Happiness and Desperation
“You look beautiful, Rhea.”
“Dear Castor ……, I’m so happy.”
The day was to be one of the best days of Castor’s life.
The place both of them are at, a small country in the south of the continent – the Kingdom of Styria. A church was built inside the royal castle, the heart of the country.
In front of Castor’s eyes, there was a childhood friend in a white dress.
Castor has known her since she was a little girl – she was the second closest friend after his parents – and she’s smiling at him behind a transparent veil.
Castor is the crown prince of the kingdom of Styria.
Rhea is a princess of the neighbouring kingdom of Revra.
Technically, they have been married since they were children, and it was a political marriage to strengthen the alliance between the two countries.
But when Castor and Rhea stand before the gods, their expressions are all happiness. She looks so full of life that it is hard to believe that this is a political marriage based on calculation.
And so it should be.
Castor and Rhea are not only fiancées, but also childhood friends, and since childhood they have met frequently to strengthen their bond.
There is an air of unreserved intimacy between them.
It was clear to those present that they would become husband and wife, and that they would continue to be a happy couple as they grew older.
There are many couples out there who marry unwillingly for family reasons and end up unhappy.
But …… there is no such future for them.
Castor and Rhea will have a happy family, which will strengthen the ties between the two countries and bring peace and happiness to many.
That’s the future Castor wanted.
That was the future that was supposed to come.
But – the future that everyone had hoped for suddenly fell apart.
It was something that neither Castor nor Rhea had expected.
○ ○ ○
“And now the exchange of rings will take place.”
The priest presiding over the ceremony announced in a calm voice, and a pair of rings were presented to Castor and Rhea.
The rings were made from silver and precious stones mined in the Kingdom of Revra and worked by craftsmen in the Kingdom of Styria, and were a fitting symbol of the bond between the two countries.
On the surface of the ring was engraved the double-headed eagle, the symbol of the Kingdom of Styria, and the red-hot sword, the symbol of the Kingdom of Revra.
Castor to Rhea. Rhea to Castor.
By putting the matching rings on each other’s fingers, the two were married.
The wedding is at its climax. It was the most exciting part of the day.
“Rhea, With this ring…”
“Yes …… please.”
At the words of her husband-to-be, Rhea held out her left hand.
With a gentle hand, Castor gently took the slender hand and tried to place the ring on her ring finger.
But……just as the ring was about to slip through her fingernails, the church door was thrown open from the outside.
“Your Majesty! Is His Majesty the King here?!”
With a bang, a young man in the armour of the Kingsguard of the Kingdom of Styria burst into the church.
The man’s face is tinged with impatience and he is breathing hard.
“What’s going on? You’re being rude in the middle of a ceremony!”
A grey-haired, bearded man rises from the crowd and shouts sharply at the knight.
It was Castor’s father, the current King of Styria, who condemned the knight’s intrusion.
At the most important moment of the wedding ceremony, a knight from Styria Kingdom intervened and interrupted the ceremony. This is no longer just a problem for the Kingdom of Styria. It’s an outrage that, if not avoided, could damage the alliance between the two countries.
“Forgive my rudeness, sir! I have urgent news that must be brought to your attention immediately!”
“What the hell is going on? ……”
The king made a dubious sound and approached the knight with a step or two.
The knight’s expression is not unusual. What is the “urgent news” that has brought him to the point of taking action that could be a death sentence?
“………..?”
The very wedding ceremony was interrupted, and Castor was frozen in his position, holding the ring and Rhea’s hand respectively.
There is also a question on Castor’s face,……, but its content is different from that of his father king.
“Who …… is that man?”
The man who burst into the church wore the armour of the Kingsguard.
But Castor did not recognize the man.
Castor has been training with the knights since he was a child, and he is still training with them. He knows most of the knights in the castle’s guard, and even knows their names and faces.
“He can’t possibly ……?”
Castor realises who the man is and immediately tries to speak up.
“Excuse me!”
“No, ……, you!
The next moment, the knight quickly stabbed into the king’s body.
A dagger flew out from his body, it’s a dull silver blade piercing the king’s chest.
“Gah! ……”
“Father!”
King Styria fell to the carpeted floor, blood spurting from his chest. In Castor’s mind’s eye, the scene is slow, as if in slow motion.
The blade plunged straight through the king’s heart. It was a fatal wound that needed no confirmation. King Styria could no longer be saved.
“Enemy attack! Seize the rioters!”
The real knight of the Kingsguard, who was on guard, gives a sharp order.
On receiving the order, the soldiers of Styria move in unison to capture the fake knight.
The church was guarded by about 20 soldiers from both Styria and Revra. It would have been easy to catch a lone ruffian, but …… the situation turned more chaotic.
“HA!”
Just as all eyes were fixed on the fallen king and the crook, the man at the front of the crowd made his move.
He went behind Castor, who was stunned by his father’s death, and strangled him.
“Ugh! You’re ……?”
“I’m going to have to ask you to calm down. Castor Steere!”
Although he was familiar with martial arts, Castor was taken by surprise and was unable to move.
His eyes widened in astonishment as he realised the identity of the person holding him.
“Why are you ……?”
The same is true for Rhea, who was pushed to the floor by the attacker, her face contorted in surprise.
It was a man whom Castor and Rhea knew well.
“Why are you doing this to me? Zardis!”
The man who was holding Castor in a chokehold was named Zardis Revra.
He is the current king of the kingdom of Revra and brother of Rhea.
“Please don’t do this! Let Castor go!”
“The Crown Prince Castor has fallen into my hands! I will not tolerate any more resistance from the Styrian soldiers! Surrender immediately!”
Zardis ignores his sister’s heartbreaking plea and tells the knights of the kingdom of Styria.
The knights cowered in bewilderment at the sight of the fallen king and the captive of the Crown Prince,……, and the soldiers from the Revra side, who were also guarding the ceremony, seized them.
Apparently, the Revra soldiers had been told about the attack from the start. There was no hesitation in the soldiers’ movements.
“You’re the one who ……ZARDIS…..!”
Castor, who is being choked, tries to groan and digs his nails into Zardis’s hands.
It’s hard to tell what kind of expression the traitor Zardis had on his face when he’s in such close contact.
But he still struggles to break free of his restraints.
“Stop it, Castor. If you keep quiet, you’ll live a little longer. Don’t shorten your life for nothing.”
“Zardis, ……, bastard, TRAITOR!!”
“Go back to sleep!”
“Guh!”
Zardis strengthens his arms.
Castor continued to resist,……, but eventually fainted.
“This castle has been conquered by us, the kingdom of Revra! If you want to save the life of the Crown Prince, all Styrian soldiers must lay down their arms and surrender! The matter is already settled!”
In his fading consciousness, Castor heard these words.
The height of his life. What was supposed to be the happiest day of his life was to be remembered as the worst day of his life.
It was to be the day that Castor’s life would change forever.
A crown prince and a fugitive. A rebel and a reformer.
It was here that the strange fate of the man who would later go down in history as the “King of the Heroes” all began.