The Lone Prince

Carlos woke up with a migraine and a sore neck. He rose from his bed and rubbed his eyes while he yawned. The bed he is on seemed to be... suspiciously comfortable. Due to this, even moving his worn-out legs would already be exhausting. He hugged his pillow tightly and opened his drowsy eyes. The bright sun greeted him, the clouds swam dallyingly through the skies, and the birds sang praises and hymns as they perched on the branches of a large tree. Seeing such a wonderful sight, he stepped out of his bed and felt the breeze outside his window. His hair flew along the wind, like flowers dancing gracefully. It's as if the universe blessed him with a beautiful morning after so many years. Suddenly, he was disturbed by a knock. "Your Majesty? May we come in?" says the maid from outside the door. Immediately, he fixed himself and replied, "Yes, you may!"

As the door opened, he was greeted by seven purple clothed maids entering his room. One by one they said "Good morning, Your Majesty." as they lined up before Carlos. "Good morning, is the swordsman going to join me for breakfast today?" asked the prince.

"We apologize again on behalf of the leader, Your Majesty, the leader is currently handling important matters. The leader will be absent in the manor for a few weeks, but the leader promises to join you once they solve their troubles." The first maid replied.

"I've been here in the manor for a week now, could they not spare some time? I have not yet thanked them for saving me. There should be something I could do for them as gratitude."

"We are not sure as to when exactly they'll be able to return to the manor, we can only wait, Your Majesty." The second maid answered.

Prince Carlos could only sigh. He walks out of the room looking down and is a little frustrated.

Under the bright crystal chandelier, the lone prince eats on his own. Though he was served with the most exquisite dishes, he still couldn't convince himself to smile. He wallowed in his loneliness. He longed to eat with someone, but none of the maids and the butlers dared to sit with him at the long half-empty dining table. The servants simply stood still on the left and right sides of the table, waiting for the prince's orders.

"I am saved, but I eat my meals and wait in my room alone. This is no different to what I was doing in the stronghold." Carlos says to himself. "But if my loneliness now will be quenched later, perhaps I'll wait for the swordsman longer. For now, I must enjoy my breakfast, after all it's been years since I tasted such a nice dish."

In the afternoon, the prince basks under the sunlight while reading the books that the leader had left for him. He reads all by himself, with no one to talk to about how he loved the story and how it intrigued him when he got to the part where the swordsman rescues a prince from a high tower. He sighs again, wondering when his swordsman will come back. And so, he ate his brioche and drank his tea alone in the garden.

At night, he looked fixedly at the stars in the sky from his room. He hasn't done so in years, so when he first came to the manor, he excitedly pointed and counted the stars and named each one of them. But now, he felt how alone he was and could only sigh. "When will I see my swordsman again? I haven't even seen their face yet." The prince said.

But then, when he turns around to walk towards his bed, he notices the winter coat the swordsman gifted to him. For a moment, he thinks. "Maybe I shouldn't have to wait." He grabs his coat. "Maybe I can go see them myself!" His smile widened when he thought of such an idea. He then hurriedly wore the clothes that the leader gifted to him and ran to the mirror. "Oh, I wonder what their faces will look like when they see me!" the prince says as he happily twirls to see how he looked in his clothes.

Carefully, he tiptoed towards the door, closed it behind him and walked away without making a sound. He quietly treaded the hallways, immediately hiding when he saw a patrolling guard. He has a long way to go, but he already knew the pathways well to not get lost. The manor was a simple place to be in with not that many rooms unlike the stronghold, he familiarized the place within one day effortlessly.

Finally, he runs downstairs and towards the large door. He stood before it, took a deep breath, then pulled the knob until it opened. Carlos excitedly runs outside, forgetting to close the door behind him. He runs freely with a wide smile on his face and his hair flowing with the wind. As fast as he could, he ran past the gates and finally out of the grasp of the manor. He let out a laugh while pausing from running, he then looked back at the manor and said, "I'll be back soon, but when I do, I'll make sure I have the leader with me"

Little did he know, the swordsman he so badly wanted to see was watching him in a window from afar. They chuckled as they watched the prince they saved run away from their manor.

"Superior Leader, should we not stop him?" one of the servants asked.

"No need, let him find what his heart desires. Let him be."

"But leader, the Asperity Palace is currently looking for him. Queen Anarchy sent out her men to find him, it is far too dangerous for him to travel on his own! He's going to get killed!"

"Don't worry, he has Fauna by his side. The leader of the Assassin Manor will not let harm come close to him while I handle some matters in the Capitol." the swordsman calms the anxious servant. "If she dares fail my order, she knows what will happen."