It was the maids and it seemed that there were more of them than usual. Three? Five? He can’t exactly tell. Brimming with excitement, he rushed to the door and swung it open.
“Good morning, your Highness. May we please come-Oh?!” Taken aback by the sudden jerking of the door, they stopped in their tracks until Philipp grabbed one of the maids by its arms and dragged it inside.
“Yes, you may. Come! Come! Come!”
Several automatons dressed in maid attire—Puppets with exteriors made of sterling silver that can move, talk and follow orders—followed in organized unison. Curling patterns swirling in symmetry framed the ball joints. They were faceless, three slits carved in the middle of their facial casing.
A while back, he heard a few adults call the mechanism just underneath those vertical slots a speaker. Every time Philipp stood close enough to these machines, he could almost hear a faint ticking sound, just like a clock, emitting from them. Such wondrous inventions they were. He still doesn’t understand how this new technology worked, but it certainly fascinated him.
Two of the mechanical servants held a box each, the lids held in place by red silk ribbon, whilst the other presented something to him. The long mystery thingy was hidden beneath thick fabric the same hue as the ribbons.
That must be the sword. A weapon that has been kept safe by the king, reserved for this very day.
As that maid walked past the sunlit windows, he swore he caught a fiery glint sparkling through the fabric covering the sword. “Can you stand here, your majesty?” One of the puppets placed a step stool behind him. He stood on top of the stool, and the maid opened one of the boxes for him. Within the box is a letter, he recognized the intricate cursive handwriting at first glance.“For you, my sweet. Love, Mother” was written on the paper.
Once he caught a glimpse of his outfit, he immediately closed his eyes. “What’s wrong, your Majesty? Does the gift not please you?” The maid asked. He shook his head profusely.
“No! No! It’s not that. It’s just…” he said, still shaking his head.
“I wanted to be surprised. I want to see it once it’s on me.” He added, his eyes still closed as he spoke.
“Understood.” It answered.
“We shall begin dressing you now.” The two of the mechanical maids approached him, each picking up a piece of clothing and taking turns helping him get dressed; the other holding the cloth-covered object stood motionless, waiting for him to be clothed in his Hero’s Attire.
As the maids busied themselves prepping him, Philipp’s mind began to wander uncovering old buried memories.
The silver-encased servants reminded him of a certain someone. A maid that would’ve been in charge of preparing him for the parade…if only she hadn’t been replaced.
***
Philipp then felt sorry for the girl and soon his mischief came to an end.
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry… I’m just really bored.” Said Philipp. His hands tucked behind his back, lips pouting.
“If it’s any consolation, the king has planned something for you today. A trip perhaps? I’m not really sure. But it sounded really important. Something to do with visiting our neighboring kingdom Cosagonia.” She said with that same recognizable patient smile.
Philipp’s eyes twinkled, it’s not very often that he gets to leave the castle. Or even visit other kingdoms.
Often times it’s the other way around. Nobilities and royalties from other kingdoms would come to the castle whenever there’s an important event or a banquet being held by King Bylur. Philipp was never the sociable type, not with adults anyways, but he always felt curious about the other six kingdoms.
For a set of nations all placed in one continent, it was a shame he barely got enough chances to see them.
He grew up being cooped up inside his room, tucked within the castle walls that can only provide him very little entertainment. But the King demanded his safety and safety is only guaranteed as long as the young prince spends most of his time stuck indoors.
“Bertha, will you come with me then? Mommy says I need someone to constantly stay by my side so I appoint you to be that someone.” His small hands clasped onto her work-worn hands.“Is that so? Then it’ll be my pleasure.” Bertha answered with glee.
She truly loved her job no matter how of little value working as a maid may seem. Because what she loved the most was serving King Bylur’s son; a child whom she grew to adore during her stay.
62nd of Autumn, Philipp was 10 years old.
Bertha and the young prince boarded the carriage that was headed towards the Kingdom of Cosagonia. According to Galacian customs, the King and Queen would have to lead every royal procession while a few selected knights follow them from behind. During most trips, Philipp would be left to stay in the castle and wait for his parent’s return. This would sometimes take days, and the longest it had been lasted for a couple of months.
Countless attempts and pleas were made. He begged his parents—especially his mother, since he knew she had a soft spot for her son—to take him. He would promise he’d stay quiet and be well-behaved. But he would always receive the same answer.
“It’s adult matters, son. It will bore you.”
“Travelling takes hours and you will be on the carriage doing nothing but sit. It’s best if you stay here. Safe and taken care of.”
Eventually, he grew tired of asking.
But this is one of the few rare moments where his presence was required, and he was ecstatic to finally see the outside world and explore.
Bertha then pulled a suitcase and inside were all sorts of things from Philipp’s room.
“I brought a few books, and a couple of journals. Oh! And here are some pencils. I don’t know if you would’ve preferred just the charcoal tips or the colored ones so I just brought all of them. You know, just in case.”
Bertha was thoughtful as ever.
