SIR GERALD

Two hours later…

You open your eyes to the voices of your siblings. Their laughter pours into your room through the windows, waking you up fully. Is the painter already here?

Rubbing your eyes, you get out of bed and head outside.Once outside, your eyes look for the painter. But instead, you find your sisters and half-brother sitting in the garden. Richard starts most conversations, and Freya smiles at his stories while Atheris judges him.

"Amah." Freya waves at you. "Join us, little brother."

You head towards your sisters and half-brother, unable to hide your curiosity, when you notice a blonde girl beside them. You've never seen her before, but you assume she's a noble.

"Her name is Clara," Richard introduces her to you. "She's Gerard's daughter. She's a new friend of mine."

Gerard is the loyal servant and adviser of the king. He's also responsible for teaching the heirs about politics and realms. Unfortunately, you haven't had the chance to participate in his lectures yet. According to Atheris, he's the slowest man she has ever seen.Prince Amah." Clara jerks to her feet and bows her head respectfully. "It's an honour to meet you."

She lifts her head and gives you a soft smile, keeping her blue eyes locked on you for a while.

"Alright," Richard interrupts, uncomfortably shifting his gaze between the two of you. "We shall not keep Gerard waiting. Follow me."

"We don't take orders from you, Richard," Atheris objects, arching a brow at him. He gives her a cold stare before heading towards the castle.

Their relationship has never been great. They argue or needle each other whenever they have the chance.

"Princess Atheris, please don't be impolite to him," Clara pleads, watching Richard walk away. "He doesn't have any bad intentions."

Atheris gives her a look of mockery. "Who are you to lecture me on how to treat my brother?"

"I—"

"Shut your mouth," Atheris hisses. You've seen her furious many times. Unsurprisingly, the reason for her anger is always Richard.

Clara lets her gaze drop to the floor. You notice how her chin trembles."Clara is right," you defend Clara and your half-brother. Atheris is rude to him for no reason. "He didn't say anything offensive. Don't be rude to him."

"Do you really think he's nice?" Atheris scoffs, letting out a breathy laugh. "You're naive, Amah."

"Please, no more arguing." Freya looks at you and Atheris with pleading eyes. "Gerard is expecting us in his room."Your first training wasn't that bad; let us see how your first lesson will go. You haven't met Gerard yet. Hopefully, he's as kind as Sir Arnold.

"Welcome, heirs," Gerard greets you all. He doesn't seem intimidating at all. "Please, sit."

You and your siblings sit around the table as he walks towards the shelves. He picks up a map and rolls it out in front of you. You lean over, studying it curiously. Since your siblings are already familiar with it, they are not as curious as you are.

The adviser points to the west part of the map. "Where is it, Richard?"

Richard squints his eyes, taking a moment to remember his classes. If it's in the west, then that means it's colder. If it's colder, then it's…

"Whistlerock!" Atheris comes up with the answer faster than Richard. "The land House Everan is situated on!"

"He asked me!" Richard scowls. "I was about to say that too."

"You took too long." Your sister shrugs, a victorious smile spreading across her face as she leans back in her chair.

"Atheris," Gerard interjects, "tell me about House Everan. Who is their current ruler?"

"Their ruler is Lord Raleigh," Atheris begins. "Everans are known for their impressive weapons and strong soldiers. They can handle the cold weather much better than any Northerner."

"You do listen when I talk." Gerard smiles in satisfaction at her, and then he turns to Richard. "Be like your sister; listen attentively and study more."

Richard crosses his arms over his chest, giving Atheris a dirty look."Freya," Gerard continues, getting your other sister's attention, "do you have any knowledge about any kingdoms?"

You realize how hopeless the adviser sounds—no one believes Freya has a bright future. They say that she will neither be a strong warrior nor be chosen by the Sword. According to them, the only helpful thing she could ever do is marry a noble, giving her kingdom an ally.

"I know about the Asineans," Freya answers, surprising everyone. Gerard tilts his head, encouraging your sister to go on. "Their ruler is King Oliver. They are one of our most powerful allies."

"What about King Oliver's heirs?" the adviser presses.

