Kingdom Of Aurelia

♛ ♕ ♛ ♕ ♛ ♕ ♛ ♕ ♛ ♕

I stared into the great blue unknown. I was alone and freezing, sinking further into the abyss. My arms reached out as the sun–reflected on the surface of the Toyohira River–grew more and more distant.

What was I doing again? Oh yeah...

"There was a woman, and she was drowning."

"Did you save her?" The voice of someone I recognized spoke out to me. It was my sister, Yuki.

"I don't know, sis. But..." I had a grin on my face. "I sure hope so."

A buzzing sound filled my ears.

"Young man..."

"Hello?..."

..............................

My face was greeted by a warm light.

My sweat-drenched body felt weightless as I sank into the soft surface beneath me. It was clear that I was lying on someone's bed, but I didn't recognize it as my own futon at home. The scent of old linens filled my nostrils. It was accompanied by a mature-smelling perfume, and the dust particles that hung in the air.

Letting out an audible yawn, I kept my eyes firmly closed. The way my body felt reminded me of when I was on the swim team. Especially after an important meet, my muscles would ache from overexertion.

.................................

Eh? Wait a minute... Where the heck am I!?

"Are you awake, young man?" A motherly voice called out to me. I felt a hand press to my forehead.

It reminded me of my own mother's voice one day back in middle school. I had spent the previous night playing video games until morning and slept right through my alarm. I wasn't always the stickler for schedules and punctuality that I am today. It was something I picked up just before I entered high school.

Back then, my mother's wake-up call was often the only thing that could rouse me when I was fully immersed in a dream. My eyes finally crept open. The room around me seemed very strange, and very western in style and appearance.

The wallpaper was a burgundy color with a diamond-like pattern worked into it. The carving used for the bedroom door was quite detailed, and the bed I was lying on was comically massive. You could fit five Sakutas or more if you tried. Upon scanning the room, my vision finally came to rest on the figure beside me.

"My my! You are awake, after all." Sitting on the bedside beside me was a middle-aged woman so strikingly beautiful, that she could have easily given most magazine models a run for their money. Even despite her age.

Porcelain skin, and short brown hair in curls cut just above her shoulders. Her crimson-red eyes were bold, and unlike anything I had ever seen before. She also wore a fancy purple dress with white frills around the edges of the neckline. It had many sequins and jewels sewn onto the front. White gloves completed the ensemble. It all looked rather expensive.

My mind was still scrambled upon waking up in such a strange place, but then it dawned on me.

"Oh, you're the cosplayer from before!" I sat up in bed, creating a bit of distance between myself and the woman sitting over me.

She was without a doubt the same woman who was struggling for life in the river's current. I felt a sense of relief seeing that she and I were seemingly unharmed.

"Cos-player?" She seemed puzzled at my observation.

"Yeah, the outfit. You must be dressed up for something, right? I’m no expert, but you did a nice job with both of those dresses. Although, I wouldn't try swimming in something like that again."

She flashed another confused look, and my eyes were drawn to the golden crown on her head. It seemed oddly authentic, like she was royalty or something along those lines. In fact, it reminded me of… the dreams I had been having…

"Fufufufu!" She began laughing. "Ahh, dear. I certainly don't blame you for being confused. I know how it must look, but please allow me to formally introduce myself."

The woman stood up from her place on the side of the bed and gave a small curtsy.

"My name is Veranda Aurelia. I serve as High Queen of the Aurelia Matriarchy, the westernmost nation in the world of Casca. You have my humblest gratitude as High Queen for saving my life at the risk of your own."

"Oh, that's quite alright.......... Eh?"

Aureli-say what now?

The gibberish sandwiched between her introduction and display of gratitude threw my train of thought way off its intended course. Even so, I decided to introduce myself and hopefully get an idea of what was really going on. Fantasy antics aside.

"Pleased to meet you, your… highness. Uhh, my name is Yamada Sakuta. Just Yamada Sakuta, from Sapporo. Sorry, but what was that you said about a kingdom? Where are we exactly?" I asked, adjusting my glasses.

"Please, dear. You can call me Veranda! Can you stand?" Reaching out her hand, she offered to help me to my feet. "I don't think it would do much good to explain things in agonizing detail, so I'll just show you."

