It's a brand new day. As usual, we were served, fed food and bathed by the maids. The only difference this time is we weren't dressed in our usual attire.
We were made to wear clothing adorned with purple and gold colors. It looks quite formal. I guess Ms. Valentine was able to convince mother.
Shortly after getting dressed and groomed by the maids, mother arrived with a beautiful gold dress complimenting her soft purple hair. On her hip, dangling, is a sheathed sword.
"Uhm... why the sword?" I thought to myself trying so hard not to acknowledge it.
Mother smiles from ear to ear and asks "Ready to go?"
As I stood in the middle of the room dumbfounded, I notice someone standing behind me. Ms. Valentine is carrying the sleepy Luciana on her arms. I guess she's already used to the habit of sleeping after meals. I'm not complaining though. She's very cute.
Ms. Valentine nudged me forward slightly. "Come, Prince Lucien."
Mother reached out her hand as well. "Come Lucien! I'll show you around." It seems we're truly going forward with this but what's up with the sword though? Do we not have bodyguards or something?
I guess I'll ask her about that later. For now, I gave a gentle nod and went with mother.
It was only me, Luciana, Mother and Ms. Valentine. I thought there'd be more of us but I guess not. Ms. Valentine was also hyping up some potential assassins too.
Our first stop is the Royal Library. As you'd expect, the entire room is huge with the bookcases reaching up three-stories tall. You'd need a ladder to reach the top.
"This here's the library." said mother with an excited grin on her face. It was almost borderline creepy.
"You're a genius Lucien so i figured you'll spend a lot of your time here." Well, genius aside, reading books here could help me improve in understanding the language of this place. I could even teach Luciana if she's up for it.
As I explored the library a bit more and picking up books that I could reach, I start to notice that some of these books are in a different language. I wonder if I should take the time to learn it as well.
I glanced back towards the rest of the group and I noticed that Ms. Valentine has put down the previously drowsy Luciana. At over two years of age, a normal kid like Luciana can get very energetic to very tired in a drop of a hat. It seems right now, Luciana is playing around as she tries to run around the library with Ms. Valentine following behind her.
"Oh my! It seems Luciana has taken a liking to the library as well!" exclaimed Mother. I wonder about that.
Either way, with Luciana running around, I don't want to cause trouble to the person in charge of this place.
As she was about the run past me, I took her hand to keep her close to me. If someone were to see us and they didn't know any better, they'd probably say that I'm the older sibling.
With Luciana's hand in tow, we went to mother and asked her to take us to the next destination.
"Mother! Let's go to the next place." I said. The library is a great place to learn and has a lot of resources in that front. I'll definitely make use of this.
"Okay! Stick close by to me you two!" she said with an overexcited expression still on her face.
And with that, Mother leads the way to the next destination followed by me and Luciana walking hand in hand and with Ms. Valentine close behind us.
The walk to the next destination was more quiet than I'd anticipated save for some moments when we'd go past the castle servants. I guess I'll ask about mother's sword.
"Mother?" I accidentally shouted, startling the paranoid maid behind us.
"Yes my dear?" she replied gleefully.
"Why do you have a sword with you?" I asked in a straightforward manner.
"To protect you two from intruders." A straightforward answer.
"Ah..."
...
Wait what? That's not what I meant to ask!
"Um, no, I mean why do you carry one? Don't we have bodyguards?" I asked with raised voice, admittedly a bit flustered.
"Fu fu fu. You're quite the curious one, Lucien." she said while halting to a complete stop.
"I carry a sword for I am a swordswoman!" she proudly states as she stands with confidence.
This is the first time I'm hearing of this. That's actually really cool! I had always been interested with swordfighting in my previous life and have tried to swing a makeshift sword around the house. I wonder if she'll teach me.
"Mother! Please teach me swordfighting!" I asked with such vigor as if my life depended on it.
"Hmmm, I don't know~" she playfully tease the young prince.
"Please, Mother! No! Master!" I pleaded, even going so far as to prostrate myself. Of course, I'm just playing along with my mother.
"Aww, of course I'll teach you. Both you and Luciana are going to be my student." she proudly declares as she go down on one knee and hug both me and Luciana.
Nice! I get to learn swordsmanship. Being a student beside Luciana seems like an exciting thing going forward. I began imagining a scenario in where teenage me and Luciana are sparring together. I think that'd be cool.
Breaking out from my daydream, we continued with the tour.
We went by the mess hall and the kitchen and got to see how the food are made. We even met the chef who cooks the meals for everybody in the castle, including us.
The next place we went to was a watchtower within the castle. The stairs seemed infinite but we climbed up regardless. It took about ten straight minutes of walking up the stairs when we reached its peak and it was well worth it.
With me and Luciana being carried by Mother and Ms. Valentine respectively to see out the heightened window, we bask at the view in all its glory.
Closest to us was a large building made with what seems to be steel and brick materials. Its magnificent size tells me that it's of utmost importance. Maybe it's a hospital or school of some kind.
As my gaze go further, the buildings become significantly smaller and the building material seemingly becomes wood and marble. It seems like over at that point are the residential areas. Unfortunately, due to the window only looking out a particular way, this is all that we can see of the area.
