7 YEARS LATER
During a sunny morning in the Royal Palace, opening the curtains of the suite, Lucas' assistant said with a smile:
"Please wake up, your highness. Today is an important day. This will be the first banquet you will participate in, your highness. "
So, Lucas straightened up on his bed, his pajamas shirt unbuttoned and his hair in a mess, and said in a tired voice:
"Is it really important that I go? He said, yawning.
His royal assistant answered while lowering his head:
"Yes, your majesty, this event is important. And also, today, we are the day before the young teacher's departure for the Ingriss Institute. "
Lucas, surprised by the news, fell out of bed and said with a surprised look:
"Sever? Time goes by so fast..." he said with a slightly sad face.
Then, Lucas stood up and said with a motivated face:
"Let's get ready to meet him, then. "
At that moment, helped by his assistant, Lucas prepared to go find Layna in the courtyard. While the assistant was helping her, she said with a smile:
"Also, your highness, today is your birthday. Happy seventh birthday, Your Highness. "
Lucas looked at his assistant Maya, with brown hair and brown eyes, with a smile and said in a soft voice:
"Thank you, Maya, for taking care of me all this time. "
Maya, lowering her head, replied:
"It is an honor for me to serve your highness. Then she added:
"There, your highness, you are ready to go and meet her highness Layna. "
Lucas, with a smile and thumb up, said to Maya:
" You're the best, as always. "
IN THE ROYAL COURT
Lucas, dressed in a white long-sleeved shirt, black pants and a sword belt, went to the training ground behind the palace, where Layna was already training.
When Lucas arrived, he found Layna with a black long-sleeved shirt, black pants and black boots, training with a sword.
And as he approached her he said:
"Even the day before you left, do you always train, little sister? "
Layna stopped her training, wiped her sweat and while approaching Lucas with a smile she said:
"I want to be at the top, quite simply. "
Lucas, with a sullen look and his arms crossed, replied:
"Say that to the one who will soon reach the TriFtera stadium (3 wings). "
Layna advanced towards Lucas by raising both arms and shaking her head:
"I'm not at this point yet, you know, and I don't know when I'll reach it," she said, looking at the sky, the wind passing through her long hair.
Lucas told him with a smile:
"So, let's do a little training, my sister, and then we can go have fun elsewhere. "
Layna, with a smile, replied:
"I hope you're prepared, my brother. "
She took a wooden sword from those placed at the edge of the field and threw it to Lucas, who caught up with her and said:
"I have improved, my sister, and soon, I think I will reach the TwoFtera stadium. So, be careful." he said with a corner smile.
Layna approached with an elegant walk, pulling out her wooden sword, and said with a proud look and a small smile:
"I have to improve quickly if I want to keep my promise to protect you. "
With a determined look, she added:
"Prepare yourself, Lucas. Give everything you have. "
Lucas, having raised the sleeves of his shirt, replied with a corner smile:
"I'm ready. Start at any time. "
"THE FRATERNAL STRUGGLE"
The wind was blowing through the training ground. Layna, her eyes focused, moved and found herself directly behind Lucas, ready to give him a horizontal blow. But Lucas reacted quickly and blocked his blow with his sword. He thought:
"A second late, and I would have had swelling on my head before the banquet. "
Layna rushed towards him again, attempting a vertical blow, but Lucas dodged, and the blow touched the ground, raising a cloud of dust. Taking advantage of the dust, Lucas attacked Layna from behind with a horizontal blow. Layna, surprised, bent down, but Lucas' sword cut a piece of his garment on his shoulder.
Layna thought:
"Wow, he managed to scratch me. "
With a small smile, she said to herself:
"My little brother is a real prodigy. I can't wait to see everything he will accomplish. "
Lucas chained the attacks, with a smile on his face, while Layna dodged and observed his brutal style. Suddenly, she launched an estocade, and Lucas narrowly dodged it. Layna counterattacked, exploiting the openings left by Lucas, and ended up disarming him with several blows from the flat of his sword.
Lucas, unarmed, said with an excited face:
"It's not over, my sister. "
He activated his power, his eyes becoming golden, and his hands ignited with golden flames. He attacked Layna with his bare hands. Layna, a little surprised, smiled in turn and activated her power, enveloping her sword in a purple flame, one of the characteristics of her power.
"Give me everything you have, my brother. "
The fight continued, each impact between Layna's sword and Lucas' fists creating sparks and raising clouds of dust. Layna dodged an attack and carried a downward blow, but Lucas grabbed the sword with his hands.
Layna smiled and said:
"Well done. "
Then she sent a punch to Lucas' stomach, propelling him a few meters away. She deactivated her power and approached him, reaching out:
"You did well, Lucas. "
Lucas grabbed his hand, another hand on his stomach, and said:
"Auch, ouch, ouch... You didn't have mercy on me. "
Layna withdrew her hand, and Lucas stumbled. She looked at him with a questioning look:
"Who wanted to do sword training with me? "
Lucas straightened up with a smile and said, stretching his arms:
"You're right, I'm the one to fault. But the important thing is that we can go have fun together for a while. "
Layna, almost forgetting everything, smiled and said:
"Let's have fun, then. "
A FEW MINUTES LATER
Under a beautiful sunset, accompanied by an orange sky, Lucas riding a brown horse and Layna a black horse strolled along a river in the royal garden. They decided to stop at the water's edge.
