C18: Self-proclaimed Prince

Two days have passed since that morning.

Reya has been trying for the past few days to have a moment alone with her Father, but the King was always busy.

'Only when he talks that I should listen?' Reya fumes, rustling her hair on the bed. 'When I want to talk – I can't even have a single moment with him. He's too busy for my problems, I guess.'

She has decided that she will be telling her father about 'Elm.' She has decided that she is going to marry him at a royal wedding, welcoming him as the new Prince.

If the King crosses her decision, she would have to take the hard way up the mountain. Ending her Father's stupid reign.

'Elm, you must be waiting for me,' she ponders, sliding her soft feet into her pale shoes etched with diamonds. 'I'll come to you soon, Elm. Just wait for me. If Father agrees, we can marry even tomorrow. I need a King like you, who can guide me and all these people to a better future.'

"Princess, are you sure you should not braid your hair to meet with the King?" The maid asks her, gazing at her hair from behind.

The maid has come to prepare the King's daughter for the meeting with her father.

"Shut up, Lucy. I can take care of my own things. I can dress however I want," Reya snaps at her, rustling her hair even more.

"Princess! I –"

"I said shut up, Lucy."

The maid lowers her eyes, stepping backwards. She's shocked by the Princess's behavior.

'What an arrogant little bitch. She has no manners.' She curses from within, gazing at the Princess as she stomps out of her room.

"Maid Lucy. If you please be kind enough to step out of the Princess's room so that I can shut the door," Connor calls out to her, stepping aside at the doorway for the maid to step outside.

As Connor sees the princess, he begins to wonder about the moody face she has.

'Again, the Princess is acting strange.'

"Let's go, General Connor. He finally agrees to see me, after two whole bloody days," Reya orders to her personal guard.

Connor gulps upon seeing the Princess's fury. She has never acted this furious in her life before. What could have changed her behavior this fast?

///

The King stays seated in his private room, a golden cup of wine in his hand. He lays back in the soft cushioned chair he always adored, right by the warmth of the fireplace.

In front of him is the empty red chair, reserved for her daughter.

"Finally, James. Your daughter will come to meet with you out of her own will. As a father, I succeeded," he whispers, sipping the ethereal wine in his cup. "Mmm~ damn fine wine. Damn fine."

He gazes at the burning fire, sighing with exasperation.

He knows that his reign is coming to an end. Every part of his body is crumbling as this flaming throne burns every inch of his body and soul. A king must sacrifice himself to rule a Kingdom.

And he feels successful as a king. He has sacrificed himself already.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

"Yes? Is that her?" He calls out to the knight outside of the door.

"Yes, sir. Are you ready to meet – ok, Princess. I know, I know. Yes, he is waiting for you to come in – but, ok, ok. Sir, I'm letting her through –"

The door smashes open and in comes Princess Reya, her beautiful silver hair waving in the wind. She stands before the king, crossing her arms and furrowing her eyebrows.

"Dear, please take a seat. I was waiting for you." The King raises a glass to her daughter with a smile.

Reya shoots a maniacal glance at him, but she can no longer be furious after seeing the gleeful face of her Father.

"I – tch," she clicks her tongue, resisting her words and seating herself in the reserved chair. She gazes at her father's gleeful smile, and the anger washes away.

'Your kind smile might be the one keeping you alive still, Father,' she thinks to herself, forcing a smile on the corner of her lips.

"Dear, look what I got you there. A crystal white glass, your favorite," the King extends his hand, presenting the wine glass made out of crystals.

She gazes at it, her eyes in awe.

This is her favorite glass ever since she was a child. She could not admire the fact more that her father remembered this.

Reya lifts the glass of wine and keeps it to her lips, sipping the red wine. It has an ethereal taste. Her father's taste for wine is as good as ever.

"Now, sweetheart. Why don't you tell me why you wanted to meet with me? I took my time for the past two days for the matters in the kingdom so that I can save some more time for us today. You know, engage in a lovely father-to-daughter conversation. A royal bonding, am I right?" James smiles at her.

A brief silence overtakes the entire room after the King's Question.

