Chapter Fifty Eight

"I win, checkmate." Prince Noah said making his last chess move.

"Again..." I said letting my head fall, feeling defeated.

A few hours earlier I asked what was Prince Noah's schedule and he answered he was going to just be in his room for the rest of the day.

So I thought 'He has been like this lately, barely leaving his room. And it is still in the middle of the day…Should I do something?'

And then an idea came to me. Since Prince Noah was in such a good mood earlier I thought it would be nice to finally act as what I was supposed to be: Prince Noah's playmate.

So I suggested that we could play with cards or any board game since he didn't seem to want to leave his room. I just wanted him to have a good time for the rest of the day.

But, after Prince Noah agreed and we started playing I realized how bad was this idea.

All the card games he wanted me to play with him were unknown to me, they seemed to be all unique from this world, or at least I've never heard of any of them in my past life. So of course, I just kept losing.

Tired of the same results I quickly pointed out the chess set in his room and suggested we play it. I was optimistic that this one I wouldn't lose so easily. 

But I was wrong.

Prince Noah has been playing chess since he was five years old, but I've only played chess a few times in my past life, and I was never good at it. I barely knew what I should do to win.

'The computer always helped to know where each different chess piece can move, but in real life, there is nothing like that! I always forget how the knight moves…' I thought embarrassed, remembering how Prince Noah had to constantly tell me the rules.

"Sorry, Your Highness. It must have been boring playing with someone as horrible at games as I am." I apologized, feeling like a loser.

'I was trying to cheer him up but I ended up just boring and annoying him in the end. I am useless…' I thought, ashamed of myself.

"No, not at all, this was quite…interesting." Prince Noah said while setting up the chessboard again.

"Interesting you say?" I asked, thinking he was making fun of me.

"Yes." Prince Noah answered nodding while still focused on setting up the chessboard.

"How so?" I asked confused.

"Well, every single match you never gave up even when you were completely losing, this is quite commendable." Prince Noah explained, and to my surprise, he seemed to mean it.

I chuckled. "Is this even a good thing? It sounds like I'm just stubborn and stupid."

"No, you are not stupid for being persistent. This is how you learn and improve at anything. If you don't keep trying you will never get better and succeed." Prince Noah stated, suddenly being serious.

"Oh, you are right, Your Highness." I said, surprised by how mature he sounded.

"Of course I am." Prince Noah said with his usual arrogant attitude crossing his arms.

I chuckled. 

'It seems it wasn't a complete loss of time, then. But, if I will be Prince Noah's companion I should at least try to learn some of the games the kids of this world play.' I thought looking at Prince Noah who was back again setting the chessboard.

'He must love chess to be this interested in playing again against someone as bad as me.' I thought looking at Prince Noah, noticing how he seemed to be in a good mood while setting the chessboard.

When were about to start a new match, suddenly, someone knocked on the door of Prince Noah's room. It was a woman, and she was calling for Prince Noah.

"Excuse me, Your Highness, are you in your room?"

I looked at Prince Noah expecting him to say something, but he just stayed quiet.

"Your Highness?" The woman called for him again.

"Should I open the door for her, Your Highness?" I whispered, asking Prince Noah. I was confused about his lack of response.

Prince Noah looked at me and sighed. 

"You may come in." He said loudly looking in the direction of the door.

A maid opened the door. She was a young woman with dark hair and eyes, judging by her demeanor she seemed humble and calm.

'I don't think she is one of Prince Noah's maids.' I noticed, looking at her realizing she wasn't one of the maids who usually serve Prince Noah. 

"Greetings, Your Highness." The maid said, bowing. "I am Anna, Princess Isabel's maid."

"Yes, I know. What are you doing here?" Prince Noah asked in an annoyed tone while crossing his arms.

The maid didn't seem to be affected by his harsh tone, she just kept standing calmly in front of us.

"The princess ordered me to invite Your Highness to have dinner with her, Prince Dylan, and all the royal children currently in the palace. Princess Isabel insists for you to come, Your Highness." The maid with a serious tone conveyed the message.

'Dinner with the royal children?' I asked myself surprised looking at Prince Noah.

"Again?! Didn't I tell her already that I won't go?!" Prince Noah shouted mad.

'Again?' I thought, confused, but then I remembered what Prince Noah shouted while leaving the princess room earlier today.

["I told you I won't go already, stop bothering me!"]

