Read Heroes Redemption - The Kingdom of Feris :: Chapter 3 : Royal Meetings

A veritable banquet of all kinds of food was laid out on the table. Candlesticks were scattered all along the table, between chops and puddings. I was very reluctant to taste my plate but I had no choice. I had to be on their side. If I mess up, who knows what the king might do to me. Instinctively, my gaze went back to him. His chin was resting on both hands, he seemed to be waiting for me to start eating. I'm being watched, every move I make counts. I need to fit in.

My hands grabbed the fork and knife to cut a piece of the juicy meat. It was soft, the filaments melted easily on my tongue and the succulent sauce awakened my taste buds. This meal is delicious! The queen noticed my sudden change of mood and laughed elegantly behind her hand.

— "Are you enjoying the meal?"

— "It's delicious, I'm not really used to eating meat. Especially one this succulent!"

I continued to savour this exempt dish, paying no attention to the looks on the royal family's face.

— "What do you eat in your world?"

The princess joined in the conversation, she was interested and wanted to find out more about me. I was thinking hard about the various things I had in my flat, in other words nothing much.

— "Instant noodles? That's what I ate every day."

Casthy continued to observe my way of eating and compared it to her own, which was much more noble and delicate. I should take this opportunity to question the King. Dinner is a convivial time where we can talk, this is my chance. I cleared my throat as I put down my cutlery.

— "I'd like to thank you for the meal. However, I would like to talk to you, Mr Rosade. I know nothing about your world and even less about the mission I've been given."

He did the same and sat more comfortably in his seat.

— "If you have any questions, do not hesitate."

Perfect, he's open to discussion. I thought for a moment about the wording of my sentences.

— "What can I really expect? You told me about saving your world by removing a threat. That I was... a hero to you."

He nodded and continued to smile.

— "Yes, it is correct."

A hero isn't just a random role, he has to protect and help the weak. But I'm nothing special and I'm supposed to face a so-called enemy? I need to learn more about it.

— "I guess I'll have to fight, against whom exactly?"

Let's say I'm their hero. What do they expect of me? What should I be prepared for? The king's gaze softened at my question as he was about to reveal the past of his precious kingdom.

— "To help you understand what lies ahead, let me tell you a little about our history. We are currently in the Lands of Astra. There are several kingdoms here, including our own, the kingdom of Feris. Our politics, our economy and our entire lives are based entirely on a resource that is running out as the years goes by : Magic."

— "There's magic here!?"

I stood up unconsciously, my hands slammed against the table. Casthy was startled and almost dropped her fork, juggling to catch it before it hit the floor.

The king and queen looked at me, equally surprised. I sat back down silently and cleared my throat.

— "Excuse me, you can continue." I asked, waving my hand.

— "As I was saying, our magic can be compared to our oxygen. It is all around us but remains totally invisible, transparent, like air."

He held out his hand and at his fingertips appeared an ice cube, spinning in the air.

— "It protects us, acting like a shield that repels our various threats."

— "What kind of threats are we talking about?"

His expression changed dramatically, a tinge of sadness appeared on his face.

— "Immense flowers bloom unpredictably to drain the magic from all around them. Where magic fades, creatures awaken. Their presence is increasing and it is impossible to predict their arrival. The origin of these flowers lies in the birth of the Fior but no one can get close to them."

— "The Fior ?"

Casthy stepped in and answered instead of her father.

— "This is the name given to the dead zone. There is no longer any trace of magic there and the place is heavily guarded. When the Fior appeared, flowers began to spring up all over the kingdom. That is why the two phenomena are linked."

If I got this correctly, this kingdom is under constant pressure to be attacked but they have no way of knowing where or when. So they're counting on me to make a difference and help them. But I'm a nobody and I doubt I'll become better than their knights in just a few months.

— "So I need to help you fight this threat. I must remove the flowers of the Fior so your world can regain the peace it has lost for so many years?"

— "Exactly."

— "Which explains my presence in your world."

— "Do not worry, you are going to be combat-trained by our master swordswoman. Everything will be fine."

His words of false reassurance didn't reach me. I'm no fighter, just a simple human being. Swords, magic and the art of combat are things that exist in their world but not mine. Except that I need to become the person they want me to be. Tomorrow's training session will be the first step, I'll have to prove myself.

