His Resolve

Later in the afternoon, Terrence was woken up by some hard knocking on the door, followed by the creak of it opening and Patricia calling out.

"Milord, forgive the intrusion, but King Randolph has requested for you."

Terrence groaned as he sat up. "Mmm…Alright, just let me get dressed."

Patricia blushed lightly and curtsied. "Of course, I shall wait for you."

While she stepped back and closed the door, Terrence stretched his arms. Mai hummed as she rose as well, and wrapped her arms around him from behind.

"I wonder what your grandfather wants." She murmured.

He smiled softly and placed a hand on hers. "It's probably about the Council. Do you want to come?"

The Cait Sith nodded, and soon enough the couple was dressed and out the door. Patricia greeted them with a bow, then began to walk.

"The King waits in the training hall." She stated. "Right this way."

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Terrence and Mai were led through the east wing of the palace, which was actually the barracks where soldiers rested. They passed by many men and women in tunics, who were chatting with each other amicably. When they saw Terrence, they almost immediately stood at attention. He just smiled and waved at everyone awkwardly, not sure of how to feel about the reception.

At the end of the series of hallways, the group passed through an archway and emerged into the training hall. Terrence looked and saw that there were two sides of this room. One where soldiers would practice on wooden dummies, and the other which had a white circle meant for sparring. At the edge of the circle was King Randolph, along with a younger man.

"Ah, Terrence." He said with a warm smile. "Thank you for joining us."

Terrence smiled wryly. "I kinda have to. Hope you don't mind that I brought Mai along."

The King turned his gaze to the Cait Sith, who bashfully put her hands behind her back. He hummed in thought for a sec, then spoke again.

"Ah yes, I was wondering how you knew her. Not every day you see her kind traveling with other races."

Terrence blushed lightly. "It's more than just traveling…Well, I'll tell you later. What did you need me here for?"

Randolph nodded and turned. "Let me introduce you to Captain Lucius, Royal Knight of the Second Cohort."

Lucius looked to be in his twenties, and was a little taller than Randolph. His face was rather soft with smooth features, and his eyes were blue like the sky. His hair was whitish blonde and fell halfway down his back. His plated armor was a mix of silver and gold, and a sword hung from his hip.

"It's an honor to meet you, Prince Terrence." He said in a polite manner. "I'm here to teach you how to fight."

Terrence tilted his head. "Teach me? What's this about?"

"I delegated with the Council," King Randolph explained. "and we have decided that the royal heirs must embark on a Pilgrimage to the Sacred Tree of Nirvana, and they are to be gathered here to meet with you before the journey. If I'm correct, you have no experience in fighting, so it is crucial that you be trained as quickly as possible."

Terrence frowned as he thought about that. It was true that he hardly knew how to fight. But how much time did he really have to train with Bjartbrandr?

"How long until the other heirs arrive?" He voiced.

The King sighed. "...The Elf and the Cait Sith will arrive first, in three weeks time. It will likely take four weeks for the Nymph and the Dwarf."

At the mention of the Cait Sith, Mai froze up for a second. However, when Terrence gave her a concerned face, she shook her head and gestured for him to pay attention to the King.

Terrence sighed. "So…I have four weeks to train with my Sacred Treasure. I don't know how I can master it in that time."

Captain Lucius cut in. "You need not master it, for now. The essentials will be enough, then you can improve from there while on your Pilgrimage."

Figuring that was reasonable enough, and with no other options available, Terrence nodded in agreement.

"Okay, so I guess we should start now?" He asked.

Lucius smiled in amusement. "Quick on the uptake, you'll be a good prince for sure. Let us begin."

He walked to one side of the circle, while Terrence went to the other. As they turned to each other, Lucius drew his silver longsword and stood straight, holding it in both hands as he pointed it up at an angle.

"Let me see how you stand." He said in a more authoritative voice.

Terrence steeled himself and summoned Bjartbrandr, then took his own stance and focused on the Captain. The Prince could feel the scrutiny in the knight's gaze, and knew he had done something wrong already.

"I shall take the first move, if you don't mind." Captain Lucius suggested.

Before Terrence could answer, the Royal Knight started moving. He kicked up dust as he darted in with such swiftness that he could hardly be seen. Terrence gasped as he barely registered when Lucius came up to him, body slightly lowered as he attacked Terrence's midsection with a horizontal slash.

