It's Good to Be an Only Child (Michael's POV)

Everything was happening too quickly until we set off and reached the place where the Neighbors' troops were already stationed. I was glad we didn't have to fight immediately, as we were exhausted from the march, but I was afraid of the destruction they would inflict. I couldn't predict what she was planning and didn't want to imagine how many of my subjects they had already captured. Still, I couldn't understand why they'd let us rest. My advisors and I discussed what to do all night, until we finally decided to simply stand against them and defend our land.

I couldn't sleep, even though I knew I'd need all my strength. I wondered what Kyo had done and whether he'd freed Renet without any problems. In the end, I felt a little regret for what I'd done to them, but I still searched for justification for my actions under these unusual circumstances. There were people around me I trusted, yet sleep wouldn't come, not from danger, but from a sense of responsibility. At times, I regretted not being more open to his suggestion, but that didn't change the fact that the Neighbors would have attacked us anyway; I simply wouldn't have been the one wanting to attack her either.

I barely mustered the courage to look my men in the eye at dawn; I think they also realized that the plans and preparations were the fun part, and the serious part was just beginning. Some merely replaced their smiles with fierceness, while the rest didn't even try to hide their fear. I didn't intend to stay behind; I wanted to be at the front, even though everyone advised me against it. My heart was pounding. I was waiting for the signal to attack when I saw her coming toward me alone. I sensed she expected the same, so I encouraged Thunder to move toward her.

"Your Majesty, this could be a trap." Someone suggested this, but I didn't pay attention; my gaze was focused on her.

"I'm going alone. Don't do anything until I give the order," I reminded them sternly.

Everyone's attention was focused on me, on us. Thunder didn't seem to mind, as if his approach to life was one of complete indifference. I envied him a little.

I saw her for the first time, and she immediately terrified me. She had that aura about her that makes you reluctant to defy her. But I was proud; I wasn't about to give in. I straightened up even more, adjusted my crown, and didn't let my heart leap from my chest.

"It's a bit pathetic that you need a horse to tower over me even a little," she stated in a neutral tone. "Don't you dare speak to me face-to-face?"

Fear replaced rage; I gave in to the provocation. I jumped off my horse and approached her. We were the same height!

"Why did you drag me here? To play provocation."

"No, of course not," she feigned innocence. "I just wanted to ask about my birthday present."

"Birthday present?"

"Well, yes, I had it yesterday, but you arrived so late to the party that I thought we could postpone it until today, after you'd gotten some rest." She smiled broadly.

"What present is it?" I asked, though I had a feeling what she meant.

"Isn't it obvious that the best present would be if you were all dead?" she said with a twinkle in her eye.

"What a coincidence, because you're the ones who can give me such a present, since my birthday is tomorrow," I said, which caught her off guard. She clearly didn't know about it, but she quickly recovered.

"Indeed, a remarkable coincidence," she agreed and stepped a little closer. "So let's see who has the better right to celebrate," she whispered. "But be so kind and fight me in person."

"That's all I could wish for."

We smiled at each other; Kyo was right that we were similar in some way. It was a strange feeling, but it was so pleasant knowing someone could understand me. We both raised our hands and turned to our troops. We simultaneously signaled for the attack, then stared at each other for a moment. Only when we heard our soldiers make contact did we move in.

My short sword and light but durable armor stood against her fangs, claws, and tail. She surprised me the first time I took a blow, and I knew I had to be especially careful; each blow took my breath away. And she was incredibly fast and accurate, but I had also trained since childhood, perhaps not exactly for these circumstances, but hard enough that she couldn't easily dominate me in combat.

We exchanged blows long and aggressively, but I felt myself weakening. I couldn't allow myself to prolong this fight, even though it was a pleasant experience in itself. She was within reach, yet so far away. Perhaps there was something in what connected Kyo and Renat, and the fascination with the other side of the Wall wasn't a crime. I was so focused on my opposite that I completely shut myself off from what was happening around me, so I didn't even notice who was approaching us with a blink of an eye.

I didn't realize that someone was standing in front of me until I felt my sword enter his flesh; then I looked up and recognized him. I didn't know why I'd drawn my sword; his words hadn't yet reached me, though they echoed in my head. He fell, the princess also in shock, and her right hand was covered in blood. So she must have wounded him too.

"What is he doing here?" she asked rhetorically, looking at me. "Is this your doing?"

"No, no, no," I repeated, as if that would change anything, but the wounds and blood wouldn't disappear.

Kyo was dying before my eyes, and it was I who killed him, or her, or both of us at the same time. We weren't the only witnesses, and the most important one roared in pain so loudly that everyone stopped. We stared at his figure, which, considering the distance, had gotten here in far too short a time. The fear I felt before Renet's sister was nothing compared to what I was experiencing at that moment. Paralyzing terror. I didn't want to attract his attention, afraid he'd decide to take revenge immediately. I doubt he understood that I didn't mean to hurt Kyo, but he appeared at that very moment and left on his own. The way Renet held his body, protecting it with his wing, filled my conscience with immense remorse, and my heart almost burst with pain when I heard that cry.

Everyone froze; the princess quickly recovered from the shock and tried to pretend to be superior, as if it hadn't affected her. Renet's aura was so strong that I wanted to fall to my knees before him, which several of the Neighbors did, seeing that before them stood not a meek and quiet prince, but a beast that had lost the most precious thing in the world. Ready to attack, ready to kill, terrifying, and wounded in the most cruel way. I signaled my men to retreat slowly; I didn't want them to be needlessly exposed to Renet's wrath. The princess smiled at me condescendingly, thinking that her brother was obviously on her side, but this was where she made her biggest mistake.

"Renet, don't be silly. He's only human, after all. It's good that he's dead. Soon..."