Aurein's POV
I was sitting alone in my chamber, the moonlight spilling softly through the carved windows. It was already time for my training with General Voltaire. Normally, by this hour, he would be standing beside my bed—waking me up, scolding me for being slow, or shaking me until I opened my eyes. His presence had become a strange kind of comfort.
But today... it was just me.
I sighed heavily and sank my weight onto the edge of my bed.
"Serena is so annoying. She's making my life miserable!" I muttered in frustration.
A sharp knock on the door jolted me upright.
"General Voltaire?" I whispered, hope flaring in my chest as I stood and hurried to the door.
But the moment I opened it—
"Good morning, Prince Aurein."
—my excitement dissolved.
"Oh... Rowan. It's just you," I said with a small smile, doing my best to hide the disappointment that clung to my chest.
"Yeah! I came to pick you up. Isn't your training supposed to start around this time?" he asked. He wasn't wearing training gear—just his usual clothes.
"Yup, I'm about to get dressed," I said. "Aren't you joining us today?"
"Nope. I'm only here to accompany you to the training grounds. After that, I need to attend to something important. I'll return once your training ends."
"At this hour you have something to do?"
"Yeah, but don't mind about it." He answered, smiling softly.
"Anyway, Thanks, Rowan. But you don't need to escort me back later. I can manage on my own," I said with a grin.
"I can't leave you walking alone back to the palace," he said. "I already told the king I'd act as your personal guard while General Voltaire is away."
"Nah, it's fine. Besides, you told me yesterday I was already exceptional, remember? I can defend myself."
"You never know what might happen," he said. "But still... I'll come for you."
"I guess I can't stop you, can I?"
"No, you can't, Aurein," he said and grinned.
"Alright. I'll just get changed into my training gear."
* * *
A short while later, once I was dressed, we stepped out of the palace. I looked around instinctively.
"What are you searching for?" Rowan asked.
"Aren't we waiting for General Voltaire? Or... shouldn't we at least walk with him?"
"No need," he said. "We go straight to the training grounds. You can wait for him there. I'm sure he's with Princess Serena right now in her chamber—gods know what he's doing."
I exhaled sharply.
"Shall we, my prince?" Rowan asked.
I simply nodded, and we began walking.
But as the palace faded behind us, the uneasiness inside me crept back. I thought things were finally stabilizing... and yet the world kept proving me wrong.
When we arrived at the training grounds, I froze.
My eyes widened.
I swallowed hard.
What I was seeing made my stomach twist.
Surrounded by a crowd of warriors—admiring her, cheering for her—was Princess Serena herself... wearing a full female training outfit.
Of course she'd do this.
I marched toward her immediately.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, baffled.
"I'm here to train with you, Prince Aurein! I want to be strong too. Hihi!" she said in a voice so soft it sounded fake even from a distance.
I rolled my eyes so hard I nearly saw the gods.
"Prince Aurein! Good morning!" Ton-Ton greeted cheerfully as he approached.
"It looks like today's training is going to be... interesting again," Asper said with a mischievous grin.
"We've been visited by so many royals lately. We have to show off a little!" Dante said enthusiastically.
"Where is General Voltaire?" I asked.
"Looking for me?" a deep voice answered from behind.
I whipped around. The General stood there, expression unreadable, one brow raised.
"You're late, Prince Aurein." he said flatly.
I swallowed again. I thought he wasn't here yet.
"Everyone, go to your formation, quickly." General Voltaire commanded sharply.
"Aurein, I have to go. I'll pick you up later," Rowan said before heading off. I nodded and took my place among Dante, Asper, and Ton-Ton.
And there—standing in front of us—was General Voltaire... and beside him, Princess Serena, looking elegant, athletic, divine, and annoyingly perfect with her white silky hair neatly pinned.
"She's so beautiful... she really looks like a goddess even if she's just wearing a training gear," Ton-Ton whispered.
"Yeah, Prince Aurein. You're lucky. Princess Serena is gorgeous," Asper added.
"We're fortunate to have her as the future queen. She's kind and gentle," Dante said.
I looked at Serena, who was delicately brushing her hair with her fingers, making sure she appeared flawless.
"Don't believe what you see," I whispered back. "She may LOOK nice, but inside? Pure evil."
The three stared at me skeptically, like they really don't believe what I am telling them.
"You four again! You're always gossiping when training is about to start!" General Voltaire said sharply.
We instantly stood straight.
"For your punishment—fifty laps! The rest, forty!" he said.
"Fifty? That's too much, General!" I protested.
"Do you want me to make it sixty?" he said irritably.
I shut my mouth instantly.
"Forty laps? Oh no... Can I even survive that? I might faint," Serena said, pretending to be weak. But I bet she could outrun half the warriors here.
