“There is some good in this world, and it’s worth fighting for.” — J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers

  ???

  The Imperial Palace was as grand as Yulia had imagined it to be, ever since she was first informed of her duty as the guardian to the heir of the throne, when she was old enough to understand. Everything that she’d trained for and learned had all led her here.

  Generations of royals had walked these halls, alongside the soldiers, advisors, and nobles who had served them. Despite her age, Yulia can almost feel the weight of history and judgment pressing down on her.

  But at the same time, the air felt cold. Almost tense.

  Not the kind of cold that came from wind or even when winter came, but it was like there was something in the air. Something still and tight.

  The Crownsguard led them forward in silence.

  Oil paintings in heavy golden frames lined the walls as they walked. The paintings of past kings and queens with their jewelled crowns and royal robes of crimson, and even stern-faced generals, are immortalised. Some of the paintings looked so old that they seemed like ghosts or shadows trapped behind glass, with their painted eyes following her as they walked.

  The carpets that lined the hallways beneath their feet were a deep crimson red, thick enough to silence their footsteps. Wall scones along the walls burned low, causing flickering shadows to appear on the walls and floors as they passed.

  Yulia tightened her grip on her father’s hand, and he looked down at her questioningly, a faint crease in his brows, though he didn’t break his stride. “It’s so quiet here,” she whispered, looking up at her father.

  Hamilton nodded. “It always is,” he replied.

  Men and women in the uniforms of butlers and maids passed by, bowing respectfully to Hamilton as they passed. A few of them offered Yulia gentle smiles as they passed by, though Yulia was puzzled at the look in some of their eyes as they did so.

  Those looks seemed almost like…pity.

  Yulia frowned, confused, but didn’t ask any questions, even as she continued walking beside her father. Two soldiers stood guard outside a room as they passed by. Men not in the distinct black and gold uniforms of the Crownsguard, but in a different uniform.

  Probably a different branch, Yulia thought.

  The soldiers’ gazes snapped towards Hamilton, and then down to the little girl at his side. Yulia caught their hushed murmurs as they passed.

  “That’s the Nightray heiress,” One murmured under his breath.

  “Poor girl,” The other soldier muttered. “She’ll be stuck with him.”

  “The older one?”

  “They say he hears things. Even knows things that no one should know.”

  The voices dropped into a murmur before fading as they passed.

  Yulia caught the clench in the Crownsguard’s jaw as they did, and she frowned. She looked up at her father. “Are they talking about the Crown Prince?” she asked.

  Hamilton’s jaw clenched, but he remained calm. “Ignore them,” he said.

  “Is the prince scary?” Yulia asked, her voice no longer whispering.

  At that question, Hamilton looked down at his daughter. His normally stern face softened. “Make your own judgment when you meet him, Yulia,” he said gently. “People fear what they don’t understand. That doesn’t mean that they’re always right.” He smiled teasingly at Yulia. “People tend to be scared of me, too. Am I scary to you?”

  Yulia puffed out her cheeks, annoyed that her father wasn’t giving her a straight answer, and Hamilton laughed. “I don’t think Father’s scary,” she huffed, “And I’m not scared of the prince either.” She added.

  In front of them, the Crownsguard let out a soft sound that sounded like a chuckle. Hamilton’s silver eyes crinkled with amusement, and his lips quirked. He patted Yulia gently on the head with his large hand. “Good,” he said. “That should be the way.”

  They soon arrived in front of a tall door made of carved oak that was adorned with intricate silver latticework that was shaped into Alathia’s royal crest. A pair of guards wearing the Crownsguard uniforms flanked the door on either side, as still as statues. They saluted smartly when Hamilton approached with Yulia, following the Crownsguard that was leading them.

  The Crownsguard finally turned to face them, stopping in his tracks. “This is the room of the Crown Prince,” he said. “He’s expecting you.” He then hesitated for a moment, looking at Yulia, who was staring up at him with her huge eyes. “Please don’t judge him too harshly, my lady.”