'That was what Prince Noah was shouting about.' I realized.

Anna, the maid, hesitantly said. 

"Princess Isabel ordered me to tell you that joining your siblings and the other royal children tonight would be in your best interest, Your Highness. The princess said that this is the only way for them to-"

Prince Noah interrupted her.

"Stop talking! I don't care about them!" Prince Noah shouted getting up from his seat, furious.

I was startled by him, and I wasn't the only one, the maid who was calm before, became tense not daring to raise her eyes from the floor after Prince Noah shouted at her. She seemed to even be trembling a little.

'Although Prince Noah is just a kid, he is a prince and a fire mage. Though I never saw him abusing his power in this way, it is still a bit scary knowing a child has such political and destructive magical power in his hands. And it can be even scarier if this child seems to be furious at you.' I thought, pitying the maid.

I got up from the chair and said trying to help the maid. "Calm down, Your Highness, she is just delivering a message."

Prince Noah gritted his teeth while glaring at the maid. For a moment I thought he was going to shout again, but he didn't, he kept his composure as he said firmly. "Leave. I won't go to the dinner, this is my answer. So just pass it to my sister."

"Y-Yes, Your Highness." The maid said, bowing.

But before she could leave Prince Noah added. "Also tell my sister to not send anyone here again, this was my final answer, do you understand?"

"Yes, Your Highness..." Anna answered, powerlessly, before she left.

After the door was shut, Prince Noah clenched his fists tensely, looking at the floor. 

"...Are you alright, Your Highness?" I asked, cautiously.

"Do I look alright?" Prince Noah asked in a rude tone while looking away. 

'Of course not.' I thought what I couldn't say. 

"Why…Why are you mad about being invited to have dinner with your family, Your Highness?" I asked, trying to understand him.

"It is not about the dinner." Prince Noah said, clenching his fists. 

"Then, why is it, Your Highness?" I insisted, worried.

"It is because no one wants me to be there!" Prince Noah shouted with shame in his voice.

"Why do you say that, Your Highness?" I asked, confused.

Prince Noah looked away in silence. He seemed hesitant to answer me.

"...Because of a lot of things, Alex. They just hate me."

"Hate you?" I asked, out of surprise, and Prince Noah nodded, weakly.

'Why would they hate him? Perhaps…'

"Is it because you are a fire mage, Your Highness?" I asked, recalling how Prince Noah was the only widely known royalty born without 'royal magic' since all the others born without royal magic were killed before it became public. 

Prince Noah didn't answer, he kept looking away, ashamed. His lack of an answer seemed like an affirmation to me.

All these days I've been with Prince Noah I've seen enough to understand that he is not the most respected figure in the palace. 

I remembered how in the first few days when Prince Noah started calling me to accompany him to his meals he was shaken up by the horrible comments made by some nobles about him being a fire mage. 

'If nobles talk like that, so openly diminishing him, then I can imagine the other royals might not be any different.' I realized feeling a bitter taste in my mouth.

Even Erick, a child, thought it was fine to act rude and arrogant towards Prince Noah in front of others inside the palace walls. 

'Maybe that is why he wants to avoid them and not go to dinner with the princess and the other royal children. He might not want to deal with their constant rudeness and hateful comments.' I thought, but then I realized. 'Wait, is that why he has been stuck in his room all these days since the guests arrived?'

"Your Highness, the reason why you lately have been passing most of your days in your room and even had your meals here was all because you wanted to avoid encountering any of the royal guests?" I asked, to be sure.

Prince Noah nodded weakly as he was looking away. "...Yes."

Looking at Prince Noah's saddened face made my heart ache. 

'I know how hard is to be around people that despise you.' I thought, remindful of my days locked in the northwest area of the palace.

The easy way is to distance yourself because it's hard to feel their hateful eyes judging everything about you or hear their constant despicable and hurtful comments. You just feel powerless and are afraid of being near them, the less noticed you are better you feel.

'But this is just wrong! The northwest area was never my home. All I wanted was to leave that place, but what about Prince Noah? What can he do? Hide himself from others in his own home? This is not fair.' I thought, mad.

I bit my lips and clenched my fists. I wanted to shout furiously about how unfair everything was but I refrained myself. The last thing Prince Noah needed was someone shouting at him about something he was tired of knowing already since he had been dealing with it for years.

