Monarch's Rebirth: Chapter 10

Though we raced through the kingdom to reach the capital before sunset, we had failed to do so. It had already become night as the stars started sparkling around the half-moon.

The capital slowly came into view over the horizon as the tall, sturdy walls rose from the distance. An intimidating bastion that cannot be toppled.

As the capital came into view, I slowed down and began to trot lightly, letting Blizzard rest after a long journey across the entire kingdom–a well-deserved rest after today's work.

While trotting along, I spot two men riding on horseback as well. The two were walking side by side and had a familiar figure to them. I smiled as I recognised them and sped up to catch up to them.

"Felix! Alexander!" I called out as I came up behind them.

The two halted and turned around in unison. Felix's eyes widened seeing me suddenly pop up from behind them.

"Young Master!?" Felix gasped. His voice betrayed the emotionless expression that he had.

Alexander stayed quiet as I walked up to them and halted. His eyes wandered behind me, observing the passenger I was carrying on Blizzard's back.

"Who's that?" He raised his brow and asked.

"She's a victim of kidnapping. I found her when returning as she was surrounded by wolves after escaping her initial kidnappers. Only the gods could tell what would happen if I didn't find her..."

"Poor girl..." Alexander voiced in a hushed tone.

I walked past the two before noticing Felix begin thinking deeply. He squinted his eyes as he stared at the girl before opening them wide again.

"Hmm... I think I've heard of such a case. She must've been missing for a week," He voiced out as the two began to escort me from behind.

His information made me think about the issues aside from the war. Of course, my main priority is the war right now but, once it is over... there is much left to solve.

I looked back at Felix with a serious expression before speaking up.

"Felix, after this war, I wish to take on a multitude of tasks and projects. Do not grow complacent as soon as the war is over. There is much to do."

He looked back at me and nodded, a fiery determination in his eyes. "Understood, Young Master. I'll work as hard as possible to complete the tasks you give."

The three of us made our way back to the gate of the Capital which was closed early. The guards opened the gates without hesitation as they saw us approach and let us into the city.

As we trotted through the empty, soulless streets, I stopped and shook my body to wake up the girl who rested peacefully.

"Hey, get up," I said softly to wake her up peacefully. "We're back at the Capital."

"Just a little longer..." She muttered in her sleep, tightening her arms around me.

A soft giggle went off behind my back. I knew exactly who it was but decided to not confront him. I sighed and turned around to look at her, seeing a resting smile on her face as she slept.

Alexander and Felix smiled and began to trot away. Alexander looked at me with a playful smirk the two didn't stop for me.

"We'll meet up at the palace then, Young Master," Felix said, bidding me farewell before I could ask for help.

"Wait but-" I tried to call out but the two were already too far. They knew I was not petty enough to punish them for deserting me.

I sigh and turn around again, looking at her before shaking my body more forcefully.

"Wake up, I need to know the route to your house," I spoke out, louder than before this time.

Slowly, her eyes flickered open before she looked around drowsily. She noticed her familiar surroundings and jumped awake.

"Oh, we're back?" She asked, her face turning red as she became flustered. "Sorry, did I sleep talk?"

"Not until now, you didn't. That's beside the point, can you show me the route to your house?" I asked her to turn the focus back to the topic at hand.

She perked up from Blizzard's back and looked around her surroundings. She recognized where she was and pointed forward. 

"Just go straight and turn right on that alleyway. Keep going till I say," She directed before sitting back down, placing her hands on my shoulders.

We began to move again as Blizzard started walking on my command. As we moved closer to the turn, I question popped into my head that I should've asked before.

"What's your name? You never told me when we met," I asked her, curious and also needing more information on her. I'll have to investigate her case more thoroughly after all.

The girl was surprised to hear my question and gasped softly. "E-eh!? I'm so sorry, I forgot to introduce myself!" She apologised loudly.

"No worries, a lot was happening when we met." I shrugged. "Now, what's your name?"

She cleared her throat before speaking up. "My name is Adley, Adley Roth." She introduced herself properly. 

"Adley Roth..." I muttered softly. "That's a unique name, Adley." 