  Yulia blinked up at him, before looking at her father, who only nodded to the Crownsguard, placing a steadying hand on her small shoulder. “Are you ready to meet the Crown Prince?” he asked.

  Yulia nodded, swallowing nervously. What is the Crown Prince like? she wondered. Arrogant? Quiet? What kind of boy was she meant to protect? To grow up beside? To dedicate her life to?

  Hamilton knocked on the door to announce their presence, before he then opened it.

  ???

  The rays of the afternoon sun were streaming in from the windows of the room, with it reaching from the ceiling to the floor, the white curtains currently tied back. The room itself is likely larger than any house that belonged to a common peasant in Alathia, and furnished with a dark blue bed on one side of the room, complete with a cupboard, dresser, and even a child’s desk and chair. The other side of the room was almost identical in its furnishings, right down to the colouring, save for the fact that there were a few stuffed toys on the bed on the other side of the room.

  A table was placed near the hearth, with a chessboard resting on it. There was even a child-sized table and two child-sized chairs placed in the middle of the room, where a silver tray was resting. Several pastries and sweets rested idly on the tray, with cooling cups of cocoa.

  Lucien von Aubere sat on the floor by the arched window in the room, staring past the glass through the gardens, staring at something only he could see. The windows were open just a crack, letting in a soft breeze that stirred the silver strands of his hair. Flecks of purple highlights shimmered in the light, and his dark blue eyes, flecked with silver, narrowed in dislike and annoyance as a cacophony of voices echoed in his head.

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  It’s that time of the day again for the servants and maids to start passing by the room.

  “Have I already cleaned the tearoom?”

  "Today’s dessert is chocolate scones. Wonder if Her Majesty would like them?”

  “Sheets need washing before sundown.”

  “How much longer until my shift ends? I shouldn’t have gone drinking last night.”

  Lucien winced, his brows furrowed with both frustration and pain. He pressed his fingers to his temples, whispering to no one, “…Shut up.”

  It’s too loud.

  And then, the door to the room opened, with the sound of footsteps being muffled by the carpets. Even still, Lucien didn’t turn. He didn’t need to.

  He already knew they were there before the door even opened. He had heard them, even—the tangled web of thoughts and feelings that he had been hearing since he was old enough to understand what those voices meant.

  “Let’s hope Prince Lucien will at least have a friend.”

  “Let’s hope this works out.”

  Lucien was familiar with Lord Hamilton Nightray. The head of House Nightray, one of the Ten Great Houses in Alathia, and also one of the most influential and powerful. The House was renowned for their roles as royal guardians, assassins, and even intelligence agents.

  Lord Hamilton’s mind was always calm, and Lucien appreciated the silence and break he got. He was always relieved whenever Lord Hamilton was in his vicinity. To Lucien’s surprise, today, there was a little girl next to him, looking so similar to Lord Hamilton that it must be his daughter.

  But her mind is quiet.

  Lucien blinked, staring at the tiny girl.

  He can’t hear anything from her.

  Lucien reacted instinctively, seeking them out in the foggy place where thoughts and emotions took shape, and stray fears brushed against his awareness.

  But there was nothing.

  Just silence.

  For once in his life, Lucien can’t hear anything.

  He turned slowly from the window, facing Lord Hamilton and his daughter fully. He already knew they were coming. He had heard the maids and servants talking about it this morning. Even some of the soldiers.

  The heiress of House Nightray. His future guardian and companion.

  She was small. Supposedly his age, but a few months younger. Her dark hair with purple highlights was tied back in twin braids. The boots on her feet looked a size too big for her tiny frame. Her posture, however, reminded Lucien of the soldiers and the Crownsguards who work in the Imperial Palace.

  Her back is straight, and her chin lifted, with a spark in those silver eyes that Lucien decided he liked.

