Prologue - A Wish From the Heart - Part 2

Once upon a time~

Back in ancient times, when monsters still roamed the lands,

it is said two Knights, with their armor adorned with divine grace,

took a stand, and slayed monsters day after day.

Day by endless day.

Until one day, by a twist of cruel fate,

one of the Knights turned into a monster himself.

Left with no choice, the other Knight slayed his dear comrade.

Unable to continue on living without him, however,

he took his own life shortly after.

A page from the book "Myths and Legends", by Count Harlan von Halol

"Your Highness...You really didn't have to pick me up. I could have gone on my own." A boy spoke as he looked at Princess Athena. He was seated across from her in the confines of the royal carriage, still somewhat awestruck by the grandeur of the moment. He had never been on such a luxurious carriage before, despite being of noble birth himself.

Athena leaned forward, her gaze warm and reassuring. "What are you saying, Thomas? We're both heading to the Royal Academy of Lumina after all, so I don't see a reason why not."

"I know, I know, but still if only that brother of yours, Prince Aethan, didn't tell you I'm also going to be a student in the Academy this year. I feel bad being burden on you like this."

"You aren't a burden at all! And besides, your family territory is on the way to the Kingdom of Veridia, so it's not like I had to go out of my way to get to you."

"T-That's true, I suppose. Nevertheless, I want you to understand how genuinely appreciative I am."

Athena smiled kindly, appreciating his humility.

It really isn't a big deal, but I'm not sure how I can convince him. I guess that's one trait Thomas has that will never change, he has been like this since as far as I can remember.

"Besides, for the last three days of travel I've been all on my own back here in the carriage, so it feels very nice to have someone with me here now for a change of pace!" Athena remarked with a smile.

I did get to talk to people, even the kind coachman taking me all the way to the Academy, whenever we stopped to rest at an inn along the way, but still.

Following a brief interlude of silence, Thomas inquired, "On the subject of your brother, how is he faring?"

"Aethan... well, it appears the news hasn't reached you." Athena replied with a somber tone.

"Oh? What happened? Is he all right?" Thomas inquired, genuine concern evident in his voice for his childhood friend.

"Something came up at Gadia, with the war going on and all, and both he and my father had to leave abruptly six days ago. It was all so sudden, I couldn't even bid him a proper farewell." Athena explained, her voice heavy with a sense of loss.

"I-I see, it must be a matter of great importance if King Aeson himself had to depart." Thomas mused.

"I think a very serious meeting is happening, and my father wanted to personally be there for it. Not too sure on the details though."

"But why did Aethan have to go?" Thomas asked. The two boys were so close, Thomas sometimes forgot to refer to him as a Prince should be referred too. Athena was silently thankful there weren't anyone else within earshot, or Thomas could had easily gotten into trouble if the wrong people heard him. He was 14 years old now, two years younger than Athena, and a year older than Aethan. Old enough for people not to easily forgive such action. Old enough to know better.

"He is the heir, Thomas. Father likely wanted him to gain valuable experience in matters of ruling a kingdom." Athena explained.

"Y-You do make a fair point, your Highness. If only this war could come to an end soon. What is Prince Saul thinking? His army can't possibly stand up against Gadia, he should just give u-" Thomas began, but he quickly stopped himself, noticing how the weight of the topic was affecting Athena.

"S-Sorry, I really shouldn't talk about such heavy topics in the presence of a lady..."

Athena turned and gazed out of the carriage window, her eyes fixed on the ever-changing landscape unfolding before her. Two radiant suns illuminated the sky, and not a single wisp of cloud marred the pristine azure. Fields of vibrant wildflowers swayed gently in the breeze, their riotous colors forming a natural mosaic that stretched as far as the eye could see, not to mention the diligent farmers. Their figures were small, yet resolute in the vast expanse, moved rhythmically as they tended to the land. Athena had no doubt in mind that the royal carriage was catching their attention, however. The carriage is almost too grand for its' own good sometimes.

You wouldn't be able to tell a war is ragging to the east of us if you looked at this peaceful sight.

Athena was heading north, to the Kingdom of Veridia, where The Royal Academy of Lumina is located, but to the east of Roaiy was the Kingdom of Gadia, and to the east of Gadia was the Principality of Klac.

Thomas is right, though. I don't like hearing about the war. I can't even begin to imagine being in Aethan's shoes.

"I truly wish Aethan could have joined us at the Academy," Thomas remarked suddenly, his words pulling Athena from her contemplative reverie. She turned to look at him, noting the somber expression on his face.

"Me too. It's unfortunate that he's just one year too young to be eligible for admission." Athena replied with a hint of regret in her voice.

"But you know, he could always follow in our footsteps to the Academy next year! It's a two-year term, after all." Thomas chimed in optimistically.

"That's true, I didn't even think of that." Athena admitted.

"I can't imagine His Majesty would object. After all, this is the Royal Academy of Lumina, where some of the greatest rulers in our history received their education." Thomas pointed out.

It's true, The legendry William II himself graduated from that Academy. Father is not a simple man, however, so I could totally imagine him finding a reason not to send Aethan there.