Before I could get another thought in, Mother broke the silence that has been present for a while.
"Look at all this, you two. This is the Imperial City of Schera." she says in a soft, almost whispering voice.
"Some day, the both of you will help this kingdom prosper." she continues, only this time the ever present smile on her face is nowhere to be seen. Instead it is replaced with a serious expression; one that I've never seen her make before.
"Mother?" I said with a weary look on my face. "What did she mean by that?" I thought to myself. Before I could put any more thought into it though, she continued with her dialogue.
"When that time comes, I want you two to look after each other, ok?" still with the same expression, I can't help but feel uneasy.
I looked over Ms. Valentine and Luciana, attempting to remove this uneasiness but to no avail. Luciana, being a mere child, is as oblivious as ever, though she did reply to what Mother said with an enthusiastic nod then shifted her gaze towards me as if to say that she'll look after me. Right now, I am not so sure about that but surely, in the future, she'll become somebody reliable.
Shifting my gaze to Ms. Valentine, the difference is like night and day. She's exhibiting a gloomy look as if disoriented from what she just heard. My gaze was glued to her face until her eyes met mine. She didn't say a word though, but just gave me a wearied smile.
As I did not gave an answer to Mother, she asked me again "Do you understand me, Lucien?"
I just wanted this moment that has only given me anxiety to be over so I tell her what she wants to hear from me, "Yes, I understand."
As much as I want to probe into the topic, a part of me thinks that everything will present themselves in due time. At least with that thought, I don't have to constantly worry about things outside of my control.
With the sightseeing over, we made our trek back down the infinite stairwell without much of a word uttered. I had assumed that that was it for the day but it seems Mother still have plans for us.
Just as we arrived at the end of the stairwell, she looked back at us, now sporting her iconic smile, and says "There's one more place I want you two to see!"
Instantaneously, Ms. Valentine rejected the idea, seemingly worried about the potential of a surprise attack but was easily convinced that it'd be unlikely considering that the place is an open area inside the castle.
With the castle being quite sizeable, it took about 5 minutes or so to get there. As we arrived, my eyes gaped open to the glamorous and awesome sight that graced my eyes. Even Luciana is in awe although I did not think to look her way. I bet she was so cute.
Located at the back end of the castle lies what was known as the "Garden of Dahlia". Now I don't know who this Dahlia person is and I don't really want to ask but I like to think it's this place's version of Eden.
The garden itself exuded a beauty like no any other. I don't think there's anything that could rival it from my previous life, aside from my wife, of course. Rows and rows of colorful flowers and plants spread across the area. With the afternoon at it's peak, the light shone across the garden making it easy on the eyes.
Luciana getting all excited again, started to run towards all the flowers whilst asking both Mother and Ms. Valentine about it. I on the other hand, am following behind them, lost in thought.
It reminded me of a moment in my previous life. Though not as beautiful as this flower garden before me, I was in a sort of similar place with my wife, Reina just a couple months after graduating university. We were as lovey-dovey as ever as we walked around holding hands while swinging our hands as far as we can. A bit childish but it was fun. As we get to a part of the garden that was filled with tulips', I went down on one knee and proposed to her. That was such a delightful day and the days after were just as much, if not more.
If only things happened a bit differently… no.. I shouldn't think too much of the bad moments. Tears started welling up in my eyes when I heard Mother calling for me. I looked at her direction and see her signaling for me to get closer. I tried to quickly look down and wipe the tears off but Mother is perceptive.
She knelt on one knee to meet my eyes and asked me what was wrong.
"What's wrong Lucien? Why are you crying?" asked Mother worriedly. I had thought of telling her that it was tears of joy at first but immediately realized that it would be weird for a two-year-old kid to do that. My facial expression didn't help as well as I had become quite forlorn.
"I'm fine… Something just went inside my eye." I replied as I pretend to scratch my eye.
"Is that so? Come on~! I thought something bad had happened!" she playfully jokes as she takes my unoccupied hand. "Come! There's someone I'd like for you to meet."
Still pretending to scratch my eyes and some tears still on there, I look ahead to this person she spoke of. There were three of them although the two were further back and wore the same clothing resembling that of a guards'.
The person who's closer was engaged in conversation with Luciana who was being carried and assisted by Ms. Valentine in the conversation. His appearance resembled that of a vampire, with his red and black robes and pale skin. As I scanned him from bottom to up, I noticed that his face is quite youthful and that his ears was elongated and pointy, almost like an elf.
As we got closer, his gaze shifted towards me, making his smile go a bit wider than it already is. "Ah, this must be him! The genius prince that I've been hearing about." he says as he bowed to greet me.
Now that his face is closest to me than it ever have been, I just couldn't help but stare at his ears. Before I know it, instead of returning his greeting, I was simply pointing at him, specifically at his ears with my mouth agape.
The man burst out in laughter while Mother and Ms. Valentine shake their heads in disappointment and embarrassment. Hey, I can't help it, can I? There's an elf in front of me.
