A pair of deep sea blue eyes were lost in thought at the decades-old memory.

“As your mother said, ever since that day, I no longer feared the recurring nightmares that used to bother me at night. It’s still the same darkness but I could dominate my dreams and learn to control what happens inside them. The next night I had that dream, instead of letting that golden creature tie me with its tail, I got hold of its tail and took control of it. Now, it’s nothing more than my pet.”

Arlan chuckled as he boasted, a proud smirk on his lips.

“And it is all thanks to your mother. Perhaps I would have gotten over it years later on my own, but the childhood trauma and the mindset of having no one believing me would have made me a different person.”

“She just gave you encouragement and you managed to overcome your nightmares with your own strength.”

On the side, Slayer made a side comment, “What a violent child, to pull the tail of a dragon and beat it to submission. Despite hearing this many times, it doesn’t change my initial impression of you…”

“Says the guy who earned the nickname ‘Slayer’. Psh.” Arlan then returned his attention to Drayce. “Well, I have both mother and son to thank. If it was not for you, Dray, I would have never understood what those dreams were.”

“For that, both of us should thank my mother, as everything I know are things I learned from her.”

Arlan pulled out a pendant hidden under his clothes. The gold chain had been changed to fit his adult self, but the green stone Esther blessed remained the same. “I still keep it with me at all times, but not because it is a family heirloom, but as a memory of the only woman who believed me when even my family never did.”

Arlan nodded as he enjoyed the wind blowing against his face on top of the cliff. As he eyed the raging river at the bottom, he seemed to have thought of something. “How is your father, His Excellency?”

“Must be somewhere out there as usual,” Drayce replied without a change in his expression.

“Despite how you two openly dislike each other, it’s funny how similar you are to each other as well. Both of you are doing this every year, not giving up on your search for your missing mother. Such a stubborn pair of father and son,” Arlan commented.

“Are you done?” Drayce asked drily.

“Hmm! Perhaps? This is quite an improvement. Don’t you think so, Slayer?” he nudged his other friend. “I should celebrate the fact that at least Dray didn’t get angry this time when I called him and King Theron father and son.”

Drayce scowled at him, to which he responded with a cheeky grin.

After a while, Arlan heard Drayce saying something under his breath.

“The longer I sit on the throne as a king, the more I think I understand him.”

His voice was so quiet that if it weren’t for the other men not speaking, they wouldn’t have caught those words.

Arlan decided to change the mood. “That’s good to know. As the saying goes, only those who bear responsibilities can understand the weight of carrying them.”

Drayce simply nodded and decided to drop the subject. “What about your girl? Did you manage to get any clues about her and her grandfather?” Drayce asked.

Arlan almost choked as he raised his hand on a dismissive gesture. “Who’s my girl?”

“Aren’t you looking for them because she ran away despite being your betrothed? If she’s not your girl, then what is she?”

“A criminal who undermined the authority of the royal family,” Arlan spoke. “Sooner or later, I will catch them,”

“Yes, and the moment you catch them, that means we will be receiving an invitation to come to Griven and attend your wedding,” Slayer, who had been quietly listening to them, reacted.

Arlan raised a brow at the knight. “I will only hold my wedding after yours, my friend.”

“That will never happen,” Slayer countered.

Arlan chuckled. “Precisely. That’s what I meant to say.”

Slayer turned to look at the grinning prince. “Do not compare your situation with me. I am an orphan with no family so I have a complete say over my own marriage, but you are the Crown Prince of your kingdom. Do you think the royal family will sit back after you found her? The moment you bring back your betrothed, you have to marry her and honour the promise between both families.”

“Not if I become king first,” Arlan scoffed. “Besides, who told you that I am searching for her to honour a promise that I did not consent to? She’s a sinner, both her and her grandfather. Even if she doesn’t want the marriage, how dare they ruin the trust our family had in them? Are they looking down on us Cromwells?

“In the first place, her family is the one to break the marriage alliance. They need to be punished so there is no reason for me to honour it. I will bring them back to face the consequences of dishonouring the Royal Family of Griven. I will make sure they both–that girl and her grandfather–will be buried next to each other.”

Drayce gave him a side-eye. “Don’t let your emotions rule you even before you meet her. Don’t you wish to learn first about her circumstances?”

“Nothing will change even after that. An offence is an offence.”

“I will be the first to laugh at you if you fall for her at first sight.”

“She can be the prettiest woman in the world, but you know beauty is not enough to sway my heart. Nothing can sway it.” Arlan looked at Drayce with a patronizing gaze. “I am not like you.”

“We will see,” was all Drayce could say in response.

Arlan felt somewhat insulted by his friend’s nonchalance. “Disregarding the fact that her guardian chose to bring her away at the risk of their family’s honour, I do not believe she can be better than the ladies I meet in high society. How many years had it been? Do you think that a girl who is living in hiding and must be wandering in a poor state can grow up as a proper lady? What can she even be like? If she’s to take after her grandfather, then I’m sure she’s the immature and reckless kind, a good-for-nothing girl who must be regretting being born in that family for her condition. Maybe she’ll thank me for putting an end to her miserable life as a fugitive.”

“Then I will pray for you to never find her. Poor soul is better off away from violent and cruel people like you.”

“Cruel? Violent? Are you talking about me? May I remind you who among us three earned the nicknames ‘Slayer’ and ‘Devil’s son’?”

The King’s guardian knight looked at him with an annoyed gaze. “Those who don’t know the real you are fools. You can drop your sweet prince act in front of us.”

Arlan put out a pure and benevolent smile that could rival that of a saint, one that he would often wear when he’s among aristocrats as if he was the kindest man to roam the lands.

“You are becoming unnecessarily talkative, Slayer, my friend.”

“It’s an inevitable result after being around friends who have a bad influence on me,” Slayer replied.

“Well, you don’t need to feel bad about those fugitives. I will just punish them according to the law without being cruel. I can’t help it when dying is their destiny,” Arlan said with a shrug.

“Do whatever you want,” Drayce stopped the two from arguing. “But if that girl is the reason my mother came to your kingdom, then I will have to meddle in.”

“I will spare their lives until you get useful information from them.”

Those words concluded that matter.

Seeing the sun visibly lower in the sky, Drayce realized how much time had passed. “Aren’t you dropping by the palace this time as well?”

“You ask the same question even though I come here like this once a year.” Arlan shook his head as if he was tired of repeating himself. “I came to see my friends. Coming to the royal palace means my own people will know I am here. I do not feel like having an official meeting and being bothered with all those fussy delegation stuff. Do you want rumours to spread about how the Crown Prince of Griven appeared in both palaces of two kingdoms within the same day? Let’s not let them know.”

“As you wish,” Drayce agreed.

“Well, since that’s decided, shall we disguise as commoners and go to a tavern? It’s been long since we had drinks together,” Arlan suggested and his two friends agreed. The next moment, the three young men disappeared from the cliff.

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