* IRA EMERSON ELYSIAN *

"Always keep your eye on your opponent's movement. See how they treat their sword, see how they strike with it, see how they defend themselves with it," father told me sternly while I tried to shove my wooden sword in his guts, but failed because he always dodged my attacks, no matter how quick I was.

I frowned hard, sweat dripping from my forehead to my cheeks as I glared at my father, upset because I never won against him. I lunged forward, holding the hilt of the sword with both of my fists, closing my eyes and aiming for his chest but I didn't even get close to him before he hit my sword. My sword fell from my hand while I watched my father letting out a sigh.

He placed his wooden sword beneath my chin, now making me look directly at his eyes, the same ones that I inherited from him. "Never take out your anger on your sword. It will fail you -- just like how anger fails everything," he said, now stepping back and giving me the chance to pick up my sword.

I picked it up and looked at it -- such a small sword -- when will I get my own real sword? I'd wondered and then thought that maybe I'd get better if I were to have a real sword, the ones that the knights use, the ones that father has in his chambers. I shook my head, and brought out my sword, eyeing my father with a new-found determination.

I swung my sword at father, with all the energy I had within my nine-year-old body, thinking it'd finally have an affect on him but it didn't -- he caught up with me as quick as an arrow flying towards its prey. His attacks were so quick I never even had the chance to think what to do next.

I fell again with my sword.

I got up, stroke at him as he attacked back, our wooden swords slashing with one another, making a noise that always made me scrunch my nose while father would tell me to stop doing that. I would listen to him but then I would be doing it again.

Soon, father got bored and he eventually decided to blew his final strike: do something unpredictable, catch me off guard and then defeat me. But I'd practised with father so much I knew what he was going to do, I knew what his next move was going to be.

He lunged forward, as quick and easy as air, already catching me off guard as he brought his sword in the air, about to attack me when he changed his direction and went for my legs but what he wasn't expecting was that I'd already jumped backward, my sword twirling in the air as I grinned, finally being able to dodge his attacks.

Father raised his eyebrow in surprise, but that didn't let him be off guard completely because the moment I lunged towards him, with my sword aimed at his neck, he leaned back, arching his neck and dodging my attack. Before I could even make another move, he'd already attacked my sword, all my strength around the hilt of my sword vanishing the moment his one clashed with mine, falling into the ground with a light thud.

I looked at the fallen wooden sword, disappointed at myself but then I felt someone ruffling my hair and I looked up, seeing my father and I saw how warm his eyes were looking, how he was actually proud of me despite being a Naught.

"You're going to be a great swordsman. I know it," he told me, still ruffling my hair and then he smiled and at that moment, all the grudges that I was holding against this man vanished along with the specks of dirt flowing in the air.

"I will be the greatest swordsman of Elysia!" I said, scared to smile back because he was the king but after hearing me, he smiled even more and I couldn't help but grin, too.

That was the first time my father ever smiled at me.

Standing in the field of the amphitheater, with my sword firmly secured in my scabbard, my eyes searched for father in the amphitheater and it didn't take me long to catch his figure.

The middle part of the amphitheater, strictly reserved for the royal family wasn't yet occupied with them as right now, I could only see Elliot and Ezekiel conversing with each other, both chuckling whenever the other said something funny. Ezekiel out shined everyone in the amphitheater because of his attire and the slim crown that sat atop his well-brushed hair - the crown of the crown prince -- the crown that screamed that the person wearing this would be the next ruler but the question was: Will Ezekiel sit on the throne? Given his clear disinterest in it?

While Ezekiel's sole purpose in life was to draw as much as attention as he could, ordered by the council, Elliot's was quite opposite as he was strictly obligated to not draw much attention unless absolutely necessary. He sat in his seat, beside my seat, wearing a simple embroidered vest and a linen white shirt beneath it, the earrings in his ears the only shining objects in his entire attire.

Truth be told, he didn't have to do much to not draw attention as the his ugly fake hair was enough to not make anyone bat an eye at him.

Ezekiel noticed me and then waved at me while I slightly bowed my head, passing a thin lipped smile. No matter how much blood related we were, Ezekiel was the future king, no matter how much he denied it himself.

Elliot also noticed me but we both didn't bother to pay mind to one another.

It didn't take long for my parents to arrive as well and there was another bell, just to declare the arrival of my father and my mother.

"I now declare the arrival of king Edric Elvin Elysian, the true ruler of Elysia, the gods' sent protector of Elysia and the liberator of Elysia," the town crier announced, his voice at the top as I saw my father making his way to the amphitheater, followed by several soldiers around him. "And queen Meridia Eris Elysian," by my father's side was my mother, smiling warmly at the people as she waved at me which I returned with a genuine smile.