"I thought you wanted to be strong? You can do it, Princess Serena," I said, intimidating her.
"General..." she said softly, turning to him with innocent eyes. "Can I really do it?"
"You don't need to run, Princess Serena," General Voltaire said firmly. "You can stay with me as I watch over their routine."
"Okay! I'll stay with you. And please... never leave my side. What if intruders suddenly appear? I'm scared," she said dramatically.
Annoying. Absolutely annoying.
"Don't worry. I will protect you with all my strength, Princess Serena. I vowed to your father and to the King and Queen that I would keep you safe. You are my responsibility," General Voltaire said.
"Thank you, General Voltaire. I owe you my life for protecting it," she said, almost teary-eyed... then looked at me, lifted her eyebrow, and smirked.
She was mocking me. Like she's screaming that she got the last laugh!
This princess. I hated her. She was doing all this just to torment me—and she knew it!
"What are you all waiting for? Begin your routine!" General Voltaire commanded.
And that was how my nightmare began, even if it is morning already!
Without a second thought, I broke into a run. My body moved before reason could catch up—driven by irritation so sharp it felt like a blade dragging across my nerves. I didn't care who was behind me. I just needed to move.
"Hold on! You're too fast, Prince Aurein! We can't keep up!" Ton-Ton shouted.
"Why are you suddenly so quick today?" Asper asked, breathless.
"You really look hyped up today, Prince Aurein!" Dante added.
I glanced over my shoulder and saw them struggling, practically tripping over their own feet as they chased me. Guilt flickered through my irritation. I slowed down, letting them close the distance.
"Sorry, I sped up too much," I said.
For a heartbeat, everything calmed—until Serena's laughter echoed faintly in my mind. That sound alone was enough to ignite my annoyance all over again.
"Prince Aurein! You're speeding up again!" Ton-Ton cried anxiously.
"Arrrghh!" I yelled, and I bolted forward with even greater force, leaving them behind entirely. I wasn't just irritated anymore—if I was being honest, I was furious.
I hated the fact that I thought... I thought General Voltaire and I were finally going to be okay. That things would go back to the way they used to be. But right now? That felt impossible.
I didn't even feel tired. All I knew was that I wanted to run—run from this anger, run from this confusion, run until everything inside me finally quieted.
At this rate, I was going to lose my mind.
"Prince Aurein! Wait!" Dante shouted from behind.
"Please slow down, Prince Aurein!" Ton-Ton added, wheezing.
Their voices pulled me back—like hands reaching through the fog of my own frustration. I slowed, then stopped. Only then did exhaustion slam into me. My lungs burned. My chest heaved. Sweat dripped down my face and onto the ground, falling like tiny droplets of surrender.
"Prince Aurein... is something wrong?" Asper asked once they caught up, concern etched on his face.
I couldn't answer. I could only pant, my gaze fixed on the dirt beneath my feet. I couldn't tell them I was jealous. They wouldn't understand.
No one would understand how messy this felt inside me.
"Nothing. Nothing's wrong," I said, still gasping for breath.
"If something's bothering you, Prince Aurein, you can talk to us," Dante said gently. He rested a careful hand on my shoulder. "We see you as our friend—our comrade. Not just a prince."
"We might not be the smartest advisers you could ask for," Ton-Ton added with a grin, "but at least you have someone to talk to."
Slowly, I lifted my head. Their faces were earnest—soft, warm, familiar. It steadied me. I managed a small smile.
"Thanks, guys," I said quietly. "Anyway, let's go before General Voltaire shows up and scolds us for resting. He might add extra laps."
From there on, we began running again. Each time we circled past the spot where General Voltaire stood watching us, Serena was there—rooted beside him like a stubborn shadow. She spoke animatedly, saying something I couldn't hear, though it hardly mattered. He wasn't looking at her. His eyes were fixed on us.
Or... at least, I hoped—on me.
But who was I kidding? That was impossible.
"Prince Aurein, there's soft ground to your left. You might trip, be careful." he suddenly said.
I froze mid-step, startled, when I saw that spot he was talking about.
My hand instinctively moved to my chest, as if to steady the sudden flutter inside it. I hadn't realized he was watching me so closely. I thought he didn't care anymore.
And before I could stop myself, a smile spread across my face—far too wide, so wide it felt as if my head might split in half from the sudden surge of joy.
Just hearing him care... even for a moment... dissolved all my anger. Completely.
It felt as though my entire body had been recharged with lightning.
"You look happy again, Prince Aurein?" Asper asked, smirking at me.
"Not really," I said, though the grin refusing to leave my lips betrayed me.
"That's more like it!" Ton-Ton said cheerfully. "When we see you happy, we feel more motivated too, Prince Aurein."
