The Prince named King

On a far away kingdom lived a prince with the name King. He was born with only his right eye, his left eye is an empty socket. It is said that he was cursed by the Demon Lord, some say it was a prophecy that he will be the one who slays the Demon Lord and saves the world.

He was training himself in order to make the prophecy a reality. He was training with his mentor, a princess from an allied kingdom, princess Mars.

"King, your swings are too slow!", said Mars loudly. "Put more power into it! ", she added.

"I was !", King said while frustrated.

It's been over 5 years since they had started their training, ever since King was 10 years old. The training was hard and tedious but only because his teacher is the "battle princess". Mars is quite the character, she has flaming red hair just like her personality but also the elegance and perfectionist nature of a princess.

Dealing with Mars was a chore for King at the beginning, but slowly he started to get used to her teachings.

"Alright, I think that's it for today", Mars said while panting.

"You did pretty good today. I'm surprised, hahaha", she gleefully laughs.

"I've been doing this for 5 years straight. Don't you think I deserve more than a 'pretty good'", King sourly comments.

"Okay... you did great", Mars said while smiling and messing up King's hair.

They left the training ground and went to the castle's garden to relax. Mars then started a conversation.

"Oh, I just remembered I have something for you"

"What is it for?", King asked while still being exhausted.

"It's your birthday today isn't it?", Mars asked quite confused.

"Right, I forgot about it because of all this training", King answered while laughing awkwardly.

"Jeez, how can you forgot your own birthday. The whole kingdom is celebrating it you know", Mars comments while scowling, annoyed at the fact.

"Here, your present", Mars pulled out a small box from her pocket. The box was dented all over form her taking it to training.

"What's this?", King asked while observing the dented box.

"It's a surprise. Open it!", Mars answered while playfully laughing.

King opens the box. In it there was an eye patch made of leather. It looks like it was hand made, the stitches aren't neat and the leather wasn't cut correctly.

"Did you make this?", King asked while pulling out the eye patch from inside the box. Carefully he observes it and then he snickered. "hehe"

"So what? I made it just for you you know!", Mars angrily said to King. "I worked hard on it", Mars then pouted while crossing her arms, looking away from King.

"Hehe, I like it. But why an eye patch?", King asked.

"Eh? for your eye of course!", Mars said still mad at King.

"You don't need to. I already said I don't mind my eye", King said in a quiet tone, embarrassed from Mars's kind gesture.

"I know you mind. That's why I made it", Mars said while passing a faint smile on to King.

King's face was red ear to ear from blushing. He never knew his teacher was this caring for him. He always just cover his eye up with his hair, letting people see it. It was a little sad for him when people would look at him and be taken aback from looking at his eyeless socket.

Slowly he puts on the eye patch over his empty socket. It fits perfectly and it sits nicely on his face. Even though it doesn't look good, Mars still put a lot of care into making him that eye patch.

"Thanks...", King meekly said to Mars.

"Hehe... you're welcome", Mars respond while grinning cheerfully at King.

They then went back into the castle where King's party will be held. Looking around the place it was filled with decorations, food, and loads of flowers for King. He was a little taken aback by all of the decorations. Looking back, his other birthdays weren't like this one.

At the evening the party was held. Fireworks was fired into the quite night sky coloring the it in bright colors. Confetti was thrown into the direction of King, welcoming his arrival to the party. Music was playing all over the castle as the citizens cheers for the prince's birthday.

"This is too much", King said in a flat tone.

"I think this is appropriate for a king", Mars comments in a confident manner.

The king of the kingdom sits high up on the throne, welcoming King and Mars to the castle he goes down to greet them.

"King, my son! you're late", the king says to his son in a cheerful tone.

"This is your big day you know? did you forgot about it while training? HAHAHA", the king laughs in a hearty manner, making fun of his son.

King was red ear to ear hearing his father's mockery of him. Embarrassed he avoids his father's question with a question of his own.

"What's with the party? why is it so glamorous?", King asked while looking around trying to avoid his father's gaze.

"Oh, all this? we're also celebrating your coming of age party along with your birthday !", the king answers.

"Coming of age? father I'm 15", King appalled by his father's answer. "I'm barely an adult !", King added in an confused tone.

