5 Matchmaking and Assassins!

Eight months later. Four people are sitting around a table. They are the rulers of Stricc and Tirna. A letter is on the table between them. 

"You don't think we will believe this bullshit!?", Arthur Stricc states. 

"We don't need Stricc to believe anything. The question is why should THE goddess lie?

You have evaded our questions long enough by now!", Nicol Tirna didn't mind to accuse Arthur of blasphemy. 

"We ..." 

"I think its out of the bag anyway, dear.", his wife Katrine Stricc states and throws a second similar letter onto the table. 

"But ...", Arthur gets glared down by his wife.

"The Goddess gave us a similar prophecy. We have a daughter, but we hid her from the public. There are all too many people, who don't like to see the royal line to continue. 

And how should I say this. You should know that she is not a normal child." 

"So when will the marriage be?", Ireth of Tirna asks cheerful. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One year and eight months by today! And I am freeee! Well, as free as I can be. Mother and Father are off for a matchmaking meeting with someone who doesn't exist. 

They stayed with the rulers of Stricc at the embassy. I don't know what they are up to. Maybe they will try to convince the Stricc rulers to make a princess? Hmm, now that would be A meeting of state! 

Please, hurry up to the bed, we need a little princess from you for world peace! So no danger from that point. By now I am taking a tour through Midhold together with head maid. 

Midhold is a fortress city at the border between Stricc and Tirna. Actually the border goes right through the city. 

During the war, it was practically ground to dust. But it is being rebuild bigger and better than ever now. The plan for it is to become the central trade point for the continent. 

There are schools and universities on mass here. In future many people from both nations will come here to study. 

The idea is to have cultural exchange and understanding for the younger generations here. So they can then go back home with a bigger view on things. 

Its a nice idea, that my mother has organized with the rulers of Stricc. 

"So I can study here when I get bigger?", I ask head maid. 

"I think so, yes." - head maid. 

"Whoho! I would like to plan the city layout! I have plans for the future and those need enough space.", in my head I am already restructuring the roads. 

"Erm, I think you will need to become the King first.", head maid is good at bringing me down to the floor again. 

"So, what can we see next? I want to see the place, where the magical communication array for the city is managed next!", that's what every boy my age should be interested in right? 

"Eh? Prince don't you want to do something more normal, like taking a look a the zoo?", head maid asks puzzled. 

Ups. 

"I guess biology is fine too once in a while.", I am generous! If Rose wants to show me the zoo, we will go for the zoo. 

Rose instructs the driver to bring us to the zoo. 

"I am sorry for being bad at adjusting to your differences from other children my prince. But the whole thing with the appearance of the goddess herself really shook us up.", Rose apologizes. 

"Its fine, just treat me like you would any other person.", yeah. That would be less awkward I think. 

"Oooh? Then let me ask about an explanation of the "fallen God" title on your graduation plate? Which God where you before? And why did you fall? I never really believed in gods before that incident.", Rose sends me a sharp look. 

"Ahaha! I am no god, no idea what you are talking about. The Goddess must have made a mistake there.", my smile freezes again. I had this stupid conversation already with mother and father. 

"You are a bad liar. Don't smile while telling lies my prince. You can be seen right through when you do that.", Rose doesn't let me go. 

"Haah... Well you see. Gods aren't any other than normal people to each other, so its good that you don't cultivate any special faith in them. I had a big argument with another god. 

We went for each others throats and smashed a lot of stuff while killing each other. Including people. 

The other gods decided to punish us. And so I am here and a normal mortal boy again it seems.", Rose has a complicated expression now? What? 

"A normal mortal boy, I see. And being the prince of this country is obviously a great punishment from the standpoint of a god? 

I will be sure to observe you from now on. I think your torment hasn't begun yet.", Rose has a devilish look on her face. 

"Rose, you are frightening me! If I would be a normal child, I would cry from seeing that face of yours!" - Me 

"Anyway. It seems we are at our destination.", Rose gets out of the car and helps me out. 

Of course we are followed by ten guards at all times. I must admit that this life will get really annoying, if I need protection around the clock. 

If I am assisted, I can walk by myself now. It's not fast, but at least I haven't to be carried all the time any more. But I have to admit that Rose has a point. This whole reincarnation and prophecy thing by Seria is still fishy. 

I drove a world to ruins, so now I have to save another one in exchange? Is this whole story that simple? We are having a stroll through the zoo now. Apparently there was no charge at the entrance. 

"Is everyone allowed to enter as they please?", I ask. 

"Yes. In this City, every educational facility is free of charge and paid for by the crown. In exchange you have to pass the entrance exam as a student in this city." -Rose. 

Oh, how liberal. This world seems to be on the way up even without intervention. Rose starts to explain the various animals here. They all have well managed pens. 

There are various animals and plants you would recognize from earth here. But there are also some not so usual things in this world. 

Wahaha! Whats this? They have a Hippogriffin here! Its like a mixture between a hippo and an eagle. 

I take a look at an explanatory sign. 

Hippogriffin: 

The Hippogriffin may look funny, but its an efficient hunter. While not being very fast on all fours, it can fly and is very robust. 

It hunts by flying as high as possible, while searching for proper prey. As soon, as it has found something appropriate it takes careful aim and lets itself fall. 

Smashing the prey from above with its whole bodyweight. 