I eyed her extended hand suspiciously before accepting after a few moments.

“Please don't worry Sakuta, I won't bite.” She winked, and put her index finger up to her cheek.

I blushed slightly at her using my given name so casually, but then again, I couldn't say I disliked it either. Exercising caution, I followed her to the window across the large bedroom. She seemed confident that whatever was outside could explain things in clear enough detail for my sputtering brain.

"Welcome to the capital of the Kingdom of Aurelia, the city of Morningstar!" Swinging open the curtains, she stepped aside to reveal the light–and with it–a view unlike anything I had witnessed in my lifetime.

We were in the highest tower of a castle, overlooking a sprawling cityscape. The buildings tiered downwards from the castle, which was in the direct center of the city. A great Victorian-esque cathedral could be seen on the edge of the town, its bell tolling loudly.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" The Queen looked thoughtfully over her kingdom, glancing over to gauge my response.

I pinched myself repeatedly, but the view in front of me did not change to that of my bedroom at home.

"I… I can’t believe it." My attention was drawn by something extraordinary. A large wooden battleship passed by the window. Other than the gliding wings on either side of the vessel, it appeared to be suspended in the air of its own accord. Or so I thought. "Is that ship—!?"

"Flying? Why, yes.” She explained. “We have perfected the use of wind magic to power the ships in our armada. Unlike your world, magic is rather prevalent here."

Magic, really? I doubt I'd believe such a fantastical thing existed if I hadn't seen it with my own two eyes.

Something Veranda said gave me pause, and for the first time since waking up, my anxiety started to bubble to the surface. I clearly wasn’t in Hokkaido anymore. Unless this were some elaborate Japanese TV set, but I doubted that was the case. So by that logic, if this really was another world… Then what would happen to me?

Would I ever get to see Jun, or Yuki again!? My palms sweat profusely.

Calm down, Sakuta. Breathe! Queen Veranda came here from Earth so she must have a way to travel back and forth, right?

That was what logic dictated. I decided to play it cool and wait for my opportunity to ask about going home after I had gotten my bearings. Besides... It's not every day you get to visit a castle in another world! I exhaled, releasing some tension.

"That’s right, I've been wondering... What happened after I blacked out? All I remember is fighting against the current, and everything goes blank after that..." I scratched my head, trying to jog my memory somehow.

"I was unconscious as well until we found ourselves on the bank of the river. I was just visiting Earth on a personal errand, and didn't know what to do." She crossed her arms.

"You didn't try the hospital? There was a clinic just down the block." I added.

"I could not read your local language so I couldn't find medical help. As for how we can speak the same language freely here..." She walked back in the direction of the bed, running her hand along the windowsill as she did. "I think it has something to do with The Crossing. You were in bad shape, so the guards that accompanied me helped bring you back here for my court mages to heal."

"The ‘Crossing’?" I repeated.

"It's what we like to call the magic gate connecting Earth and our world of Casca. I am sure this is all very overwhelming, dear, but I promise you will receive an explanation. As for now, you must be absolutely famished! The maids should be preparing the table for dinner as we speak, shall I show you around the castle in the meantime?"

“Real maids!?” I blurted out.

“The realest.” The Queen smiled sweetly.

Have I died, and gone to heaven?

And so, I followed Queen Veranda down the stone spiral staircase into the main wing of the castle, along with her guards that had been posted just outside the door.

Evidently, there was much more that I hadn't yet seen.

2.2

A delectable aroma wafted through the well-lit dining room. On the silk tablecloth before us sat a feast that was truly worthy of royalty. My grumbling stomach made no attempts to hide its desire in the presence of such cuisine.

"This is the grand dining hall. Please make yourself as comfortable as possible. The seat of honor at the end of the table is yours." Queen Veranda guided me into the dining room which was bigger than most houses in Japan on its own, including mine.

The floors were made of soft red carpet, and situated above the long dining table was a huge crystal chandelier that suspended from the ceiling. It was quite a sight to behold. The maids lined themselves up on one side of the table, and the butlers took the other. They all bowed deeply as we approached.