She became flustered when I repeated the name, causing her to panic a little and hold me tighter. "I-I'm flattered, Your Majesty..." She whispered.

We turned the corner and walked down the dimly lit alleyway. It was a rather narrow road but not too cramped to make anyone claustrophobic. 

The girl suddenly perked up and pointed in front of her. "Ah, that's my house there." She said, pointing towards an ordinary-looking house, a candlelight burning inside and shining outside, illuminating the road in front of us.

I halted when we reached the doorway and turned to look at her. "Well then, here you are." I hopped off Blizzard and held my hand out to help her get down. "Your family must be worried sick."

Adley, who had a bright smile on her face took my hand and got off Blizzard's back. "I'm as worried about them as they are for me."

I walked around to Blizzard's front and held his reign as Adley stood at the front door of her house. She turned to look at me one last time, smiling brightly. Her smile contrasted with the clothes she wore–ragged and torn with stains of blood. 

She knocked a few times on her door and held her breath. An eerie silence around us as the atmosphere grew a little tense.

But, it didn't last long as the door opened and a loud shriek broke the silence completely. Adley was suddenly embraced in a warm, maternal embrace as soft sobs broke out.

Rather than loitering and watching her return, I swiftly hopped atop Blizzard and began walking away slowly.

"King Artorius! Please, wait!" The woman's voice called out to me in a hurry. My heart dropped, knowing I'd have to confront her now.

I quickly put on a gentle smile on my face and looked back at her, halting as quickly as possible.

"Thank you... Thank you so much for bringing my daughter back, King Artorius..." She cried out, tears rolling down her cheeks as she held her daughter tightly.

"There is no need for gratitude, it was my duty," I bowed slightly. "Stay safe, and make sure to have extra caution with your family from now. Especially with what is happening recently..."

Adley's mother wiped the tears off her face and sniffled. "With you leading the war, I'm sure we will be victorious." A hopeful smile was carved out on her face. "I will forever be indebted to you, Your Majesty..."

"I promise I will defend this land till my last breath," I furrowed my eyebrows, making up a determined face. "Good night now, Madame Roth."

"Good night, my daughter's saviour!" She cried out, sending a strange feeling down my spine.

I was caught off-guard by the title she bestowed upon me and swiftly began riding off, leaving the mother and daughter to reunite with each other.

***

A sense of peace washed over me as I trotted down the path of my palace. There was a different sense of safety when I was near such a stunning piece of architecture.

I walked through the foyer and took a deep sigh, letting the air of the palace fill my lungs. It was a warm and homely feeling, one that I hadn't felt for years, including my past life.

Felix had taken notice of me entering the palace. He had a gentle smile on his face, but it felt double-sided. 

"Welcome back, Young master. Will you take a bath?" He asked with that same smile.

I couldn't tell what his true emotion was but I shrug off that eerie feeling. "That will be preferred, Felix. I'll take some time, however." 

"Take as much time as you need, Young master," Felix spoke cheerfully. "After all, there is a lot of work to be done today and tomorrow is going to be even worse."

That face and the sentence sent a shiver through my body. Nevertheless, I followed Felix back to my room and changed into a bathrobe, finally free of the filthy clothes I had worn the whole day.

I stared off into the dazzling night sky from my balcony as Felix went and prepared my bath. Since coming to this world, I have been fascinated by the night sky. Stars were scattered all across it as if you could see an entire galaxy.

He exited my bathroom while fixing his white gloves. He gave me a warm smile before speaking.

"Your bath is ready, Young Master." He said before walking away, leaving me all alone in my room.

I walked into my bathroom after he left and slowly unwrapped the bathrobe, dropping it just before I entered the bath.

The warm, comforting water smelled pleasant and calming. Rose petals were sprinkled over the water to give is rather romantic look to it... Except I'm the only one taking the bath.

The bath gave me time to relax and collect my thoughts. I bid it farewell as I step out and dry myself off before putting on another bathrobe.

I walked into my room before three knocks sounded on my door.

"Come in," I said, surprised by the coincidental timing of the knocks.

