My Light In The Darkness.

7 - The Distraction.

Unclipping the red rose pin to secure the blue fabriced cloak around his shoulders was a sense of nostalgia that hit Prince Tsukasa much harder than he had thought it would. Staring at his reflection in his tall mirror, sappy reminders of his old friend returned to him, conversations recalled as if they had happened yesterday. One sentence in particular stung his mind as he wore the cape, 'A brave prince should have something that reflects him'.
Knowing now that those words were said from one prince to another, their intimate meaning struck the boy's heart more than ever, how someone who seemed to be secretly struggling with his own royalty problems was so open to helping someone who was going through something so similar. Tsukasa figured that's how Rui always knew how to respond to his worries, because he knew what it was like. Sometimes the Luminarian prince wished that his friend had just told him the truth of his identity, despite being pitted as enemies, he was sure they could've worked something out. That was another reason why Prince Tsukasa was so inclined to help Prince Rui, because no matter what side of the wall he is on, their past together is undeniable, and Tsukasa would give anything in the world for just one more minute in the arms of the one he held so close. It was so strange to see life progress in all of the ways opposite to what two enchanted young adults had planned. The biggest shock to Prince Tsukasa was hearing about the war in the kingdoms across the Lukaribbean Sea. After four years of uprising against the murderous Queen, she was killed in her sleep by her rebellious daughter with the help of the foreign kings' successor, who was previously the king's assistant in Legal Documents. The two, along with the traitorous knights sister were the main figures of the uprising, and with their ambition and set plan to kill the Queen and to keep their war contained, they succeeded. All of the worry that had sparked in a young Prince Tsukasa's head about that war turned out to end only a few years later, with minimal public damage done. He always thought he was foolish for believing that there was a chance it would spread, but if he hadn't worried at that time, he wouldn't be standing there, staring at himself in the mirror, wearing the cape of his past best friend and lover, who had attempted to kill him earlier that day.

Snapping out of his train of thought, Prince Tsukasa brushed himself off once more before making his way through the palace walls, ready to present himself to his people as a friend, and to fulfil a night spent with those who he cared deeply for.
Central Luminaria was more like a village town than a main city, despite being the largest section of the kingdom, it felt as though everybody knew everybody, and everything was within walking distance. Central Luminaria was also the focus connector town between itself and Obscuria, with a specific trailway leading directly to the main border gate, which Prince Tsukasa hoped would one day be used to allow seamless visitation between the two lands, for the people on each side. Even without it, Central Luminaria was filled with friendly people who were always happy to run into one another, their positivity as bright as the sun in the sky. It was a beautiful area, especially at this time of evening where small lights were visible outside houses and in through windows, reflecting off of the glass like stars shining down on the concrete.

At the corner of the mainstreet resided a beautiful, cabin styled building, the local Tavern, a common gathering spot for all of the area, run by a young woman known as 'Little Miss Shiraishi', since she had been seen around the tavern since she was a child, when the business once belonged to her late father. After his passing, she took over the business, knowing how much joy it brought to the residents, and continued to manage it from the age of twenty all the way to her current age of twenty five. 'Little Miss Shiraishi' was an admired figure in Central Luminaria, having gone from a cute little girl whose father owned the bar to a responsible young woman who decided to dedicate her life to continue her fathers legacy.

By the time the Prince had made his way down to the bar, the place was bustling with crowds, many of them familiar to him. Throughout the large mass of people, and the naturally overwhelming noise coming from everywhere in the building, Prince Tsukasa could hear his name being called from the main bartop, his pink haired friend waving for him to join them. Approaching Ser Akiyama and the people sitting beside them, he was eventually able to make out what she was saying to him. "I'm glad you could make it! We saved you a seat!" She exclaimed. "Thank you! I figured I had nothing else to do this evening, so this would serve as a nice distraction from everything else going on!" He spoke back to her. "That's good! I was going to introduce you to my fiance, but if I recall correctly you have already met!" Mizuki laughed, leaning back to bring their fiance into view. "Many times, it's lovely to see you, Lady Shinonome!" Prince Tsukasa greeted her. "Likewise, your highness!" The short, brown haired woman returned.

