Wendell
The trio strolls down the grassy path nearing their destination as two knights come into view guarding the entrance. After the castle attack, defenses have been increased not merely at his home but in every single town. Even ordered now to report where he will be going so patrol can keep watch over him from the shadows. The prince can't complain and she is just taking extra precautions for his safety. Still, Wendell hopes a problem doesn't arise which may expose his identity as Frederick.
Considering what my mother told me earlier, I wonder if I'll be able to propose...
Before he left the castle this morning he had a short meeting with the queen. They lost a few soldiers during the palace raid though the outcome could've been far worse. Despite maintaining their high numbers, another dangerous factor still concerns her. The strong alchemy which was used is one method that can flip who has the upper hand. To balance out Henry's obvious advantage, she might need to reconsider making a treaty with Quincy. As a result, he would no longer be allowed to marry Kana, but that isn't set in stone quite yet.
Glancing at the brunette, Wendell plans to continue his double life to discover her heart. Although he won't propose until this whole situation with Khisenfire is over for certain. The prince can only pray she passes this test well and his mother is not forced to break her promise.
The girls guide him through the large metal gate arriving at a big tourist spot people enjoy visiting. Greenery surrounds them with various fruits and vegetables growing both high and low. The peaceful sound of chirping birds and the cool breeze create a nice atmosphere for being outdoors.
"Well, this is the community vineyard. It's where everyone living in Opal Forten and Rainswood crops grows," Kana says, taking the lead for their tour.
"Wow, it's so big. There are quite a few crops I've never even seen before..." Wendell mumbles, his blue eyes genuinely looking about in curiosity.
After school Kana suggested they stop by the vineyard since she's job-free until evening. Thankfully enough, he didn't have any lessons to rush home for either so it worked out just fine. Though the prince must show some surprise as Frederick, he hasn't made but a handful of trips there. Having a flourished garden back at the castle leaves little need to ever pay a visit.
"Old man Dalton is the official keeper of this vineyard. Since it's open up to the community, residents can earn quick money by pitching in. The crops later get sold at the marketplace for low prices," Saelufu further explains, this system much different compared to the capital and Everlane. Their crops come straight from the farming village of Pencent where they tend them to a fresh degree. On the contrary, such high-quality crops are quite costly for nobles to purchase.
"The main reason I wanted us to come was for you to try the wild berries. These only grow in the spring season and taste really good! They're specially grown in Calestra so it's hard to get them anywhere else." Kana changes the subject, and wild berries have always been his favorite fruit.
"We definitely don't have those back in Narrok at least. I look forward to seein if it's worth the excitement."
"Once we track Dalton down I'm sure he won't mind..." Kana's voice trails off and following her narrowed gaze a certain face has him internally groan. Oliver is joking nearby with two other teen boys who notice their presence. Strolling over the black-haired male doesn't look too happy, and he can already smell trouble fast on its way.
"And just what are you lot doing here?"
"Showing Frederick around the vineyard, not that it's any of your business." Saelufu crosses her arms awfully clear she isn't in the mood for his typical antics.
"My friends and I arrived first, so why can't you girls run along and find another place to waste your time. Oh, you're more than welcome to join us though, Frederick." Oliver adds, and he can only give a wry smile at the repeated irony.
If he knew my true identity Oliver wouldn't dream of offering that...
"No way, if our presence is an eyesore you guys should go!" Saelufu snaps back, and as usual, it's pointless to intervene when the two of them start arguing.
"How about we make a bet then? We'll play a little game and the losing team has to leave no ifs, and, or buts," Oliver challenges, staring the dwarf down though she doesn't hesitate in giving her answer.
"Alright, you're on!"
"Saelufu!" Both shout in unison to her agreeing without either of their consent. Finally coming to her senses, she glances at the upset pair with an apologetic smile. The dwarf fierce nature is one of her charming qualities, but now and again it can land him in quite the pickle.
"I'll fetch Dalton so he can be our supervisor. Best accept your defeat now because this win won't take us very long. Come on, I'm sure he's still working in the winery." Oliver and his gang bolt off out of sight as the shorter female slowly faces them.
"I'm gonna take a wild guess and say you two aren't happy..." She scratches her hair at their stretching silence before pumping a fist into the air. "Pipe up! We can totally win against Oliver and those chumps!"