He happily grabbed them and immediately scribbled on the clean, empty pages of his sketchbook. He would look at the windows then back to his sketchbook and he drew everything he found interesting.
Not even a few minutes later, a handful of pages has already been filled.
Bertha propped her head on her hand and silently watched him. As his eyes continued to sparkle with so much joy and wonder, a faint smile curved her lips and a warm feeling bloomed within her heart. She always loved seeing this side of the prince; Happy and childlike.
The carriage crossed the Falcon Valley—small mountains in rows were covered in lush green trees that made it look like lumps of moss from afar—then passed through Circus Solis. Even during the day, the circus beamed with so much life. He could hear the music as their carriage passed by.
Heavenspear Summits stood so tall its peaks would touch the high skies. Philipp’s gaze went upwards and he could see the tip of the mountains fade through the clouds; frost accumulated around it due to the cold temperatures.
Scribble…Scribble
Once they had crossed the bridge connecting the two separate territories of their kingdoms, they finally arrived on the other side. Towering old trees immediately greeted their carriage and from up close, they looked even more colossal.
The Forest of Giants. One of the well-known and proudest wonders of the kingdom of Cosagonia besides the capital and Donfyord Cavern.
Thick fog gathered above the trees making their leaves and branches barely visible. The air within the forest was also cold, and the silence was so deafening you could almost hear it.
The oddity of the surroundings didn’t appear unsettling, but it felt surreal and peaceful.
“So that’s why they call this The Pillar of Heavens.” Philipp mumbled to himself. The forest is just as spectacular as the books he had read.
“It is said that these trees were here during the days of creation.” She whispered. “Woah…so they’re super-duper, really incredibly, absolutely ancient old trees!”
“HAHAHA!!! *snort* Yes, young prince. They are exactly that old.”
After a few more hours of chatting and doodling, they finally arrived at the city capital of Cosagonia—Aerdon City Capital—It was much fuller and livelier than their village back in Sarcaelia.
It was also…very noisy.
Stalls and market places were placed in rows next to the bustling streets. Every corner is filled with people either buying something, or selling something. Each stall owner had their own way to catch attention.
Some held bells and would rattle it to attract customers; some would yell to the busy road while holding the finest sample of their product.
“POTTERY WITH THE BEST QUALITY!! COME GET YOURSELVES SOME OF MY FINEST POTTERY!!”
“SILK!! VELVET!! AND COTTON!! ALL DYED WITH REAL, AUTHENTIC DYES!!”
Philipp was not used to this level of chaos and by instinct, he covered his ears to shield himself from the noise. The knights paved way through the busy streets but even so, they moved slower than they once did and Philipp sat through it all.
After being stuck in traffic for a solid amount of time, part of him regretted his eagerness and wished he had just stayed home. But after a few hours of tolerating discomfort, it was almost nighttime and far away from the bustling streets of the city.
“Your Majesty, is that…?” Queen Penelope said politely to her husband who was right next to her while looking directly at a large house located from a distance.
“Yes.” He responded. “I’d recognize that house from anywhere.”
King Bylur and Queen Penelope looked back towards the knights and the coachmen behind them and announced that they had decided to put a halt on their long journey and stay at the nearby guesthouse.
Following their command, the knights and the royal carriage went towards the massive house. The walls covering the property were long and tall. Its surface made with smooth sandstone and its golden hue glowed against the dark, velvet sky.
Foundation pillars were placed in intervals and on top of each pillar is a lantern that exuded a warm glow. Its light made the pathway leading towards the entrance very visible. And once they reached the entrance gates, a guard was standing on patrol.
It took him just one glance before opening the gates. It creaked loudly, announcing that a new guest has finally arrived. And the clopping of the horses and footsteps seemed to had attracted the attention of the house’s owner.
A chubby man dressed in a fancy evening robe came out to welcome the royal couple and the rest of their entourage. On his left hand, he held a wineglass filled with grape wine and his fingers from both hands were covered with gold rings that had sapphires and other jewels imbedded in them.
Philipp doesn’t recognize the man, but he can certainly tell that he was no ordinary citizen.
“Ah! King and Queen De Montfort of Sarcaelia! What a pleasure to be graced with your presence!” He said in a loud, boisterous tone.
“And you brought the young prince with you!” His attention immediately shifted towards the little prince the moment he stepped outside the carriage door.
He instinctively hid behind Bertha, peeking slightly.
“AHAHA! How charming.”
Kneeling in one knee, he spoke “You’re going to love what our greatest inventors have made, your Highness!”
“Inventions?” Philipp’s head perked up. “What is it? What is it? I don’t like secrets! I want to know it now!” His hands curled into fists and raised them upward.
“Oh? Eager are we?” The stranger then formed a mischievous grin then he added, “Soon”
“You’ll see it tomorrow morning.”
His lips pouted after not getting his answers immediately. Then he turned to look back towards Bertha, her face tense. “What’s wrong, Bertha? Are you tired?” Philipp asked. She then just shook her head, telling him no.
“You heard him, tomorrow is important. You should get ready to rest now.”
“Okay…”
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