Being caught unprepared to evade, there is not much chance of putting up any resistance. 

There were whole partys of adventurers reported falling prey to a single hippogriffin. 

If travelling by foot in hippogriffin territory it is advised to always having someone watch the skies. 

….... 

Okay!? That's one nasty method of hunting. 

"What do you think my prince? It's a cool animal right!", Rose doesn't find it strange. 

"This world is crazy! Let's go for the next one.", I hope this will be more normal. 

At the next stop, there is just a lot of sand in the pen at a lowered level of about five meters. There seems to be nothing inside. 

Razorclaw: 

A dangerous predator of the east. It lies in wait under the sand and attacks everything that moves, as soon as its close enough. 

Its natural habitat ….. 

"Fireball!" - "Windblade!" 

I felt the spells a second before their casters could shout out their incantations. Just by reflex, I put up some defence. 

"Area Shield!" 

*BOOM!* 

Ow! The world is spinning as I fly through the air! My shield couldn't completely stop both spells. 

"Iron Skin!" 

OUf! I hit the ground again. That was softer than expected! I sit up, hmmm that is sand between my hands? 

I shudder, as something gives me a hot breath into the neck and I turn around. 

Hmmm, those are really many teeth and sharp claws. The thing doesn't seem to consist out of anything else. 

"Hi?" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Roses point of view: 

No! The prince saved us with his spell, but he was thrown into the closed off area of the razorclaws. I have to get him out immediately! I draw a knife from my thigh. 

But we are being rushed by assassins and I am being pinned down by two of them. 

The guards have their hands full too. There are more of them than us! They have at least seventeen people. 

"Everyone who doesn't need to hold down the guards, go for the prince!", one of them screams. 

Bastards! One of my opponents turns around and jumps together with others over the fence into the pen of the razorclaws. 

I use the opportunity to go on the offensive. I hack at his face and simultaneously kick his groin as he lets his guard down. No time for fairness! 

As he goes down I slice his throat and throw my knife into the back of a second assassin. They are badly trained and pose no threat without their superior numbers. 

Within the next seconds I and four guards are the only ones left standing. "PRINCE!", I run for the pen and take a look over the fence. 

Down there is a scene of carnage! Bodyparts and blood everywhere! I want to sink to my knees, as I fear the worst. 

But then I see the prince, who is sitting beside a razorclaw, which is gnawing on a dead assassin. 

"Get me OUT! The things in here are fucking scary!", he screams with tears in his eyes and blood all over him. 

"D.. Don't move! They only attack moving things! We will get you out as soon as possible!", I shout. Oh by the goddess thank you, he is alive! 

Maybe the Queen will not rip off my head today! 

"I know! I read the sign! That doesn't change the fact that I will have nightmares for weeks!" - Prince. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Me again: 

I am back at the embassy and alive! By the river of souls! I thought I was a goner when I looked down the throat of that thing! 

But then all those brave assassins jumped over the fence and distracted the thing with their bodies. As they came at me, the thing mowed them down like grass. 

I will be sure to give them a memorial for saving me. They are true heroes! When we came back, mother had already heard what happened and was furious. 

I am sorry Rose, but looking like that... if I hadn't run off to clean myself and put on new clothes, she would have shredded you right then and there. 

At least I was fast enough, so she couldn't see me in that state and father was there to hold her back. Rose and I are waiting for mother and father to come back. They rushed off to get the rulers of Stricc and a present? 

"Do you know what they meant by present Rose?", I ask. 

"no.. hic, *sniff*", Rose miserably answers. 

I pat her back. Mother can be really scary sometimes. Rose didn't get beheaded physically, but mentally she sure was chopped to pieces. 

"It will be okay. As soon, as I get the opportunity, I will tell her the heroic story of how you saved me from those things!", I can't see Rose like that. 

She is something like family to me by now. Rose smiles thankfully at me. 

The doors open and my parents enter the room. They are followed by the rulers of Stricc, whom I already saw once. I was present, when they greeted each other a few days earlier. 

A little girl is with them, led by the hand by the Queen of Stricc. Huh? 

"Let me reintroduce you again. This is my son, the first Prince of Tirna. By the name Angrod of Tirna. And these are the rulers of Stricc. Arthur Stricc and Katrine Stricc." Mother pulls me in front of the girl, so we have to confront each other. 

That aura is so familiar? I know those eyes, but from where? 

"And this is the first princess of Stricc. Celes of Stricc, your fiancee!" 

A heavy silence falls on the room. 

- "Myrm!" -"Ascathon!"-

Silence again. 

"Bwahahah. HAHA AHAHAHA!", I can't hold it anymore. I start laughing as I point at a now female Myrm in a pink princess-doll-dress. 

Seria really pulled a stunt here. 

"AAARRRRRGGH!!!", Myrm screams in pure rage, as he/she? Tackles me with her whole body. 

We both go the ground, with her on top. 

I see something shiny in her hand, as she raises it. H...HA...HAIRPIN!? 

*STAB**STAB**STAB* 

"OWWWW!", I howl as both pairs of parents separate us. But not before I got a fist of her red hair ripped out. 

I will get you back for that! Myrm did more damage in five seconds than twenty assassins which couldn't even scratch me! 

Ow! It hurts! I am bloody all over again, but this time its my blood. 

What a day! 

"I think your torment has begun now.", Rose whispers.