Terrence backed away and tried to block Lucius's blade, only for his own to be immediately knocked out of his hand. Bjartbrandr skidded across the floor, coming to a stop outside the sparring circle. The match then ended with the Captain pointing his blade at the Prince's face.

"You really don't have experience with the blade." Captain Lucius remarked. "As you are now, even a weak Demon or monster would get the better of you."

Terrence scowled, feeling just a little humiliated. But it was true…he couldn't be out fighting, not like this. He needed to train as much as he could, and get stronger. As if it was responding to his will, Bjartbrandr disappeared from the floor and reappeared in his hand.

"Are you okay, Terrence?" Mai called out with worry.

Terrence took a breath and nodded. "Yeah, I am. Captain Lucius, please show me how to fight."

Lucius smiled, then stepped back and got into his stance once again, this time holding the blade in his right hand while the left was behind him. Terrence stood ready as well, and for the second time was subject to the Royal Knight's scrutiny.

"Your posture is uneven and too open." Lucius critiqued. "Close your legs a bit, and keep your offhand closer to your body. Keep your body straight and right foot forward, and your blade centered."

Terrence did his best to make the corrections, and ended with a posture similar to Lucius's, which made him smile with a little satisfaction as he continued the instruction.

"Good, this is a common sword style among our knights. As your training advances, you will learn about individual styles passed down through generations. For now, just focus on the basics. Now then, you make the first strike."

The Prince frowned as he hesitated, but started running towards the knight. He drew his sword back, then upon getting close he thrust it towards Lucius's neck. The strike was immediately parried, and Terrence gasped as he stumbled back. Once again, he had the point of the Captain's blade between his eyes.

"Lower your body a bit when you thrust." Lucius said sternly. "Never go for the head and neck at first. Focus on keeping yourself balanced, and work to get your opponent off balance so you can go for the killing blow. They'll be doing the same when fighting you, so you must be cautious. Now let's try it again."

He withdrew his blade, and Terrence let out a relieved sigh before going back to his starting point. He took a deep breath as he got into proper standing again, then for the second time he charged at Lucius and thrust at him. This time, Terrence lowered his body slightly and aimed for the knight's chest.

Unsurprisingly, Lucius parried the attack, but the Hero of Light didn't lose his footing this time as he withdrew. For a second, he was quite happy about this. However, he was caught off guard by the Royal Knight retaliating with a horizontal slice. Pain flared in Terrence's left cheek as it got a cut straight across it, and he yelped and held it gingerly.

"Terrence!" Mai cried out in a slight panic.

"Do not stop." Lucius said in a grave tone. "When you face a Demon or a monster that has no intentions of letting you live, you cannot stop fighting for even a moment. A fight with them is life or death, you cannot waver. Now, attack me again."

Despite the stinging in his cheek, Terrence steeled himself once more and focused on his teacher. Recalling how Lucius struck him, Terrence stepped forward while slightly raising his blade at an angle. He then swung diagonally, a slash aimed at Lucius's shoulder.

This time, the Royal Knight evaded by hopping back. Almost immediately, he darted back in for a jab at Terrence's exposed shoulder. The Prince leaned a little to avoid the blade, but winced as he still got grazed by its edge. He saw that the Captain was exposed in this moment, and took the opportunity for a stab at his abdomen.

However, Lucius turned his body and sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the sacred edge of Bjartbrandr. With the butt of his sword, he struck Terrence in the side of the neck. The Prince coughed and dropped to his knees, his vision now slightly blurred.

"That's enough!" Mai cried.

She came over and helped Terrence up, and Patricia followed and brought her hands over his wounds.

"Amenda." She murmured.

A mystical green energy emanated from her hands, and Terrence sighed in relief as he felt his wounds close and the pain fade. He gave a nod of thanks to the maid, then gave Mai an assuring smile, which she returned. The couple then watched with slight frowns as Captain Lucius sheathed his blade and walked away.

"That's enough for today." He stated. "I have to say, even though I went easy on you, you did better than I expected. Keep up that pace tomorrow."

"You bet I will." Terrence affirmed.

As the Captain left the training hall, King Randolph came over and gave his grandson a proud smile.