The meal ended without a hitch, I greeted the royal family before leaving them to go to my room.A quick trip to the bathroom allowed me to discover the benefits of a good bath. Once I'd finished, I put on the nightwear I'd been given. My hair was still wet so I went to my window as I continued drying it with a towel. I opened it to take a deep breath of fresh air, the wind making my skin tingle pleasantly. The night sky was magnificent, especially with all those stars.

I'd never seen any in real life, their beauty was captivating. Soon, I was lost in thought as I gazed upon them. I think the big difference between our two worlds is that everything looks so natural here. There's no pollution or towering skyscrapers on every square metre. Everything is so much more breathable, it feels like I'm free, like I can finally live.

Some noises caught my attention, I looked down at the knights' training ground below. A girl was practising under the light of the full moon. Who was she? From the elegance of her fighting style, I had every reason to believe that she was a member of the Royal Guard. Guided by her blade, she attacked the dummy with speed and precision, each of her blows hitting him with such ease. It was as if I were hypnotised by the spectacle she was offering me, that of an artist in the midst of composing her piece. Her body was moving quickly. Unaffected by gravity, she seemed to be carried away by the wind. Her blonde hair swirled to the rhythm of her movements, short and smooth. I was a spectator of this silent ballet, lulled by her silhouette and the sound of her blade. She analysed her target one last time, she moved in a gust of wind behind it and delivered the fatal blow.

Her performance ended with a final pose, she delicately and calmly sheathed her sword. A slight smile appeared on her face, her fist raised in the sky as she jumped out happily. I was surprised, well rather confused by her sudden celebration. She continued to smile as she looked down at her hands. Her gaze then met mine as soon as she was about to leave, she didn't dare to move.

— "Hey!"

I waved at her, my elbows resting against the guardrail of my window.

— "Were you watching me?"

— "Obviously, it would be hard not to see you."

She turned and hid her face to recover from her emotions. A few silent seconds passed before she finally decided to approach. The girl stopped below my window and raised her face.

— "State your identity."

— "I'm Keiji."

Her eyebrows furrowed as she heard my name, it was unfamiliar to her. What did she want from me? I leaned forward to get a better look at her. She bent down slightly to take an impulse then jumped high up to my room. She put her foot against the railing and held herself on the window frame. Her coming startled me and made me stumble backwards.

— "Wh- H-hey ! What did you just do?" I asked, pointing my finger at her.

She tucked her hair behind her ear to fix them. She then looked at me, clearly annoyed. This girl really just jumped ten metres to get here... How did she do that!?

— "Keiji, you know that spying on a girl isn't very nice."

— "I'm sorry I'm not the perfect gentleman." I said as I stood up.

I took a few steps closer, she wasn't that threatening but rather very serene. If she doesn't mean me any harm then I can be friendlier. That's why I started patting her shoulder.

— "Come on, tell me your secret. How did you do it?"

She looked at my hand resting on her and then at me.

— "Addressing a knightess of the Royal Guard this way is punishable by death you know? Not to mention the physical and moral torture you'll have to endure in front of the people."

She continued to list the many facts that could happen to me as a result of what I had just done. I quickly removed my hand from her shoulder. My face was distorted with genuine fear as she began to describe those tortures. Finally, she glanced at me and noticed that I was frightened.

— "But I'm nice, so I'm not going to report you."

— "T-thank you…"

She laughed out loud at my reaction. She seemed delighted with her little trick.

— "I'm just messing with you! But really, you're lucky it was me. Don't you treat another royal knight this way."

She took the opportunity to sit on the edge of the fence and swing her legs over to the side of my room. Very at ease type of person, okay noted.

— "Why so? Are you special?"

She puffed out her chest and hit it with her fist.

— "You bet! I'm the friendliest knightess in the Royal Guard!"

The girl's face suddenly crumpled, as if she'd just realised something.

— "Oh shoot, I've got to get back to the dormitories!"

Suddenly, her whole body tumbled backwards. She let herself fall and even did a backflip before landing on her feet as if nothing. She ran at full speed to the nearest building without even looking back.

— "Good night I suppose ?"

What a strange girl, she arrived and then disappeared like a shooting star. I imagine I'll see her again in the castle, if she's part of the Royal Guard it's inevitable that our paths will cross again. My training session is tomorrow so I need to be in top shape. Without further ado, I crawled under my sheets. I have to give it my all to prove to the King my worth. It didn't take long for my eyelids to grow heavy. This day exhausted me and this cosy bed was going to give me a compensatory sleep.