Lady Ena Shinonome was a known creator throughout the entire kingdom. She was an artist who often did commissions for families of very high status, including having done many for the Royal family, her art being visible throughout the palace. Her talents aside, she was a beautiful lady, with deep brown shoulder-length hair and distinctive hazel eyes. She was always known to have worn very individual pieces of clothing, between dresses with intricate lace and embroidery to blouses that made her look elegant while also being practical for her line of work. The special touch to her style was that most of the outfits were made by Ser Mizuki Akiyama in their free time, meaning that everything was crafted specifically for her, and only her. The love between the two fiances was clearer than day, their relationship carefree and loving.

"My my!" A strong feminine voice approached the three. "Mizuki! You never told me we would be having a royal guest this evening! Welcome, your highness!" A woman with long black hair, tied back into a high ponytail to reveal the blue tips of her hair, did a quick curtsey to the Prince, grabbing a tall glass as she was bent down. "What can I get you started with?"
"Go easy on him, An, don't want to send him back drunk, he'll be spewing about ending this war by kissing the other prince or something~!" Mizuki joked, knowing that her prince knew what she was implying. "I would not-"
"Is that so, huh?" An's wide smile showed how much she loved having nonsensical conversations like this. "I'll have to get you the strongest one then, haha! I'm sure you're sick of this war!" She laughed. "You bet, if I could end it as simply as Akiyama suggested, I would, but Kamishiro would rather have my head on a spike than anywhere near him!" The prince responded with a nervous laugh. "Oh I'm sure, well hey! You're doing a good job, our kingdom's still in one piece, so don't be hard on yourself! He'll quit eventually, you just try not to get killed in the process! Now, how about that drink?" An said encouragingly, her words showed comfort to the prince, who was still getting used to this scene. "Thank you, I'll uh.. I'm not quite sure which drinks I like, considering I don't drink often, so anything will do!" He admitted. "Right, one 'anything will do' coming right up!" She then hurried away to fill the glass with something from the other end of the bar, engaging in an entirely new conversation as she moved.

"Haven't seen you wear that in a while!" Mizuki commented, looking directly at the prince's revived accessory. "Ah yeah.." He smiled at them. "I like to keep it for special occasions, I felt like tonight would be a good reason to" He explained. "It still suits you" Someone said from behind him, causing the prince to jump in surprise. "Jeez, Akito, leave him alone will you? He hasn't even had a drink yet, you can't be scaring him like that!" The older Shinonome sibling scolded the younger. The two looked nothing like siblings when put beside each other, they contrasted the other unbelievably. With that being said, although physically they didn't look like siblings, they most certainly had the relationship to pass it. "Shut up, Ena, you love scaring the shit out of people, you can't say anything" The orange haired sibling fought back. "Yeah, but not the heir to our kingdom's throne, you dumbass!"

"Can you two not go one day without bickering? In front of the prince too?" Ser Hinomori creeped up behind Mizuki, scolding her and Akito. "It was Ena and Akito, I wasn't involved this time!" Mizuki defended herself. "Mhm, I'm sure" She turned away from the protesting knight to face Prince Tsukasa. "My prince, this is-"
"Dr Mochizuki, correct? It's been quite some time since we last met! Your wife says that you're very busy, you have my gratitude for everything you do for this land, truly!" He stood up before Ser Hinomori had finished her introduction and bowed to the lightly brown haired woman that stood behind her wife, although she was taller than the grey haired knight. Although the prince didn't mean to interrupt Ser Hinomori's introduction, he would have rather appeared rude than to stay in between the conversation between the lively Shinonome siblings. "Ah-! Uh.. thank you very much, your highness!" The woman responded sweetly. "Not at all! I couldn't bear thinking that the work of someone as hardworking as yourself goes unnoticed!" He beamed. While the two were conversing, Shiho looked around the bar frustratedly. "Where the hell did Ichika go? I swear she was just behind me, and now she's gone off somewhere!" She asked in annoyance. Her wife turned to her with a smile. "Dear, she's a grown woman, she can handle herself I'm sure" Honami reassured her. "Yeah, except Ichika is not used to being in taverns like this, so the light only knows what will happen if she gets too drunk, I just want to make sure she's alright is all, I'll be right back"
Without another word, the grey haired knight disappeared into the crowd of people. Prince Tsukasa was about to continue talking to his new acquaintance, until he felt a hand tip him on the shoulder. "One, 'anything will do', for his royal highness, a fifty-fifty mix between vodka and grape juice, if you don't like it just let me know and I can whip you up something else!" An slid a drink along the countertop, stopping just in front of the prince as he sat back down. "This sounds lovely, thank you!" He commended her, raising his glass in appreciation. "I'm going to go and make sure Shiho doesn't get wasted wherever she has run off to, it was lovely talking with you!" Honami chimed to the latter, scooting off to search for her wife.

