe he was just so skilled that speed wasn't an issue. At this time, Jagen came back around to announce the start of the challenge.
"Are we all ready to go? Well I shouldn't be asking that because the challenge is starting regardless of if you are ready or not."
"I suppose we are," Marth answered, "I aim to prove your decision to let me train like this was a good one."
"I look forward to it, now line up and get ready!" The veteran knight sounded off, standing at attention by a line that was clearly marked as the start point. The junior knights and Marth did as asked, the air becoming dense and heavy as they all gazed at one another. No words were spoken, only silence filled the area. It was time to get focused. It was then that Jagen began to count off.
"Three... Two... One... Start!" He yelled, all of them taking off in an instant... except one, that being Draug. The prince was a little confused. Had he given up knowing his speed would be a hindrance? No, it couldn't be. He seemed so calm.
"Prince Marth!" Jagen called out, "Keep your eyes forward! Pay no attention to the progress of others, it will only slow you down!"
"R-Right..!" The prince looked forward again, spotting a training dummy right ahead of him, preparing his sword for an attack, splitting right through it. "I cut it down!" He thought excited, continuing forward. Meanwhile, Norne was firing arrows at an impressive speed, piercing many dummies around her. As if ignoring Jagen's warning to Marth, Gordin was extremely focused on Norne's progress, self conscious of his own performance.
"Hmph, show off. I'll show her how you really fire an arrow!" Gordin stopped in place, pulling back his bow intently to strike a dummy, extremely focused. As he was about to release, another arrow went right into the dummy he was aiming for, Norne running right by him.
"Sorry, you were taking too long!" She giggled, leaving the male aggravated.
"Nuts! That one was mine! Draug, can you belie- hey Draug?" Gordin stopped himself mid sentence as he turned to see his friend still at the start line. "Draug? Aren't you gonna start?" He shouted back to him, Jagen raising an eyebrow.
"Draug, even I must agree you have been draining your time, do you intend to go?" The veteran knight questioned. It was as Marth had taken out another dummy that he slowly nodded.
"Yes, I was simply planning out an optimal route. My apologies." He confessed, preparing to take off. All of a sudden he broke into a sprint at high speeds, much faster than any of the others had ran, picking off dummy after dummy, not wasting a single between each strike from his lance. As he practically flew by the prince he was left speechless. How was he so fast? Wasn't he training to wear heavy armor? Marth's thoughts were a mess. Watching as the green haired junior knight was cutting down every dummy he went by, it became clear. Draug wasn't giving up, he was simply planning the optimal way to win! Of course! As if completely one sided, Draug then finished in first with the most dummies hit and fastest time, followed by Norne, Marth, and Gordin in last.
"Congratulations to Draug, I must say I was rather impressed to see your methods of winning. You were truly brilliant." Jagen praised. "There is a lesson to learn here, being that the winner is not always the one who goes first. Sometimes it is important to take your time for the optimal outcome."
"Well that's Draug for ya!" Gordin said with a smile despite his current condition. "He always did surprise others with his speed, to be honest I don't know why I was worried for him!" Norne looked over at Gordin curiously, in awe herself at the performance of the armor knight in training.
"Gordin, you might know this... but if Draug has such a talent in running, then why train to wear armor?" The pink haired girl asked. Marth listened in as well, wondering this himself.
"Ah, of course I would know! Draug and I are best friends, so I would know a lot more about him than you!" Gordin bragged to the girl, her rolling her eyes.
"I know, that's not what I asked about..."
"Well I guess I can tell you! It's rather simple. To be a well rounded fighter!"
"Well rounded fighter?" Norne questioned, not fully understanding what he meant.
"I think I know," Marth cut in as he walked over to the archers. "In the different books I have read about battle, they put an emphasis on the importance of a fighter to be able to adapt to situations. I assume Draug feels he will accomplish that by being quick on his feet but also having an impenetrable guard?"
"That's right!" Gordin replied, "I knew the prince would be smart enough to get it, unlike this girl here!"
"I have a name, you know...?" She replied softly, Gordin not paying it any mind.
"I see... it seems Draug won't be easy to beat..." Marth nodded to himself, identifying him as the prime competition.
As the next stages of the training began to play out, the young princess appeared with Ogma by her side, hoping to get a good look at the action.
"I'm surprised you wanted to get up so early in the morning just for this, princess." Ogma rubbed the back of his neck, Caeda shrugging as her eyes became glued to the event.