She may poorly attempt to lift the heavy air but Kana simply releases a soft sigh.
"Who knows what game he has in mind, but I suppose it's too late to call this bet off. Sorry, you have to get dragged into all of this, Frederick. As you saw, Oliver isn't too fond of us."
The brunette seems a bit guilty over their contest, but this is the perfect shot to show his rival up, even if in disguise. Given all the prince has to swallow from him almost daily, it would be nice to see Oliver's reaction when they pull through a win. Feeling far more motivated to achieve victory, he gives Kana a small pat on the shoulder.
"Not your fault since Oliver is the one who pushed for a competition. The only option is to give it our all, and hopefully, we'll be the team that remains. We can even celebrate by tryin some of those wild berries you spoke about."
"...Okay, no matter the game let's show them what we're capable of!"
Kana reflects this optimism though his thoughts drift to a horrible scenario where their opponents come on top. The prince is irked to imagine Oliver's gloating face alone and they cannot afford to be defeated.
Luckily Dalton agrees to supervise their game and the six gather up by the winery. Oliver's focus for competition is stamina--a high-speed race they all are required to participate in. Recently the old man injured his foot, and now has trouble collecting the wild berries out of reach. The objective is to compete and see which team can obtain fifteen of them the fastest. Working as a tag team set up, only one runner will go to each carry back five clusters. These rules are pretty straightforward, and just running, he feels the odds might be in their favor.
"Remember kids, the wild berries are scattered between these two rows down the middle. Make certain not to mistake that with the rainbow grapes growing among them. It should be roughly fifty nice and ripe so neither team will end up falling short. When you grab five, put the fruit in this bucket right here and tag your next partner. Of course, whichever group finishes first will be declared the winners. Now decide on your running orders before we proceed," Dalton advises, and both teams quietly discuss their best lineup strategy.
Given that Saelufu is a fantastic runner they choose her first to gain a strong lead. Kana being rather slow will run second with him going last for the final stretch. Once their opponents have also made a decision the starting racers get into position.
"Okay, I hope you picked well. When I say the word, you two can begin... On your mark, get set, go!" On his cue, Saelufu, and Oliver zoom towards their desired trees.
The gray berries are very high up, needing to jump or possibly climb to reach most of them. An even greater problem for Saelufu with her small build, but this doesn't drag her down in the slightest. Speeding from branch to branch, she manages to claim herself a set of three.
"She's doing awesome so far!" Kana exclaims, already halfway done with her portion. His childhood pal has always been light on her feet, and he remembers the dwarf forever dusting him when racing as kids. If this momentum is maintained, they won't be going anywhere.
Oliver seems to have realized their growing lead with his icy glare not wavering from the current victor. Just when she hops up to grab her last one he shoves the dwarf hard off balance. Saelufu stumbles and nearly falls backward as he steals the cluster for himself.
"He can't go gettin physical like that! This is a race, not a brawl!" Wendell objects and one of the boys snicker.
"Oliver only tapped her and there were no rules stating against it. Maybe the midget can't handle racing with the rest of us humans. Besides, her misfortune is the reason you guys are gonna lose this race."
Both shoot him a glare though before Dalton can protest, she continues running again. While trying to catch up a devious smirk forms on the dwarf's lips he's quite familiar with. Slowing down, Saelufu peeps over her shoulder and he hopes whatever plan this is will work.
"Ah, I didn't expect you to stop by, Wendell?!"
The bluff has his rival stop dead in his tracks.
"Huh, why is that lousy prince here?!"
The distraction successfully grants Saelufu the opportunity to fly right past the baffled boy.
"Sorry, made you look!" She sticks out her tongue as the dwarf easily reclaims her original lead, much to their luck. When reaching the bucket she drops in her five clusters before tagging Kana to start. Oliver's fury is priceless as he stomps further behind her practically slamming his own in.
Kana and a red-haired boy named Callius compete next. The stoic teen is much faster than Oliver picking the wild berries one after another. However with Kana's height, she makes up for in reach what she lacks in speed. This plus the small gap Saelufu created has them still beating the boys by a pinch.
When the brunette rushes past him, she suddenly tumbles face forward. The girl drops everything collected on the ground as he leaps over her completely unfazed. The way Kana fell looked so awkward that it takes mere seconds to process what their opponent just did.