The only people inside the room are Reya and James. The King and the Princess. The only sound that accompanies their silence is the sound of the burning firewood.

"Reya?" The King breaks the silence, resting his golden cup on the wooden table. "Are you feeling ok?"

Reya's eyes finally shift to the King's face. "Father, I've decided about the Prince that I am going to marry."

The King's expression turns to pure joy, a grin drawing on his lips.

"That's my girl! Finally, you've understood me. So, who is that you've decided on? Did the Prince of Loy really hit the charms on you?"

Reya furrows her eyebrows.

"No. None of those Princes you've recommended me, Father."

The King's gleeful smile turns to a frown, the liveliness in his long white beard draining along with it. "...what?"

Reya gazes straight into the King's eyes.

"Father, there is this elf I want to marry. Someone I've been talking to lately, without your knowledge. He's a good fit for a king. He's a good man with good ideologies and much power. He can rule. I can feel it in his presence. He's almost like Grandfather."

///

Outside, Connor stands in front of the door. Standing right beside him is the Magi Knight who keeps watch over the King's door.

"Dude, so rumors are saying you're into Rory, huh?"

"Rumors. Who believes rumors?" Connor gazes at the fellow knight with clear annoyance, radiating even through his helmet.

"I mean, everyone's saying it, man." The knight leans against the wall, shrugging.

'God this annoying prick won't shut up so that I can listen to that conversation, dammit,' Connor curses from within, leaning against the wall.

There's a certain silence beside the wall. An eerie silence.

Connor's interest piques right away.

"So yeah, I'm trying to hit on that chick called Meiri. Said Zid went on a date with her too. Dude, he said she's good in bed."

"Mhm." Connor removes his helmet, acting as if he is listening to the blabbering guard.

"Um, why remove the helmet? Haha." The guard laughs.

"Nothing, just for a breather," he replies, leaning his head against the wall, gazing at the guard.

When mana is applied to an elf's ear, the hearing only becomes sharper. So, while acting like he is giving his full attention to what the guard is saying, Connor keeps his ear against the wall and applies the slightest bit of mana into his long ear.

Sound waves bounce off the walls from within. It tickles up his ear, and words form within his mind.

"A prince?" Connor blurts out, just as he hears the Princess's remark.

"What?" The guard replies in confusion.

"No, sorry, please continue."

"Ok, so –"

Connor closes his eyes, digging his attention deeper into this conversation.

Right beside that wall, Reya is finally revealing the truth to her father.

"Is he even a Prince? What are you thinking, Reya? What if he was a man who wants to murder you? An enemy to the castle, huh?"

"Father, he is no such thing. If he wanted to kidnap me, he would've already done that a week ago when he infiltrated the castle without anyone's knowledge. He was the one who destroyed Morgana. He is powerful, Father. And – I think he can love me too."

The King furrows his eyebrows and stands up, pushing back his chair in fury.

"You'll do no such thing as marrying a self-proclaimed prince! That is the most idiotic thing you've ever said, Reya! And don't you dare compare him to your grandfather!"

Reya's face burns with anger. She rises to her feet in fury, just like her father.

"Well, if you are not letting me take a decision for my reign, I shall take it by myself. Mark my words, Father. You are unfit to be a king!"

"What – you dare speak like that to me!?"

Before James could scold the Princess further, she rushes out the door with blazing-hot eyes. Connor hops to the side as the Princess flings the door open.

"Connor! Let's go!" She shouts, making her way down the hallway.

"Reya! Stop playing games, child! This is no place for games! It's the throne that runs the entire kingdom! You are only being selfish!" The King cries out, rushing to the doorway.

Connor puts on his helmet, following the princess on her way.

"Connor! Where are you going!?" The King cries out to the dark knight.

The General seizes his movement midway, unable to decide whether to follow the Princess's order or the King's. The Princess turns around, gazing directly at Connor's face.

"You are my guard! Are you coming or are you staying with that dying old man?"

Connor gulps, turning to the King's side. The King and the guard is staring at the General, waiting for his answer.

"I'm sorry, King. Your order was to be by the Princess's side at all times. Your orders, not mine."