"Princess Lena is the first heir," Freya replies. "After King Oliver's death, she will be the queen. She also has a brother named Prince Xavier."

"Very good!" Gerard praises. "I'm very honoured that you pay attention to my lessons, Princess Freya."

Freya smiles.

"Amah," Gerard says, turning to you. "remember what you've learned today. You will repeat it to me in the next class."

He sits in the chair with a grunt and adds, "The painter has probably arrived at the castle. You may leave."

"I can't believe I have to stand still for thirty minutes again," Atheris complains.

Freya ignores her, ruffling your black hair. "Our brother has grown up.As expected, the painter is waiting for you and your siblings in the garden. He smiles kindly as soon as he notices your presence.

"You must be the youngest." He glances at you. "My name is Lincoln."

Catalina has mentioned his name before. Judging by his portraits, he's indeed a talented man. Of course your father has chosen the best.

You stand together with your siblings so he can paint you. Freya smiles brightly while Richard keeps his face as stoic as possible. Atheris stands beside them with her usual frown.

You decide to put a confident smirk on your face. Suddenly, you understand Atheris's complaints. Standing still for minutes is irritating. You hope your face will not hurt from smirking for so long.Don't look so stoic, brother," Atheris whispers to Richard. "Be yourself for once."

"I've never pretended to be someone I'm not," your half-brother whispers back tensely. Atheris gives a mocking laugh but doesn't continue the conversation.

After thirty minutes, Lincoln finally gives you a nod, indicating that the painting is finished. All of you let out a sigh of relief, moving away from one another.

"I will make changes and improve it," Lincoln informs you. "After that, the portrait will be ready to be hung on the wall."

"Amah," Catalina calls out as she approaches you, "now that the painting is finished, it's time for you to visit the temple."

You know that the Sword is kept in the sacred temple, but no one has taken you there before. You don't know as much about religion as your siblings do. When you asked your mother why you were not allowed to visit, she replied that only heirs who pass the age of six could see the Sword.

"Follow me," Catalina says. "I will show you the Sword.Your siblings head out, each keeping themselves busy with their interests while you follow her to the temple. You will finally see the Sword everyone talks about. There's a possibility that one day, it will shine in your hands and declare you the king of Rhivenia.

You hope you will have the chance to experience such an honourable moment.The temple has a beautiful marble floor and large white columns around it. The walls are clean and decorated with torches, which illuminate the sacred place. The Sword is placed at the head of the temple.

"Come closer," Catalina speaks in a whisper, as an act of respect to the Sword. "See it yourself."

You step forward until you stand before the Sword. It's an elegant blade with a large crystal stone on the hilt. It's much more imposing than any ordinary sword. You assume it's also much heavier.

"It can only be carried by two strong men," Catalina says, confirming your assumption. "The Sword only leaves the temple when it's Judgement Day."

"The day after the king or queen's death." You remember your mother's words. So when the leader of Rhivenia dies, the next day is called Judgement Day, during which the Sword will judge all the heirs and choose the most suitable successor.

"Every heir touches the hilt of the sword on Judgement Day," she continues explaining. "If the crystal shines under a certain heir's touch…"…they become the leader of Rhivenia," you finish the sentence for her. She smiles and reaches out to rub your back softly and doesn't seem to be bothered that you interrupted her.

"When the stone shines blue, the heir will be given the memories of the previous leader," she continues. "So if you become the leader, you will receive your father's memories. Not all of them, certainly. Only the important ones.""You can visit the temple whenever you wish before the sky darkens," she says. "It's forbidden to come here at night."

"Why?" you ask, having little religious knowledge since you never participated in classes until today.

"Because our Lord, Namherys, disappeared at night," Catalina explains. For a Southern girl, she seems to know much about the Lord of the Sword. She's probably studied a lot about Rhivenia during her years here.

She eyes you for a moment before adding, "You can read a book about Namherys and our religion in the library.""Now, you have quite some time before supper," Catalina says as she leads you outside. "Keep yourself busy with anything you want, but don't be late.You grab one of the blunted swords and stand in the centre of the training ground, swinging it in the air with all the strength you have. You grip the hilt tightly as you wave the blade, pretending to fight against an enemy.