"Well ya see, I want that prince of Altea to get stronger so we can fight again! I've always wanted to have someone my age to play with, and I think he might be the one!"
"Er, why is that?"
"Simple. He's the first boy who has given me a compliment!"
"Uhm, your highness, I'm not entirely sure it's fair to fault others for tha-"
"SHH! They're moving again!" As the princess cut him off Ogma let out a sigh, shaking his head.
"I sure hope his majesty King Mostyn is right... At this rate she might never became a proper lady." He mumbled, inaudible to the ears of the princess.
The training carried on, Draug once more finding victory in the wall climb and rope swing, it all up to the final sprint to the finish for who the big loser would be.
"As it stands now, Draug is in 1st, Norne is in 2nd, and Marth and Gordin are tied for last with only one point behind her! Somehow I predicted this outcome..." Jagen announced, causing Gordin to flare up. Cain and Abel took a break in their sparring to stand by at the finish to give their opinion in case the winner was close. Meanwhile, from a distance the princess frowned, wanting better from Marth.
"This is disappointing... I expected better from him. I figured out fight would have given him more determination than this!" Caeda whined, almost taking it as an insult.
"Then maybe you should motivate him?" Ogma suggested. The princess nodded, cupping her hands around her mouth.
"Hey Marth! I just want you to know that if you lose I'll be very upset!" She yelled, it instantly catching the prince's attention.
"H-Huh?! C-Caeda?! How long has she been watching?!" The prince blushed hard, his heart sinking with embarrassment. The stakes were much higher now. Not only did he have to prove himself to Jagen, but now to his little self appointed rival as well!
"You didn't need to be so direct, you know?" Ogma sighed.
"Well it got his attention didn't it?" She giggled.
"Sire, is that the princess ya fought with earlier? She is kinda cute, so I can't blame ya if she makes ya feel-" Norne began, Marth cutting her off.
"You have it wrong! I-It's not like that! W-We're just friend- er, rivals!" He stuttered, only making it worse.
"Yep, definitely sounds like first love to me..." Cain murmured.
"Sire, regardless of the reason, if her presence is a distraction to you, I can politely ask her to leave." Jagen offered.
"No, it's okay. Let her stay!" The prince got a grip on himself, staring at the finish line. It was a short, but intimidating distance. He was more determined than ever to not get last.
"Very well. If that's all settled, then everyone line up and get ready for the final test!" Jagen announced, tension filling the air. This was it. Marth had two options. Jagen's chores and humiliation, or somewhat filling victory. The ladder sounded more appealing. As soon as Jagen finished the countdown, Marth sprinted the fastest he has ever remembered, even faster than when he tried to escape Altea. He didn't bother taking in any outside surroundings, focused on making it to the goal before at least Gordin! He looked to his sides, not seeing anyone around him, smiling. This was it! He was gonna win! He turned to look at Caeda, and it was then that he tripped mere feet in front of the finish line, face planting into the dirt. Draug and Norne were close behind, passing him and crossing the line as he wallowed there.
"So princess, what do you think?" Ogma asked, Caeda remaining silent. Finally, Gordin passed him, stopping to let out a cheer of victory.
"Yes! I don't have to do clean up duty!" He cheered in happiness. However, even as he laid there, the prince's eyes remained locked on the finish line, it so close even now. He slowly began to crawl towards it, gathering all the strength he had to make it there.
"Gordin, I wouldn't get so cocky, you still haven't crossed the line." Draug rolled his eyes.
"Huh?!" But it was too late, Marth sliding his hand across the line, earning himself 3rd place after all!
"And with that, Gordin gets last, making him last overall!" Abel announced.
"N-No! You can't be serious!" Gordin whined, dropping to his knees in defeat. "I don't want to do Jagen's chores! It's not fair! Wh- Ow!" Jagen smacked the back of his head as he walked by, evidently disappointed.
"Once again you got too cocky, Gordin. The moment you learn to get ahold of yourself is the moment you can quit doing clean up duty!" Jagen scolded, offering Marth a hand. He took it, slowly pushing himself up.
"Sorry for that display, I aim to do better." The prince mumbled.
"Quite the contrary," Jagen began, shaking his head. "You ran quite fast, and although a drift in your focus caused you to trip, I am still impressed with your overall performance. That goes for you two as well!" He said, looking at Draug and Norne. "Altea has been blessed with great warriors these past couple of generations, and I know it will be no different for you four... and that of course includes you, sire."
