WAR OF THREE BROTHERS

"How was your life in the South?" Freya asks with a glint of wonder in her eyes.

"It wasn't peaceful," Catalina sighs. She pauses to choose her following words. It's certainly not a pleasant memory to remember. "I was serving a noble family. They treated me like nothing. They got murdered in the war, and I managed to survive. You know the rest of the story."

"Where would you have gone if our mother hadn't let you stay?" Atheris asks, a small crease forming between her brows. "You probably had a plan in mind, right?"

"I…" She takes a moment to gather her thoughts, and Queen Alvena watches her with sympathy and sadness in her eyes. "I was planning to end my life."You shouldn't have lost hope so fast," you comment.

"I've never thought the queen would let me stay." Catalina shrugs, a frown appearing on her face. "I thought I would be alone for the rest of my life.Through Catalina's stories, you've learned much about Southern people. They are not as hospitable as Northerners are. According to Catalina, they dislike letting strangers into their houses as it's considered bad luck. But even though they don't seem like the kindest people, they never belittle bastards and lower-class people.

"Alright, it's time to sleep," your mother announces as she gets up from the couch, realizing the time. "Go to your chambers."But I don't want to sleep!" You cross your arms over your chest, glaring at your mother.

"You must wake up early for training," your mother reminds you. "You're not a child anymore, Amah. Stop acting like one."

But you are a child You lie on your side in the bed and stare at the empty ceiling. Your room looks empty. Nothing is hanging on your walls, and it makes your chamber look dull. Maybe you should find something to decorate your room sometime

As you realize you can't sleep, you try to empty your head. You shake away the thoughts and close your eyes, breathing slowly.

You eventually drift off to sleep. The following morning…

You sit at the table, patiently waiting for Gerard's questions. Your siblings sit across from you, each lost in different thoughts. None of them is interested in this lesson since they already know everything about it.

"Tell me, Prince Amah, who is the current ruler of House Everan?" Gerard finally asks. You remember Atheris answering this question."Lord Raleigh," you try. Gerard smiles and nods his head in satisfaction.

"Correct," he says. "I'm glad you have paid attention to my class."

"When will you tell us about the War of Three Brothers?" Atheris asks. Gerard frowns for a moment, leaning back in his chair.

"I'm afraid that subject is a complex one," the adviser says. "I will tell you everything about it in the future."

"Why?" Your sister pushes. "It's one of the biggest wars in the history of Rhivenia. Shouldn't we know about it?"

"It's your father's order," Gerard replies. "He insisted that I shouldn't tell you about the War of Three Brothers until Prince Amah is the age of eleven."

Why does your father care what age you are? He doesn't even know what you look like. He doesn't even bother to see his children.

Or maybe, your age is not the real reason.

"So we must wait four years?" Richard seems confused. "Why does Amah's age matter anyway?"

"Perhaps your father wants you to mature more," Gerard shrugs. "The War of Three Brothers is a complex situation, and none of you are ready to hear it yet."

No one objects after that. If it's your father's order, then Gerard has no choice but to follow.

"Catalina is expecting you at Lake Preal," Gerard says after the lecture is over. "I believe it's time to learn swimming."

"Do we have to?" Richard groans. It's the first time you've seen him complaining about something. Atheris usually does it for all of you.

"Yes," the adviser responds. "It's an essential survival skill."

You and your siblings leave the room, making your way to Lake Preal

Inside the castle…

Clara watches the handmaidens curiously as they prepare a meal for the king. She imagines how her life would be if she served the king and queens as they do. Of course, her life is peaceful, and most people envy her for it, but she feels bored sitting in the castle all day, doing nothing.

"Who is the child?" one handmaiden whispers to another.

"The adviser's daughter," the woman replies. "She's privileged because of her father's position. I can barely feed my children because of my low salary, yet Gerard and his daughter live like nobles."

Clara looks out of the window, pretending she can't hear them.

"Should we treat her like a noble?" the other one asks as she gives Clara a sidelong glance, observing her.

"Yes," the older handmaiden sighs. "She's even a good friend of Prince Richard. I see them spending time together in the garden all time."

The other woman laughs in mockery. "If she's managed to become friends with the heirs at such a young age, I can't imagine what she will be like when she becomes a woman."

"I'm certain she already has dreams of marrying Prince Richard." She grins. "She will be another Queen Alvena in the future."

Clara feels tears filling her eyes as the handmaidens start laughing. She doesn't quite understand what they mean, but she knows it's not a compliment. She looks down and starts playing with her hands as she always does whenever she's uncomfortable.

She stands up and leaves the room, not wishing to listen to them any further.

At Lake Preal…

You and your siblings are gathered at Lake Preal, waiting for Catalina. Atheris and Freya are excited to learn how to swim while Richard is anxious. He stares at the lake, considering whether or not he wishes to get in the water.