"Callius tripped her like you pushed me! I guess dirty tactics are the only means you cheaters could have in winning. Can't even do a stupid race against you fair and square!"
"Kana's so clumsy she probably tripped over her own two feet, and what about the trick you pulled on me?!" Oliver snaps back.
The two shouting grows louder but it's drowned out by a disheartened teammate who lacks the courage to keep going. Callius has collected all of his berries currently heading back for their final runner. Regardless if they do end up losing by foul play, it can't be from her forfeiting.
"There's still a chance, Kana! Don't quit and give'em that satisfaction! Remember why you brought me here in the first place!"
His encouraging words do light a spark under her as she gathers the dropped fruit in haste. Fetching the fifth cluster, Kana tries her best to catch up with her long legs pushing harder than before. Unfortunately when ending her turn, the others still have a decent lead. Their third opponent, Jonathan, is holding onto three clusters as he goes for his fourth. Even tying up appears impossible at this point, but he doesn't plan on throwing in the towel.
Wendell runs at full capacity his body will allow while safely keeping a firm hold on his hat. The last thing he needs is for it to blow off pulling the wig along and thus exposing his true identity. Accepting a loss to Oliver is easier to manage than Kana discovering his secret.
Despite the nice pace he's moving at, Jonathan has gathered all five. Snatching his final cluster off the tree as he sprints for the bucket. Right when thinking failure is inevitable a miracle happens. The ginger falls flat on his buttocks with a grunt having tripped over berries Oliver dropped earlier. Perhaps it's karma firing back at them, and the prince wastes no time retrieving his remaining two.
Now it's simply a race to the finish line!
Exchanging glances both zoom towards the winery with each team cheering their friend's name. Down at the wire, Wendell just reaches his goal milliseconds ahead of him. The prince collapses to the ground winded as Dalton confirms their remarkable success.
"And Saelufu's team brings forth the victory!"
"Argh, we were so close! If it wasn't for your slip up back there we could've won!" Oliver argues, the ginger rolling his eyes.
"At least I...didn't drop...the wrong berries in the middle of the road."
Though his limbs are in agony their win makes it all worthwhile. That and watching Oliver's scowl as he wildly kicks the dirt in frustration. Both girls congratulate him on pulling off such an outstanding comeback.
"This boy might've won the race, but truth be told, I would have chosen them anyway. Once you went pushing Saelufu around that was crossing the line. If you ain't gonna play modestly don't bother holding a competition to begin with," Dalton lectures, the three youths not uttering a word.
"A deal is a deal so it's about time you lot disappear, hmm." The dwarf smirks as Oliver's friends flee the area, their heads hanging low in shame.
"Good race, Frederick. For a country boy, you're a pretty fast runner."
Wendell is left stunned by his half praise prior to Oliver taking leave after the others.
A soft touch grabs the prince's attention as the culprit flops down beside him. Her initial look of defeat is long gone with the brunette smiling from ear-to-ear. Fortunately, she didn't get hurt from Callius's sabotage but he does notice a tiny scrape on her knee.
"You alright, Kana? Even if your wound isn't bleeding it can still sting. Those jerks shouldn't been pushin you girls around like that," he grumbles, further examining the injury yet a giggle escapes her lips.
"You're sweet but I'm honestly fine! I wanted to thank you for motivating me when I was ready to call it quits. Now, let's celebrate our win with some much-deserved wild berries! The ones we just picked are nice and fresh." Kana hands a plump berry for him to taste, and they relax at the vineyard their whole afternoon.
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A fancy carriage pulls to a stop directly in front of the elite academy. Wendell gives thanks to the rider before he steps out making way towards the entrance. Although the prince has been a few times already, he still can't get over the massive size.
The Royal Warriors Association is a huge white building guarded with red flags by the doors. A small pond sits right in the middle of the entryway and benches are off to the sides where people can rest. It's not such an understatement to say this academy is nearly large as his own home.
Even inside is well furnished with burgundy carpet floors that match the decorative wallpaper. Various shields plus achievements put on display fill up the endless halls. Luckily, Wendell is able to navigate the maze quite easily since he has grown up in a castle.
The prince maneuvers through the crowd of people, several giving him formal greetings and proper respects. Like Saelufu had warned, it's much different there than at the schoolhouse being Frederick. Attending as himself brings a lot more unwanted attention, but to grow stronger, this establishment is the best option.
