It was a girl around the same age as I was. Those eyes did not give me a good feeling, despite her being so young. Her eyes were not of a child at all. She had almost white skin and silverish-white hair like the queen in the photo. The girl was beautiful too. Once she realized she was staring, she focused somewhere else.

"Well, well, well, isn't it Albert?"

The king's voice was low and smooth. I looked up at Albert to see him crack a smile. King Howard came up to Albert and gave him a tight hug. Albert hugged back and patted Howard's back. Once they finished, King Howard looked down at me.

"Are you the one who broke through the first stage?"

I gave him a slow nod as I wasn't sure what else I could say. King Howard was the same man who was in the portrait with Queen Eclaire. He had light brown hair that got even lighter in the light. He really was handsome, even at his age. King Howard looked back at the white-haired girl and motioned her over to us. As she walked over, the king bent down a little and put his hands on his knees to stabilize himself.

"Her name is Serena. She is about your age. Why don't you go to the garden and start being friends?"

"Okay, yo majewsty."

I bowed a little as I responded. The king patted my head and pushed me gently toward Serena. Unable to decipher the gesture, I looked at her curiously. She still had that same blank face that Queen Eclaire had. Serena started to walk toward the door, and I followed her. I could hear them talking as the door closed.

I looked back at her. She didn't even turn her head, but I knew she noticed me staring. She was so silent that I didn't know how to start a conversation with her. Ugh, so awkward.

"Hewo, my name is Awexanda." I tried to pronounce my name as clearly as I can.

"I know."

I could tell she didn't really want to continue the conversation.

"This castwe is so beautifu, wight?"

She glanced at me without moving her head.

"It is."

"So how awe you?"

"Fine."

Her tone was switching to irritation. I knew I should keep quiet, but something wouldn't let me just shut up.

"You know, I wove yow haiw."

Once I said so, she stopped walking and stared at me, wide-eyed. Did I say something wrong? I know I only said the truth.

"Why?"

I could see some kind of emotion in her eyes as if she was expecting something. I stared at her for a moment and looked at the floor.

"It weminds me of a white wose bwooming duwing spwing."

I wasn't really kidding when I said that. I remember my garden was full of white roses. It helped me calm down whenever I came back from a bloody war or right after I killed someone. It also soothes my rage or hatred toward someone or something. Her hair was almost as white as a white rose.

"DON'T WIE TO ME!"

With that, she ran off in anger. I was stunned from getting yelled at randomly. I walked toward the direction she ran off too. It led me to an open space, which was clearly not a garden. Many soldiers were training there with their swords. I guess this was the palace courtyard. I watched them from afar. I recognized some of the soldiers who waved at me

while I was in the carriage. There were three kids in the front doing the exercises. All three of them were at least two or more years older than me.

Something white entered my peripheral vision from the left, the direction where I had come from. It was her, Serena. She still looked a little angry, then she stopped and took a deep breath. Her face turned emotionless again. I wonder what happened to her to keep on doing this even at such a young age.

Serena walked up to the one training the soldiers and cleared her voice. The captain didn't respond to her, so she opened her mouth to speak something. I couldn't hear anything because I was so far away from them. The captain still didn't respond, but instead, he continued to yell out instructions. I looked at the soldiers and the three kids that were training. Some looked like they didn't care, but their eyes said the opposite. I couldn't tell anything from the distance. What was up with all the children here? I looked back at Serena, but she wasn't there. She was leaving. I walked up to the Captain.

"Who are you, kid?" The captain didn't even glance at me.

"No one impowtant." The captain finally looked at me and scanned me. I looked the other way to see if I can spot Serena.

"You can't train, yet. You're still young."

"Who says I want to twain hewe?" I didn't really want to train. I need to find the garden since that would be the place

where Albert would be looking for me. I didn't want Serena to get in trouble since she didn't take me there.

"Aren't you being arrogant?" It was the oldest kid. He had the same light brown hair that King Howard had. Actually, all of the kids had light brown hair. Was it a coincidence?

"I'm not-"

"Why don't you have a duel with Cleo?"

Wait, how did it come to this. I opened my mouth to explain, but I was cut off again.

"He is the youngest one out of all of us, so he has less experience."

"I have to go, though."

I started walking toward the direction that Serena was headed.

"Halt." I still kept on walking.

"It is an order."

Now I actually had to stop. I sighed and looked back at the eldest prince. They were definitely royalty.

"Yes, yow highness."

I kept my head low, so he knows I am not here to cause any trouble. The prince walked over to me. His footsteps

were silent, so I knew he had some kind of training but not enough. His footsteps made the rocks scrape against each other.

"You are going to have a duel with my brother. Do you understand?"

I closed my eyes for a second and opened them up.

"Yes, yow highness."

I heard a couple of footsteps coming this way. There were three, no, five adults coming this way. I looked up to see who it was. It was Albert, Alfred, King Howard, and two guards. The three princes bowed down in respect to their dad.

"I heard everything between the two of you, and I am looking forward to it."

Great! Now I definitely can't back out of it.