The wind carried a warm breeze, making the usually chilly mornings more pleasant and waking the birds in the dense forest surrounding Redwood Castle, while taking their songs with it. Letting them travel over the tall, grey walls and past the guards in dark red leather armor patrolling them, further sweetening the morning of the few already awake, tending to their work in the castle yards.

As though in protest to their sweet melodies, youthful voices filled with mockery echoed throughout the yards, accompanied by the dull sounds of wood clashing against each other.

“And that’s how you want to protect the five kingdoms?” Will said teasingly, with his green eyes on his little brother kneeling on the ground.

“Yes, but the thought of letting a Grey through so that it could kill you is becoming more and more tempting,” Loryn replied between deep breaths.

“Come on, get up, and this time, try not to kiss the dirt,” Will said with the hint of a smile.

Back on his feet, Loryn started running toward Will, swinging his sword quickly and elegantly. Will parried just before the blade would’ve hit his side and rammed his shoulder into Loryn, making him stumble backward with squinted eyes. The next thing he saw was Will’s sword standing tall over his head, as though trying to reach the sky, only to descend onto him like a falling star. Loryn knew trying to parry Will’s sword would result in a broken sword and a cracked skull, so he dodged.

The sound of Will’s sword hitting the ground alone was enough to make beads of sweat form on Loryn’s forehead. He wouldn’t have been surprised had cracks formed where he just stood.

“How about facing my sword,” Will said mockingly, walking towards Loryn.

Though only twenty-two years old, Will looked like a veteran on the battlefield. As tall as he was broad, with short auburn hair reminiscent of his mother’s. His brute swordsmanship contrasted by the noble air around him.

Loryn, on the other hand, took more after their father. Slender where Will was muscular, short where Will was tall. With curly black hair reaching his neck and pale grey eyes. There was nothing noble about him except for his swordsmanship, quick and graceful, as though carried by the wind.

Will swung his sword at Loryn, knowing that blocking was futile against his brother’s sword, ripping the air apart. He focused on dodging, taking advantage of his agility.

With every successfully dodged swing, Loryn got more confident, resulting in a little smirk etching itself in his face. As though in response, Will’s sword suddenly got faster, making a shrill sound like the air was crying out in pain.

Loryn’s smirk left him just as fast as his confidence, and all it needed was a feint from Will to make Loryn fall to the ground.

“You’re not only fast but also very talented for your age,” Will said in an amused tone just before his voice switched and became much more serious. “But you never used your sword for anything but sparing. It’s not like the stories the old Barin told you. The only thing your ego will get you in an actual fight is death.

Looking down at his brother, Will reached out his hand and offered help.

Loryn hesitantly grabbed his hand and stood up. “I know.” He murmured back on his feet.

“Do you think I’m good enough for mother to let me go?” He asked after a moment of silence.

“You could be the best swordsman in all of Beymore, and mother would still be hesitant,” Will explained. “Your abilities were never the problem, but you know what she thinks about the Forsaken.”

Before Loryn could reply, he saw something behind Will.

A tiny figure stumbling its way toward them. Stepping in whichever direction the metal helmet, far too big for its head, was swinging towards, dragging a sword bigger than its own body through the dirt.

Following Loryn’s amused gaze, Will couldn’t help but smile, seeing the figure barely half his size taking deep breaths, desperately trying to lift the sword.

Will bent down and lifted the visor of the helmet and saw green eyes getting so big he wouldn’t be surprised if they popped out.

“Begone beast!” The figure yelled in panic. The sudden movements making the figure, already shaky on its feet, fall to the ground.

“Lia, haven’t you learned from the last time you took mother’s sword?” Will sighed

Lifting the visor, Lia looked up at her brother, seeming even taller than usual. She couldn’t help but think of the trees surrounding the castle with their red and yellow leaves, which she climbed whenever she managed to sneak out of the castle.

“I wouldn’t have to take it if only she would give me my own.” She replied mockingly.

Loryn walked past Will and took the helmet off Lia’s head, making her long auburn hair fall in front of her dirty face.

Blowing the hair out of her face, Lia saw Loryn smiling at her and then ruffling her hair, making it cover her face yet again.

“How about you try a dagger, not only could you actually lift it, but you could also easily hide it from mother,” Loryn suggested.

“Never!” Lia cried out indignantly. “Only cowards use daggers!”

“Either cowards or smart men.” Will interrupted after taking his mother`s sword from the dirt and starting to walk away.