"Is all this food for just the two of us??" I asked, hardly containing my shock. Though I would certainly try, there was no way I could take this much down by myself. But don’t tell my stomach that.

"Oh heavens, no!" She chuckled lightly. "My daughters along with several other members of my court shall be joining us shortly. Feel free to indulge yourself right away!"

It would be rude of me to start eating without everyone else, buuuuut she did just give me permission to do so. One might even interpret it as a royal decree…

“Thank you for the meal!” At her behest, I dove into the cuisine sprawled out on the table in front of me. I was hungrier than I had previously thought.

There was a golden-brown bird that had been cooked to perfection. It made me curious as to what it was—since it was much too large to be chicken—but I stacked my plate all the same. My arms piloted themselves as if I had never felt the pleasure of a warm meal before.

I heard a low groan like old wood creaking, and the large door to the dining room suddenly pushed open. I turned my head to see who had entered the room, my mouth still stuffed with the culinary masterpiece.

"Speaking of my daughters, there’s my youngest now. I'll let her handle the introduction." Queen Veranda gestured to the young girl who came to stand beside the table in front of us. She bowed her head slightly.

"I’m pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Second Princess Mavis Aurelia.” The girl bowed once again. “You have my sincerest gratitude for saving my mother."

Adorable!! And so polite!

She was the spitting image of her mother in almost every way in terms of her appearance, and mannerisms. She had to be around the same age as my own sister, Yuki if I were to venture a guess.

Although... She certainly had my sister beat in the manners category.

But I would never tell Yuki that.

She quietly took her seat next to her mother. Meanwhile, I stared down the pile of vegetables on my plate as I started to feel rather full.

"I'm sorry, was something not to your liking? Maybe you'd prefer to eat with chopsticks, after all?” The Queen looked a bit frantic. “I knew I should have had some specially made for my rescuer..."

"Chopsticks? No, no. It's fine, honest! It was all so delicious that I grabbed too much at once." I waved my hands to reassure her. "Still, to mention chopsticks, you must know a bit about Japan then?"

"Not that much, actually. The local cuisine was fabulous, but there was a surprising lack of utensils I was used to." She smiled sheepishly, twirling some pasta around with the fork in her hand.

"I never did get to ask, but what were you doing all the way in Sapporo? You mentioned some kind of gate, but not the reason why…" I wanted to ask how she ended up in the river as well, but I held myself back from doing so.

"The reason. Oh, yes. My eldest daughter, Amber, is of proper marrying age in Aurelia. To become the next ruler she must be married or betrothed before her 20th birthday." She explained. "While it greatly shames me to admit it, we've yet to find the right... fit for her amongst the suitors I picked out."

I sat, listening to the Queen speak of marriages and ceremonies. The complexities of monarchical politics were a bit outside my comfort zone, along with anything relating to romance. Even so... I supposed it would be a pain to have marriage partners chosen for you by your parents.

Speaking of... I've only met one parent. I wonder where their father could be.

"My purpose in going to Earth was to find a man worthy of my daughter's hand. It was the final stone I had yet to turn over." She sighed, exasperated as she put her hand to her temple. "While my guards were off somewhere, I got distracted looking out over the river. Someone bumped me over the railing.”

So that's how it happened…

“If you hadn't been there, I wouldn't have made it back.”

"I didn't do anything that great, your highness. Besides… You left to find a suitor and came back with me instead. I feel like I should apologize for screwing things up." I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling a bit guilty.

"I wouldn't say that things were ‘screwed up’ in the slightest..." She winked at me, but I didn't catch her meaning.

"Mother, will sissy be joining us for dinner? The food is already starting to get cold." Princess Mavis interjected, glancing at the door with a concerned look.

"Yes, dear. I sent Cedrick to go fetch her. It's only a matter of time before—"

We heard a huge crash, and shouting coming from just outside the dining room in the main hall. The sound of glass breaking accompanied it.

What was that!? A burglar!?

"PRINCEEEEEEEEESS!" A man's voice sounded on the other side of the door.

A… Princess?

I happened to glance over at the Queen whose face was tomato-red. Her head was resting in her palms, and she looked mortified for some reason. I suspected I was about to find out why.