There was something comforting about the atmosphere in the tavern. Although the noise levels were quite overwhelming, they weren't agitating to listen to, each laugh and cheer a sign of people having fun with themselves. Watching his knights enjoy themselves so freely amidst a war was something that Prince Tsukasa didn't realise would bring him so much joy, even if it was just as simple as seeing groups of friends taking shots together.
"Whatcha thinking about?" Mizuki's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "Nothing much, it's just.. All of this is so.. Sweet.. Everyone is just enjoying themselves, there's no talk of battles or the war, or anything like that..it's nice" He admitted to her. "Heh, you think that's the best part? You should watch what I have planned for now.." She giggled, downing the last sip in her glass as they stood up. "Hey lil bro.. Whatdya say about that wedding, huh?" The bold knight swung their arms around the orange haired knight, who was clearly disgruntled at the thought. "Can you not just wait until-?"
"Oh for light's sake, Akito, dad never said when he would be back, he could be dead for all we know, so there's no reason to wait for him, it's not like he gave a shit anyway, why can't you just let me be happy?" His sister retorted. "It's not about that, Ena, it's about the fact that I can't give a proper blessing, that's dads job" The younger one fired back at her. "Who cares about blessings!? This isn't like those places where you'll be killed for loving someone! Can I not just marry them and then have it be finally official?" Ena asked him desperately. Akito looked at his prince, who gave him an unconcerned nod. Letting out a long sigh, he stood up and pulled his sister to stand beside her fiance in front of him. "Akiyama, if you hurt her in even the tiniest bit, I will have your head pinned on the border wall, and your body will be severed and left to rot there too." He declared, giving deathly stares to Mizuki, who nodded eagerly. "I will accept that fate, it would take an unbearable level of insanity for me to even dream of doing that to my dear Enanan.."
"Amia.." The other female blushed hearing the statement. "Anyway.." Akito continued. "Ena, I know you're older than me, and I know it's been driving you mad that this has been held off for so long, but to be honest with all of the-"
"I know, Akito, you don't need to explain it, just get on with your main point" She laughed lovingly. "Right.. Um.. Invite me to the wedding I guess, you have my final blessing" He announced, leading to loud cheers from the couple as they pulled each other together and kissed tenderly, a further showcase of their love for one another. The groups erupted into congratulations for the two, including 'Little Miss Shiraishi', who had a fun time teasing Sir Shinonome with his new sibling in law.
Only moments after the event, Ser Hinomori, followed by her wife and Ser Hoshino, ran back over to them. "Are you kidding me? You couldn't have told us before doing it? I've been waiting years to watch this, your timing skills are horrible as always, Shinonome" Ser Hinomori whacked the male lightly across the head. "Shiho relax" Ichika laughed at her. "Let's just be happy that he actually agreed to it this time," She added.

Time seemed to fly in the tavern, the group so caught up in their celebrations that they hadn't noticed the time reaching almost nine pm. Between taking shots and drinking full glasses, the six adults, bar Sir Shinonome, who insisted on not drinking that night, were as good as wasted. It was easy for them to get carried away with the drinks when they were having such fun, and Mizuki was most certainly the worst influence to the group, having encouraged 'just one more round of shots' about twenty times at that point. Without notice, someone approached the prince, who was caught up in his escapism, and began speaking to him. "Your Highness... Queen... back to the..... To discuss.... attacks..." . Tsukasa had only caught a few words the person was saying, but it was clear what was meant by the statement. He stood up and with a sunken tone began his response to the demand.
"Of course she wants me back, my mother can't just let me have one single night where I don't have to worry about being a damn prince for once, no? Is that all I am? It's not like we're in a dire need of doing anything, it's the middle of the damn night! Everyone else gets to have these nights out but the minute I try to partake I am dragged back, what am I, a doll? My stars, I'm starting to wonder now why prince Kamishiro wanted to serve here, this kingdom is all a load of bullsh-"
He was stopped in his tracks by a dead silence filling the tavern, a slight realisation occurring to his fumbled mind that he must've said something wrong. In a quick exchange of words between the random knight and the familiar friend of the prince, Tsukasa found himself being led out of the place by the two with no explanations, and any words being heard as gibberish in his head.