Father and my mother's presence had everyone standing up, bowing their heads to them while the town crier continued. "Today, we are present beneath the skies ruled by the gods, about to witness a dual of sword battle between prince Ira Emerson Elysian and miss Ilayna Lililth Echethier. Miss Ilayna has passed the first two trials and is about to head for the final trial upon the order of His Majesty, the king,"

My eyes landed on father but his crown was the first thing that caught my attention due to sunlight reflecting on it. He was still standing, his broad shoulders hidden beneath a vest, a sword secured in his scabbard despite the countless soldiers ready to die for him anytime, several golden chains hanging from the jewelled brooches and among all these shines, the locket in his throat still managed to draw attention.

The crescent shaped locket was still there, hanging just below his throat and it shone whenever the sun blew its breath at the moon's pale colour.

Father straightened his posture and commanded the subjects to raise their heads. They did, awaiting for their king to speak along with me.

"Holding a sword battle before the day of a royal wedding might sound a little off-putting to some of you," he began and I noticed how the entire crowd had gotten awfully quiet, not even sounds of breaths could be heard. This was the effect my father had on his people -- he influenced them quick, well and perfectly. He never wasted his time on useless pleasantries, he always went straight to the point -- something you don't see many rulers do and that was one of the reasons why the people admired him, why despite so much discrimination going on, the people would always follow him.

"But it was time one of my sons acquire themselves a knight as not only a knight will grant him permanent protection, but also a patriot who will serve her life for the country, if it's needed," he said, waiting for anyone to speak back but no one did. This was another one of my father's tactics. Giving the people illusion of power. He was telling his own people why he was doing this, albeit there was no need of this -- a king never had to explain himself -- he had his people to do those jobs for him but he still did, just to show he cared about his people enough to come up to the amphitheater himself and talk.

My father didn't even need to come here. Only the members of the council except for the king was to witness and judge the Ezèrian's sword skills, but father himself came, just to showcase that he cared enough about his son and the knight he was going to be anointed.

Father's only job, in this whole situation, was to just declare the Ezèrian as my knight once she won all the trials, his job was to give her the badge of honour and announce she was going to serve me until her last breath. But father still came all the way from the palace, sat among the people of Elysia, in the same brick-stairs and spectated.

And it was all working in favour for him.

"Gender is irrelevant to me. It always has been. What matters is the individual's skills and not the gender they were born with," this was another one of father's specialties: not giving in to gender discrimination. While other kingdoms around us looked downed upon women, that was not the case here, making him even more admirable to the subjects. "Miss Echethier has proved herself by passing the first two trials. I look forward to the final trial," father said, his voice stern and deep.

They all clapped upon hearing the Ezèrian's achievements and for some unknown reason, I also found myself being proud of her. The three trials mostly took place in three days but to think she went through the trials and also passed them, it meant she was truly skilled with her experience and that only made me excited for what was about to come next.

She was exhausted, that was for sure as I noticed her in a corner of the field, strapping the belt in her waist as she drank another mug of water. She ran a hand through her inauthentic hair, now walking forward, coming towards me as we now stood in the middle of the field, her eyeing me sternly and I wondered what she might be thinking right now because she certainly was not thinking anything that I was thinking about her. I shake my head aggressively.

"Your Highness," she inclined her head and I noticed the thinnest strand of white hair protruding out from the bottom of her scalp, one that can't be seen unless she was looked at for too long. She raised her head, her fake brown eyes locked in mine, and I wondered how I could still picture her transparent grey eyes, full of life and determination, and I wondered when I would see them again.

"Miss Echethier," I said, studying her face and noticed the dark circles beneath her eyes, clear sign that she didn't get any sleep last night. Her body movements screamed that she was tired to death and could collapse anytime as she shook her head many times, steadying her footing and sometimes blinking way too much. I was almost about to ask her to let me go on easy with her in the battle when I stopped myself. She wouldn't want that. She wanted to fight fairly.

"You passed the two trials. That was impressive," I said, hoping to lift her spirits as she smiled and I couldn't help but think how someone's smile could look so perfect. She had the type of smile that'd make you be glad to be alive, to be able to see her. I wanted to speak more, say more and make her smile more and set my heart ablaze and feel the world stop and have myself be bewitched by her and have my heart palpitating by a mere smile, because I didn't mind any of it -- but then I felt a dark stare towards me as I whipped my head, looking straight at my father.

He was looking at me, deeply, his expression solemn, his eyes sending daggers albeit he held no expression. He realised something, and that scared me to the point I found my breath getting caught in my throat. Did he find out anything about the Ezèrian? Did he find out the reason why I actually want a knight? Did Elliot betray me? Did he tell anything to Father? No, he would not. He knew the price that he'd have to pay, and as much as I hated my brother, my brother was no fool.

My father continued looking at me, making me awfully aware of my surroundings and uneasy. I inclined my head, hoping he'd see me bowing my head to him, and when he did, he only gave me a firm nod, making me sigh in relief

Then, he finally raised his voice, and with a flick of his two fingers, he said, "Let the final trial begin!"