It’s early in the morning. Right now, we’re gathering in front of the mansion waiting for my brother to come.

“Sorry, I’m late! This ceremonial uniform took a little more time than I thought.”

As I looked ahead, there stood my brother, resplendent in his regal attire. He was clad in a striking black uniform adorned with intricate gold lining. The pristine white capes draped over his shoulders bore the emblem of our esteemed family, a broken wall with a defiant shield above it. A finely-crafted sword hung gracefully from his waist. As he approached, his presence exuded confidence and grace, and I couldn't help but feel a surge of pride for the future knight he was becoming.

“Woah… Brother you look really cool! “, I exclaimed, marveling at his appearance.

“Oh? Haha! Do I really look that cool, Ser?” my brother replied playfully, striking a few dramatic poses.

“You were,” I nodded, “but after that last pose, you remind me that you’re still Brother.”

“Eh?” a confused voice came from my Brother, “Ser, what does that mean? Am I usually not cool? I’m always cool right, Ser?”, he panicked.

“Hehe,” I chuckled, “Anyway, what about me brother? Do I look good? This is the first time other people will see me in uniform.” I asked anxiously.

Accompanying my brother, I also wore my uniform. It resembled his, but with fewer adornments and no capes, and only a training sword hanging at my side. Additionally, I had the arm brace that Instructor Dan had given me as a birthday present.

Compared to my Brother, who exudes an air of authority, I look like a simplified version, lacking the aura he had. I couldn’t help but feel a little down.

Perhaps sensing my anxiousness, my brother moved closer to me and kneeled down.

“You look wonderful, Ser. Right now, what you’re feeling is the burden of a uniform. It’s natural that you’ll feel unworthy of it. Even I needed a lot of time before I could stand proud with this uniform. “ assured my brother with a gentle smile.

“You too, Brother?”

“Of course, Ser! Give it a few years and you will also be able to stand high and proudly say you’re a knight of Ashford! So don’t be too hard on yourself and cheer up,” he answered, “Now, let’s go and hurry to the carriage. Father is waiting for us.”

“Un!”

Our ride to the palace is short; it only takes about 20 minutes. During this ride, I pondered about what the royal family is like. I’ve only met Brother Alex before, I haven’t met the King or the Queen. From what I remember, it seems like the King is not particularly smart, nor is he a very strong person. What he excels at is gathering competent and loyal people under him and placing the right person in the right position.

I don’t know much about the Queen, just the basics. Even my tutor seems to have little information about her. I only remember what my mother said about her. She mentioned that the Queen is the one who ensures the kingdom stays clean. I didn’t really understand it, and when I wanted to know more, my mother only smiled at me without answering.

I know even less about Princess Trinity. If not for Brother Alex's mention of her, I wouldn’t even know of her existence. Aside from her previous illness, I don’t know what kind of person she is. Hmm, I hope I can be a good company for her.

…

As I pondered about the royal family, we approached the palace grounds. The palace ground is massive and used to house multiple buildings. I don’t know what these buildings are but I can see what looks to be a scholar going in and out of one of the buildings. Across the ground, I also noticed many knights patrolling the area. Our carriage passed some of them and I noticed their look of respect. As expected, our family is held in high regard here due to Father.

From the front, we moved past the gate without any intervention. It looks like Brother didn’t lie to me when he said our family crest can indeed grant us access to the palace ground. We continue moving past a few more buildings before finally stopping. There, I see servants lining up, preparing to welcome us.

“Welcome, Lord Ashford, Master William. “greeted one of the servants.

“Morning, Albert!” said my Brother.

“I see you still haven’t retired, Albert. I told you before, for old guys like us, home is our greatest treasure. “ my father replied with a smile.

So this person's name is Albert. It looks like he is close with my brother and father. From what I can see, he is a little bit older than father, with slight gray hair and a little wrinkle on his forehead, and a gentle demeanor. Despite that, the way Sir Albert presents himself exudes discipline. He has neatly combed hair and wears a fancy butler uniform.

“Ohoho, this is my home, Lord Ashford and I will retire only when this body can’t stand anymore. “ he replied with a bow.

“So, who might this young lady be? “

“Greetings, sir Albert. My name is Seraphine Ashford”

Yes! Perfect, just like how my etiquette instructor told me!

“Ah, so it’s Lady Seraphine! Please, just call me Albert, I am but a humble servant. The last time I saw you was when you were just born. At that time, Lord Ashford was trying to calm Young Master William, despite the clear anxiousness showing on his face. “

“Father did… ? “

“Yes, of course,but it pales in comparison when young mas-“

“Ahem,” interrupted my father, “Is His Majesty inside? “

“He is expecting you, Lord Ashford. Allow me to guide you,” Albert said with a slight chuckle.

We entered the royal palace, and to my surprise, it appeared quite simple. The decor and furnishings were elegant yet not extravagant. It was tastefully arranged to maintain the aura befitting the royal family. Strangely, I did not see any paintings of the current royal family.

We eventually stopped at a big door. Albert asks us to wait and then proceeds to knock on the door.

“Your Majesty, Lord Ashford, and his entourage have arrived.”

“Let them in,” I heard a relaxed voice behind the door.