Felix entered with a few maids, each holding an article of clothing in their hands. I flinch back in surprise, not expecting the sudden formalities.

"Young master, since we are in a state of war, you are requested to wear your uniform at all times," Felix explained briefly as the maids took their position around me. "This will only take a few moments."

I grimaced and looked at him. "Huh? I should've been told before-" I was speaking before being interrupted.

The maids had already started undressing me from my bathrobe and putting my clothes on. I didn't hesitate as there was no way out of this. 

"Yes, this is short notice, but so is the war," Felix said, a cheeky smile spreading on his face.

The maids were quick at work, putting on the extravagant but stylish uniform within a few minutes. They tied up my boots and left the room as swiftly as they came in.

I decided to stretch my body a little to see how it fit me. After living wearing loose clothing most of my life, I grew fond of the perfectly fitting clothes that were offered to me in this life.

"Well, now that is done, shall we continue?" I asked Felix, whose eyes sparkled as he looked at my outfit.

"Yes, we are ready to continue," Felix said, cracking open the door to my room.

Before I left, I walked over to my dressing table and fixed my hair–one of the few details that was left for me to decide. I went with my usual hairstyle before my eyes marvelled at how elegant the outfit looked.

Though it was too much for me, I was fascinated by the red coat and white trousers. The black boots went up to my calves. The boots were of high-quality leather and the clothes were, without doubt, made of the finest fabrics. 

A short white mantle was draped over me. It was out of season due to it being spring but it brought the whole uniform together.

"Looking very stylish, Artorius," Alexander came into my room, looking at me as I admired my style.

I saw him in my mirror and noticed him wearing his military outfit. "Not looking bad yourself, Alexander," I turned around and said. "When did you have the time to bring a military uniform anyway?"

Alexander chuckled and shook his head. "I didn't. This is borrowed from one of your generals."

I scoffed and walked over to him and noticed the three stars on his shoulder. I was intrigued as I was a four-star myself.

"Three stars? It's quite remarkable for your age," I told him as we began to walk away from my room.

I began to follow Felix as he led me through the palace hallways, a little unsure of where we were headed.

Alexander followed behind me with a smile before answering my compliment.

"Well, I'd say I didn't earn it. Rather... it was given," He said, a hint of shame in his voice.

"I'm sure this war will be enough for you to prove that you deserve such a high rank," I looked back at him and reassured him.

Felix led us to the dining room where a fancy feast was taking place. The only reason we were having an extravagant dinner during this time was because of Alexander.

Alexander and I take our seats before digging into our meal. We both spent a while conversing and chatting with each other. It was the perfect time for me to learn more about him and who Artorius was before me.

I ate my meal hastily as I had a special occasion just after. After finishing my meal, I got up and began leaving.

"Felix, I'll be going to Wilkins' Tavern," I notified him as I walked away. "I might not be back for a while."

He looked at me with a perplexed expression as I left without proper reason. "Huh? The tavern at this hour and circumstances?"

I stopped before exiting the dining room and turned to look at him. "It's good reason, trust me."

Felix's expression changed to his usual stoic face as he stood by and nodded. I left without another word uttered and headed towards his tavern.

The streets were completely empty, apart from the occasional guards or domestic animals passing by here and there. The night air was cold as a gentle breeze blew past the quiet streets.

I make it to his tavern and shove the door open. As soon as I entered, Wilkins turned around and we made eye contact.

"Good gods!" He shrieked in shock. "What's happened to you?"

I huff out before smiling warmly at him. "A lot," I answered before taking my usual seat at the bar.

Wilkins had a concerned look on his face as he stared at me. I knew that even with a change of clothes and a bath, I couldn't hide my fatigue which showed clearly in my eyes

"Get me the usual then, will you?"

Wilkins' expression changed to a soft smile before he turned around to get my order. He took a bottle of wine and a wine glass before setting the two down, wiping the wine glass before he popped open the bottle.

"Still as carefree as ever, huh?" He said as he poured my drink.

I took my glass of wine and twirled it around as I stared at it. I smiled and took a sip before looking up at him.

