Four years before Eray's death.
It was a warm spring evening. Eray had been doing what he thought he did best all day. His hands and face covered in paint, he was making the final touches to the painting he had been trying to finish. He now felt hungry. Painting all day had made him both hungry and tired. It was past dinner time.
There was no one calling for Eray or any news from him. This shouldn't seem strange because having dinner with his family had always been a bad experience for Eray. At first, the rule of having meals together didn't really work for Eray.
His family didn't really want to see Eray around them much either. Therefore, Eray would have his meals in his room, in the palace garden, or wherever he wanted. Eray stood up from his chair and stepped back a few paces to get a clearer view of his painting. It truly was among the best work he had done.
"A great mountain, a light among the darkness, the battle of light and its shadow" truly depicted an epic battle on the canvas.
Eray washed his hands and face, then dressed. He opened the door of the room. Two soldiers standing at the entrance saluted their prince by standing at attention.
Eray turned to the soldier on his right and asked where Vedia was. The soldier, with a firm voice, said, "She went home to eat, my lord."
Eray paused for a few seconds, muttering to himself, "I wish she had told me." Then, turning to the soldiers, he said, "Let's go and have dinner with Vedia, then." The soldiers nodded in agreement, saying, "As you command," and followed Eray.
Vedia was Eray's personal guard and the leader of Eray's guards. In the royal tradition, every royal member was served by a highly skilled special soldier until the end of their life. Vedia was also an officer in the Avalon army.
Even though she served the prince, she was loyal to the Empire and the emperor. Vedia was a relatively young officer. She had finished second in a tournament and was promoted to be Eray's personal guard. She was a young man, having just passed the age of 90.
Eray had a son and a daughter around his age. According to the imperial traditions, he had married quite early. Although it wasn't a strict rule, citizens usually didn't marry before the age of 100 and would complete their education first.
People with significant mana and magical power could live for centuries, even millennia, and would only appear to age a few years over hundreds of years. A 20-year-old person who had not developed their mana and magic would look the same as a 300-year-old mage; mages change very slowly physically after puberty.
The sun had fully set. Globes resembling torches in the palace had lit up with the disappearance of the sun's rays. It was a spell emitting a bluish light. Even though it was a simple spell, it was functional.
As Eray walked down the corridor under the bluish lights, the guards on duty would immediately stand at attention and salute upon seeing him. The busy servants and palace members, on the other hand, would make way and bow respectfully when they saw Eray. This respect was not genuinely for Eray's magnificence or power but rather for the family he belonged to.
That's why Eray didn't care about these insincere salutations. Members like Vedia stayed in the second part of the palace. The royal family resided in the first part. The second part housed high-level officials, the royal family's personal guards, and various mansions for high-level visitors to the country.
Turning through a threshold, Eray entered a vast garden. This garden was quite large and filled with houses built for those residing in the second area. These houses were not very large but were made in a very showy and magnificent manner, filled with comfort. The second area was a gleaming and happy place.
As Eray headed towards Vedia's house, the sounds of children's voices, laughter, and happiness rose from the other houses. Indeed, how could they not be happy? They were residing in one of the most comfortable and splendid places in the world.
After walking a bit further, Eray stopped in front of a house on the right side of the street. The two guards following Eray knocked sharply on the door he stopped in front of. After a while, the door opened.
The door was opened by a girl with blonde hair and a fair complexion, about Eray's age. The girl was surprised to see Eray and called inside, "Dad, Eray is here." A few seconds later, Vedia came in a hurry and lightly tapped the girl on the head. Scoldingly, she said, "Peline, how many times have I told you not to address the Prince by his name directly?"
Then, turning to Eray, she bowed respectfully and said, "Welcome, Your Highness, won't you come in?"
Eray smiled genuinely, thanked her, and entered. The dining table was newly set. Vedia invited Eray to dinner. It wasn't a rare occurrence for Eray to go to Vedia's house for dinner occasionally. Vedia's husband and son stood up and bowed in greeting as Eray entered.
Eray gestured with his hand, saying "ahh, please," indicating for them to sit down. Vedia's husband smiled at Eray and said, "Your Highness, won't you join us at the table? We were just about to have our meal." Eray thanked him and took his seat at the table.
To an outsider, it would appear as a happy family scene. Eray loved and respected Vedia like an older brother. Vedia and her family also harbored love and respect for Eray. They continued the meal, making light conversation and enjoying themselves.
Eray started a conversation about his newly created painting and some information from the books he had read. Vedia's husband, Mary, who was well-educated, listened with admiration to the information Eray shared.
Mary sighed, "Ah, sir, I wish I could read from the books in the library as well."
The library was off-limits to anyone except the royal family and those with special permission, no one was allowed to enter the library, read there, or take books outside. This rule had an important reason: to prevent the spread of knowledge.
Eray excitedly joined in, "Don't worry, Mrs. Mary, I will always come to tell you what I read." Mary, after a slight surprise, covered her mouth and burst into a sweet, light laughter.
Then she apologized, "I'm sorry, sir, thank you for honoring us with your visits." Eray felt embarrassed. Then, they continued their delightful conversation from where they left off.