Finally reaching his designated room, he enters the one for swordsmanship. This academy teaches several areas of combat including hammers, spears, archery, and bearing a shield. Most people who sign up are training in hopes to join the royal army one day. Still, others simply do so to learn good self-defense tactics.
Wendell quickly takes a seat on the floor as a middle-aged man strolls in front of the room. His dark red hair is combed back with a fresh shave, and his deep gray eyes count the students present. A couple of battle scars cover his body, the most noticeable gash under his left eye. Despite Gardulf's intimidating appearance, he is a kind man and a great instructor.
"Alright class, for the past few lessons I've been teaching you the basics. Now starting today things will pick up a bit, and your practice swords can have some real use. To get an idea where everybody's at, I'm gonna do a small face-off with each of you individually."
A mixture of nervous and excited whispers pass around about their active lesson. Wendell, however, feels a tad anxious--silently praying he doesn't embarrass himself. Because the prince has forehand experience will increase their expectations, and he never was one to perform well with an audience.
"Now the first up will be..." He slowly scans the room and unfortunately, makes eye contact with the ash-blonde. "Your Highness, how do you feel about setting an example for your fellow peers?"
Why does it have to be me?
"I, um,..." he stampers, dropping his head, unable to force out any response. Wendell just knows the whole class gaze is upon him adding to the pressure. A snicker breaks the awkward silence coming from none other than Oliver.
"By all means, if he doesn't want to do it then please allow me, Sir."
The prince shoots a glare with a cocky smirk planted on his rival's lips. Jittery as he may be, there's no way he will coward down giving Oliver the chance to brag later. This motivation spiking fast has him spring up on his feet in protest.
"No, I'll go!"
"Alright, that's the spirit! Since you have undergone training back home, I won't go quite as easy on you. Now, let's see how much you have already learned." He tosses him a training sword and the two both take a battle stance.
Everyone watches intensely while the older male waits for him to strike with an amused grin. Honestly, Wendell isn't sure what kind of strategy to execute as the first one up. The situation won't change by prolonging it so he charges forward giving a hard swing. Just that quickly, Gardulf blocks this as well as his follow-up attacks afterward.
I know Gardulf said he'll put in a bit more effort but it's like he's predicting my every move!
Finally, Gardulf gives a swing of his own which sends the prince stumbling backward. He barely manages to gain his balance but is at a complete loss on what to try next. At this rate, he'll not only make a fool of himself but it also proves he learned nothing these past two years.
"I can tell you're a bit nervous by how tight your grip is alone. It can raise anxiety when you're the person picked to set things in motion. Nobody's made mistakes for you to learn from, and they may expect more given your royal background. But I want you to throw all those anxious thoughts aside to focus on the battle in front of you. Imagine this is a typical day of training like with your old teacher," he encourages, the prince slowly nodding.
"R-Right, I'll keep that in mind." Wendell moves back to his original stance and takes a deep breath to calm his nerves.
He faced off against Roland plenty of times during their private lessons, and he tries to recall what helpful tips the old man had taught him. For starters, this wooden stick isn't his sole weapon as using other limbs or nearby obstacles is very beneficial during combat. Without applying such knowledge, instead of relentless attacks, he will get nowhere in this fight.
In their second round, Wendell's swings are swifter since he has a comfortable grip. Even attempting to trip the captain although he instantly blocks his leg kick. The prince stays cautious, his defenses strong but strikes when there is an opening. They don't scuffle much longer before Gardulf holds up his hand.
"Alright, I'll cut it here. Way better this time around, Your Highness. Once the kindled determination swallowed your fear, an inner potential inside of you began to show. I can tell your previous trainer coached you well, but there's always room for improvement."
Wendell releases a sigh in relief with his turn over, and fellow students exchange quiet praises on a well-handled battle. Retaking a seat amongst his peers, he hears Oliver click his tongue behind him which curves a tiny smile. Right now, the prince remains far from mastering the art of swordsmanship, but not giving in the day when he can stand tall will surely come.

A/N This chapter is up a l
ittle earlier than planned. Please don't be a silent reader as I enjoy reading your comments. Next update the last main character that hasn't been introduced will make his appearance.