The Wind Blows Upon The Solemn Night

The serene hallway of the castle echoed the sounds of faint footsteps belonging to two individuals. Standing side by side together, Veritas and Alice walked towards the direction of the main door. 

As the two of them were on the second floor right now, the windows show the elevated vision of Elrod's landscape.

Alice stood near the windows and gazed upon the horizon while walking with Veritas. 

The two of them were silent, not knowing what to say or do. Alas, the silence of the halls was broken by none other than Alice.

"The Central City looks nice."

She aimed to make small talk with the Prince to get them more acquainted.

"I agree."

Veritas didn't even bat an eye to look at the horizon but merely stared at the direction that they were facing. 

But, Veritas continued the conversation with a few questions.

"How does Central City compare to Dragonia?"

Alice then stared at Veritas with her emotionless eyes.

"It.. is pleasant. The weather is not as cold as the North yet also not as hot as the West. The orange maple trees look homely and nostalgic, making you feel a sense of coziness once you arrive."

Veritas imagined the scenery in his mind. When he was but a mere child, he and his family once visited the Eastern City of Dragonia. He could not remember much but the warm feeling of the entire land.

"I see. Here in the Central City of Elrod, it is a mix of all the four regions. We have the perfect climate, temperatures, lands, and many more. I do not intend to brag or anything, but I think of that truly. "

Alice then looked back at the scenery below them, showcasing the beauty of the nightscape in Elrod. Then she let out her soft-spoken voice,

"For the past week that I have been here, I could say that it was very pleasing. Originally, I was sent here by Mother, the Duchess, to study in Knights Academy."

Veritas stared at her and replied:

"Is that so?"

"Yes. She told me that the best place to nurture young talents lay in the Central City of Elrod. But I was informed that the next semester doesn't start until next month?"

Veritas then pondered and brought his hand up his chin.

"I'm- not entirely sure.. I've only recently returned from my trip so I'm not quite informed."

"I see." she looked sullen upon hearing Veritas' words.

Veritas then added:

"My good friend, Bello, whom you've once met in the meeting, went to the Knights Academy this morning. I think he inquired a few things about enrollment. Would you want me to ask him?"

Alice lightly opened her mouth and words seemed to get stuck inside it. After a few seconds, she finally responded.

"That would be delightful. Thank you very much, your majesty."

"Much obliged."

The two of them arrived shortly at the stairs leading down to the first floor of the castle. Upon descending the stairs, Alice raised a subject that she noticed.

"Your majesty, the castle of Central City seems to be.. quite large."

Upon hearing those words, Veritas chuckled in embarrassment. He replied:

"I am well-aware of that. Sometimes, it gets too boring to walk along these long halls of the castle. However, certain moments make you feel appreciative of the tranquil silence."

"I understand this feeling."

Alice adjusted the frills of her skirt before continuing,

"Our manor at Dragonia, feels too big sometimes. I've lived there for years yet I still find myself lost in the troublesome maze-ly halls."

Alice continued after breathing deeply:

"Albeit, the manor looks grandiose, the structure inside could be deemed confusing at times. There are many rooms to find and seldomly, I tend to forget the way towards my own bedroom."

"Also, the garden of our estate is quite lovely. I, myself, tend to the garden, along with the help of other gardeners. Although Mother scolds me when she sees me tending to the garden. I still like having a hobby of taking care of plants, they are quite an interesting specimen to explore."

Veritas stared at her dumbfoundedly, feeling his brain getting dizzy.

'She's talking so much..'

Alice then continued speaking and telling stories about the place that she lived in. With emotionless eyes, it seemed that the words coming out of her mouth were out of this world. To think that this girl had a stoic face while she dumped stories on Veritas, was quite intriguing to say.

Veritas then felt his eyes spin at the massive amounts of information given by the daughter of the Duchess.

"Another thing is..- Ah. I apologize, your majesty. It seems that I've run my mouth once more.." 

Veritas sighed and felt relief, finally being released from torment. However, he did not ridicule this lady for her unintentional yapping. But, Veritas merely smiled warmly and complimented her words.

"It seems that you love your home as much as I do." 

The winds seem to blow, making Alice's golden hair flutter in silence. She merely stared indifferently at the cozy smile of Veritas and replied softly.