"So, your plans must be ruined because of this, right?" I asked him, knowing the initial plan we both made was spoiled due to the war.

Wilkins shrugged and looked at me "Well, what can you do? That's life, no?" He said, sounding rather casual about it. "All I have to do is weather this war and wait for you to give your victory speech."

I took another sip before raising a brow at the last part of his sentence.

"How are you so sure we will win?" I asked him curiously. His calm and casual demeanour was something I was not expecting.

Wilkins looked at me as if I asked him a question he didn't know the answer to.

"What do you mean? We've fought them since the days of King Erik. Each time we have pushed them back," He said, crossing his arms. "It's the same this time around, defend and push them back."

I looked down at my glass and thought to myself. It's true, even King Erik, my grandfather, had fought off the Aberdeen kingdom and won. It was in our blood as a Dorman to win over the Meyer family.

His words were a reassurance that I never expected. It felt like I was missing this key piece of motivation.

I gulped down my glass of wine before looking at Wilkins, placing down my glass and sighing deeply.

"I've never thought of that..." I muttered to myself. "Well, on a side note, I do have a friend coming by. How long are you open for?"

"As long as you need, Your Majesty."

My lips curled into a smile on their own hearing his words. He poured me another glass as he took notice of my empty glass that I began to toy with.

Wilkins took the bottle and poured me another glass as we continued to chat to pass our time. Wilkins was a great source of information as he opened up more about his life and what the kingdom was like before.

Nearly an hour passed with him and I talking and drinking. It got to the point where I had finished the entire bottle of wine and began to feel lightheaded.

"Wilkins..." I say as I sway to my sides. "Open another bottle, will you?" 

My words were getting slurred and I was losing myself to the alcohol. Wilkins looked at me with concern and sighed. 

"Can I interest you in water instead, Your Majesty?" He said, crossing his arms and looking at me with a hint of pity.

I shook my head and rested it on the bar, breathing an exasperated sigh and closing my eyes. So much time has passed but the dragon was nowhere to be seen.

Maybe... I was just dreaming after all..

But, as I began to sulk in my sorrow, the door to the tavern flung open and a gust of cold air filled the tavern. I jerked up and sluggishly turned around to see who it was.

A tall man, specifically an elf, stood by the door, almost not fitting through it with his sheer height. He stood tall and wore unique clothing which matched the colour of his dark hair.

His eyes were frightening as he stared deep into me. His pupils were like snake pupils–also coloured in a swampy green hue.

Wilkins came close to my ears and whispered to me. "Is he the friend you mentioned?"

The elf began to walk towards us, making my heart jump. 

"I-I think so...?" I muttered softly.

The elf took a seat right next to me and looked at Wilkins. I turned around and faced Wilkins with him, trying to compose myself.

"We meet, strong human..." The elf spoke in a deep, spine-chilling voice. His eyes darted towards me as they bore holes into me.

"Y-yes... We meet..." I said with a nervous smile. "Please, help yourself to a drink if you wish." I extended my hospitality.

He sounded a low grunt before shaking his head. He crossed his arms and looked back at Wilkins as if expressing his discontent with his presence near us.

"A-ah, Wilkins. Whatever we speak of stays between us, right?" I asked, trying to quench his discomfort.

Wilkins jolted up and nodded nervously. "Yes! Of course!" He spoke apprehensively. "The privacy of my customer is the first priority for bartenders like me, especially of special customers like you, Your Majesty."

I turned back to the elf and smiled at him, showing him that we were safe to talk about whatever he wished to say.

His expression stayed stoic as he nodded. A sense of relief washed over me seeing his nod.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" I asked him curiously to start our conversation.

"I'll be helping you during the war, Human," He said as he looked down at the bar. "We dragons never mingle with the affairs your kind have but, this is an exception."

Wilkins had turned around and began to wipe a tumbler glass to seem like he was working. But, as soon as he heard the word 'dragon,' he stayed still for a moment, trying to not express himself.

"You're a special case, Human. You know well why you are special."

"H-huh...?"