"Thank you for your kind words, Jagen, but I really don't deserve it." Marth sulked.
"Nonsense, it is the first day of training in Talys! I think all of your performances call for a celebration!"
"I agree! Perhaps you should all join my father and I for a feast at the castle tonight?" Caeda announced, walking over to the group. Marth looked to his side, a bit embarrassed.
"Is that really alright, princess?" Jagen questioned in surprise, receiving a firm nod.
"Yup! Besides, dinner is usually boring, it would be nice to have company!"
"I humbly thank you. Dinner will be held at the castle tonight. Gordin, since I am in a good mood, you do not need to attend to your punishment duties until after the meal."
"I appreciate it..." Gordin replied with a weak smile.
"That ends today's training! You can all relax and spend the rest of the day as you see fit!" With that, the knights all left to spend their time at their own discretion, leaving Marth at the course, wincing at his cuts and bruises as he sat on a log.
"You didn't do half bad!" Caeda said, taking a seat next to him.
"You mean other than tripping?" Marth replied with a faint laugh.
"Well, I never said it was a perfect performance, but you did run pretty fast. I could tell you were determined, and... that made me kinda happy." She confessed with a blush, doing the same to the prince.
"I-Is that so? Well I didn't want to disappoint my rival."
"You mean me?" She questioned, her blush remaining. "Well I suppose I could be worse." In truth, she kinda liked the sound of that. She had never had anyone respect her like that before, especially a boy.
"Princess, your lessons will be starting soon. We should be leaving." Ogma reminded her, sticking around to wait.
"I know! Well, I'll see ya tonight!" She then left, leaving Marth to himself once more. He let out a sigh, feeling a bunch of weight lifted off his shoulders. He didn't do completely horrible today, and Caeda wasn't unimpressed... so perhaps that was a win!
"So she accepts me as her rival, huh? Well now I have to get stronger! She's expecting me to rise to her equal, so I can't let her down!" He tightened a fist, ever determined to beat her and prove himself. For now, though, he would rest.
Later that evening, the prince and his knights were on their way to partake in the dinner they were invited to, all looking forward to it.
"Abel, you may be a good chef, but it's not everyday a knight can enjoy a meal like this!" Cain shouted with excitement, his green haired partner frowning.
"We all know that, you don't need to point that out. You're lucky this chef has high patience."
"H-Hey, I wasn't trying to offend you!" The two knights began to bicker back and forth, a sight that the prince didn't know was possible.
"I know what you're thinking," Draug began, "With them being renowned battle partners they should get along perfectly, right? Well enough time training with them around shows you they aren't always in sync."
"I-I see." The prince replied, stopping at the gate to the castle, the guards proceeding to clear the way.
"You are all here by Mostyn's invitation, correct?" One guard asked.
"That we are," Marth answered, following them down the corridor towards the dinning room. The doors slowly opened, a large table with all sorts of food laid across it coming into view. It was a feast that all but Prince Marth himself had not experienced before! Already seated was Mostyn himself and Caeda as the food was just waiting to be consumed.
"Take a seat and help yourself, warriors of Altea! Consider this your full welcome to Talys!" Mostyn greeted, all 7 of them wasting no time in doing so, Marth conveniently seated right across from the princess.
"Thank you for having us, your highness!" Marth bowed his head, causing Caeda to giggle.
"You don't need to say thanks, it's already a given! Just eat your food before it gets cold from all your professionalism." She teased, not hesitating to dig into the meat before her.
"Caeda! You needn't be so rude to the prince! My apologies, Marth, my daughter is still not well versed with her manners." Mostyn scolded, causing Marth to grin. Just earlier the princess was yelling at him about how he was too formal, and even if he did need to loosen up, he couldn't help but take joy at the irony of her being scolded for doing the opposite.
"It's alright, I'm sure she was just teasing, right Caeda?" Marth replied politely, laying out a cloth before picking up his utensils in a civilized manner. Caeda frowned, knowing now that the prince was trying to show off.
"Yeah, that's all it was." She said bitterly, beginning to eat her food with distaste.
"Is it pretty tense in here or is it just me?" Gordin asked between bites, Caeda proceeding to shoot the junior archer a nasty glare that cut through all of his young masculinity, giving him all the reasons he needed to stop talking. The feast carried on mostly normal, the tension between Marth and Caeda growing ever more as Mostyn was continuously impressed by the prince's manners in comparison to his daughter. As of now, everyone was finishing up the main course, getting ready for the dessert that would come next.