'He has been dealing with this frustration and anger for so long, it is not surprising he is a 'hot-headed' child with temper issues. It is not his fault for being this way.'

I took a deep breath and with the calmest voice I could I asked Prince Noah. "Your Highness, may I tell you something? I think it might be helpful."

Prince Noah looked at me and hesitantly asked. "...What is it?"

"You see, Your Highness, it is hard to be different. Sometimes you suffer for things you are not to be blamed for, for things you have no control like who you are and how you were born. People can be pretty mean and even hateful towards anyone who is different even though they shouldn't. That is just how unfair life is. But it isn't just because life is unfair and people are hateful that we should do nothing about it. In situations like this, I can only see two things someone can do which are: leave the place that wronged them behind or fight for their place in it. And that is why I want to ask you, Your Highness, what do you want? Do you want to keep reclusing yourself until you can leave this place or do you want to stay here and be the prince of this nation which is your right from birth?" I asked, firmly, looking into his eyes.

PrinceNoah looked away at first, he seemed pensive, but then when he looked at me again he just seemed desolated. 

"I want to live here as a prince but I…I just don't know what to do anymore. They always make harsh comments about me, just to make me lose my temper, and then make me get into trouble for it. I can't use force against them, but I don't know how to respond to them either, because they are right, I am a failure." He said on the verge of tears.

"No, you are not a failure, Your Highness! I've been following you around every day and I can tell you for sure you are not a failure. You are so diligent, you always try your best at everything you do. You are advanced in your studies, you are amazing at swordsmanship and you are a powerful mage! You are great at everything you do, how can you be a failure?" I asked, with genuine worry about how low he saw himself.

Prince Noah looked at me surprised, he seemed touched by my words for a brief moment, but then he seemed hopeless again.

"I…I am still a fire mage, Alex. It doesn't matter how hard I try, I don't have royal magic. I am a prince but I am just a fire mage. I will never be good enough. I am pathetic." Prince Noah said with his voice full of shame.

I've never hated myself as much as did at this moment. 

I wanted to yell my lungs off about how the royals Prince Noah looked up to were all murderers. How the royal family has been killing every royal child born with any magic besides "royal magic". I wanted to tell him that if someone should be ashamed it was them, not him. I wanted to tell him all I knew. I wanted him to know the truth.

But I couldn't. Because I was too afraid of it backfiring at me.

Blinded by my frustration and anger I asked. "...So what if you are a fire mage?" 

Prince Noah shouted in response. "You know the royals from our nation are known for being light or lightning mages only, but I am a fire mage! We have the obligation of fighting against the chaos beasts, but I can't…I can't do my duty as a royal because I am a fire mage. I am a failure." 

"If you are a failure, then all royals are failures as well." I said, clenching my fists. 

"Alex!" Prince Noah shouted in a reprehensive tone. But I didn't stop.

"What? Am I wrong? The majority of the royals are just lightning mages, they have no advantage against fire mages in no way or form. Just like you, they can't do much against chaos monsters, only light and dark mages can, but does it make them less of royalty to you?"

Prince Noah weakly shook his head, astonished. "N-No, of course not."

"Then, why does it make you less of a royal, Your Highness?" I asked with a serious tone looking into his eyes.

Prince Noah seemed to be in shock, he had no words to answer me.

Sometimes when you are so deep into the oppressive lies of society it might be hard to see the obvious truth.

'And it must be shocking to hear it too.' I thought, looking at Prince Noah who was still troubled with my words.

"I hope you can see that they are no better than you, Your Highness…For me, you are actually way better than any of them." I said, meaning it. 

Prince Noah took it differently than I expected. He stayed quiet and expressionless. It was hard to read his feelings and thoughts. It was difficult to predict what he was going to do.

"Alex." He called me in a serious tone.

For a moment I thought he was going to reprehend me because I went too far and disrespected the royalty. For this brief moment, I really thought I was getting in trouble.

But when I saw the weak smile on Prince Noah's face I felt relieved. 

"Thank you." He said.

I was about to say 'No need to thank me' but I refrained myself, and so I smiled back, feeling glad that my words reached him.

When Prince Noah's smile faded away, his eyes seemed to be full of determination.

"Alex, can you please call the maids?" He suddenly asked me in a firm tone

"Why?" I asked confused.

"Because I changed my mind. I am going to dinner with my siblings and the guests tonight."