After that, Albert opened the door and led us in. There, I see an office. It looks neat and tidy, with a few shelves for books. In the middle of the office, four chairs surround a small table, with one of them occupied. In the end, there’s a work desk with orderly organized paperwork. Sitting behind that desk, a regal looking man is smiling towards us.

“ Griffith! You bastard, it’s good to see you again! I see you still travel without your knights! Looks like your confidence is the same as ever.” A bright voice greeted us as we entered.

“I’ve been protecting you for decades, Your Majesty. What’s a little trip can do to me? “ my father said while slightly bowing his body.

“So, looking at the little one over there, I presume you agree to Laura’s request?” the man smirked. All eyes are on me now and I couldn’t help but flinch.

“G-greetings, Your Majesty Maximilian Gratia! R-ruler of the Mighty Kroell! Uhh…Uhh!” I said while trembling. Why can’t I remember the rest !? Miss Fiona is going to scold me!

Ugh, how embarrassing! I can’t believe I messed up my greeting to the king. 

“Haha! How could such an adorable little creature come from you Griffith!? Did you kidnap an angel from God !? “

Thankfully, it looks like my mistake is forgiven. Phew, I thought I would never see my family again.

“Even God's angel can’t compare to our Seraphine, Uncle.“

Brother ?!?!

“William,“a stern voice coming from my father.

“What? Nobody likes stiff etiquette in this room. Anyway, how are you, Uncle? I hope you’re not bored staring at documents all day. ”

“I am feeling great, William. Ever since Trinity’s health is getting better, every new day we feel immeasurable joy. “

“That’s good then. “

There is a slight pause in the conversation. I can feel the happiness of everyone here spreading through the room.

“Well anyway, it looks like William is ready to be a Royal Guard, right, Griffith? “

“If he passes the test,” my father glanced at the fourth man in the room,“Don’t go easy on him, Roderick”

“Of course, commander, “ the man nodded to my father,“then, Your Highness, I shall take my leave and prepare for the test. “

Woah, He’s Sir Roderick! He was Father’s second in command when he was still serving in the military. I heard that he can beat anyone in a fight except for my father.

“Go, I hope we will have another ‘Guardian Duke’ for my son. Also, tell Albert or whoever's outside to call for Trinity. “

“Yes, Your Highness, “the man slightly bowed,” William, let's go. I hope you're ready for this.”

“What Guardian Duke? I’ll surpass that damn old man and get my own title. Let’s see, I think it should be F…” he mumbled while getting out of the room.

Huh, I guess Brother is jealous of Father’s title.

Now that the two of them left the room, there’s only the two of us left in the room. 

“Come and sit, there are some things to talk about before Trinity gets here.” said King Maximilian while gesturing us to sit.

“Is it okay for us to wait here, Max ? While I heard that she’s better now, shouldn’t we just let her rest?”

Hearing that, the King shook his head and chuckled lightly. Then, he slumped on his chair and started looking at the ceiling while smiling.

“Rest ? I will be celebrating if she would just stay still for 1 hour,” the King chuckled, “Trinity… She’s been asleep for most of her life. Honestly, at some point, I lost hope. I thought she would never be able to live her life. I thought she will still be there, on her bed for years to come. I remember feeling really powerless. I even cursed the Gods. “

“Max…”

“But not Laura. Even when she’s busy, she always spare her time to visit Trinity. She would talk to her, tell her various stories, and even though we have maids, I've seen her massage Trinity's body herself. She always believes Trinity will wake up. She never loses hope. “

Laura Gratia, Queen of the Kroell Kingdom. She’s also my mother’s best friend from her academy days. But despite that, my mother doesn’t tell me much about her. I feel like mother intentionally didn't tell me about her. But from what King William said,there is one thing that i know for sure, She really loves Trinity.

“And then a miracle occurred! Trinity started staying up more. Her condition improves day by day and now she is running around the entire palace! Looking back, I want to berate myself for losing hope.” said the King with a beaming face.

“I see, that’s great.” my father nodded.

“Umm, Your Majesty.”

“Please, Ser. I’ve known your family my whole life. You can call me Uncle like William”

“Uhh Uncle, what is she like?” I asked.

I wanted to know a little bit more about her. We’re going to meet soon so I think it will be better to find out more about her.

“Trinity ? Well…” before he could answer, the door slammed open.

“ Is she here,is she here,is she here ?!” an excited voice spread through the room.

In front of the door, I see a girl with beautiful silver hair and blue eyes wearing a proper white dress. She must be Princess Trinity. She’s a little shorter than me but other than that, she’s just a normal cute little girl. Huh, because of her sickness, I thought she would be skinnier.

As i thought that, i can see her gaze scan the room and then i feel her staring at me. Her face beamed up and she started running towards me.

“Is it you!? Hi! I’m Trinity! What's your name ?”

“Uhh, greeting, Princess. My name is Seraphine Ashford from-”

Before I can finish my greetings, I feel my body jerked up towards her. My hand was grabbed and pulled by her.

“Seraphine! That’s a nice name! Now let’s go and follow me! We have a lot of things to do!”

“No, wait ! Princess !”

With that she dragged me out of the room, leaving my father and the king alone.