"When I was young, everyone treated me with respect. My only concerns were eating, learning music, and sleeping; that was my routine. One evening, during dinner, my father arrived with a boy who had dark hair and cold eyes, and he announced that this was his son," Arthur began. "This boy revealed his cruelty within days. He was rude to the servants, even beating them for no reason. He would bring dead birds that he shot himself and hide them in my bed or my mother's."
Emilia blinked. She had never heard of this other prince and imagined no one else in the kingdom knew of his existence.
"One day, after returning from a horse ride, my brother Phillip shot my mare, causing me to fall and break my arm, covering myself in mud. My mother was furious after this incident and locked him in a cage in the dungeons. I know it was extreme, but she didn't know what else to do with that uncontrollable boy. When my father returned from his trip and found out what happened, he didn't even glance at my broken arm. Instead, he was furious with my mother, and they had a long argument. In the end, he named Phillip as the first in line to the throne, replacing me," Arthur continued. "My mother tried to convince him otherwise, but he wouldn't change his mind. She begged him at least not to reveal Phillip's existence to the public, and he agreed, for the time being. My father's attachment to his other son saddened the queen even more, and she fell ill. The servants, knowing that Phillip would be king and not me, ignored my existence, and some even mocked me."
Emilia listened, her gaze shifting between Arthur and the fire. It was all very hard to believe, but there was undeniable honesty in his words.
"Knowing what was happening to me, my mother devised a plan to restore my place as heir to the throne. I began to train in swordsmanship, taking better care of my health and strength. I worked in the public library and the palace, gaining access to all the kingdom's knowledge. Over the years, I searched for any information that could incriminate my brother, but I found nothing. As time passed, it became harder to conceal Phillip's presence, and when my father died two months ago, my brother was crowned king."
All of this had happened right under Emilia's nose while she was living in Londrin, and now, the new king of her former home was Phillip. But something was wrong. This hadn't happened in her past life—the future had changed!
"The laws have been altered. Massacres have occurred. Phillip has become the tyrant he always dreamed of being. His plan is to attack neighboring kingdoms and conquer them one by one. That's why I came to warn King Edward. But on the way, I found you being attacked by a fierce wolf. At first, I couldn't believe it was the same Emilia I worked with years ago when you were just a girl. You've grown, your hair now flows like a waterfall, and your eyes no longer carry the same distress they once did. What happened, Emilia?"
"It's hard to believe everything you've told me, Arthur," she ignored his question, focusing solely on him, "But for some reason, I feel it's true. Yet, knowing all of this has only added to my burden."
Arthur looked at her, confused, while Emilia let out a long sigh. This time, the true villain was Phillip, not Arthur. Or perhaps it had always been the murderous brother who was the real cause of the war.
"I just need to ask you one thing," Emilia said finally. "Do you know anything about the church's great clock?"
The great clock had signaled the start of the war. In Emilia's past life, it was used as a rendezvous point for exchanging weapons and homemade bombs. By asking this question, Emilia could gauge Arthur's reaction. If he knew something, he was guilty. If not...
"We discovered it's linked to the trade of weapons and forbidden magic books," he answered thoughtfully. "But how did you know that?"
He was being honest. Emilia smiled, relieved.
"I know many things I can't tell you now," she said, standing up weakly. "But for now, we must go. We need to warn Edward about Phillip!"
Arthur nodded and prepared his weapons. The rain was still falling heavily, and as they left the cave, the water washed the blood from his sword, turning it black as it dripped onto the ground.
"It's unusual to see werewolves in this region..." Emilia reflected, wondering if this might be part of the enemy's plan to bring her down.
As they prepared to mount the horse, a sense of discomfort arose.
"I think it's better if you ride, and I'll walk alongside," she said, and Arthur gave her a stern look.
"Are you joking? You're injured."
"We can't share the same horse. It's improper."
"Well..." he paused, smiling gently. "I admire your modesty, but we don't have a choice right now. The saddle is large enough for both of us, so don't worry."
Emilia nodded. They had to reach Edward before the enemy did.