"Is that so?" I said with a soft laugh.
"I'm curious what suddenly made Prince Aurein brighten up," Dante wondered aloud.
"Doesn't matter," Asper said. "What's important is that our prince is smiling again."
"No, guys," I said with a grin, "I'm just glad all of you are beside me. You keep me sane."
And so, as we continued our rounds, I felt lighter—almost weightless. Nothing could take this happiness away from me. Hearing General Voltaire's voice, hearing even just one moment of concern from him... that was already enough.
People might say it was nothing more than a small gesture.
But to me, it meant everything.
* * *
Finally, after an agonizing, exhausting, yet strangely fulfilling running routine, we were finished at last.
All of us—not just the four of us—collapsed onto the ground. We had run far more laps than anyone else today, and the earth beneath us had never felt more comforting.
"I feel like every day, he keeps adding more laps," Ton-Ton said, sprawled on the ground, unmoving.
"But think of it, Ton-Ton—you can run so many laps now!" Dante said proudly.
"Right?" Asper chimed in. "I didn't even notice at first. When you think about it, the number of laps we're doing is insane. But it actually feels satisfying when you finish."
"That," General Voltaire said as he approached, "is what I wanted you to realize."
We all shot upright instantly.
"I'm seeing real development now," he continued. "Not just from the four of you, but from everyone here. Running that many laps is no joke. During my training days as a warrior, thirty laps was already considered extreme. But all of you surpassed that today. And I am proud of you."
We exchanged looks—tired, breathless, but smiling. To be praised by General Voltaire, who usually complained more than he complimented... that alone felt like an achievement.
"And I would like to thank someone personally," he said.
We all perked up, glancing at one another, trying to guess who he meant.
"I would like to thank Prince Aurein."
That was when it happened.
Heat shot straight up my neck and exploded across my face.
I felt like I was going to combust in front of everyone.
"If it weren't for you," he said, "if you hadn't shown that it was possible to run that many laps, these warriors wouldn't have believed they could do it too. You pushed them past their limits. So I thank you. You did well. You deserve praise... a reward."
I immediately covered my burning face with both hands. I couldn't let them see how happy I was—or how red I probably looked. My entire body felt like it was glowing.
"That's our prince!" Dante said proudly.
"That's why I keep trying my best—because of you, Prince Aurein!" Ton-Ton said, shaking me by the shoulders.
"Ton-Ton! Careful! You might break the prince's bones!" Asper joked. "But yes—we truly are trying to improve ourselves because we see how hard you're pushing to prove yourself. We see how much you want to show you're worthy of being our next king. And we do see it. We respect you. And you have our loyalty."
Slowly, I lowered my hands and looked at them. All of the fifty warriors of General Voltaire's army.
They were all nodding.
Approving.
Believing in me.
I couldn't hold it in anymore.
"I'm sorry, guys, for what I'm about to do," I said.
And then I cried.
Not because I was sad.
But because I was happy—genuinely, overwhelmingly happy.
For the first time, I felt like someone people could look up to. For so long, I felt judged—looked down on for the way I appeared, the way I acted, the way I thought.
But now... seeing their faces, hearing their voices...
It felt satisfying.
It felt real.
It felt like I finally mattered.
"Now, now, don't cry too much, Prince Aurein. My warriors might start copying you—and I do not need an army of crybabies," General Voltaire said with a gentle tease as he knelt before me.
I looked up at him through eyes still swollen from crying—and that was when I saw it.
A smile.
A soft, warm, impossibly gentle smile.
The kind he almost never gave me. Most days, all I got from him were smirks—annoying, teasing, taunting smirks that made my heart race for all the wrong reasons.
But this one... this smile felt different.
It felt tender.
It felt like the warmth of sunlight brushing my face after days of rain.
And my heart—traitorous as ever—soaked in every bit of that warmth.
"No warrior or general wants to see their king crying," he said quietly.
Then, before I could react, before I could even breathe—
He wiped my tears away with his fingers.
In front of everyone.
My entire body froze. My mind blanked. Words abandoned me completely.
This wasn't normal.
A general kneeling before a prince?
Touching me so gently, so openly, in front of all the warriors?
My gaze flickered behind him.
Serena stood there, arms crossed, rolling her eyes so hard.
I couldn't help it—I smiled back at her with the tiniest hint of mischief.
Aurein, 3. Serena, 1.
Not only did the General care for me earlier at the routine...
He praised me.
He wiped my tears away.
Ha! Take that.
As soon as he finished wiping the last bit of dampness from my cheeks, he stood to his full height—instantly slipping back into the strict, commanding general everyone feared.
"Rest for thirty minutes," he said firmly. "Then we begin sword training."
