The night passed, and dawn broke over the Kingdom of Hope. Agro was still asleep when King Chil entered his room, the creak of the door waking him. Chil stood tall, his presence commanding even in the early morning light.
"Wake up, soldier," Chil said firmly.
Agro groaned, pulling the blanket over his head. "It's too early."
Chil's voice hardened. "Soldiers are dying, and you think it's too early?"
Agro sighed and sat up, his hair a mess and his eyes still heavy with sleep. "Fine, fine. I'm up."
"Good," Chil said. "Get ready. Your first training in swordsmanship begins today."
Agro blinked, his tiredness momentarily replaced with curiosity. "Swordsmanship? That actually sounds cool."
Minutes later, Agro stood in the training yard, a wooden sword in his hand. Chil tossed him another wooden blade, which Agro caught awkwardly.
"Let's see what you've got," Chil said, taking a stance.
Agro charged at him, swinging the sword with all the strength his 10-year-old frame could muster. But Chil dodged effortlessly, his movements precise and unyielding.
"Too slow," Chil said. "And too predictable."
Agro gritted his teeth, frustration mounting. He swung again, but Chil sidestepped, countering with a quick strike that sent Agro stumbling backward.
"You'll need to work on speed and strength," Chil said. "And precision. For now, practice on the dummy."
Agro looked at the training dummies lined up along the edge of the yard. "I don't want to hit some stupid dummy," he muttered. "I want to train with you."
Chil's expression softened slightly, though his voice remained firm. "You'll face me when you're ready. For now, the dummy is your opponent. Trust me—it'll teach you more than you think."
Agro sighed but obeyed, walking over to the dummy. He swung his sword at it, his strikes clumsy and uneven at first, but he soon found a rhythm. Chil watched from a distance, nodding in approval as the boy's determination began to shine through.
Eight Years Later
The years had hardened Agro into a skilled warrior. At 18, he was no longer the boy who had clumsily swung a wooden sword; he was a soldier with years of training under King Chil's watchful eye. His body was strong, his reflexes sharp, and his resolve unshakable. Yet, the memory of Sara leading the attack on his home still burned in his heart, fueling his determination to grow stronger.
In the Kingdom of Pride, Sara had also grown. As a queen-in-training, she had mastered diplomacy and warfare, but each lesson from her mother, Arthea, seemed to stoke the fire of resentment within her. For Sara, every passing year was another reason to hate the woman who had dragged her into war as a child.
It was another sleepless night for Sara. She stood on her balcony, gazing out over the sprawling kingdom, lost in thought. The moonlight bathed the city in a soft glow, but to Sara, it felt cold and uninviting.
A knock at her door broke her reverie. She turned to see Arthea entering without waiting for permission.
"Sara," Arthea said, her tone brisk. "We need to discuss tomorrow's council meeting."
Sara's eyes narrowed. "What do you want, my queen?"
Arthea frowned at the formality. "You're still calling me that? After all this time?"
"What else should I call you?" Sara snapped. "Mother? You lost that title years ago."
Arthea's face hardened, though a flicker of pain crossed her eyes. "I did what I had to do. You're being trained to rule. A ruler must be strong, unyielding—"
"A ruler must also have a heart," Sara interrupted. "But you wouldn't know anything about that."
Arthea stepped closer, her voice dropping. "You can hate me all you want, but you'll understand one day. You'll see that everything I've done was for you."
Sara turned away, her gaze once again fixed on the distant horizon. "I'll never be like you," she said quietly.
Arthea didn't reply. She lingered for a moment before leaving the room, her footsteps echoing in the silence.
Back in the Kingdom of Hope, Agro stood in the training yard, his sword gleaming in the early morning sun. King Chil watched him spar with a group of seasoned soldiers, his movements fluid and precise.
"He's ready," Chil muttered to himself.
Mary approached, her expression a mix of pride and concern. "He's grown so much," she said softly. "But I worry about what this war has done to him."
Chil nodded. "War changes us all. But it's made him stronger. And he'll need that strength for what's to come."
Agro landed a decisive blow on his opponent, sending the man's sword clattering to the ground. He turned to Chil, his chest heaving with exertion.
"What's next?" Agro asked, his voice steady and confident.
Chil smiled faintly. "Rest for now. Tomorrow, we begin the real test."
As Agro wiped the sweat from his brow, his mind drifted to Sara. The thought of her betrayal still haunted him, but he knew that one day, their paths would cross again. This time, he would be ready.