Four years had passed since Aiden was born into this world. His birth was a joyous occasion for his father, the king of the kingdom, who received many congratulations letters from his allies and vassals. Aiden was a very clever boy, who learned to walk by the time he was four years old. He could also nod and sometimes act like he understood the words that the maids and his parents said, but it only made him cuter with his chubby face filled with baby fat.
Nothing much happened in the past four years that was worth noticing. Aiden lived a peaceful and comfortable life in the royal palace, surrounded by people who loved and cared for him. He had no idea how this world operated, but he learned some things by listening to the nanny who spoke to him while he was in the cradle.
"Did you know, my little prince, that there are many different countries and races in this world? Some of them are friendly, some of them are hostile, and some of them are neutral. You will have to deal with them when you grow up and become the emperor .But don't worry, you have your father and mother to guide you, and your uncle to protect you. He is the strongest and most loyal knight in the kingdom, you know. He is also very handsome and charming, but he is still single. I wonder why..."
Aiden listened to the nanny's ramblings with a curious expression. He didn't care about romance stuff the maids but he still listened to grasp the language they were using. He just wanted to know how this world worked.And to this day since he was reborn he had many people he trusted and also some people he was annoyed to be around. The people he trusted were his parents, who always showered him with love and affection, Natalie, his chief maid, who was kind and gentle, and Jake, a knight who was always guarding him, who was somewhat super serious and mute. He was skeptical of them at first, but after four years, he found them somewhat trustable.
As for the people he was annoyed to be around, there were many, but the one he found the most annoying was...
"Ahem....I have an urgent matter to discuss with Aiden. Please excuse us for a moment." A voice interrupted Aiden's thoughts. He looked up and saw his uncle, the king's younger brother, standing at the door of his room. He had a stern face and a cold gaze, and he was wearing a full armor. He looked like a serious and reliable person, but Aiden knew better than that.
He hated his uncle. He hated how he always barged into his room without knocking, how he always ordered the others to leave him alone with him and how he always hugged him,kissed him,tickled him and called him with annoying names. He hated how he always tried to make him laugh and smile, when he wanted to be left alone. He hated how he always acted like a silly and unreliable person, when he was supposed to be a commender of the frontline and a knight.
"Unnnkle, whqt do chu wannn?" Aiden asked with a frown while trying his best to make his pronunciation clear.
"Now, everyone, please leave us. This won't take long." His uncle said, waving his hand at the people in the room. Natalie and Jake looked at Aiden with concern, but they obeyed his uncle's command and left the room. They knew better than to argue with him. He was the king's brother, after all.
When they were gone, his uncle looked around the room to see if anyone was hiding. He then closed the door and locked it. He then turned to Aiden and smiled. He took off his helmet and threw it on the floor. He then ran towards Aiden and picked him up. He hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek.
"Ahh, I missed you so much, my little angel. You have no idea how hard it is to be away from you. I'm sorry I couldn't visit you sooner. I was busy with some important missions. But I'm here now, and I won't let you go. You're mine, mine, mine.Hahahaha!" His uncle said, squeezing Aiden in his arms.
Aiden felt suffocated by his uncle's embrace. He tried to push him away, but his uncle was too strong. He tried to scream, but his uncle covered his mouth. He tried to bite, but his uncle dodged. He tried to kick, but his uncle held his legs. He was trapped.He never felt this helpless in his previous life and in this life but he still console himself by saying that this is better than dealing with with unknown warm emotions.
But he knew it was useless. His uncle would not let him go. His uncle would not stop bothering him. His uncle would not change his ways. His uncle was his uncle although he hated him.He resigned himself to his fate after a long struggle.
After a while his uncle looked at Aiden's face and saw his frown. He thought that Aiden was sulking because he hadn't come to visit earlier. He felt warm and tried to cheer him up.
"Don't be mad at me,my nephew. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I'll make it up to you. I'll do anything you want. Do you want a candy? A toy? A pony? A dragon? Just name it, and I'll get it for you. Anything for my little Aiden." His uncle said, making a puppy face which would make all the people who saw this scene say that he was a fake one instead of the real Ocatvius.
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His uncle finally let him go and left the room after awhile. He put on his helmet and his stern face again. He looked like a cold and ruthless person, who had nothing to do with the silly and unreliable person who had just hugged and kissed Aiden.It was a complete
change from before that left him stupidfied but he got used to it after seeing it for many times.
He walked down the corridor, heading towards the exit. He had to report to his brother, the king, about his mission. He had just returned from a dangerous and secret operation, involving some enemies of the kingdom. He had to be careful not to reveal any information to anyone, except the king.
He was about to reach the door, when he suddenly felt a chill down his spine. He sensed a powerful and hostile presence behind him. He turned around, ready to fight, but he saw no one. He wondered if he was imagining things, or if someone was hiding in the shadows.
He decided to ignore it and continue his way. He reached for the door handle, but before he could open it,He felt a surge of fear and dread. He slowly turned his head looked through the windows of the palace to spot a face that he never wanted to see.
In the martial training grounds of Karlugos which was besides Aiden's Palace, the sun had barely kissed the sky when Valark, the sword hero, found himself preparing for another day of rigorous training. Little did he know that his loyal disciple, Octavius, was once again trying to elude the impending ordeal.
Valark: "Octavius, where are you? I heard you returned from the mission.Training starts now!"
Octavius, cunning as ever, had developed an art of hiding from Valark after the war ended. He knew every nook and cranny of the palace where Valark wouldn't think to look. The sound of Valark's booming voice sent shivers down Octavius's spine, and he thought, not for the first time, how he ended up with a mentor whose motto was, "One must experience it to learn it."
Meanwhile, Aiden, in his nursery, felt an unusual surge of happiness. He couldn't quite pinpoint the reason but dismissed it, occupied listening to the chatter of the maids.
"Octavius! Stop hiding. We have training!"Valark yelled out loud once again.
Octavius, resigned to his fate, emerged from behind a curtain, his usual excuse at the ready.
"Ah, Valark, there you are! I was just sharpening my—"Ocatvius answered without breaking his poker face.
"Enough excuses. Training!Now!"
With a sigh that could be heard across the kingdom, Octavius followed Valark to the training grounds. Valark, seemingly oblivious to Octavius's attempts at evasion, began another session of intense training.
"You must feel the blade, Octavius. Only through experience will you truly learn."
Octavius, knowing resistance was futile, resigned himself to the rigorous routine. As they sparred, Valark's straightforward teaching method clashed hilariously with Octavius's attempts to find shortcuts or excuses.
Back in the nursery, Aiden, without understanding the source of his joy, continued playing with his toys. Meanwhile, Octavius was about to learn firsthand that hiding from Valark was as impossible as trying to outsmart a wizard.
"You can't avoid me forever, Octavius hahahaha!"
Octavius, realizing that Valark had once again seen through his attempts at evasion, sighed deeply. In a mix of comedic desperation and reluctant acceptance, Octavius mumbled under his nose.
"I'm resigning to my fate, then. Drag me to the training grounds, Valark. Just drag me."
And so, in the grand palace of Karlugos, the master-disciple duo continued their dance of training, with Valark tirelessly imparting his swordsmanship wisdom, and Octavius, reluctantly but inevitably, going along for the ride. All the while, Aiden's nursery remained blissfully unaware of the comedic spectacle unfolding outside its walls, the source of Aiden's happiness remaining an amusing mystery.