I knew what he meant. I was special because I was not from this world. He knows I'm not Artorius and someone else.

He stood up and began to leave, leaving me with more questions than answers.

"Wait, how will you help me?" I called out to him and asked.

He stopped and glanced at me "You will not see me but you will notice the help I provided," the man said before continuing his walk.

"Rest well, Prince."

His last words sent a shiver down my spine. He left before I could ask him any more questions. I panicked and quickly rummaged through my coin pouch.

I handed Wilkins a few gold coins, possibly overpaying for the wine before dashing out of the tavern. But, once I made it out, the man disappeared without a trace. I was left completely puzzled by this entire encounter.

LUKAS' POV

The light shined down on us as we stood at the camp. An estimated number of 75 thousand men stood in front of me as torches lit up the camp.

The number of soldiers stretched on for a mile or more, going as far back as my vision would let me see–the sheer number of troops and power unforeseen in the entire continent. I had the power of an empire at the tips of my fingers.

I sat atop my horse as I brought the artifact closer to my mouth. I looked around me to see Vincent, along with my most trusted and skilful generals standing proudly at the army we had accumulated.

"My esteemed and brave soldiers! Today, we shall embark on the greatest expedition this continent has ever seen! We will take back what was rightfully ours!

Our kingdom had split into two over a century ago through the ignorance and incompetence of our ancestors. But from today onwards, we shall march on to mend that foolish mistake! We will all be one kingdom once again!"

As I finished my speech, the soldiers all roared. Their spirits ran high and their morale was soaring above the skies. 

"Let us march forth, my soldiers!" I shouted out before turning around.

All 75 thousand men roared once more as we slowly began to step forward. The sound of marching filled the surrounding area, echoing through the vast forests that covered most of the land.

The night slowly grew cloudy with the moon being blocked out by the clouds. Vincent held a torch and led the way, continuing with our march through the opening in a forest.

It had been a while since I led an expedition, one this big especially. The last war we had was nearly two decades ago and a lot has changed since then. One main change was my weaker physical health.

At one point, I used to be able to lead and fight amid the most heated battles. But now, I might see myself standing behind my troops charging into battle.

***

We marched under the darkness of night as the clouds covered the sky. The weather was completely unexpected as it was spring. The chance of rain was minimal as it was clear skies moments before we set off.

We had marched for hours and it was midnight. The troops wished to rest for the night and continue at dusk so we could meet them early.

Countless tents scattered the open glades as all the troops camped it out for the night. I watched as we had a community resting together, getting to know each other better.

The moonlight began to shine down on us as the clouds cleared away from them. But then, a dark shadow cast over the entire area, shifting the focus of everyone in the camp towards the sky.

As I looked up at the sky, a shiver ran through my spine. Each strand of hair on my body stood as straight as an arrow. My eyes couldn't have deceived what I had just witnessed.

For as long as I remember, they were extinct. A creature that was so prehistoric that no proper accounts were recorded. 

But there was no mistake... It had to be what we all never expected.

"W-what...?" 

A faint mutter sounded from Vincent who stood next to me. We both had our mouths gaped open, our eyes glued on the creature that flapped its wings.

Gusts of wings came down towards us with each flap. The sound of the wings flapping echoed around the entire area.

But, just as it arrived, it had also disappeared. At once, it soared higher into the sky and disappeared without a trace. It was as if we all had hallucinated the same thing.

"Gods above..." Vincent whispered as he turned to me. His eyes were wide open with fear.

"There was no mistake, right?" I asked him to confirm my suspicion."

He shook his head frantically "Not at all! We all saw what it was! That was a dragon, Your Majesty!" 

"That's incredible then! We have been blessed with the sight of a legendary creature!" I smirked and said.

Vincent's eyes widened even more as I spoke. "Your Majesty, this is no sign of great fortune. This could be a superstition for bad luck or even a fatal outcome!"

I shook my head and looked at him with made-up confidence. "Nonsense, Vincent! How could it not be good luck?"

Though I looked confident, there was an aching feeling of dread and doom that grew inside of me with his words. 

This really is my final fight.