"Anyway, let's shift our focus away from my family for the moment. Thomas, how is your family these days? How are your younger sisters, your uncle, and your mother doing?" Athena inquired, a genuine curiosity underlying her desire to change the subject.

Thomas replied, "My sisters are doing well, although they do express how much they miss you. My uncle and mother are both in good spirits too, and their marriage has been a source of great happiness."

Athena smiled warmly and remarked, "That warms my heart. I find myself missing your adorable sisters as well."

I barely had the chance to see Thomas, or any of the Halol family members, these past six years. It's quite a change from the time when I saw them nearly everyday, back when Thomas's father, Count Heath von Halol, used to work and live in the royal palace alongside his family. That's how they, despite being lower-ranking nobles, got to know our royal family so well. But with Count Heath's death, they had to go back to their family territory, they couldn't continue to stay in the royal palace, which broke my heart. It even upset Aethan far more, as he and Thomas were very good friends. At least they managed to stay in touch and remain very good friends, despite the dark times.

Athena cast a gaze upon Thomas, noting the subtle transformations that time had woven into his appearance. His once-straight dirty blond hair had acquired a gentle wave. He's even gotten taller than Athena, standing at 5'5, which greatly surprised her as that wasn't the case when she last saw him in person 2 years ago. Yet, amidst these shifts, one constant remained unchanged: his striking, noble blue eyes.

As for his attire, Thomas was clad in a blue coat, finely embroidered with intricate patterns that spoke of his family's noble heritage. Beneath the coat, a pristine white shirt added a touch of formality, while charcoal-gray trousers completed the ensemble, giving him a distinguished and polished appearance that harmonized with the royal ambiance of the moment.

It's hard to believe the boy in front of me is technically speaking a Count, though I suppose a good reason for that is due to his uncle, his late father's younger brother, acting as regent until Thomas is ready to manage the family territory himself.

"Oh, right. Thomas, there has been something I wanted to apologize for to you for a while now. I'm truly sorry I couldn't attend your uncle's wedding to your mother." Athena expressed with sincerity, her voice tinged with regret.

"Hm? Please, don't dwell on that, your highness," Thomas responded, his tone understanding. "You were in the Empire when the wedding ceremony took place, right? While we were sad you couldn't make it, we completely understood that you had other obligations far more important to attend too."

"But..." Athena began, her words lingering on the precipice, before she hesitated and let silence veil her thoughts.

I had already knew that Thomas's uncle was going to marry his late brother's widow, but sadly the wedding ceremony ended up being held at a time where I wasn't in Roaiy. I have such sweet memoires with the Halol family, so the fact I couldn't be there on such a happy day for them will be a regret I'll always carry.

"Seriously, don't worry about it, your Highness," Thomas continued, his voice infused with a comforting tone. "And besides, we're on our way to The Royal Academy of Lumina. You should be filled with excitement right now!" His words were meant to alleviate Athena's feeling of guilt.

"...Thank you, Thomas. I see unlike with my brother, the years haven't made you any less of a sweet boy." Athena said, prompting Thomas to give her one big, warm smile. A smile he's known for.

I haven't seen that smile in a long time. It's the complete opposite of the expression Thomas wore when his father passed away. I was at a loss for how to comfort him during those difficult, sad days. I know what it feels like not to have a parent, but I don't know what it feels like to lose one.

This time, it was Thomas who shifted his gaze towards the window. After a minute of contemplative silence, he turned back to Athena.

"We must be nearing the Kingdom of Veridia, right?" he inquired.

"Indeed, we should arrive there by tomorrow. The capital won't be too distant after that," Athena replied.

"I'm looking forward to it. My visits to Veridia have been rather infrequent," Thomas admitted with a cheerful tone.

As the hours slipped by, Thomas continued to watch the passing scenery through the window, while Athena's eyes fixated on her hand. More precisely, she focused on a finger that once bore a ring, now conspicuously bare.

While I can't truly comprehend the pain of losing a parent, I do understand the sorrow of losing someone dear to your heart. I imagine the emotions are akin.

Author Note: I feel I need to apologize. This chapter really doesn't give off Danganronpa vibes, and I worry the next chapter might also be similar, but I promise by chapter 4 the characters will finally reach the academy! (I could also not do the idea I have in mind for chapter 3, which will make them arrive a chapter earlier, meaning next chapter.)

There are some things I want to say that I want all of you who want to send me a character to know, so please read:

1- I'm adding a deadline, and it's going to be the 20th of October. Though even if we reached that date, you'll still have time to send me a character as it'll take me time to fill the remaining spots, I imagine.

2- I likely won't post the next chapter until I at least have most of the cast locked down.

3- And just in case some of you missed it, I'll mention it here again, I'm no longer accepting characters from countries that aren't the ones I made up. Sorry!

Also fun fact: When I was first coming up with ideas for the story, I actually came up with Thomas first, and he was suppose to be the protagonist for a while, but then I came up with Athena and thought she might be a better choice, but as I still had a good part of Thomas's character figured out, I decided to go on ahead and add him to the story anyway!