What's next?

My mother has yet to appear in my dreams again. It’s been a few days since we arrive to the Spirit Forest, and we do little more than training and just spending time with the people here.

At first, I was shocked that anyone would call my father a hero, but apparently most people from outside the Septem Empire think of him as one, and the nobles of the empire that had old feuds with the dukedom of van Vogel. So yeah, I guess I can be seen as a good candidate to the throne now Leon is dead and Licaon is most likely backed by the enemies of the country.

In the Spirit Forest Rauro’s name is quite big, most slaves that live here were part of the ones that got their freedom after he fought the corrupted duke. For me is just another reason to go away as soon as possible, I don’t want them to get any funny ideas about backing me up.

The only thing that I have asked as a favor is for them to try and get any information about my younger siblings, I must act as a good older brother now. Maybe it’s late but my mother's plans made me get away from home for 4 years so there’s not helping me being a stranger to them.

My uncle and Klaus seem to know each other well; I see them together most of the time. Pax spends his time training together with me and being torn between being impressed by my strange moves or just weirded out. Helena also joins sometimes, but she is mostly busy buying things for our departure, she is harsh, but I can’t deny that I could not ask for a better maid.

“Young Adikemas, are you alone today?” Gurelas who is carrying happily a basket full of mushrooms stops to look at me while I was resting for a bit. For a relative of the greatest elf alive he really is an easy-going guy. “I decided to continue training; my cousin just went to take a bath at the spring and Helena is probably checking the market so your guess in right mister”.

This elf knew my father, both as the lover of the empress and as the enemy of the empress. He probably blames himself for not helping save his kin and instead relying on the honor of a few humans that decided to put an end to a villain. Being to kind is also a weakness, you are probably old enough to realize that oh great elf ruler.

He continues his way without saying anything, he seems to regard me as some kind of honorable fellow that wants to protect his family. I mean I want to, but I am mostly afraid of the entity that said she is not really my mother but a curse she cast on me. Maybe my socks will strangle me if I fail to protect her children, or some stupid death like that.

Late evening. Another rather uneventful day, being a prince in the middle of a haven feels weird, I should be protecting people not being protected. It just feels like those rich children who their parents pay people to shush anything bad they do. I encounter Eralas and she smiles at me.

“Your highness, I was looking for you, we have news about the state of the country” “Good good, how many people were hit in the knee with an arrow during the last conflict?” “You really must work on your speech; you spout such weird stuff. The duchess Martha van Vers is trying to locate you and the little princess and the little prince. She is your best bet; she was always an unknown piece but seems like she wants to join your boat”

Huh. One of the three great houses wants to protect me or something under those lines. Well, she was a rather cute woman so I wouldn't mind. “If she is the only one doing that, it means that the other 2 dukes want nothing to do with me, right?” Eralas closes her eyes and nods. “From the territory of van Vogel we have nothing new, it’s eerily silent. Duke van Hert is backing your brother as the emperor, which means he is either too scared of the enemy, or he was a traitor already”. Bad news. Really bad.

“So, you found him fast, thank you for telling him the news Eralas”. My uncle comes closer to us, hands clasped behind his back. I may have realized it a bit too late, but he really seems more like a noble than any real noble I have met in my life. “Uncle, should I go to the duchess? I want your advice”. “You sound like you are way too worried boy, worry about what you can change”. Great words, not very useful, thank you old man.

“I won’t go with you, I have already decided. I will send you reinforcements if it comes to you having to fight your way to the throne to reach your goals, I think the duchess is an honest ally”. Goals. How much I wish to score some goals. Wait he didn’t mean that. “I will write a letter of introduction. You probably met her already as the third prince, but I want to write to her about my nephew and Rauro’s son. I was under contract to his late husband, so I think she may be interested in what I need to tell”.

Woah this man knows everyone in this country. I don’t understand how he was able to run when he is so well known. “Thank you, super uncle, I will remember your name and make you part of my altar”. “No need to make me akin to a god boy, I am just afraid my brother would come back to life just to hunt me if I don’t help you in any way”.

He is also afraid of the dead. Yeah, nothing beats dead people not being happy at giving you the creeps. In this world it is possible for people to be revived but is one of the curses more abhorred and there are no real instances of it happening. Or maybe it is just sweep under the rug, no one should know about such a thing happening.

“If you take horses, it should take you about 3 to 4 days to arrive to the van Vers territory. It can be dangerous, but as a small group you should probably be fine if you travel only in the dark”. Once again, I am the prince shrouded in darkness. Not that I mind traveling like we are the ones plotting terrible ideas, but I would like to feel like I am the one in the right.

“Thank you for everything uncle, I will tell everyone about the news and see if they will continue to accompany me”. That night when everyone had already come back to our quarters, I decided to explain the situation, which Klaus already knew. The ones out of the loop, Pax and Helena weren’t surprised.

“Your highness, I will continue to serve you, but don’t ask much from me or I may have to make you swallow my pipe”. Endearing words, Helena. “As your knight I am obliged to follow your path, I promised your mother and I will do as much”. He sounds proud but also a bit reluctant. “I will help you take the throne boy I did like the light in your eyes when we met, and I will continue to bet on your future”. Klaus must be the closest thing to a father I had in both of my lifes.

“Thank you everyone, tomorrow we will decide when to depart, but most likely in 1 or 2 days. We need to thank the Silent Forest inhabitants and if possible, give pay them back when our situation is better”. We don’t have much coin to spare; we can’t be illogical about this. But if I get enough backing maybe money will be on my way too, and they will be rewarded handsomely.

Everyone agrees with me, no one here is all that similar, but we have in common that we could not bring money. United in our lack of coin. Sweet yet bitter. That’s life. I decide to go to sleep, not much more to do today.