"Don't tell me you're scared," Atheris chides, noticing his fearful look.

Much to his dismay, Atheris always catches him in his most vulnerable moments.

"I just don't see a reason why we must learn swimming." Richard shrugs. "We're not pirates."

"How will you survive if you fall into the lake or, even worse, the sea?" Atheris asks. "Anything can happen in the future. We must be ready."

"I still think it's unnecessary," Richard asserts

"Stop acting like a coward," you scold him. Atheris lifts her brows, watching you, amused. "It's just water."

"Our little brother is braver than you," Atheris teases.

"Water is scary," Richard insists as he crosses his arms over his chest defensively.

"It does look scary," Freya agrees. "But you will enjoy its feeling when you get in. It makes you feel refreshed."

"Have you ever swum before?" Richard blinks in amazement. Atheris narrows her eyes at Freya, awaiting an explanation.

"No, but I can imagine how it feels." Freya smiles sheepishly as Richard and Atheris groan in annoyance.

Catalina arrives in a short amount of time, bringing a towel for each heir. She sets them down and stands before you and your siblings.

"Are you ready?" she asks. Your sisters nod while Richard looks down at his feet nervously.

"Shall we remove our clothes?" Atheris gives her a questioning look as she moves to grab the hem of her shirt.

"Yes, please." Catalina nods. "You don't wish to ruin your clothes After removing your clothes, you stand beside your siblings. You notice the scar on Atheris's shoulder. Since she's never been in a fight before, you assume she got it from training with Sir Locke. So you guess her mentor is indeed as aggressive as everyone claims.

"Do not feel nervous," Catalina says softly. "The water here is not very deep."

"Freya and I are not scared." Atheris grins devilishly. "However, I can't say the same about Richard."

Richard rolls his eyes and shifts closer to Atheris until he's standing behind her. Before she notices his presence, Richard shoves her into the lake with all the strength he has.

"Atheris!" Freya screams as Atheris falls with a shriek. The lake is indeed shallow since she easily comes up to the surface.

"Move your arms," Catalina instructs, biting inside of her cheek to stop herself from smiling.

Atheris throws daggers at Richard with her eyes while following the instructions."Float on your stomach," Catalina says. "Do kicks with your legs and crawl forward."

"Crawl?" Atheris gives her a confused look. "How am I supposed to crawl in the water?"

"Make sure one arm reaches forward while the other pushes the water backwards," Catalina patiently explains.

All of you watch as Atheris starts swimming slowly. You observe her moves, keeping them in your mind for when it's your turn to swim.

"Now, you may want to join your sister." Catalina glances at the three of you. "Repeat her moves, and do not panic."

"I may fail at the not panicking part." Richard sighs It takes a few minutes to get used to the lake and to swim without instructions. The water indeed feels refreshing, as Freya said it would, especially on a hot summer day. You will remember to visit Lake Preal again sometime.

"Alright, it's not very scary," Richard admits, a relieved chuckle escaping his lips as he floats on his back. "However, nothing can make me swim in the sea."

Atheris ignores his statement, eyes flashing dangerously. "I won't forget what you did," she warns. "You will pay for it."

"Please don't kill me, sweet sister." Richard smirks. "Rhivenia will lose its best heir if you do."

"Rhivenia does not need you, sweet brother," your sister scoffs. Freya huffs, showing her annoyance at their argument.

"Alright," Catalina announces, interrupting your arguing siblings. "It's time to leave the water.

Somewhere in the South…

A boy is sitting on a tree branch, watching the stream and thinking about how nice it would feel to dip his feet into the cold water. But he will not. The cold killed his mother. He never met her, but she was a kind and caring woman, according to other people's words.

But the cold is not the only reason for her death, the boy thinks as an image of King Charles flashes in his mind.

King Charles is also to blame.

The king who killed his own brother and ordered a pregnant woman's execution. The boy was lucky that his mother managed to escape before Rhivenians could find her. It was difficult for her to run away to the South while being pregnant with him.

Ultimately, she couldn't handle it. She became ill. She got weaker and weaker.

In the end, she gave birth to the boy, but she lost her life. She died so he could live.

The boy will never forget this. "Erwan!" a girl calls out to him. "Dinner is ready!"

Erwan nods. He will enjoy his dinner today. But tomorrow? …Tomorrow, he will start making plans.

Plans of revenge.

You're eleven years old…

You have been joining training sessions and participating in classes with your siblings daily since you officially became a successor.For the past four years, you mainly focused on improving your swordsmanship skills. Sir Arnold always puts much effort into teaching you, and thanks to him, you learn quickly.

Along with training, you've also spent your time joining the hunt with the soldiers. It has helped you improve your hunting skills and bond with the soldiers.Every day is the same; you wake up early with your siblings, and each of you trains with your assigned mentor. Then, you all listen to Gerard's lectures for hours.