Suddenly the door swung open, producing a loud thud. Standing in the doorway was a girl.

Wow.

I sat, captivated by the sight of her. Wild silver hair extended in curls well past her shoulders, fluttering slightly with the motion of the door. Her complexion was very tan, and she had freckles covering her cheeks and the bridge of her nose.

Her fiery red eyes left me with little doubt that this was the older of the two princesses. Outside of that similarity, however, she hardly looked like her mother or sister.

She wore what was once a red dress. Strips of cloth hung off of it. In its current tattered state, I was shocked it still hung together. There was only one word that came to mind when I thought of the girl standing before us…

"Beautiful." I muttered out loud before clasping my hand to my mouth.

That was supposed to stay in my mind!

"Princess, wait! That's no way for a lady to behave. I can't believe you threw that young man into a table. Was that necessary??" A short blonde gentleman in a fancy robe ran in behind the Princess. He had green eyes, thick eyebrows, and pointed ears. He appeared to be an elf.....

Wait, an elf!? He reminds me of that one guy from my dream, only… a bit shorter.

It was also not lost on me that he mentioned the princess ‘throwing someone’ into a table.

"What? He was getting a little too handsy for my taste." Princess Amber retorted, saying nothing else.

"And please, my lady... Go change into something more fitting for your station." He sighed deeply. "You only stepped into town for an afternoon, how could your dress be this filthy..."

"Cedrick, dear. Thank you, but that's quite alright. Everyone can be seated." The Queen attempted to bring order to the room that had descended into chaos. “And the rest of my court?”

“They couldn’t make it. The Duke and the Count are arriving back at the castle tomorrow afternoon.” The elf, who was apparently named Cedrick, bowed his head in respect to Veranda and made his way to the table where he sat to my left, opposite Queen Veranda and Princess Mavis.

“A pity, I wanted them to meet Sakuta.”

Princess Amber—strutting in nonchalantly—took her seat next to her sister. Without a moment's hesitation, she began to wolf down food that put even my display of hunger from earlier to shame. I didn't know what to say as I watched her chow down, my mouth agape.

"Mother, who’s the four-eyes that’s been ogling me since I came in?" Princess Amber gestured towards me at the end of the table. Busted. "Don't tell me he's another starry-eyed Prince Charming come to whisk me away?"

That would be news to me.

"Ahem. This is the young man who bravely saved my life back on Earth, Yamada Sakuta. He's our honored guest, dear. Please show him some respect." Queen Veranda lightly chastised her daughter's behavior.

"Right... So about what we discussed earlier—"

I was ignored.

"I already told you, honey. It's not worth discussing again. You'll have no part in wars, or piloting cruisers." Queen Veranda took on a slightly irritated tone. "Your duty is here at the palace. You're going to be the next ruler, and you still haven't decided on a suitor."

"Suitors, huh... You mean those handsome pieces of cardboard that line up outside my window every night? Pass!" The Princess crossed her arms. "I wish for once you'd consider what I want..."

"Sissy, that's..." Princess Mavis looked a little uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was headed. I couldn't say I blamed her. My head swiveled to the two of them as they argued.

This is getting a little awkward.

"I never wanted to be Queen, mother. I want to be out there fighting against the demon army on the front lines! Just like fa—" Princess Amber's words were interrupted by the loud slam of a fist on the table.

"That's quite enough..." The Queen wrapped her slightly bleeding hand in a cloth napkin, tying it securely. "You know what is expected of you. We must do our duty for the people of Aurelia, even at the cost of our personal aspirations. It's time for you to grow up."

We all sat in our seats, stunned.

Princess Amber, looking upset, stood up quickly and stomped past me towards the exit. Suddenly her feet, which I had just noticed were in heels, got tied up. She teetered like she was about to fall face-first.

"Sissy!?" Princess Mavis exclaimed.

"Watch out—!" Before I knew what was happening I shot out of my seat. In one swift motion, I caught Princess Amber mere inches from the floor. My actions surprised even me.

"I'm sorry!" As I looked into her deep crimson eyes I found myself holding her a little longer than I intended to. I quickly helped her up, letting go. "Are you alright?"