"Hey Rui, you grew up in Obscuria, right?"
The question was random, however nothing else could be expected as two young adult men lay on the bed of the Prince of the Light. Times like these weren't uncommon for the two, exhausted after training and other duties that needed to be attended to, sometimes all they wanted to do with their free time was to lay together and talk. It took a moment for the other knight to conjure a response. "I suppose you could say that, I grew up there but I'm not entirely sure if my citizenship is lost, since they never really saw me leaving, why do you ask?"
It was no secret to Prince Tsukasa that his forbidden boyfriend wasn't of Luminarian descent, every feature stood out about him from the very start of their friendship. It was only when the Obscurian knight had accidentally revealed his abilities while the two were alone in the clubroom, was his suspicion confirmed. Even so, Prince Tsukasa liked to ask his lover about the place he once called home.
"I've been thinking recently, I know that technically I can't go there because of the war.. But I'd love for you to show me around one day.." The prince admitted sheepishly. The given response was definitely not the one that Rui had been expecting, but then again he wasn't sure what to expect when it came to conversations like these. "Is that so?"
"Yeah, and I was thinking, why don't we sneak over the wall together, just for a short while?"
"Absolutely not." Rui declared, rushing to sit up and let his determined expression be known. The latter was quick to follow his actions, sitting up with a pleading look. "Why not? Remember what I was saying about our last bit of freedom before the real responsibility comes in?" Prince Tsukasa begged. "Yeah, little things like tackling each other or going on walks in the town together, but not visiting the kingdom that we are at war with?" Rui pushed his long violet hair out of his face and cupped Tsukasa's cheeks in his hands, wanting to show him the sincerity of his concern. "Tsukasa, I love you, you know that, and that's why I can't allow this, I've said it once and I'll say it again, I would never forgive myself if something happened to you under my watch, and Obscuria isn't some magical fairy garden, the people are cruel and only care for what is corrupted into their brains, which is that psycho king of theirs, so please, believe me on this.." He explained, watching the disappointment in his partner's eyes build. He couldn't help but feel slightly guilty for his decision, but he knew that he was right in his choice, no matter how much it hurt to deny his boyfriend's wish.

"You are the most irresponsibly responsible Prince I have ever met" Rui sighed as the two walked down the sunset lit path towards the Luminaria-Obscuria border gate. "How many princes have you met?" Tsukasa asked teasingly. "Fine then, you are the most irresponsibly responsible person I have ever met"
"I love you" The blonde prince stretched himself to press a quick kiss onto his guard's jaw. "I'm sure you do, your highness, let's just get this over with, we aren't going further than the willow line, hear me?" He demanded. Tsukasa chuckled in response. "I have no clue how far that is, so that's fine by me!" He said.
To say that the foreign knight had been in love with his supposed enemy would've been a major understatement. He was willing to cast aside the history with this kingdom and the longing to never return, all because his lover wanted to see it for a few minutes without fighting anyone. As fate would have it, Tsukasa had made a sort of compelling point. It was almost dark, the sun was setting throughout the land, and at the time the security of the kingdom was nowhere near where the two had intended to see, which was the main reason that Rui had ended up giving in and agreeing to his prince's request.

Climbing through one of the many secret gaps in the tall, withered wall, the two were immediately engulfed in the coldness of the shaded woods. "This is it, this is Obscuria, a whole load of creepy woodlands with random villages spread throughout, it's really not as exciting as you make it sound" The knight interjected as his prince marvelled the aura of the woods, his admiration for the landscape visible through his wandering gaze. "I think it's beautiful.." He muttered. Rui couldn't help but smile as he watched him. "Come on, I'll show you in a bit further.