However, you wake earlier than usual this morning. Two days ago, your father announced that he wishes to take you and your siblings to hunt. Considering that none of you—except for Richard—have seen him in person, today will be a special day.You and your siblings sit around the table, listening to Gerard's lecture attentively. He speaks slowly, much to your annoyance, but his words are valuable. Sometimes, when you're overcome with boredom, like now, you look at the titles of the books behind him.

"I think it's the perfect time to talk about The War of Three Brothers." His following words draw your attention back to him. Everyone straightens in their chairs as their interest is piqued. "After the Sword chose King Charles, his brothers were displeased. Each brother wanted the throne for himself, except for Prince Francis. He didn't make a claim on the throne. Instead, when the time came, he fought beside your father."

"Why?" Atheris frowns. "It's the throne of Rhivenia we are speaking about. He should've fought for the throne as his brothers did."

"Not everyone wants a throne, sister," Freya notes. "Some of us want a peaceful life."

"A peaceful life?" Atheris scoffs. "It doesn't exist unless you're the one who is in control."

"The Sword chose our father," Richard reminds her. "If his brothers had accepted it as Uncle Francis did, the war wouldn't have happened, and they would still be alive."

"Many think they are worthy until proven wrong," your older sister says."After the delightful victory, King Charles ordered his brothers' execution," Gerard continues. "He executed all his brothers, including Prince Francis."

Silence fills the room for a moment.

Richard's the first to comment. "But Prince Francis didn't want the throne," he recalls. "He wasn't a threat. He even fought by his brother's side."

"Just because he wasn't a threat at that time didn't mean he wouldn't become one in the future," the adviser explains again. "King Charles didn't want to risk his leadership being questioned ever again."It wasn't right at all," you declare, questioning your father's decision. "Prince Francis could've been a good ally."

Richard nods his head. "He could have married a princess from another kingdom and become a powerful ally."

Freya seems to be pleased with your and Richard's statements. It's clear to you, however, that Atheris doesn't like your comment. She crosses her arms on her chest with a deep frown between her brows."We all remember the day King Charles touched the Sword," Gerard says. "Its crystal stone shone like the sun. That's when we knew he was worthy of the throne of Rhivenia." He pauses, shaking his head a little. "Such a shame his brothers defied the Sword and lost their lives in the process."

"What would have happened if the Sword hadn't shone?" Atheris asks curiously. "What if he wasn't worthy of the throne?"

"Then the Sword would have picked one of his brothers," says the adviser. "It always chooses the most suitable heir."

Everyone gets lost in thought, looking anywhere but at each other. But you know everyone is thinking the same thing: The Sword will choose one of you after your father's death. Perhaps it will pick you to rule Rhivenia.

Or perhaps it will decide you're not worthy of being a ruler at all."I've heard the king is planning to take you to hunt," the adviser says, changing the subject. "Is it the first time you will meet him?"

"Yes," Atheris replies while Richard smiles smugly. Luckily, he doesn't say anything.

"Try not to look nervous," Gerard advises. "Show him how strong you are."I never thought our father would really take us to hunt," Atheris tells Freya, who doesn't seem excited about this at all. "We will finally have a chance to converse with him."

"Converse with him?" Richard walks into the room, uninvited, the same smug smile on his face. "I've trained with him, sweet sister."

"You don't have to remind us every day." Atheris glares at him. Your half-brother grins in response and sits beside her.

"Don't be envious." He winks at her. "Maybe you can impress him today."

Atheris rolls her eyes, annoyed. She doesn't like to be teased, especially about your father. But she loves talking about the crown. You have noticed her eyes light up every time someone mentions it.

However, Freya is entirely different than Atheris. Her eyes are always full of sadness. She constantly avoids talking about the Sword or the crown. She tries to ignore their existence, even though she knows that Judgement Day is inevitable. "I'm leaving for the training ground," Atheris announces, getting up from the bed. "Freya, do you want to join me?"

"I have to finish my drawing," Freya replies. She has always been interested in art. You think it's good that she has found an activity that cheers her up to occupy her days since she always seems unhappy.

"Amah." Atheris looks at you. "If you want to join, you know where I am."

She throws a glare Richard's way before walking out of the room, leaving you alone with your sister and half-brother."Richard, do you want to see my painting?" Freya gazes at him. "I need some advice."

"No." He waves his hand impatiently. "Clara is waiting for me in the garden."

"You've been spending so much time with her lately." Your sister smiles teasingly. "I think you're quite fond of her."

"She's a good friend of mine, and you know that," Richard says and leaves the room in a hurry, refusing to talk about her any further.

"What about you, little brother?" she sighs, shifting her gaze to you. "Do you want to see my painting?"