The first strands of sun crept through the curtains of the Royal Room, drawing calm golden lines over its marble floor.
Arthur slowly opened his eyes.
He lay down for a moment, staring at the ceiling of his room without moving.
Last night was still fresh in his mind in every detail.
His father’s words…
“It’s just something forgotten.”
She hesitated in his head again, until he felt a contraction in his chest.
He closed his eyes for a few seconds, then took a deep breath and tried to expel those words from his mind, but they stuck as if they were engraved in his heart
Arthur sighed softly, then got out of bed and hastily arranged his clothes.
As soon as he approached the window, he heard laughter coming from the palace’s inner garden.
He stopped where he was.
He moved the curtain slightly and looked outside.
His father, King Leon Baldur, stood in the middle of the park surrounded by a number of his older sons and daughters.
They were exchanging conversations and laughter, while the king seemed unusually comfortable, listening to them and sharing the conversation with them with a rare smile.
He quickly looked away from the window and relaxed the curtain to cover the scene again.
He turned quietly, then opened his room door and left for the palace corridors, trying to occupy his mind with anything else.
No sooner had Arthur moved away from his room than he noticed his mother, Elena, walking down the opposite corridor.
As soon as she saw him, she smiled warmly at him, even though anxiety was evident in her eyes.
I stopped in front of him and patted him gently on the shoulder.
“Good morning, Arthur.”
He smiled lightly and replied calmly: “Good morning, mom.”
She looked at his features for a moment before asking him: “How are you today?”
He replied without hesitation: “I am fine, I am not suffering from anything.”
Elena kept looking at him silently.
She knew her son more than anyone, and realized that what happened last night was not something that could be overcome so easily.
However, she saw in his eyes that he did not want to talk, so she did not want to pressure him.
After some time, Arthur left the palace and headed to the spacious garden.
He walked until he reached a large tree at its edges, then sat silently in its shade.
From his place, his eyes fell on his brothers gathered in the nearby square.
They spoke enthusiastically, while some knights and servants stood beside them preparing equipment that looked like preparation for an important event.
Arthur watched them intently, trying to figure out what was going on.
He wished for a moment to get up and go to them, to stand among them and ask them what they were preparing for, or even to share the conversation with them as any brother would do with his brothers.
But his feet remained steady, he knew that no one was interested in inviting him, so… he had enough
By observing from afar.
As he watched them silently, he noticed someone heading towards him.
Violet walked with calm steps, her long black hair falling behind her, while the sun’s rays reflected on her blue eyes, which always carried the kindness he used to see in them.
She stopped in front of him, then extended her hand towards him with a warm smile.
“Arthur… why don’t you share with us?”
Arthur’s eyes widened a little in surprise.
He lowered his gaze to the ground before answering in a low voice:
“But… my father wouldn’t want that.
If he wanted me there, he would have invited me like he invited you.”
Her smile disappeared for a moment, then she gently placed her hand on his shoulder and he slowly raised his head, and his eyes met hers.
She smiled again and said in a warm tone:
“But I am the one who invited you… Will you accept my invitation?”
There was silence between them for a few seconds.
Arthur felt a bit ashamed, and did not know what to answer.
Suddenly, Violet held his hand before he could utter a word.
“Come on.”
She said it with a smile, then started leading him with her towards the rest of the family.
Arthur looked at his hand holding his sister’s, then followed her silently, while a small smile appeared on his face
King Leon stood among his sons with his usual majesty.
He was tall, with a straight back, wearing his white royal uniform embroidered with gold threads, and his elegant blonde hair.
His gray eyes, seemingly calm and deep, gave him a respectful presence before he could utter a single word.
King Leon looked at his assembled sons, then said calmly “Where is Violet?”
One of the princes pointed towards the edge of the garden.
Leon’s eyes turned to where he pointed, and he saw his daughter walking with calm steps, holding Arthur’s hand, leading him with her towards them.
Silence prevailed for a moment.
Leon sighed in frustration, then looked away from them and muttered in a low voice, barely heard by those standing next to him “That naive woman…”
In his eyes, what she was doing was nothing but an act of pity, a feeling he never wanted to find a place for within the royal family.
As soon as Violet arrived holding Arthur’s hand, King Leon advanced towards them with calm steps, but she carried the prestige of a ruler for whom everyone was accustomed to standing with respect.
Violet stopped in front of him, while Arthur remained silent next to her.
Leon looked at his daughter, then said coldly “Why did you bring him with you?”
Violet’s eyes met her father’s without fear, and she answered in a sincere tone mixed with emotion “I didn’t want to let him sit alone.”
Leon’s features became harsh for a moment, as if he was about to scold her, but he suddenly stopped.
Silence prevailed, then a glimpse of thought appeared in his eyes before he turned his gaze away from them, as if an idea had occurred to him.
He turned to the rest of his sons and said in a voice that everyone could hear “Okay… as I was explaining to you a moment ago.”
He took the wooden sword placed next to him, then raised it firmly.
“My fighting style is not based on strength alone, but on reading your opponent before he reads you.
The sword is not only a tool for striking, but an extension of the mind of its owner…”
The children listened attentively, while Arthur stood among them silently, not knowing that the idea that had crossed his father’s mind a few moments earlier would have changed the course of that day.
Leon pointed to one of the royal guards standing nearby.
The man advanced with steady steps, then bowed in respect before taking a wooden sword and standing facing the king.
He was huge in build, with traces of many years of training visible on his body, so much so that his mere stance suggested that he was an opponent to be reckoned with.
Leon raised his wooden sword and pointed with his tip towards the guard.”I’ll show you how it’s done.”
The guard took a fighting position first, then rushed with a straight and powerful blow towards the king, but Leon did not retreat.
He contented himself with a short sideways step, his feet sliding steadily over the ground, while his wooden sword deviated with a precise touch, changing the course of the guard’s blow without hitting it hard.
The guard lost his balance for a moment.
That moment was enough.