Revelation

Gift of Cadel

Hey, guys! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Happy reading!

Euna Imperial Capital - Anene

Walking along the long walkway that led to the entrance to the castle, Jack lagged behind the others as he looked around him. He had never really gotten the chance to see how his own kingdom looked like and now he was finally given the opportunity.

His siblings weren't joking when they had told him that the kingdom of Euna was militaristically styled, with it having a harder, edgier look to it, making it look more cramped and confining. Since it was early morning, it made the kingdom look even more forbidding, with it emphasizing the dark, almost black, color scheme of the community. The Euna Kingdom was positively massive, with a series of walls all around.

But the most telling part was how the way the layout of the walls were situated. Jack knew that Euna was a class-based society. Others had told him that the outer rings were dedicated to farmlands, while the right side and interior rings were condensed with housing, signaling the poorer class. Hopefully, they could overtake the Hnda Kingdom quickly and acquire more resources and land, benefiting everyone, for times were tough now due to the poor weather conditions and the crops not yielding as much as they used to.

"Come on, Jack! Hurry up!" Anna called to him, waving her arms wildly to get his attention. Jack snapped out of his daze and noticed how far behind he was lagging. While the three eldest had kept walking, Anna had stayed to wait for him, but it seemed that her patience was starting to thin, with the way she was looking exasperatedly at him.

"Coming!" Jack said, running up to catch up with them. While the kingdom's fate was very important to him, what was more pressing and immediate to him now was him getting the permission from his father to finally venture out into the world and fight alongside his siblings.

..~..

Standing at the top of the stairs inside the castle, waiting expectantly, was King Pitch. Jack gulped. His father was very stern - to put it mildly - and had a silky-smooth, but intimidating voice. His clothes conveyed his power and status, with a magnificent black cape with thick, white fur trimming. He wore his black and gold armor, and his royal, midnight-black crown lay proudly on his head. To Jack, he was the prime example of how a king should look and hold himself.

"Welcome, Jack," Pitch said, though there was no trace of warmth in his greeting.

Jack nodded. "Yes, thank you for calling me here, Father. Being here in the Blake Castle, it's like a dream."

"No...it was your devotion that brought you here, boy," Pitch said. Jack winced a little. His father wasn't one to use flowy words and told it like it was.

"I've heard that you've defeated Eugene in your practice duel," Pitch continued, which Jack nodded to. "Now, if you can fight against Eugene as your equal, you have honed your swordsmanship well.

"Finally there is a blade for the Euna Royal Family," Pitch said, and Jack noted with surprise that there was a hint of a gleam of excitement in his father's eyes. "That's why you have been called here."

"But, Father, will he be all right outside of the citadel?" Anna asked, her bouncy nature all but gone for the occasion.

Astrid nodded respectfully. "I worry about that as well. Isn't it dangerous for Jack to live outside the citadel's magical barrier?"

"It's all right, Anna and Astrid," Jack said, turning to smile gratefully at them. "I appreciate your concern, but I earned my way here and I'm ready to fight."

"Speaking of which, Jack..." Pitch said. "My Kingdom of Euna is in the middle of a war with the Hnda Kingdom to the east."

Jack nodded solemnly. "Yes..."