For what was possibly the next thirty minutes, the two boys swerved in and out of large variations of trees, being mindful not to go too far into the forest, but far enough to capture the beauty of the Obscurian landscape. Although covered entirely in darkness, there was something welcoming about the land, a feeling that they didn't need to worry. He had to admit, Rui found himself enjoying getting to explain each type of tree that they passed to Tsukasa, telling him why they grew where they did and what benefit they served to the kingdom. "It's so weird to think that all of this was so normal for both kingdoms.. Back when we were all connected as one" Tsukasa remarked, causing his guard to tilt his head in confusion. "Luminaria used to be connected with Obscuria under a single ruler, you do know that, right?" He queried. "I didn't, actually, that's so strange.." Rui murmured. "Mhm, maybe it will be like that again one day, I hope so, at least, I'm tired of this stupid war, why can't the kings come to an agreement or something?" The blonde whined. "I wish it could be that easy too, but I suppose we don't really know what's actually going on, do we?" The violet haired replied. "That's true I suppose.. Rui, Look!"
In a flash, Prince Tsukasa had set off running to something he had spotted in the distance, instilling an instant fear in the other male. "Tsukasa-!?"

Luckily, it wasn't hard to spot his prince far ahead of him thanks to his royal blue cape that was pinned around his shoulders. Prince Tsukasa had stopped running by the time Rui had caught up to him, and was now staring at a small rope dangling from the tree, a small plank of wood tied at the end of it. Letting out what was a mix of a laugh and a sigh, Rui ushered for his boy to get onto the makeshift swing, seeing the desire in his eyes. "You're so-"
"Childish? I know, but hey, this might be the last time I'm ever able to be here without the need to fight, so I may as well" Tsukasa interrupted him. "I suppose you're right, hold on, I'll push you"
So there they were, the two forbidden lovers, pushing and swinging as if they were children, laughing the entire time. That was always one of Prince Tsukasa's fondest memories of his partner, the sentiment growing knowing what Rui had risked for him that day. Like all things, the fun can't last forever. He never fully remembered this part of the memory, only remembering the rush and panic that his dear friend was going through in the moment.

As Rui continued to carefully push against Tsukasa's back as he swung, through the corner of his eye he spotted a flash of light in the gaps of the trees. "Tsukasa, we need to go, now." He pulled on the thisled ropes to slow down the momentum of the plaything, grabbing his prince's hand and rushing off with him, constantly checking his surroundings. "What's going on?" Tsukasa asked him worrily. "We're not alone here, we can't be seen"
As if it was on que, a blast was fired towards the two, initiating them to jump behind one of the large trees to dodge it. "Rui I'm so sorry I never meant to-"
"This isn't your fault, I should've known, stand back a bit, will you dear?" He smiled at him sweetly before summoning a magnetised red ball of light in his hands, sending it back to try and hit the opposing forces. "And now we run" He grabbed Tsukasa's hand once again as they hurried closer to the border wall. "Please tell me you didn't kill them"
"In these woods, it's either kill or be killed, I did what I had to do, I'm not having you taken from me by these cowards" The prince's lover vowed, casting another spell with his free hand. "Your majesty, get back here at once!" Rui heard a bold voice roar, knowing well that it wasn't Tsukasa who they were referring to. He could only hope that his prince couldn't hear what was being said as they crossed through the same gap in the wall that they had entered through, not stopping until they reached the safety of the palace. Even though the situation had stuck a fear in the knight that he hadn't felt in years at that point, hearing the words, "I really enjoyed seeing Obscuria, even if it was only a small bit, thank you, Rui", come from his prince as he dozed off to sleep that night was all that he needed for his heart to melt. Pressing a kiss onto the boys forehead, knowing that he was unconsciously asleep, Rui whispered, "One day when this war is over, I'll show you it in full, and hopefully by then I'll be able to tell you without you hating me"

Waking up in his bedroom the next morning without any recollection of returning to the palace or any proper discussions with anyone was such a disorientating feeling that the Prince was very underprepared for, only being able to remember his sight going blurry and black at the last moment. This feeling was very unfamiliar for him, his head ached when he even moved it slightly, a nauseating sense washing over him as he tried to sit himself up to get a proper idea of what was going on. 'My stars, I feel horrible, how much did I drink last night..?' He thought to himself. He found himself immediately shutting his eyes again and his head falling back down against the pillows, the lightness of the room being too much for his mind to comprehend. 'I can't stay like this, I have stuff that I need to do.. But my word doesn't this hurt..'. Prince Tsukasa turned onto his side without thinking, unaware of the further pain he was about to cause himself. Letting out a painful grunt once the realisation that he had rolled right onto his stitched wound. Pushing his body up, Prince Tsukasa forced himself to adjust to the light, despite how much his head was stinging. He knew that he had no choice but to push forward regardless of how sluggish he felt, it was his duty as Prince to serve his kingdom no matter how bad he was feeling, something that Prince Tsukasa found out a long time ago, his feelings meant nothing if he was unable to serve his people. Prince Tsukasa persevered in getting up and attempting to make himself look somewhat respectable, knowing who he had to answer to at breakfast that morning. Staring at himself in the mirror, everything about him was a mess. His hair was tangled beyond the point of salvaging it within his time frame, and his skin was pale, the purple bags under his eyes appearing more noticeable than ever. 'Let's just get this over with'
Once he had thrown on a random outfit that made him look like he wasn't as hungover as an alcoholic, he pulled his small gold pocket watch out from his desk and flipped it open to see the time reading roughly 'ten twenty five am', which on Prince Tsukasa's standard, was very late in the day. As he speeded down the corridor towards the dining hall, the prince mentally vowed to never allow himself to go out drinking with Ser Akiyama or any of his knighting friends ever again.