She smiled at me sweetly, causing my cheeks to get warm. However, that blissful moment was short-lived.

She appeared behind me like a phantom and wrapped her arms around my waist.

What’s this?

“Isn’t this a bit sudden, Princess? I mean, we just met, and what are you—OOOOF!"

Without warning, she lifted me a considerable distance off the ground above her shoulders. Using her full body weight, she brought me down to the floor behind her in a full German Suplex.

K-O!

"SAKUTA!!" The Queen, Princess Mavis, and Cedrick all yelled in unison.

So this was the First Princess of Aurelia...

I closed my eyes, grinning.

2.3

My ears were still ringing as Queen Veranda, and Cedrick rushed to my side. Princess Mavis, after apologizing for her sister’s action, followed Princess Amber outside the dining hall.

"Are you alright, Sakuta dear!?" The Queen grabbed my face, holding it so she could see my eyes. I saw three of her spinning around as she frantically checked me over.

"I'm doing fine, just need a moment." I lied. “Why didn’t you tell me you were a triplet, your highness?”

“Oh dear… She certainly takes after her father." The Queen sighed. "I'll make sure to have her apologize. Please don't think badly of her, alright? I'm sure she was just a bit embarrassed..."

Easy for you to say! You weren't just slammed into the ground with all the tenacity of a professional wrestler.

"Your majesty, if I may be so bold. I think we need to find a long-term solution for the Princess' attitude problem." Cedrick began sternly. "Local noblemen, and young Sakuta here aside... If she ever tried to get violent with a suitor or emissary from another country, we might have an international incident on our hands."

"I know, I know. You're right, Cedrick. I've just run out of options for how we can even broach a solution." Queen Veranda looked downcast. “If only Raymond were here, he'd know what to do…”

"Your majesty... I didn't mean to..." Cedrick began an apology, but the Queen waved her hand in reassurance.

"It's quite alright. I'm sure he would tell me the same thing he told me back then. Don't give up before you've turned over every stone." Queen Veranda smiled, shaking away her wistful sadness. "Which gives me an idea..."

Having just stood to my feet, I turned to see Queen Veranda staring directly at me.

"C-can I help you, your majesty?" I stuttered, her red gaze piercing through me.

"You have already done me a great service in saving my life, and a dinner could never suffice as repayment for those deeds..." She began.

"Like I said before, it's perfectly fine. You saved my life when you brought me here, after all. So that makes us even. Right?" I didn't take pleasure in people owing me favors, or vice versa. I preferred to stand on equal footing if possible.

"I suppose I can live with that. However, with that being said..." She bowed deeply, catching Cedrick and me off-guard. "If I could, I would ask another favor of you despite all you've done. Would you hear me out?"

Instinctively, I nodded my head. Seeing someone of her social standing bow before me caused my body to stiffen up. If it was important enough for her to lower herself to the level of a common foreigner, it would be borderline cruel for me to not at least hear her out. Although...

Isn't this the part where they ask the summoned hero to perform an impossible deed like defeating a demon lord, or something? That would surely interfere with me getting home...

"I would like you to…"

Here it comes...

"I would like you to court my eldest daughter, Amber, for marriage!" The Queen practically shouted that line with her hands out wide.

..........................

A clock ticked on the wall. A maid dropped a ladle on the floor, but no one said a word. 

Oh, marriage... Marriage, huh? Eh?

“EHHHHHH!?" I was the first to break the silence. I thought she might ask something unreasonable of me, but I never could have predicted it would come to this. 

To court Princess Amber, royalty. Not to mention, the girl who had just flattened me minutes before.

Where’s the demon lord? I’ll fight him, after all.

Sure, Princess Amber was gorgeous, but...

"No, no, no, no. Impossible." I shook my head back and forth, nearly giving myself whiplash in the process.

"Why not? She's certainly beautiful, right? Your gaze said as much.” Queen Veranda said. Busted again. “Not to mention, she's next in line for the throne. If you were to marry her, that would make you Aurelia's future king."

She tried to sell me on the idea, but I held steadfast in my refusal.

