Laurenn led Leticia out of the shed, carefully settling her in the royal carriage. While they waited for Aleph, Leticia, exhausted by the trauma, fell asleep against her brother's shoulder.
"After she learned that the bandits were arrested and that you were safe, she relaxed and fell asleep," Laurenn explained to Aleph, who was approaching the carriage.
"Your reaction was… unexpected," Aleph commented, recalling Laurenn's controlled fury in the shed.
"When it comes to my sister, I… lose control," Laurenn admitted with an embarrassed smile. "Thank you for stopping me. But I didn't expect you to know her."
"To be honest, I didn't imagine she was your sister," Aleph replied thoughtfully. "The princess is quite different from what you described."
…
Earlier, Dagmar, Leticia's personal assistant, had noticed the princess's unusual departure and, worried, alerted Laurenn. Immediately, the prince gathered a group of Royal Knights and set off in search of his sister. Sir Hector, the knight most loyal to Laurenn, discreetly followed Leticia's steps and, upon witnessing her abduction, rushed to inform the prince.
Meanwhile, Aleph was walking through the city when Veronica, desperate, intercepted him. Between tears and sobs, she told him about Leticia's kidnapping and begged for his help. Without hesitation, Aleph followed Veronica's instructions, running towards the indicated location.
Upon arriving at the abandoned shed, he came across Laurenn and Sir Hector, ready to enter.
"Prince Laurenn!" Aleph exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"I was about to ask you the same thing," Laurenn replied, his voice tense.
Aleph explained that he had been alerted by Veronica about Leticia's kidnapping. Laurenn stared at him, suspicion evident in his eyes.
"So you came to rescue my sister?" he questioned, his tone uncertain.
Before Aleph could answer, a muffled scream from inside the shed interrupted their conversation. Without further delay, Laurenn and Aleph exchanged a look and, driven by the urgency of the situation, stormed into the shed. Laurenn ordered Sir Hector to summon reinforcements.
…
Leticia awoke but kept her eyes closed, pretending to be still asleep. Curiosity consumed her, and she wanted to hear the conversation between Laurenn and Aleph.
"Princess Leticia invited me to be her official knight," Aleph confided, a hesitant tone in his voice. "But I don't know the proper way to respond to such a request."
"If you accompanied her to the Autumn Kingdom, just to ensure her safety…" Laurenn began with a sigh of relief. "I would be much more at ease, especially after what happened today. I fully trust your abilities, after all, you are…"
Aleph interrupted Laurenn with a discreet gesture, casting a meaningful glance towards Leticia.
"…a great friend," Laurenn finished, changing his phrase at the last moment.
"Wait… what was he going to say?" Leticia thought, intrigued. "Why did he change his mind? What is Aleph, anyway?"
"Princess Leticia?" Aleph called, lightly touching her arm. "Are you feeling alright?"
"How did he realize I was awake?" Leticia wondered, surprised. "Did he notice the change in my breathing?"
Opening her eyes slowly, Leticia sat up and thanked Aleph for his help, apologizing for the trouble. Aleph shook his head, and with a gentle gesture, placed his hand over hers, conveying reassurance.
Upon arriving at the castle, they found King Hayden waiting for them, his face etched with worry. Laurenn, as always, felt intimidated by the king's imposing presence.
The main hall buzzed with servants and courtiers, alarmed by the news of the kidnapping. Hayden, noticing the commotion, embraced Leticia tightly, conveying relief and apprehension.
"Leticia! Don't do this to me! What would I do if something happened to you?" he exclaimed, his voice choked with emotion. "From this day forward, one of my best knights will be assigned to protect you!"
Calming the crowd with a wave of his hand, Hayden dismissed everyone, ordering them to return to their duties. His gaze, however, settled on Aleph, who remained at Leticia's side.
"Who is this young man?" he asked inquisitively.
"This is Aleph, Your Majesty," Leticia replied. "He is a knight from the city, and he rescued me."
"In that case, I owe you my gratitude," Hayden said, gripping Aleph's hand with unusual strength. "Your hair… it's quite unusual. There's no one with that hair color in our kingdom."
"He's from the Autumn Kingdom, Your Majesty," Leticia interjected, touching the king's arm discreetly in a gesture of warning.
"From Autumn?" Hayden observed Aleph more closely. "Your face is familiar… Have we met before?... He reminds me of… that person I hate so much…"
Laurenn opened his mouth to intervene, but Aleph spoke first, bowing in respectful reverence.
"I don't recall meeting you before, Your Majesty."
"If he had any connection to Ryuuichi, he would never bow before me," Hayden thought, his suspicion lessening. "Well, since you did such an excellent job, tell me: what reward do you desire?"
"If Your Majesty permits, I would like to serve as Princess Leticia's official knight, protecting her from any danger that threatens her," Aleph declared, looking at Hayden with a firm and challenging gaze.
"If that is Leticia's wish, I have no objection," Hayden agreed, addressing his daughter.
A smile lit up Leticia's face. The hope of having Aleph as her protector was reborn.
…
In a dark and secluded corner of the castle, far from the prying eyes of the court, General Shineid raged, frustration evident in his voice.
"Incompetent!" he yelled, glaring furiously at the man cowering before him. "I ordered you to get rid of Leticia! But you hire a bunch of useless people like yourself!"
"General, I couldn't have foreseen that Prince Laurenn would appear and rescue her," the man justified, his voice trembling with fear.
"I don't care about your excuses!" General Shineid snarled, his anger intensifying. "Leticia needs to be eliminated before she reaches the Autumn Kingdom. If you fail again, the consequences will be… unpleasant."
Ambition gnawed at General Shineid. In the service of Queen Risny, he planned to use Leticia's death as a springboard to rise through the ranks of Risny's kingdom, consolidating his power and influence.
…
Just as Master Yoshi manipulates the positive energies that sustain the balance of the dimension, Queen Risny controls the negative energies, an antagonistic and equally powerful force. Her kingdom, an isolated and impenetrable fortress, is ruled with an iron fist, a dictatorial regime where the queen's word is absolute law. The geographical distance separating her domain from the territories influenced by Master Yoshi is not mere chance, but a necessity imposed by the conflicting nature of their powers.
Risny is the creator of the Shineideas, molding them to her will through various methods. One of these involves the direct infusion of negative magic into human beings, corrupting them and transforming them into instruments of her ambitions. Her ultimate goal is total domination, the conquest of neighboring kingdoms through political destabilization and systematic oppression. She seeks to destroy everything Master Yoshi has built and everything he represents, annihilating the balance he strives so hard to maintain. A silent war, fought in the shadows, opposes these two, whose power could determine the fate of the entire dimension.