"I guess I do.."

With that, the two of them arrived at the main door that led outside the castle. Veritas escorted the young lady and saw the regal carriage that was awaiting for her. A black-suited butler was holding the reins. 

"I deeply thank you for accompanying me, your majesty."

Alice bowed lightly and raised the frills of her skirt, shaking the golden ornaments that were hanging from it.

"It is of no concern. It is my honor."

Veritas carefully placed his right hand on his left chest and his free hand behind him, bowing deeply and showing courtesy to the daughter of the Duchess. 

Alice walked slowly towards the carriage.

However, the lady turned back and uttered some words to the Prince.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Prince Veritas."

Veritas smiled at her and replied:

"As to you, Lady Alice."

With that, Alice, the daughter of the Duchess, gestured to leave and got inside the carriage. 

Within a couple of seconds, the carriage rode off into the serene beauty of Elrod's scenery, heading off to the direction of Diamond Borough.

The winds blew and Veritas felt its cold touch brush across his skin. He then headed back inside the castle in order to seek warmth. 

*

In the solemn halls of the castle, Veritas headed back to seek his parents once more.

Along the way, he saw a crystal-eyed, and black-haired boy, that wore a turtle neck, complimented by a dark suit. 

It was Bello.

"Hey scumbag, your Father said I could stay over.." 

Veritas stopped in his tracks and stared at Bello with disbelief.

"What- no way."

"It was his words not mine.." Bello shrugged off, looking all smug.

Then, Veritas thought about the events that transpired within the last few days. 

'This guy! Why is Father treating him so specially?'

Veritas was bewildered but he acknowledged the fact that Bello was noticed by his Father as someone with great potential. 

"Alright, fine. You're not staying in my room though.."

Veritas walked past Bello and continued on his path.

"Who said I'm sleeping in your room!" Bello said while steam came out of his nose.

With that, Veritas soon located his parents using the Winds and made his way towards their direction. 

'These halls are so damn long!'

Veritas complained within himself, and agreed with the daughter of the Duchess. 

It took him a couple of minutes to arrive where they were, which was the conference room on the second floor. 

Upon arriving, he saw his father and mother talking amongst each other. They were conversing something about the state of Knights Academy. Yet, Veritas simply barged into the conversation of theirs. 

"Father.. Mother.. I've returned."

The two of them stared directly at Veritas. 

"How was it?"

"Lady Alice is quite... talkative. She seemed like she could talk for hours upon hours."

Veritas walked slowly, making his way in front of them.

"However.. I can confirm that she harbors no ill-intentions. She could really be a useful piece in the plan."

"That's good to know. Well done, Veritas." The King assured his actions.

Veritas then bid his farewells and headed towards his bed chambers.

Thinking back, Veritas realized that it hasn't even been a week since he had arrived back at Elrod. 

Yet.. so many things already happened! 

There was the Golden City, his unlocking of the Path, the mysterious attack of Alune, the unusual eeriness of the nightly streets, the Puppeteer, and his most-recent vision of the incident in Knights Academy. 

Veritas was befuddled. In the past, his life seemed stale and stagnant, only enjoying it through gambling which made him feel a sense of defeat. 

Born in a naturally-rich family, he felt as if he had everything. His parents were kind, he had a rich-background, people sucked up to him, and many more. That unfairness made him feel a tinge of disappointment. 

Thus, after meeting the Agalia brothers and learning the wonders of gambling, Veritas could feel his life lighten up. 

It was only months after he met the two, when he finally set off to defeat the Gargoyle Knight of the South, alone.

It was a ferocious task but he came victorious in the end. 

Additionally, he discovered pieces of history within the Ruins of Orph. So, that made him appreciate the specialty of lost history. 

Upon reaching the edges of his bed, Veritas dressed up for sleep and immediately laid down the soft fabric. He felt his body loosen up, and the tiredness soon swallowed his entire being. 

It was a long day.. a really long day.

Not only was he mentally tired, but his body has also been strained due to the incident in Copper Borough. 

This was a well-deserved rest that he needed.

With that, his eyes slowly closed. Feeling the soft winds caress his body, Veritas fell into a deep slumber.

That night, he dreamt of his time at the Ruins of Orph.