"Please don't take this the wrong way, but I don't even get the feeling she wants a husband. Certainly not one she just body slammed. More importantly though..." I sighed. "This isn't my home, and I don't intend to put down roots here."

"My lady, I must say that I am in agreement with the young man. He's a commoner who knows nothing of our customs. If not for The Crossing, we wouldn't even be able to communicate with him. Please rethink this!"

The Crossing, that's it!

"That's right! Thanks, C!” I gave Cedrick a thumbs up, much to his bemusement. “You said it yourself, your highness. We’re even. We should part ways here, and I'll just go home to Earth through The Crossing. Like nothing ever happened..."

I was utterly confident in this proposal, but the look on Queen Veranda's face might as well have carried a thousand apologies with it.

"I'm afraid... It is no longer possible." I watched her glistening red lips utter those damning words.

"What..... What do you mean, ‘no longer possible’, huh?" I took a step back.

"The Crossing serves as a gate between our two worlds, but it is not a stationary gate. I no longer have access to it as it currently sits." I stared blankly at her as she explained.

No access... It can't be...

"Long ago, The Crossing was created by the greatest magician in all of Casca. It was meant as a means for us to commune with Earth, share ideas, and find love." She explained.

Although he probably knew what was going on, Cedrick was deeply entranced by this story as well or maybe just the Queen herself.

"To keep any one nation from hoarding its potential for themselves, four keys were made and given to the leaders of each of the four great nations in Casca."

Aurelia: The Wind Kingdom
Dagon: The Demon Kingdom
Gularahi: The Beast Republic
Zephyr: The Theocracy of Stone

"The gate migrates in a perpetual cycle to the capital of each nation in a set pattern. Once it has been used, the gate moves again. The keys are only good for one round trip..."

"And... You used yours to get me back here? Is that what you’re telling me!?" I asked, knowing the answer quite well. My mental state was bordering on a full-scale panic attack, but I kept a straight face. "Would it be alright if I asked you just one thing…?"

"Of course, Sakuta dear." She replied.

"Which nation has access to The Crossing at this moment?" I asked. “Is it possible to ask them to use it?”

"Well, that's..." Queen Veranda seemed incredibly perplexed.

"I'll handle things from here, my lady." Cedrick stepped in, sensing her hesitation. "The current location of The Crossing has been confirmed to be in the Demon capital, Darkspire. Just as the pattern dictates. Of the four nations, Dagon has the most outwardly hostile stance towards Aurelia. I'm very sorry, boy."

Of course...

From the beginning, I knew that this all seemed too convenient. Of course I wouldn't be taken all the way to another world without some sort of caveat. The Queen had known this whole time and kept it from me. To protect me? I wasn't entirely certain.

As things stood, I had a few different options. I could leave the castle, and try to make my way to Darkspire by myself in a world I hardly understood. It would be as good as forfeiting my life, and even if I did make it there...

Only the four rulers have keys...

I doubted the leader of the demons would let me use the gate back home willingly. That plan was obviously out. My only other option then... was the last card I had left to play. As little as I actually wanted to resort to it.

"Your highness, about your previous offer..." My words broke her momentary trance as she looked up at me inquisitively.

Here it goes…

"I'd like to accept your offer to become a suitor for your daughter's hand in marriage." I placed my hand on my heart and got on one knee. "On the condition that I can work in the castle, and earn a living while I learn about this world. Will you still have me?"

For the sake of seeing my family again before too long.

To preserve the world I never wanted to change...

I made my move. A King's Gambit.

"Are you sure that's what you'd like to do?? You could simply live freely here in the castle, and nobody would think any less of you." Queen Veranda suggested. I simply shook my head.

"Of course. I would feel terrible just sitting around here doing nothing, and abusing your kindness.” I smiled. “Besides, I've always liked a little routine in my life."

"Interesting... In that case, you are now officially recognized as a suitor." Queen Veranda beamed triumphantly. "Be wary, you're not the only one aiming for my daughter's hand, for the throne. I'm not supposed to pick favorites, but Sakuta... Do your best!"

With genuine words of encouragement, she placed her hand on my shoulder. It was time for me to get to work if I was going to find a way out of the mess I had gotten myself into.

My life as a suitor begins now!