He walked away, leaving a lingering warmth in the air where he had been kneeling.
I forced myself to stand and approached Serena.
I raised my chin, letting her see exactly who won that round.
"Don't get too happy, Aurein. Remember—I'm with him more often than you," she said, clearly trying to make me jealous.
"You can stay with the General all you want," I whispered with a smirk, "but his mind... it's focused on me."
I refused to back down this time.
She stiffened, then spun around dramatically and walked away.
I smiled to myself even though she didn't see it.
"I'll do whatever I want, just like we agreed, my dear queen," I murmured under my breath.
"Whatever," she muttered back without turning, then continued on.
"Where are you going? It's dangerous if you wander too far," I said, a bit concerned.
"I'm going to see the General. Don't worry about me—I can defend myself," she said, continuing her march.
I just hoped she didn't reach him while he was bathing.
I didn't want her seeing him like that.
No one should get to see him like that.
Except me!
* * *
Soon after, sword training began. I gripped my wooden sword and attempted the forms General Voltaire had taught me earlier. Serena stood directly in front of me, arms crossed tightly across her chest, shaking her head with every movement I made.
"What? Are you belittling me in your head?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.
"Your forms are weak," she said flatly. "If you were in a real battle, you'd be dead by now."
"Relax. I'm still learning," I said.
She rolled her eyes so hard I thought she'd passed out.
"General Voltaire must have lied when he said he was impressed with your swordsmanship. He probably just wanted everyone to think he's doing a great job training you," she teased. "Because honestly? You're terrible."
"Oh? Don't tell me you can do better," I said.
"Of course I can," she said. "Give me that."
She grabbed my sword—and instantly swung it with precision and power, like a warrior who had trained for years.
"So you really do know how to fight?" I murmured, genuinely surprised.
"Of course. I already told you. Not just with a sword—I'm also skilled with bow and arrow, and spear," she bragged. "I'll show you what a real warrior princess looks like."
She lifted the sword again—
—but General Voltaire walked in.
"Oh? You're holding the prince's wooden sword," he said to Serena. "Do you know how to use it?"
"Nope," she said sweetly.
"Yeah, just I have anticipated," he said.
"I just wanted to see how heavy it is. It's heavier than I expected. Princesses, the queen or ladies from my kingdom aren't allowed to touch weapons." Serena added.
"But here in Ardentia, females can be warriors too. We actually have an army of all females." The general said.
"That's cool! I want to learn how to wield a sword like them too," she said as she smiled softly at the general.
"But Serena, you told me that you—" I began, but Serena cut me off immediately.
"Can you teach me, General Voltaire? At least enough for self-defense. Queen Crysta said she knows how to use a sword too. I want to be like her."
Her smile was so innocent, so charming, so utterly fake that I nearly choked.
Just seconds ago, she was swinging the sword like a seasoned warrior. Now she was acting as if it weighed more than a boulder.
"Very well," General Voltaire said calmly. "I'll be happy to teach you."
"No!" I said, waving my arms wildly.
"Thank you, General. I appreciate it," she said sweetly.
"What about me?" I asked.
"You said the prince is already good with the sword," Serena cut in. "He doesn't need more lessons."
"Well," General Voltaire said, "he is very good. For a beginner."
"So, I still need your help," I insisted.
"Then I'll teach both of you together," he said.
"I think it's better if you focus on one student," Serena said quickly. "And if anyone needs lessons, it's me. Prince Aurein can practice on his own. He even showed me his forms earlier—I was amazed and inspired."
I nearly exploded. That's not what she said!
"So I'll focus on you, Princess Serena," General Voltaire said.
"Yes, please," she said softly. "Thank you so much, General Voltaire."
"You can stay beside us, Prince Aurein," he added. "I'll still observe you. But my main focus will be the princess." His tone was serious and decisive. "I'll be back. I need to get another wooden sword."
He walked away again.
Serena leaned toward me with a smug grin.
"Another point for me. Serena 2, Aurein 1."
"No. That's Aurein 3, Serena 2."
"And how exactly did you reach 3?" she asked.
"Well," I said proudly, "he cared for me. He praised me. And he wiped my tears."
Her mouth dropped slightly.
"Fine," she said. "But I'll even the score. No—I'll surpass you."
"Bring it on, Princess Serena," I said, refusing to back down.
She smirked. "Oh, I will."
Ridiculous. Completely ridiculous.
The future King and Queen of Ardentia... bickering like rivals.
Not united. Not graceful. Not compatible in the slightest.
Because instead of loving each other—we were fighting over the same man.
But I wouldn't lose.
He was mine first...
Even if I wasn't sure he would ever look at me the way I looked at him.
I would still fight for him.
Even if my rival... is my future queen.
End of Chapter 18