"It doesn't matter how old you are son. It's your maturity that matters", the king with a calm tone explained to his son. "You are becoming king when you're 18. So what's wrong with a coming of age party at 15?", the king added.

King just stares in silence at his father's remarks, perplexed by the reasoning of the king.

The party continues until midnight when the king is closing of the party with a speech he prepared for his subjects to hear.

"My loyal subjects, on this beautiful night today we have celebrated the birth on the prince, my son. I'm not just celebrating his birthday just for this reason though. This is a way for me to give my blessings to my son, King, the future of this kingdom and the hero of the world.", the king's speech echoed across the entire kingdom while the crowd cheers.

"He will lead us to a brighter future, a future not under the tyranny of the Demon Lord. But we will be freed from terror and live in peace. Let us pray for the success of our kingdoms future king and saviour! ", the crowd got louder as the king finished his speech.

"King, King, King. Long live the King!", the crowd cheered loudly piercing the ears of King. "Slay the Demon Lord !!!", the crowd cheered.

"Hero?", hearing the word sends King into a spiral of thoughts. "So this is what it's all about", King muttered to himself. This isn't about his birthday or his coming of age, it's all about announcing his journey to slay the Demon Lord.

Hearing the crowd cheering for his name just got him even more anxious.

As the party ended King went back to his chamber and slump down instantly on his bed. Laying there his thoughts ran wild, thinking about the speech.

"Hero... I can't imagine. How am I supposed to kill the Demon Lord? ", He asked himself.

"But I guess this is what all this for...", He still can't comprehend the fact he's the one that is going to save the world from the Demon Lord. The prophecy, ever since he heard of the prophecy his mind always has doubts about the truth of the prophecy. But, he managed to convince himself over the years that he was the chosen one, that he will become the 'hero'.

Suddenly a knock was heard outside his window. He approaches the window and opened the curtains. A familiar face appeared, it was his old friend Barnes, a pirate living at sea.

"What are you doing so late at night?", King asked in a playful manner.

"It's your birthday today isn't? why not celebrate?", Barnes said in a hearty tone.

Barnes has known King ever since they were kids. It was a fated meeting as they hit it off quite well. Unfortunately Barnes lives at sea so they don't see each other as often now.

Another voice can be herd from under Barnes, yelling at him and King.

"What's taking you so long? hurry up and bring him down! ", a familiar female voice, it's Mars.

"It can't be helped his tired!", Barnes argues with Mars.

Seeing the sight of his two most trusted companion calling for him King can't help himself but to indulge. He slowly went down the window and followed his to friends to their favourite tavern in the whole kingdom.

At the tavern they were met with familiar faces and kind gestures.

"King ! everyone, the future king is here!", the bar tender yells at everyone in the tavern, informing of King's arrival.

King can't help but blush at the remark. His face was red ear to ear. "heh, future king huh?", King thought to himself.

"Ohhh King's here", "King, have a seat", "King, it's on the house tonight", the tavern was filled with cheers and congrats to King, the night was just getting started.

King loves the atmosphere of the tavern. A lot of familiar faces and a familial kind of bond with everyone.

They drink the night away while singing songs and eating finger food. It was a good night for King to forget about everything at the end of the party.

At the end he felt relieved and relaxed after everything that happened. But, there was still that lingering thought in his head. The word 'hero' just in the back of his mind.

"You alright?", Barnes comforts King seeing his bothered expression.

"...", "Do you think I'll be able to become hero?", King hesitates but asked anyway knowing his best friend would understand.

"Worried about the prophecy again?", Barnes responded with a confronting tone.

"I'm sure it's real", he assured King of his doubts.

"But still...", "I don't know...", King still unsure of the truth he responds with a low tone.

"Of course it's real you idiot. You're King! How long have you been training for huh?", Barnes said in a confident manner, trying to reassure his doubtful friend.

"Yeah–yeah, that's right. I'm 'King'", King said in a confident tone, reassured of the fact.

Suddenly Mars clung on to both King and Barnes.

"Come on guys, *hic* the night's still young~", Mars said in a drunken manner. Passing out immediately after.

"HAHAHA, she's right you know", Barnes said while laughing. "Drink all of your worries away pal ! ", Barnes added.

"hehe, okay...", King responds while trying to hold his laugh.

The tavern was filled with joyous cheers as the night falls.

Soon King will have to start his journey becoming the saviour of the world.