"Man that was some pretty good food!" Cain remarked with satisfaction, the other knights agreeing.
"I appreciate knowing that you all enjoyed our welcome. Now I hope you all saved room for our dessert." Mostyn smiled, noticing the sheer amount of food that had been eaten.
"If you were smart you would! The dessert is the best part!" Caeda added while chewing, much to the displeasure of her father.
"Caeda, how many times must I remind you to mind your table manners? I know I am raising you better than this!" He scolded, her frowning once more.
"Sorry..."
"You should try to be more like Marth, here! I can tell he is Cornelius's son in his manners and behavior! He will grow into a fine young man if he keeps this up."
"Please, King Talys, I am not deserving of such praise." Marth replied humbly, using his cloth to wipe his mouth with class.
"Ah, but when compared to my daughter I believe you do! There is a limit to how relaxed a noble can be until they become a mere slob who will never grow into a mature adult. You should take this as a lesson, Caeda. I can only hope that some of Marth's manners rub off on you." The princess nodded and remained silent, even as the dessert was being passed out. After a few moments, Caeda pushed her chair out without even touching her food, moving towards the exit.
"Please allow me to excuse myself..." She said quietly. Marth watched her intently, a pain beginning to form in his chest.
"Hm? Caeda? Where are you going?" Mostyn asked concerned, receiving no answer as she left the room. "Perhaps I went too far..."
"King Mostyn, don't blame yourself," Marth added, "I am partially to blame for attempting to aggravate her. Please allow me to go after her." The prince excused himself, receiving approval from Jagen before grabbing Caeda's dessert and leaving.
"To be honest, I'm surprised you let him go for trivial reasons." Abel remarked to the veteran knight.
"Trivial? Ah this is far from it. By the looks of it, this is a personal matter he must resolve." Jagen explained.
"Personal, huh? Well if you say so."
"Come on, Abel, it's obvious our prince is crushing on her." Cain rolled his eyes.
"You know, for once you might be right." Abel chuckled.
"What do you mean for once? You trying to say I'm stupid?"
"Guys, I don't think it's right for us to be talkin' about sire like this. Ain't it a little rude if it ain't true?" Norne questioned.
"Once you get older you'll understand the importance of gossip like this. Keeps a man entertained when there's nothing else to do." Cain shut his eyes, leaning back against his chair.
"I never would have guessed that The Bull would be interested in such things. Here I always thought you were famous for your intense focus on battle and the task at hand." Draug said in amazement.
"Hey now, even a prison warden's gotta have a little fun every now and then." Jagen sighed aggressively at this response, turning his focus to Mostyn.
"Sorry if the childish behavior of our knights is a bother to you."
"Think nothing of it," the king replied, "In fact dinner is usually quite boring nowadays. This is a nice change of pace."
"Yet if you don't mind me saying so, your daughter's behavior is still something you worry about given this?" Jagen questioned.
"I don't mind at all. Truthfully, I am concerned about how she will turn out as a lady. I fear she may never grow up and find the balance in her behavior that is expected. I have her attending classes in hopes of correcting some... issues, but I worry it is not helping much. Much like her mother and I, her heart is too big to be contained by her homeland, and her spirit too wild in the same manner."
"Is that part of why you chose to unite the islands and form Talys?"
"Partially, yes. I had a vision that was bigger than my upbringing, but more importantly I felt it needed to be done for the sake of all around me."
"Then perhaps princess Caeda is destined for something greater than Talys."
"Maybe so, however her duties as a princess must come first. The sooner she realizes what is expected of her, the better. I firmly believe her time with Cornelius's son will only benefit her."
"I must agree." Jagen smiled, returning to his dessert.
The prince looked around the castle halls searching for the princess with no success.
"If I don't find her soon her dessert is going to spoil... maybe she's outside." He thought to himself, it being the only nearby place he had not yet checked. Sure enough, there she was, sitting on the sand of the near coastline with her legs hugged against her chest, staring at the water.
"Caeda!" He shouted after her, running towards her while being careful to not drop the food. "Hey, are you feeling alright?" He asked panting, sitting down next to her. No answer. "I brought you some dessert, figured it wouldn't be a good idea to let it spoil." He added, holding it out for her. With this, she turned her head to look at him before quickly smacking him across the cheek.