"You did well to start with." He praised. "Why don't you go to the royal bath to refresh yourself?"

Mai's ears perked up. "Royal bath?"

Terrence smiled wearily. "That sounds great. Where is it?"

"I shall guide you to it." Patricia offered with a small smile.

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The maid took the couple up to the second floor of the west wing, where the royal bath was located. Terrence decided to ask about something that had been on his mind.

"Patricia, were you around at the same time as my parents?"

The Head Maid hummed and nodded. "My family has served here since the beginning. Your mother was Merisa, and she was my older sister."

Terrence looked up in thought. "Yeah…that makes sense. So that's how she knew Father, she used to serve him. Grandfather also mentioned that she was his personal retainer."

"Yes, while most of the women in our family served the whole palace, the family's heiress was always chosen to serve the royal heir. In this case, that was Merisa."

"I see…Alright, so what were my parents like?"

Patricia laughed softly. "They were kind of like oil and water in those days. Prince Steven didn't exactly like training, and would sometimes laze around on the rooftops or in the garden. Merisa had quite the temper and took both her duty and your father's very seriously. You could always hear her going off no matter where you went, hm-hm!"

Terrence recalled the times where his mother chewed out his father. When he forgot to wash his share of the clothes, or didn't comb his hair, or left papers on the table. So they had always been like that…

"...Yep, that sounds like Mother and Father." The Prince said wryly.

Mai giggled. "How did they get along?"

Patricia's smiled turned wistful. "Even if he was a bit daft and lazy, Steven would still stand up for others when push came to shove. He didn't like the pressure he was under…but he still tried as best as he could. Merisa was always there to give him respite. Whenever I saw him laying on her lap in the garden, I knew that love was there."

Despite how sweet that sounded, Terrence couldn't help but wonder…

"Then why did they run away? Why didn't Mother stop him?"

Patricia looked hesitant. "...I'm not sure."

Before anything else could be asked, she stopped at an arch that was covered by a blue and gold curtain.

"Here it is. Now if you'll excuse me, I must go to the kitchen and help with dinner."

With that, Patricia bowed and walked away. She had a noticeable haste in her steps, but Terrence sighed as he couldn't bring himself to go after her. He then gave Mai a half-hearted smile as he took her hand.

"Let's enjoy this while we can." He insisted.

She smiled back and nodded, and together they stepped through the curtain. Inside, they found a round bathtub big enough for a dozen people to sit in. It had a series of golden faucets to fill it up, though it was already flooded with clean and steamy water. Along the walls, there were fluffy towels hanging on silver racks.

Mai's eyes shimmered as she walked around the bathtub and examined it. Even her tail was waving from excitement.

"It looks great!" She said happily.

She started to slip off her dress, only to stop and look at Terrence with a blush. He turned red as well and gulped, then took a small breath before beginning to undress himself. This made Mai's cheeks turn redder, but she took off her dress and stepped into the knee-deep waters.

Once Terrence was unclothed, he went into the tub, and then went to meet Mai at the center of it. They awkwardly looked at each other for a moment, then sat down back-to-back.

Terrence was stiff, not knowing what else to do at the moment. Then he felt Mai's back relaxing against his, and her hand covering his own.

"...This feels nice, doesn't it?" She said softly.

Terrence smiled in a more relaxed way. "Yeah…with you it is."

He leaned back against her, and adjust his hand so their fingers could entwine. He was able to just…empty his head of all the concerns he had up to now. All that mattered for now was this time he was spending with Mai.

However, as the minutes passed, he recalled her earlier reaction to the news of the Cait Sith heiress coming over. Was she worried about that?

"...Hey Mai, how do you feel about the Cait Sith Princess?" He asked carefully.

Mai's fingers tightened a little, and she let out a small hum. As if deep in thought, she didn't speak for a few moments. Then finally, she answered in a timid tone.

"I…I'd be happy to see at least someone from my race after all this time. But…I'm also scared. I don't know if she'll be mad at me for my choice to stay with Humans. What if…I have to leave you in the end?"

Terrence frowned as he pondered it. While he would be sad if Mai left, he understood that it was in a Cait Sith's nature to roam. He wouldn't mind if Mai chose to go with her race, considering that. But…if she truly didn't want to leave, and wanted to stay with him…

"...I'll make sure you'll never have to leave, if you don't want to." He said solemnly.

