[Completed] Legend of the Five Knights I: Rise of a Guardian Angel

Episode 11: Knight of the Sword

[Several Days Later- Meanwhile in Shirayuki, Kuroyuki no San]

"Hyosetsu! Hyosetsu?" called out a woman with elf-like ears as she opened a pair of grand oak doors. There were rows and rows of shelves spread across the room, which was made up of two floors. Each stand was filled to the brim with books of various sizes and even shapes.

The only light in the room came from the fireplace on the opposite corner of the doors. As if serving as a trail from the doorway to the fireplace, there was a long violet carpet with golden embroidered snowflakes that cut the library in half. She followed the path to the very end and stopped right behind one of two chairs positioned around a small, blue oval rug with the same snow motif as the carpet.

Seated on the left sofa was a raven-haired man in his early twenties. The woman sighed as she noticed the young man was still in his white sleeping robes. The loose robe's opening revealed his scrawny, almost feminine frame.

"Hyosetsu, are you listening to me? Why haven't you changed clothes yet?" the elf-like woman asked, giving him a stern look. "Your younger brother is about to return from the capital!"

The young man turned the crinkled old page of the book he was reading, not even shifting as much as a glance at her. "So? It is not like he is returning as a reigning hero or anything? I have no idea as to why you are making such a fuss."

The woman shook her head at him. "Hyosetsu, you should try to be nicer to Kohri. You know what he's gone through these past few years."

Hyosetsu rolled his eyes. "Nothing more dramatic than what I've endured, Mother."

The woman walked around the chair and snatched the book from his hands. "I have no idea what has gotten into you! You used to be a respectful child."

The young man scoffed as he directed his icy blue eyes toward the cyan haired elvish woman. "You never have had much of an idea of what is going on around me. You have only ever had eyes for my younger brother. It was the same case with my father. It was for that reason he trained Kohri to be his successor, sadly he died far too young before he got to teach him much of anything."

The mother lowered her head and turned away. "Yes... Sebastian did depart far too early. However, you're wrong about your father paying attention only to Kohri. He loved you too. Don't you remember?"

Hyosetsu glanced up at the woman and saw that her light blue eyes had grown watery. He sighed and pushed himself up from the black leather seat.

The elf-like woman rushed after him. "Where are you off to now?" she cried.

The lanky young man sighed. "I'm going to go get dressed to see my younger brother. Happy?"

A slight smile plastered over her face. "Hyo-"

Why couldn't I have been as loved as him? He is only a few years younger... yet...

He shook his head.

Such things don't matter. Kohri might be one of the Seven Hills, but he is still weaker than me. His soft heart has only resulted in the gap between us growing wider over these years. The warmth of our parents made him slush.

He stepped out of the library and watched as the head maid moved around a pair of ice swan statues with her powers, placing them on each side of the stairs.

She turned to look at him as soon as he closed the door behind him. "Duke Hyosetsu, is everything alright?" she asked, bowing her head slightly.

Hyosetsu narrowed his eyes at her. "Tell me, did I not command you to keep all others out?"