"Jerk." She pouted, knowing what he was up to the whole time.
"Yeah, I deserved that. Well, are you going to eat? You seemed pretty excited for it."
"Maybe later..."
"Alright." Marth backed down, yet he remained sitting there with her, not budging an inch.
"I really don't get you." She poked, disrupting a brief silence.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Most boys my age that I have met have always found me weird, yet you don't. Why do you talk to me? Is it to make fun of me?" She asked bitterly.
"Now why would I make fun of you?" The princess sighed.
"You said it yourself earlier. A princess is supposed to be all formal, pretty, charming, well behaved, and graceful. I'm... not that. I always get into fights, I wear the clothes of commonors, I have this bossy and commanding attitude about me that gets even those who don't like me to do what I say... I'm a fraud compared to the princesses you know."
"Yeah? And? You made me realize that it doesn't matter if you're a bit different. It doesn't matter if you aren't into the same things as other girls. When I called you charming in the forest, I'll be honest, I didn't really mean it. Though, now I think your differences from other girls truly make you more charming. Basic is boring."
"M-Marth..."
"Come on, where's that confidence you had in yourself earlier? I used to think my sister was as brazen as princesses could come, but I'm glad I was proven wrong." He said with a smile, one slowly creeping on Caeda's face as well.
"Basic is boring, huh? I like the sound of that!"
"There's that smile I knew was hiding. I'm glad to see you back in high spirits!" Caeda then giggled at this, causing Marth to blush.
"What's so funny?"
"You need to make up your mind. Am I your rival or are you going to be nice to me?" She giggled some more, the prince shrugging.
"Well, can't I do both? If you are to be my rival, it's important that you keep improving as much as I do, right? That wouldn't be possible if you beat yourself up like this!"
"I suppose you're right. Though for me, I admit I could stand to touch up on my manners... even if just a little. There's a lot expected of me as a princess, and manners is one of them."
"Well then how about as our duty as rivals, while you help loosen me up, I help you become a bit more refined? Seems like a good deal to me!" Marth offered.
"Doesn't that defeat the point?"
"Not if one of us succeeds first!" Caeda grinned, holding out her finger.
"Alright then! Let's swear to be rivals and see who can learn the most!" Marth nodded taking her finger.
"I look forward to seeing the results! I hope you don't disappoint me!"
"Me? I'm more worried about you!" She giggled, finally taking a bite of the dessert Marth brought her. The two shared a couple of laughs as it got later into the night before another silence consumed them. In the midst of the moon's reflection, the scene was like that of a fairy tale, Caeda finally speaking up one last time.
"Hey Marth?" She asked shyly, a blush coming to her face.
"What is it, Caeda?"
"Promise you won't laugh, okay? You're the only person I trust enough to tell this to." She looked serious, the prince nodding immediately.
"I promise."
"Well, I may not seem like it, but... I absolutely adore wedding dresses."
"H-Huh?" Marth was dumbfounded, never guessing in a thousand years that this would come out of her mouth.
"All the girls look so beautiful when they wear them, like angels as they are ready to spend their life alongside someone who means more to them than anything." She confessed with embarrassment.
"Caeda, you continue to amaze me. I would have never guessed a girl who's into fighting would be so in love with the idea of weddings and marriage."
"T-That's not weird, is it?" Caeda asked with concern, getting all hot inside.
"I don't think so. It's cute to know that you have a little feminine side after all."
"C-Cute? Y-You think it's cute?" She asked, becoming even more red.
"Yeah. Hey, why do you care so much about what I think anyway?" The prince asked, that question alone seeming to shake her to the core.
"I-I don't know, I'm just curious!" Yet another silence settled in, this one much more awkward than the last. The princess cleared her throat, getting a grip on her embarrassment. "Marth, uhm... do you ever think I'll get married?"
"Sure, why not? Do you think you won't?" Caeda shrugged.
"I don't know, I just wonder if anyone could ever love a girl like me..."
"I'm sure you'll find someone. As your rival, it's my job to make sure you succeed in that task! I'll be with you every step of the way."
"You'll make sure I succeed...?" She murmured, smiling softly "Thank you..." And thus fate presses onward for the Altean prince, these days in the small island of Talys sure to shape the books of history for years to come. There is so much to do left with uncertain outcome. Will he reclaim his homeland or will he fail? The doors are wide open as the world forever carries on...