Her hand left his, and there was some light splashing as she moved to be in front of him. There was a glimmer in her crimson gaze, and her smile was one of gratitude.

"Thank you, Terrence." She said quietly, leaning forward.

Her lips gently met his, and he slowly settled his hands on her waist. She pulled back slightly with a relieved sigh, then cuddled up to him and closed her eyes. Her tail swayed back and forth, almost hypnotically.

Terrence's face softened into a smile, and he held his lover close while stroking her back. When he thought about why he was here, getting ready to face the challenges ahead and own up to the responsibilities his father left behind…Mai was the one on his mind.
Everything the Hero of Light would do…would all be for her, and their life together.

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The next day, Terrence met Captain Lucius in the training hall. The older man gave him an appraising look, then smirked slightly and nodded.

"You look more ready than last time." He remarked. "Tell me, are you afraid of what's to come?"

Terrence glared with seriousness. "Maybe I am, but I won't let it hold me back. I have someone I'm fighting for. I will never give up, because she needs me."

"Good, you have the desire to protect someone dear to you. Focus on that feeling, and stand your ground. I want you to draw your sword and show me your resolve."

Upon that declaration, Lucius went to the other side of the sparring circle and drew his sword. Terrence summoned Bjartbrandr, and so the fighters took their stances and stared each other down.

"That look in your eyes…that's what I want to see." The Captain appraised. "I'll let you make the first move. Give me all you got!"

"You can do it, Terrence!" Mai cheered.

Terrence glanced to see her and King Randolph watching with expectant faces, and he gave them a firm nod before focusing on Lucius.

The young Prince gripped his sword tight, but tried not to tense himself too much. He took a deep breath, reminding himself why he was here. What he was fighting for…and why he was wielding this Sacred Treasure.

Then suddenly, he felt a warmth within his heart, and heard the gentle voice of a girl in his mind.

"Have you finally found your resolve?"

For a second, Terrence was surprised. But the calming aura he was feeling allowed him to recover quickly and give a solid answer.

"For the sake of Mai, and our family, I will take on all the responsibilities my father left behind. That is the resolve I found."

The girl hummed. "I see…you are worthy of my blade after all. Prince Terrence, my power is in your hands. Use it well, the holy light of Bjartbrandr!"

Terrence gasped as he felt a surge of power throughout his body, and the divine glow of Bjartbrandr's blade intensified.

"W-what is that light?" Mai said in surprise.

King Randolph chuckled. "It seems he has resonated with the Sacred Treasure. Much sooner than I expected."

Lucius looked more serious. "So you drew out its power after all. This will make things a bit more interesting for me. Sorry, but I'll be taking the first move now!"

He sprinted forward at a blurring speed. With only a second to react, Terrence attempted to parry the incoming attack. Metal rang as the two blades clashed, and blue sparks showered from where they connected. The Prince winced as he got pushed back. Lucius was clearly the stronger one, and his cool smile communicated that.

But Terrence wasn't going to give up, so he continued to push and struggle. The energy flowing through his body became more intense, and he felt like he was burning up. He let out a defiant shout…and the light around Bjartbrandr exploded. Its power sent Lucius sliding back a fair bit, but he stopped himself by planting his sword in the floor.

He huffed and smirked slightly. "Not bad at all. It seems the potential is there."

Terrence breathed heavily, and his legs wobbled. He felt so weak now, as the power had left his body. He looked at Bjartbrandr and saw that its glow was dulled.

"You did fine." The voice said soothingly. "Your body isn't used to my power, but that'll change as you continue your training."

"Who…are you?" Terrence said with confusion.

His sword suddenly turned into a ball of light and floated a few feet away, and its form began to grow into something humanoid. After a few seconds, the light dispersed to reveal…a pale-skinned girl who looked the same age Terrence.

Her white dress and back-length silver hair fluttered as she floated onto the floor. Her snow-white skin made her look like a porcelain doll, but her golden eyes had a certain wisdom behind them. The smile she gave Terrence was almost motherly, and she spoke in a kindly manner.

"I am Bjartbrandr, the Sword of Light. You are the one who I'm now sworn to, Master Terrence."