The man, brushing a tear off his eye introduces himself pridefully, "Excuse my rudeness. I am Armand Gallagher, the Court Wizard here in Schera and a half-elf."
Amazing! So he's a half-elf. He's also a court wizard. Does that mean he uses magic? Am I really in that kind of world? But wait… if I'm truly in a different world then does that mean I can't get back? I can't see my family anymore?
Before I could get another thought in, I noticed that the smile on Mr. Armand's face has disappeared and now has been replaced by a serious expression. I looked back at Mother who also has a serious expression on her face.
"There's two assassins hiding within the flower patches." said Mother who at this point, had put her hands on the hilt of r sword.
"There's another one concealed some distance away." responded Mr. Armand while summoning a staff out of thin air as he stands up.
That was so cool! But now is not the time for admiration. Mother directed me to join Luciana who is now wrapped in Ms. Valentine's tight embrace. I joined them as well and held Luciana tight. If things don't go well, I'll protect her somehow.
The two guards have noticed the drawn out weapons of their superiors and have offered their swords. Mother instructed the two to protect the three of us while her and Mr. Armand attack the now exposed assassins.
The two assassins, attacking head on, sprinted towards the swordswoman and the mage with incredible speed. In response, Mr. Armand began quickly chanting a spell as the end of his staff started to glow an emerald-like hue.
"I call upon ye Anemoi," a violent gale starts swirling around the caster.
"Let loose thine tempest upon thy foe," the gale transfers to the tip of his staff and with the emerald glow it is exuding, it is a majestic sight to say the least.
"And wreak havoc upon all things that draw breath." at the pinnacle of the spell, the violent gale, seemingly dissipated, only for the tip of the staff to shine at its brightest.
"Quatro Tempest!"
Everything seems to come to a halt. At this point, the assassin duo have began to engage in combat. One is attacking Mother, who seems to be handling her attacker well though I don't know much about sword fighting. The other is about to attack Mr. Armand who assumed a position in the back line, a bit close to us.
As the assassin was about to go for a decisive strike, a violent hurricane formed beneath them, shooting them up in the air. It didn't end there though. The assassin, now stuck in this mini hurricane, instantaneously exploded from the inside out as their remaining limbs were thrown about in multiple directions. The once vibrant and colorful garden was now just a singular, red hue.
"Y-you b-bastard! This wasn't the-" the assassin attacking Mother, horrified by the gory death of their companion, was distracted long enough for her to land a fatal slash to the assailant's neck.
The assassin's head was cut off with so much power and precision that it didn't seem like their head was separated from their body. Only after Mother kicked the upright corpse to the ground that the severed head flew towards the garden patch, never to be seen again.
Seeing what just transpired made me feel all kinds of things. On one hand, it was kind of cool to witness a battle like this especially one involving magic. It made me daydream of a time when I can wield such a power though I have no intention of using it for violence.
On the other hand, the brutal death that these assailants have received were too much for me; it's inhumane. Didn't these kinds of things involved a whole lot less blood? Perhaps it's because I'm from another world that I find these actions to be brutal but maybe this is the norm for this world.
As I pondered about the morality of the actions of our protectors, my attention was brought towards the other side of the battlefield where another assassin was being apprehended by the two faceless guards. Finally, some people who don't resort to killing!
"Your majesty! We caught this one." yelled by one of the guards. It seems they apprehended this one so they can question them on who their employer is.
"Good job you two, take him to the underground prison." commanded their queen.
Before they could take the assassin anywhere though, Mr. Armand stops them.
"Queen Laine. Please allow me to take the assassin to the prison. I'll have my guards escort you four to safety." replied the mage while unsummoning his staff.
"Hmm… very well." replied Mother with a hint of hesitation in her voice.
"Much obliged. Romulus! Remus!" shouted Mr. Armand with a dominant aura to his guards.
"Sir!" the two guards shouted back.
"You two are to escort the queen and her children back to safety. Protect them with your lives!" ordered Mr. Armand.
"Yes sir!" shouted the two guards one last time as they relinquished their prisoner.
The guards helped Ms. Valentine and us siblings get up and they continued to stand at our sides to protect us from danger if it ever comes our way.
"Well then. I'll be on my way." said Mr. Armand as he turns to walk towards the castle. While his use of his magic earlier was quite brutal for my liking, there is no mistake that he saved our lives.
Magic only existing inside fiction in my world makes me very interested in it and even go so far as to learn it. I want to ask him to teach me magic. I mean, he's the court wizard, right? He's sure to be qualified for the job.
"Mr. Armand!" I shouted stopping the mage in his tracks.
He turns around, the prisoner still in his custody. He doesn't say anything but instead raises his eyebrows to let me know that he acknowledges my calling to him.
"Will you teach me magic?!" I pleaded so loudly that everyone in the vicinity was shocked, though their surprise was for something different.
"No." replied the astonished mage.
"I mean, even if I'm allowed to, magic is forbidden in this kingdom." he continued.
"HUHHHHH?!" I yelled in disbelief.
And with that, I find out that I was reincarnated into another world, survive an assassination attempt, and be robbed of one of life's greatest desires.