Build Up.

If someone was able to slip in and out of the royal castle without being detected by our sentries, watchtowers, or the elite guard that surrounds the queen's room, then the person we're dealing with is no joke.

"Zorro, do as I say. Double the number of guards on patrol. Keep watchers on all watchtowers on full alert till dawn and lock down the queen's wing. No one can enter or exit that wing unless you say so. You stay at the entrance to the wing and guard it. I will try to find out more about this key."

"Why so many preparations, Ed?" Zorro asked, confused.

"I believe that this person will be at it again tonight." I said, looking into their eyes.

"Why do you think so?" Hagen asked, now walking in front of Zorro and standing by my side.

"Obviously, this pouch had no intention of being left behind. Whoever left it, I believe, was in a hurry and didn't check to see if they left something behind while scurrying back." I said, holding up the pouch to the light.

Hagen tilted his head. It seemed like he couldn't follow what was going on.

"From what I can tell, this was an attempt to frame me. Being the gullible idiot that I am, I went to my mother's room last night. The killer probably crept in after I left, dressed up like me or like a maid, since my mother wouldn't have noticed. She had put out the lights just as I closed the door to leave." 

Zorro got visibly irritated.

"You couldn't be more self-centered than this? Why would someone want to frame you out of all the people in this castle?" Zorro asked, in a dismissive tone.

"I'm not joking. I seriously believe someone is out to get me. I just don't know who it is or why. I need to find them and stop them before they lay hands on my mother." I replied.

"Stop with the self-centered blabbering." Zorro shrugged his shoulders, and turned to face the door.

Hagen still couldn't follow me or Zorro.

"I'm not self-centered. Take a look at this situation from the outside. I am a good-for-nothing prince who does nothing but laze around all day, and I just had a huge fight with my mother the other day. If you look at it this way, I'm way too good to be a fall guy. To take the blame from whoever wants to get rid of Queen Isabelle."

"Okay, I will do as you say for tonight, but if no one shows up, all the extra guards on patrol will be complaining." 

"I will compensate them heartily. You can leave now." I said, and turned my attention to the key.

"Huh?"

"You can leave."

Zorro's face got all flustered as I said that.

"What!? What has gotten into you, Ed? After all this, I only get a 'You can leave?!'' No thank you, or any sort of acknowledgement?"

I fell back into my bed, pulled the sheet over myself, and grumbled.

"Leave."

Zorro slammed the door behind me as he left, and Hagen followed suit too. I immediately sat up and started looking at the key again.

For some reason, I felt as if something was off. Pocketing the key, I opened my wardrobe to get my sword and armor.

The sheath of the sword glimmered among the other things I had lying in there, like it was begging me to use it in combat.

Now that I think about it, this pouch could have been planted there voluntarily as a ruse to lure out extra security as well. The person who left it really wants to put on a show, huh?

I looked at the scar on my left hand and let out a big sigh.

"I'll be on watch tonight."

I whittled away my time as the evening sun drooped low and night fell.

The sky descended into pitch black as I sat atop one of the old watchtowers, fully suited up and waiting.

It was very cold that night, and it started snowing. The castle, draped in snow, looked beautiful.

It was so still and silent that I could listen to people walking in the distance just by putting my ear to the ground and seeing individual snowflakes fall to the ground from afar.

I made my way across the courtyard, and a nice breeze started to pick up. I climbed the watchtower and looked out into the valley toward the city of Amberhelm.

The view from the watchtower was marvelous.

I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder, and I turned around to see Hagen, also fully suited up.

"You also wanted to stay on watch tonight, Ed? He asked with a slight smirk on his face.

"Y-yeah." I shrugged, a small smile escaping my mouth.

"Since you're suited up, unlike last time, why don't we have a friendly duel? He asked, sounding confident in his words and pulling his sword out of its sheath. It was a scary-looking sword.

"Are you still thinking that I'm seriously going to accept your offer?" I said it in a dismissive tone, hoping to discourage him. I really didn't want to face him now.

I have seldom seen it in action, but it's a normal-looking sword that can extend with the press of a button on its hilt, and it turns into a sharp whip. A truly lethal weapon, befitting someone like my brother.

"Do you plan on using that sword to its fullest extent?" I asked, nervously glancing at the sword.

"No, I don't think I need to resort to something like that. Just a basic sword is more than enough for me to handle you. He said, arrogance-laden in his voice.

For just a moment, I wanted to beat that arrogance out of him. Realistically speaking, I had no chance of beating him.

"Alright, let's head for the training grounds and see who's better. I said, my voice a little shaky from challenging my brother. Going up against a person who will give Zorro a hard time is a death sentence for me, but backing down now, my brother will never let me live up to it.

We were making our way to the training grounds and encountered Valeria on the way. "My my, if it isn't the future heirs of the kingdom we have just strolling here in the dead of night." She said that and bowed to give us her respect. 

"May I know what you're up to, my highness? I'm pretty sure you two aren't supposed to be roaming around for no reason."

"Oh, it's nothing major. Ed and I had a score to settle, so we were heading out to do just that. Our queen really dislikes it if we duel, so we decided we'd do it in the dead of night, away from the eyes of our caring queen and mother." Hagen said, a serious tone in his voice.

As we continued toward the training grounds, Valeria's eyes sparkled with a mixture of amusement and curiosity. "A secret duel under the moonlight, how romantic," she quipped, her lips curling into a mischievous smile. "Just be careful not to wake the entire castle with your clashing blades. It wouldn't do to have the queen's wrath rain down upon you."