“Where are you going?” Loryn asked

“Bringing the sword back before we all have to listen to one of mother’s lectures,” Will said, turning his gaze back to Lia.

Will left the yard and started walking through the castle halls arriving at a balcony after walking up some stairs.

Standing there, he looked down at the yard and the dogs running around being chased by laughing children. Men carrying wood, stone, and varying metals through the yard. The sound of metal hitting metal resounded through the yard from the blacksmith, contrasted by the women peacefully cleaning clothes in the well while talking and laughing. Diverting his gaze behind the castle walls, he saw a sea of red, yellow, and green adorning the hilly landscape surrounding the castle.

The sound of footsteps stopping next to him awoke him from his daydreams.

Looking in the direction from which they originated, he saw a woman rivaling his height, wearing an auburn dress making it seem as though her long same colored hair was flowing directly into it, down to the leaves, and flowers embroidered beneath the waistline and the end of the sleeves.

The woman's piercing green eyes alternated between Will’s and the sword in his hands.

“Mother,” Will said in a quiet tone, slightly bowing his head, as if trying to dodge his mother’s gaze.

Before he could even hear her steps, Will felt an air of wind passing next to him and turned around, only to see his mother walking away without saying a word, her sword in her hands.

Will didn’t even notice her taking it, and all he could do was turn around and walk away while sighing.

“Good luck Lia.”

…

The morning sun shone onto the man’s face, leaning carefree against the balcony banister. His shoulder-length brushed-back black hair contrasted by his pale handsome face, that could strike jealousy into the hearts of even the most beautiful women in all five kingdoms, making him look far younger than his thirty-eight years.

“Did you already forget how you were when you were her age?” The man asked, his voice soft like silk.

“I remember exactly how I was a child. I also remember the problems I got myself into,” a monotone voice answered.

The man turned around with a slight smile on his face, looking at the woman sitting at a table, reading through some documents.

“Do you remember the way your parents were?”

The words had hardly left his mouth when two green eyes already stared at him as though piercing right through him. It was a gaze that struck fear in countless men’s hearts, yet the man it was directed toward today didn’t even flinch; no, his smile even grew.

The woman continued to stare for a couple of seconds until her expression crumbled and she let her head hang down. Most people would be shocked that anyone could bring the great Ellia Oldflower to that state.

“I was young and foolish. My parents may not have been perfect, but looking back, I have come to understand them more.” Ellia said in a quiet voice.

“Still, would you have done anything differently?” The man asked, stopping to lean on the banister and slowly walking inside.

“…No… but I was the exception, not the rule, Alys. I just don’t know how to get that into Lia’s head.”

“How about actually talking to her instead of throwing angry looks her way or holding a lecture about responsibility,” Alys replied after arriving before the table Ellia was sitting at.

Sighing, he used his hand to raise her chin and looked at his wife with bright grey eyes. “I know you’re trying to protect them, so they don’t have to go through what you went through. But we also both know that no matter what, in the end, they’ll find a way to do what they actually want. The only difference will be if they do it with us watching over them, helping them if they need it, or if they’re going to have to do it behind our backs.”

Ellia’s unsure face looked back at him, at which he looked with a smile, and then gave a kiss on Ellia’s forehead, a second on her cheek, and a third, even more gentle one on her lips.

Parting his lips from hers, he whispered, “And don’t forget about Loryn.”

Ellia’s face, which was just adorned with a beautiful smile, reverted to her usual stony face and spoke. “I’d rather have him become a jester than waste his talents on the Forsaken.”

“You should’ve taken care of that before Barin told him all those stories,” Alys replied with a light chuckle. “Loryn wants heroism. He wants honor. I don’t think there’s a better place for him to find out for himself that if those things ever existed, they long ceased to do so, at least in this world… let the boy make his own mistakes.”

Before Ellia could reply, a knock came from the door. An old male voice could be heard behind it.

“Lady Ellia, a letter just came in, it was brought by… a raven.”

Ellia’s face instantly became more serious.

“Come in Barin,” Ellia called out, recognizing the voice.

An old man in dark red leather armor adorned with the house crest of house Oldflower, on the chest piece, a tall tree carrying many leaves surrounded by two circles, walked through the door.

Barin lightly bowed and quickly gave Ellia the letter.

Ellia began reading the letter while Alys mouthed a thank you towards Barin with a slight smile, to which Barin returned with a nod and then left the room.

Alys then looked at Ellia, who shortly after, put the letter aside.

After a couple of seconds of silence, she said ”The king has died.”