Kouka's Crowned Prince | oc insert

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Four months later_

"Aric," Yu-Hon called from behind, I turned to see him stood there with my mother beside him, in her arms was Soo-Won. Cute kid, just really freaking loud.

"Yes, uncle?" I greeted him as I walked over and grinned at Soo-Won, watching as he pulled on my fingers.

"I think it's time we unsheathe those blades," he told me as he pulled out his own sword, "You're ready for a proper sparring match. Earlier than I thought, but ready nonetheless."

I stared at him with wide eyes and then smiled.

"Finally," I internally cheered and pulled out the blades. It was the first time for me to see them unsheathed.

The blades were narrow and pure black.

"Let's see what you can do with those blades," he spun the sword around in his hand before launching forward.

°🪔°

"Wow, you actually cut me," Yu-Hon commented as he pressed a cloth against the cut above his forehead and I played with Soo-Won as my Mother pressed a cloth of her own to a gash on my jaw, "and I barely managed to get a hit on you. I'm impressed, how did the student almost out match his teacher?"

"I'm just—ouch... that great," I winced away from my Mother's hand as Soo-Won laughed his tiny little head off at me. Thanks kid.

"I think you'll be ready for battle soon, my boy," Yu-Hon told me, "I'll have your back and you'll have mine. The way it's always meant to be."

"Right," I muttered, glancing to my Mother who just gave me a silently sad smile.

"Your Grandfather will be pleased to hear this," she seemed to force out, hiding her sadness behind a well-crafted smile.. She's good at that. I just looked down to my cousin again, not wanting to see her forcing her smile to me.

But Grandfather... it kind of feels like, although he's not here nor do we really interact all that much, but it feels like he's trying to get me under his control? Or am I just imaging this?

If he tries to take my freedom and chain me down to the way of the nobles, I won't hesitate to leave/ I don't want to be like them. But let's keep our true feelings hidden for now shall we, Aric? Careful with how you speak or even think around here. You may just lose your ability to do so if this comes out publicly somehow...

°🪔°
One year later_

It happened. Sooner than I ever honestly expected it to. I mean—Uncle Yu-Hon warned me but... I didn't think Grandfather would actually send me to the frontlines of our war with Xing...

I'm not going to lie... I'm scared...

"Have a safe trip to Fuuga, Aric, you're going alone so be careful," Mother told me, casting me a worried glance as she continued to stand beside my Father who looked furious despite the calming smile he was wearing on his face.

"And even though you're doing off to fight with everyone, please watch yourself, you're still only a boy!" Father exclaimed before muttering, "I can't believe Father is sending a child to battle. What's he thinking?"

"Calm yourself, Il," Mother placed her arm through his and offered him a small smile before looking back to me, "stay safe, my son."

"I will. Don't worry," I forced on a confident smile as my horse, Noir, trotted nervously. I guess he can feel my nerves...

This decision of Grandfather's was against everyone else's wishes, literally everyone in the castle and even outside of it told him it was a bad idea to send me off to battle but here we are.

This is the battle that'll end the whole war. Or so that's what I'm being told... I'm stressed.

I'm nervous, scared, and stressed.

How do I even express how I feel?

I looked back to my parents and smiled slightly, "Don't worry, Mother, Father. It's not good for your health. I'll be back soon. I promise. In the meantime, look after Grandmother and try help Grandfather out, I think he's just stressed, that's probably why he decided to send me off, right? The extra hands won't be refused, I'm sure."

We found out only a few days ago that Grandmother's health is deteriorating rapidly, and Mother has been by her side almost every day since. It's gotten to the point where her own health is beginning to deteriorate because she hasn't been sleeping properly, or so that's what I've overheard. Father, however, has just been arguing with Grandfather to try and get the man to change his mind about him. Both of them are stubbornly holding their grounds against each other.

I got to get out of here or I'm never leaving. I need to get to Fuuga as soon as possible because I'm travelling to the fronts with Mundok and the last of the wind tribe troops. The longer I'm around here, the more delayed the first march will be.

"I'll be off," I announced, guiding Noir to face the right direction again, "I'll be sure to write as soon as I can."

"Be safe!" my parents both shouted for the nth time in this day alone as I rode as fast as my horse could down the direction to Fuuga, the capital of the Wind Tribe for the first time in almost a year. I wanted to return recently because I honestly need a break from avoiding my Father, trying not to do anything that makes my Mother sad, avoiding my Grandfather, trying to train but having literature and philosophy teachers hired stubbornly by my Father chasing me around everywhere... It's exhausting and I just want to be a leaf on the wind, or whatever it is those Wind Tribe guys say.

Not to mention, I miss Mundok. It's been a while since I've seen him thanks to Xing.

°🪔°
Outskirts of Fuuga_
Wind Tribe temporary encampment_

"General!" I announced my arrival as I rode into the camp where Mundok had all the Wind Tribe soldiers waiting outside the capital in, "I'm here."

"Aric," he greeted me with saddened eyes that seemed almost as if they were looking at someone who wasn't me, "I'm sorry you have to fight..."

I'm sure I'm just imagining it.

"I'll fight for my kingdom, General," I told him, trying to pretend as though I wasn't here because my Grandfather ordered it, as I looked over the camp, being able to see much more on the horse than I would on foot, "seems everyone's ready to go."

"Yes, we were waiting for you," he told me as he mounted his own horse and looked across the camp, "We ride for the Xing borders!"

"Yes, general!" the troops all chimed before we started riding for the border, the army splitting in half as one half travelled with us and the others finished loading and packing up the encampment, something they'd been doing as I'd rode in the camp anyway. We were heading to the area the main camp was set up in between the wind Tribe and Xing just south a couple days horse ride from where we were.

"Are you sure you can do this, Aric?" Mundok asked me, I looked at him and smiled.

"Yes," I nodded, "I promised my Uncle I'd have his back and I keep my promises."

I don't really have a choice anyway so there's no point really telling the truth in this situation. If I run who knows what my Grandfather would do to me so let's just do our best and just succeed. Yeah... let's do that.

"You poor child," he hummed, "Ten years old and you're already being forced into the world that is war."

"I won't lie and say I'm totally OK about this because I'm not," I said honestly, throwing my prior mindset right out of the window because it was Mundok, "I'm terrified but I think that fear is giving me one hell of an adrenaline rush and I'm feeling pretty confident right now."

"Just don't back down, or let your guard down," Mundok warned, "that's what gets you killed. And remember your fear, it's what makes you human, ok?"

"Ok."