The Vagrant and the Crown Prince

ELIXANE COULDN'T REMEMBER what she was dreaming about.

When she woke up, she was in tears. Her pillows were soaked, the stains lingering in the form of a wet patch. It took her a while for her to remember what had happened last night that might've caused something so drastic. There was a library, she remembered, and a book that vividly detailed the history of her country. It had shattered the pristine image she had always held about her own family's legacy.

Now, it laid in shambles, scattered pieces that she didn't want to pick up in fear of cutting herself on the sharp edges.

Nevertheless, she pushed the memories of the book to the back of her mind and continued with her day just as before. Maybe when she had more courage, she would pick up the book again. However, for now, she would just continue with her life as the cowardly princess.

Dressed and groomed, Elixane calmly strolled down the hallways of the large palace towards the garden. It was another day for her to waste away in blissful relaxation, living in a daydream that she was headed for happily-ever-after with Bertrand.

As she walked along the familiar corridors that she had long memorized, a distant ruckus caught her attention. She turned her head in that direction, craning her neck to look past walls as she tried to figure out what happened.

"Your Majesty!" A man was yelling, his voice already hoarse, probably due to how long he had been speaking beforehand. Two guards held him back, one flanked at each side as they made sure he never moved too close to the king. "Your Majesty, if you would just―"

"His Majesty will hear no more of it," the captain of the royal guards said. He held a hand out, waving it to signal the knights to bring the man away. "Throw him out. We'll not allow this vagrant to disturb His Majesty any further."

"You scoundrel!" The man roared. With one strong thug, he managed to break free from the hold of those two knights. However, he hadn't even taken more than three steps when more knights arrived to fill their place, holding him back. "Your people are suffering and all you do is hide behind those doors!"

Hiding behind a pillar, Elixane watched as the man was dragged away. His hair was as red as an apple, a deep, saturated color that reminded Elixane of the sunset. His eyes matched, colored an amber gold that glowed. Even from a distance, Elixane could tell the fury in those irises. This nameless man was wild, brash, and it seemed like he had no boundaries on what he dared to do and what he didn't as long as he could get what he wanted.

Elixane was about to go over and attempt to deescalate the fight when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she met the eyes of Enzo, his piercing silver gaze holding a hint of warning in them.

"Allow me," he simply said before his fingers left her shoulders.

Calmly, he walked towards the commotion. At his side, his fingers clenched and unclenched, flexing. To some, he might be assumed to be stretching his hands but Elixane knew what Enzo was doing. He was calling out to his abilities, preparing to use his powers if force was needed.

"What is all this noise about? This is the royal palace, not the common market." His voice was booming loud, echoing across the hall.

"Prince Enzo!" The guards greeted in unison. In synchrony, they bowed their heads as a sign of respect for their crown prince.

"Your Highness, this common peasant demands for more grains. According to our records, the village in question has already claimed the supplies for this annual quarter but he insists on having more," the captain spoke up. In comparison, when conversing with the crown prince, he sounded like a meek little lamb.

"The supplies sent over to Scrohearth were halved compared to what we have been previously receiving. Even when portioned, it is barely enough to feed everyone around," the red-haired man spat out. "Someone's been meddling with the quantity and I simply requested an audience with His Majesty to set things straight. We've sent multiple letters over but they were all ignored."

"Keep your mouth shut, you dirty mongrel!" The captain yelled. "How dare you speak to His Highness that way?"

The man simply glared hard at the captain.

"Fuck you."

"Why you― That's it!"

Filled with anger, the captain reached for his sword at his waist. The sound of metal scraping ringed through the air as he unsheathed his sword, holding it high in the air in one swift motion. Watching it all, Elixane couldn't keep the gasp in her throat. Her hands started to rise, about to jump in and prevent bloodshed when her brother acted first.

Casually, Enzo waved a finger. The sword in the captain's hands quickly darted away, flying out of his fingers before lodging itself into the wall with a loud crack. It wobbled a little due to the impact before remaining still. Just like that, ever so effortlessly, the crown prince had prevented a murder right in front of the doors of the throne room.

"Captain Druyhop, need I remind you about the rules of the palace?" Enzo lazily questioned, not even bothering to turn and eye the captain. His eyes remained glued on the brave but foolish red-haired man, observing him with cold nonchalance.

"My apologies, Your Highness!" Captain Druyhop immediately fell to his knees, a hand clenched into a fist at his chest over his heart. "Please forgive me."

Instead of replying, Enzo continued to gaze upon the unnamed man. The two exchanged stares, unspoken words relayed from just their expressions until ultimately, the crown prince was the first to break the silence.

"Escort him to the gates. Gently, if you will. He isn't a criminal but a guest in our humble home," he instructed the knights. Then, speaking directly to the man, "I'll have someone send over additional supplies within three days. It won't be as much as what's originally promised to your people but it should be enough to tide things through. I'll ensure next month's supplies are as promised previously."

Hearing this, the man didn't smile nor show an expression of relief. He was still stern, eyebrows furrowed and his gaze carrying daggers. Without much effort, he shrugged all four knights who had their hands on him off. They stumbled back a little from the sudden force before quickly regaining their balance again. When they tried reaching for the man, Enzo raised a hand to stop them and they obediently stepped back.

"Many thanks to Your Highness," the man simply said before turning on his heel, storming off.

Once he was out of earshot, Captain Druyheart was no longer able to keep his lips shut. He glared in the direction the man disappeared behind, scowling.

"That man needs to be taught a lesson," he murmured under his breath in disdain. "Such disrespect!"

In reply to that, Prince Enzo merely laughed.

"Captain, if you were to fight him one on one, you wouldn't even have the chance," he remarked. Spinning around, he headed straight for Elixane, leaving the captain still kneeling on the ground, wide-eyed and confused.