You spin around and charge at your nonexistent enemy. Your blunted sword cuts through the air with a satisfying "whoosh." But the resistance doesn't slow you down. Bending your body, you swing the blade again with even more force.

"I think you've killed him twice," Sir Arnold quips, startling you. A proud smile spreads across his lips as he moves closer to you. "I'm glad to see you spending your free time here, Prince Amah."

He gently rests his hand on your shoulder. "But your body needs some rest."Can we train a little?" You look up at him. The knight studies your face carefully, considering your request. Then he lets out a sigh and nods.

"Only a few minutes," he warns. "Then you will join your family for supper.You walk into the dining room, where you have your meals with your mother, siblings, and Queen Isabelle. All wives and children of the king must sit together, no matter how troubled their relationships are. So you always feel the tension in the air whenever you eat with them.

"You're soaked in sweat," your mother observes, eyeing you from head to toe.

"I've been training with Sir Arnold," you explain, taking a seat beside Freya.

"You will catch a cold," Isabelle says with worry in her voice. Alvena scrunches up her nose, giving the other queen a dirty look.

"My son is strong," your mother declares proudly. Isabelle rolls her eyes and looks down at her plate, regretting opening her mouth.

"What did Gerard teach you today?" Alvena asks, returning her attention to you and your siblings.

"Nothing much," Atheris answers. "He asked us about House Everan and Asinea. I'm still expecting him to tell us about the War of Three Brothers."

"He hasn't yet?" Isabelle asks, and your sister shakes her head.

"It was one of the biggest wars in history," your mother begins as her eyes stare off into space. "I remember the day I heard about Charles's victory. I watched him touch the Sword; its shining blue stone made everyone cover their eyes."

Her face breaks into a sad smile. "I looked directly into his eyes. He noticed me. That was the moment we fell in love."

You feel Isabelle tense noticeably, playing with her fork. Richard also looks uncomfortable. It's not because he's bothered by the relationship between the king and Queen Alvena. He's uncomfortable because he knows she's trying to hurt his mother and start an argument.

"Yours doesn't seem like a marriage of love," Atheris dares to comment.Alvena whips her head to look at your sister. Her eyes shine with fury for a moment, but it fades away quickly. She hides her anger behind her emotionless mask.

Isabelle stops playing with her fork and gives your mother a sidelong glance. Richard now looks even more uncomfortable.

"You don't understand the meaning of love yet, daughter," Alvena speaks with warmth in her voice, to everyone's surprise. Thankfully, Atheris decides to stay silent and not push her.

Isabelle opens her mouth to say something but stops when Richard nudges her arm. Instead, she exhales a heavy sigh and focuses on her meal.

No one speaks a word more during supper Catalina makes herself comfortable on the carpet as you and your siblings gather around her. Your mother sits on the couch, listening to her friend while sewing a dress. It's one of her favourite activities to keep herself busy.

"You should be proud of your father," Catalina says. "He's such a great leader and good man. If he weren't the king of Rhivenia, I would still be a slave girl."

Listening to her stories, you've learned many things about Catalina. She was a slave girl from the South, and she was brought to the castle as a present. King Charles freed her and ended slavery in Rhivenia. Though most nobles were against this order, they didn't dare to rebel against him.

"I felt so hopeful after your father freed me." She smiles. "However, I had nowhere to go. My mother and father were murdered when I was a little girl. I didn't have a family."

She glances at Queen Alvena. "Your mother gave me a home. She let me stay in the castle. She trusted me to take care of you."

"And you didn't disappoint me," your mother says with a gentle smile.

"So that is how your friendship was built," Atheris comments. Catalina nods with a smile while Queen Alvena stares at her daughter blankly. You know she's still thinking about Atheris's comment on her relationship with the king. She embarrassed her in front of Queen Isabelle and Richard. No doubt, your mother will not forget it anytime soon.

"It's such a beautiful story." Freya tilts her head, looking at them lovingly. "A friendship between a slave girl and the queen."

"Yes." Catalina nods. "Beautiful."