The Unbidden: The First Tome (Side Stories 1) (Long Parts)

Man and Magic (Part 1)

"Your highness, the people are becoming angry at the border situation with the elves. There are increasing reports of them kidnapping our people in the dark of night. Additionally, there's also rumors the yetis to the west are planning to -"

"Please. I am well aware, and that is more than enough first thing in the morning, Xavier."

I bowed and took a few steps back. The ruler of the Lulien kingdom, Firalt, was dressed in his public speaking attire which consisted of a magnificent robe decorated with gemstones, a golden scepter at his side, and an ornate, finely crafted crown situated on his head that displayed the Lulien kingdom's regalia on the front.

He sighed as he ate his breakfast. Him and I were good friends and have been since he was a prince. I had been attached to him as his personal aide around the time we were teenagers. My job was to ensure the future king of Lulien knew how to really be a ruler.

While he got lessons in political discourse, fighting, and etiquette, I was given lessons on running the smaller things around the kingdom. My father was the previous king's aide, and his father the previous king. My job was as much generational as it was something ingrained into the way the kingdom was run.

A personal aide was someone who could inform the king on the most pressing of matters for him to make a decision on, while maintaining daily operations by delegating things to those around us. I was proud to call myself his friend and right-hand man.

"Dear, you know we need to do something about those damned elves," the current queen of Lulien spoke.

She, too, wore her public attire. She had on beautiful purple robes tailored by the finest craftsmen in the Silfer Desert. It showcased the kingdom's regalia on her bosom proudly. The hem of the robes only came to a few inches above the ground when she stood.

She wore a silk scarf wrapped elegantly around her neck that draped in such a way one thought it was attached to the robe. Her crown was more of a tiara – it was significantly smaller and had a single, large blood diamond gemstone in the center.

She was rather callous in her attitude, and rightfully so. For the last two decades, the situation with the elves in the southern border had been steadily deteriorating. A deposit of adamantine was discovered in the wetland region which happened to be situated next to our border with the elves. When we began mining operations there, we got an immediate kickback from them, as we normally did.

The elves were barbarians who believed no one should violate nature, and all sorts of archaic principles. We sated their bloodlust from our expansions by diverting attention away to other remote areas that the dwarves had been messing with.

We lived in trying times, what with the yetis to our west growing bolder by the day, the dwarves southwest who made more and more technological advancements outstepping our own inventions, and the elves to the south who tried to stop any and all progress we made.

It truly felt like the world was against us humans. Roughly half of our population had to be conscripted just to fend off the aggression from all sides. The more I thought about things, the more I realized how dire everything truly was.

"Staring at my food again ... what troubles you?" the king asked, looking at me while holding a spoon of stew.

I snapped from my thoughts and shook my head.

"Nothing, your highness. I was merely thinking about flights of fancy," I replied with a fake smile.

"Come now, you and I grew up together. There is no reason to use that tone since no one important listens in," he said, waving his hand in dismissal.