Layna leaned against a tree, while Lucas dived into the water. Excited, wet hair and bare torso, he shouted:
"Come swim with me, Layna! The water is soft. "
Layna looked at him and replied:
"No, it's too cold. Then she shouted:
"Dress up immediately and get out of the water! We must not get sick now. "
Lucas, with a smile, replied:
"No, it's okay, I won't get sick. "
But as soon as he had finished his sentence, he sneezed. Layna shot him with her eyes, and Lucas looked away as he left the water.
Once out, Layna got up, took off her jacket and wiped Lucas' hair. Sitting on the grass, Lucas asked with a disappointed look:
"Layna? Will you leave for a long time for the Ingriss Institute? "
Layna, with a sweet look and a smile, replied:
"I will come back every year on this date, don't worry. I go there to become stronger, so I can protect you. "
She hugged Lucas from behind.
"Really? " asked Lucas.
"Yes, don't worry. "
Lucas smiled, reassured, and said:
"When you come back, you will see, I will have become stronger, and I will end up beating you. "
They exchanged a knowing look, and Layna said with a corner smile:
"We'll see, my little one. "
After finishing rising Lucas, Layna told him:
"Close your eyes for a moment, Lucas. "
Lucas, with a doubtful look, closed his eyes. Layna took a silver bracelet with a blue stone in the middle and passed it around Lucas' wrist.
"Happy birthday, my brother. "
Lucas, moved, almost in tears, jumped on his sister and said:
"Thank you very much, my sister. "
After their hug, Lucas asked if the bracelet had anything special. Layna explained:
"Thanks to this bracelet, you will always be able to find me. It turns green every time we are nearby, it will grow with you, and it will only be able to detach when you wish. "
Lucas, with a smile, replied:
"Wow, thank you very much. "
Layna smiled and said:
"Don't thank me, it makes me happy too. "
Looking at the sky, Layna added:
"I think we have to go get ready for the banquet now. "
Lucas, sad, replied:
"I don't want to participate in this banquet. "
Layna, with a sneaky look and a corner smile, said:
"You know, today, Dayvon will be there too. Maybe he's already at the castle. "
Lucas jumped, with a frightened look:
"Really? If it's true, we have to hurry, otherwise he'll make us his "Serious" again. "
Layna laughs and says:
"So, let's hurry. "
They got on their horses and headed towards the palace. While they were riding, Layna thought while looking at Lucas:
"Lucas, I didn't tell you that this bracelet will also allow me to know your state of health. I can always reassure myself. "
A FEW MINUTES LATER, AT THE ROYAL PALACE
Raphael and Hallan strolled around the royal palace, discussing the details of the banquet. Hallan says:
"Your Highness, Prince Dayvon will be back today. "
Raphael smiled slightly and replied:
"This is great news. But what do you want to tell me? "
Hallan, with a determined look, asked:
"I wonder if you intend to deploy the young Prince Dayvon to the East, towards the border with the Solaris empire, with whom we signed a ceasefire four years ago. "
Raphael sighed and replied:
"I know Dayvon is very good at politics and very intelligent, even if he is not very good at fighting like Layna and Lucas. He managed to reach the TriFtera stage and he is only 16 years old. The decision will be up to him. For now, let the Order of the Phoenix take care of the Eastern border. "
Hallan, with a small smile, replied:
"At your command. "
Raphael asked:
"The order of the royal knights is still in the capital? "
"Yes, your Highness. But your sister Arya doesn't seem to have returned yet from her support for the Order of the Death Wolves, which is supposed to watch over the black forest. "
Raphael replied:
"Sure, she stayed there just to kill monsters. Moreover, she soon reached the SeenFtera stadium (7 wings). So let's let her have fun. "
He added:
"Then tell the commander of the knights of the order of the White Lions to manage the security of the capital with the vice-captain of the royal knights."
Hallan replied:
"At your command, Your Highness. "
With a piercing look, Hallan asked:
"You haven't given me too many tasks lately, by any chance? "
Raphael looked away, whistling:
"I don't see what you're talking about. "
Hallan sighed and said:
"So, let's get ready for the banquet, Your Highness. "
Raphael, with a corner look, replied:
"Don't think about running away. You will attend the banquet, it's an order. "
Hallan, surprised and disappointed, replied:
"But, your Highness... At your command, your Highness. "
Looking at the sky through the hallway windows, Hallan added:
"Your Highness, I believe that Prince Dayvon must already be present. "
Raphael, with a smile on his lips and his eyes closed, replied:
"Let's hurry in this case and get ready for the banquet. "
IN THE ALLEY OF THE ROYAL COURT
As the sunlight gradually disappeared, a carriage bearing the symbol of the Ingrissia kingdom approached the alley of the royal palace and stopped in front of the steps leading inside the palace.
When the valet opened the door, a figure resembling that of a young almost adult man got out of the carriage and said looking towards the palace:
"That it feels good to be back home. I wonder how Lucas and Layna are doing. "
TO BE FOLLOWED.......