The dining hall of the Luminarian royal family was just as extravagant as the rest of the palace, only this room specifically was covered wall to wall with extremely detailed paintings of places in the kingdom, along with some of the many portraits of the Tenma's encased in elegant frames. Pushing open the door, Tsukasa was met with exactly what he had expected. "What time do you call this?"
His mother and sister both sat at the wide table, their situations making it clear that they were almost finished with their meal. "My apologies, I overslept" Tsukasa excused his actions. "Clearly, and yet this wouldn't have happened if you actually stuck to being responsible?" His mother declared in a questioning tone, although it was clearly not a question she was speaking.
Tsukasa let out an exhausted laugh, running his hand through his hair as he stood in front of his family members. "Can I not just enjoy one night? You've been preaching about this responsibility for the last eight years, I had myself prepared to give myself up at eighteen and yet here we are, the only responsibility you did give me, you told me to just get on with it without proper explanations or training, so I'm sorry for starting to think that you are bluffing this whole responsibility thing, if you really thought I was irresponsible, then you wouldn't have put me in charge of so much, no?" He argued frustratedly, giving his mother a shocked expression. "Don't you dare speak to me, I'm just expressing my want for you to be responsible and a good influence to our people!" She retorted. Not five minutes had passed and the prince was growing fed up with his mothers complaints, and with that he decided that if she wanted honest responsibility, she was going to get it.

"And I am just expressing how all you do is sit here and demand things without actually doing anything beneficial for these people, but I guess we both can't get the level of maturity that we want, can we mother?" He grinned cheekily. The Queen stood up from her seat, giving her son a deathly stare. "I have warned you, Tsukasa, don't you dare speak to me like that." She ordered. Tsukasa moved closer to the table, leaning his hands against the rim. "Or what? It seems as though I am not entirely in the wrong here, you called for me at a time where I would usually be asleep, despite the fact that I had been back within the palace walls many hours before that, you didn't care to know if I made it back until you realised that I was embracing the fact that I'm no longer a cowardly teenager and had to reel me in to keep your image. Isn't it wrong how I had to hear from Saki that father had left the kingdom? I hope you actually did something with your status and made sure that he was protected. Sure, I may be feeling horrible right now but don't you even begin to think that I am unaware. You don't care unless it starts to ruin your image, you are starting to act similar to that foreign Queen, you know? And I presume you are also aware of what happened to her, she was killed by her own child. I am twenty six years old, not sixteen, not six, I am a fully grown adult and I don't respect the fact that you aren't treating me as such." The prince ranted off the woman's flaws seamlessly. Unsure of how to respond, his mother simply sat back down and made a final statement. "Fine then" She began. "If you think you're so able, you can take care of this war, if you're so 'old' and 'mature, then fix this, I'm done making decisions for you"
Another laugh escaped the boy as he listened to his mothers babbles. "That's the issue, you don't make the decisions, all you do is demand and order as if you have the authority level that father has, and I'm always the one left to figure it out from your orders, so you know what? Yeah, leave this to me, because I can bet you all of the money in this kingdom that I can have this war ended by the end of this year" He proclaimed. "Get out of my sight, Tsukasa '' His mother finally added, shooing him out of the room.

Storming out of the room, in that moment the prince had made his first official decision now that he was incharge of the war. He had roughly six months until the new year, having it be the middle of the summer as it was. That meant six months for him to actually uphold his bet with his mother. Six months to fulfil the goal that he had yearned for ages.

'This war will be over by December, and I am going to fix things whether he likes it or not'