Chapter 5

The throne room was silent as the king stared at them. A minute had passed and he had yet to say anything. 

"Igor, this is him? The so-called healer?" The king asked, his voice strained, getting a grimace from the knight. "Are you certain?"

"Yes your majesty. Though he is but a boy, he is as the rumors say he is." Igor said, causing Corvus to stare at him from the corner of his eyes. 

'He never asked me to prove anything or show my skills. Where did this confidence come from?' He wondered silently. 

The king sighed which sounded like metal being scraped. "You put too much faith in rumors. Many of this kingdom's healers have come and gone with no success. Wizened men with more experience than his years."

"Your grac-"

"Get him out of my sight." The king interjected harshly. "I have no wish to entertain my son's foolish hope any longer."

'His son?' Corvus' question was answered a moment later as the door swung open. He didn't turn around but he heard footsteps coming up. 

"It is not a foolish hope if said rumors have some truth to them." A young yet matured voice said politely. 

No one could just barge into the throne room unannounced, that much he could gather. So this had to be him. 

"My prince." Igor greeted with another bow. 

Corvus turned to see a man with dark brown hair in fine clothing strut past them. 'Man' was exaggerating a bit, he looked not more than a year or two older than Corvus himself. 

"I have warned you against such foolish actions. Not only did you send my knights without my approval, you brought me this boy who is still wet behind his ears." The king said in a grave tone to the youth who easily shrugged it off. 

"There are no consequences in having hope." The prince said calmly, not bothered by his father's ire. 

"No consequences you say? If the other kingdoms catch wind that I am weak, they'll seize the opportunity to launch an attack." The king argued, almost wheezing at this point as the prince now stood in front of him. 

The prince chuckled. "Should that happen, I will be fighting at the frontlines of the battlefield but until that happens, your health is paramount." 

Now the king looked exasperated, fed up. "Oswin!" He ground out. 

The widening of Corvus' eyes was missed by all.

Taking a moment to observe the prince, he would admit that his demeanor was similar to Ozpin. That was something to think about. He couldn't exactly just ask him if he was a reincarnated warrior. 

Though, the more he observed, the surer he was of it. 

"Forgive my father, he can be judgemental at times." Oswin said, now facing Corvus. 

Blinking in surprise, he shook his head. "There is nothing to forgive."

Oswin stared at him in amusement before turning to Igor. "Please see him outside. A servant will take him to the room he will be staying in. He is our guest after all."

Without his input being given, he was led out of the throne room by Igor and then by a male servant. 

-[King Marek]-

Looking down at his son from his throne, he wanted to slam his crown into the ground in frustration. 

He and his wife had tried for many years to have children. Only in their later years did she bear Oswin, the strain from childbirth taking her life a bit later. 

Healers couldn't do anything about it. He summoned the best of the best from as far as he could command. None of them could stop her from dying. 

Healers were nothing more than jesters who mixed grass and deceived naive people. Oswin disagreed. 

He wondered if he had spoiled him too much while growing up. The maturity behind those eyes said otherwise. Then again, it had always been there even from when he was but a newborn. 

Oswin carried himself with the countenance of a man much older than his age. How odd it was that his son often made him feel like the child in the room.

Still, if it would prove him wrong and finally allow him to see the world for what it truly was then he'd go through with this farce. 

For now at least. 

-[Corvus]-

Seeing a palace on a screen was much different than being there in person. It was all just so large and shiny, not to mention expensive. 

Even the spare room he was provided had more comfort than anywhere in his settlement. Even then, it only gave him physical comfort. Comfort of the mind was nowhere in the palace. 

He wasn't royalty. He was out of place. 

Just as he had that thought, the door opened, a familiar face walking in. "Prince Oswin," he greeted with a small bow. 

"Please no need to bow. I'm simply here to thank you for agreeing to come here." Oswin said easily. 

"No thanks are necessary. It is my pleasure. I've never been inside the walls of the Vale before." Corvus said, a strange look in his eyes. 

"How does it compare to the image you had in mind?" Oswin asked as he moved to stare through the window and out of the palace. 

"It is not my place to say." Corvus tried to change the direction of the discussion. 

"Please, feel free to speak your mind." Oswin said, not having any of that. 

There was silence as he gathered his thoughts before speaking. 

"They say that Vale is beautiful and welcoming to all, a prosperous kingdom. While all of that is true, it isn't complete." He finally said. He could see that he had the prince's attention. 

"How so?"

"There are a lot of people who can barely afford to eat a single meal a day. Homes that are held together by sands and tired hands. Discrimination amongst the faunus. Frankly, it is appalling." He explained. 

A frown curled on Oswin's lip. 

"I mean no disrespect." Corvus quickly added. 

They stayed in an uncomfortable silence before Oswin spoke. "It is true that the conditions in Vale are far from ideal. Attempts to lift up the standard of living have been slow at best. And father isn't too keen on spending the kingdom's resources in that manner while he could bolster the knights."

That would only mean…

"But we are in a time of peace. Is there something threatening the kingdom?" He asked Oswin. 

Oswin let out an amused laugh. "Father doesn't think so. In his words, peace is only a short prelude to war."

That was troubling. Very troubling. He didn't even know how to react to that. 

"I believe I've taken enough of your time." Oswin said before turning to the door. "You must be tired from your journey. The treatment session shall begin tomorrow, I suggest you use the time to rest."

With that, the man left the room. Corvus tiredly leaned on the wall behind him. 'What have I gotten myself into?'