  He didn’t speak for several moments, merely staring at the girl until she frowned, narrowing her eyes at Lucien.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” she demanded. Her voice isn’t scared or in awe of him, like Lucien had experienced so often. She sounds more…annoyed.

  Lucien blinked. A normal reaction. A normal voice.

  “You’re…quiet,” he said at last, almost in disbelief.

  The girl looked offended. “I am talking.”

  Lucien shook his head slowly. “Not your voice voice,” he said slowly, still in disbelief. “Your thoughts… I can’t hear them. It’s…quiet.” He was almost in awe. “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

  He doesn’t even know what that felt like until now. Not even Rem’s thoughts were quiet, though his were quieter than most.

  The girl’s tiny brows furrowed with confusion, looking up at her father for an explanation. Lord Hamilton looked pleased, like he had some suspicion of his confirmed. “Prince Lucien has an ability,” he explained to his daughter, “He can read minds. Or rather, the thoughts that people held deep in them, but won’t speak. For him, most people’s thoughts are…loud.” He looked at his daughter. “You’ve always had a natural resistance to arcane influence, and I suspected that our Nightray training had something to do with it.”

  The girl looked from her father to Lucien, and then back again, like she wasn’t sure what to make of it. And then, she frowned at Lucien. “If you don’t like what people are thinking, then stop listening,” she said bluntly.

  Lucien blinked. That…is a new reaction.

  The girl crossed her arms. “We can learn. I’ll help you shut it off. It’s like covering your ears, but for your brain.”

  Lucien stared. “We can do that?” he asked quietly, with hope in his voice.

  The Crownsguard stationed at the door exchanged a glance with Hamilton Nightray. Neither man spoke, content to observe the interactions between the two children. The faint smiles on their faces weren’t just hopeful, but also sad.

  The girl shrugged. “I can block your ability. It shouldn’t be too difficult to figure out how to do it for you,” she said bluntly.

  And then, to the shock of both the Crownsguard and Hamilton, Lucien smiled.

  It was just the smallest tilt of his lips. But to those who knew the prince, it might as well have been a miracle. The Crown Prince of Alathia, who had not smiled once since he was a baby, was smiling. Yuliana Nightray had done in less than an hour what the prince’s nanny, and even the queen, had never managed in five long years.

  “I’m the Crown Prince, Lucien von Aubere,” Lucien said quietly, with a sparkle to his eyes that wasn’t there before, making him look more his age. Like a boy of five. A child. “What’s your name?”

  The girl smiled at him, grabbing his hands, much to Lucien’s shock, and he blinked at the little girl. “I’m Yuliana. Yuliana Nightray,” she chirped cheerfully. “You can call me Yulia. Let’s be friends, Prince Lucien.”

  Lucien smiled again. “Call me Luca,” he said quietly.

  The Crownsguard near the door looked visibly misty-eyed. Even Hamilton’s shoulders relaxed, his expression softening with rare relief.

  Yuliana—Yulia, was about to say something else, but a sound came from the far end of the room, near where the windows are. It was faint, like someone shifting behind the heavy curtains—the ones meant to be drawn during the prince’s afternoon naps.

  Yulia tensed instantly, standing in front of Lucien—Luca protectively. Her tiny hand flew to her side, her fingers brushing the hilt of a dagger that looked far too big for her to wield properly. Yet knowing House Nightray, Luca had no doubts that she would likely wield it without hesitation.

  “There’s someone here,” Yulia insisted.

  “Yulia, calm down,” Hamilton stepped in. “It’s not an enemy or even an assassin.” His eyes crinkled as he gave a small smile at his daughter, and Luca blinked. He had never seen Lord Hamilton smile before. “There is another prince.”

  “Rem, come out,” Luca called out. “I know you’re here. I can hear you.”

  Yulia blinked.

  And then, another boy shuffled out timidly from behind the curtains at the far end of the room, peeking from behind the dark blue curtains. He looks exactly like the prince, Yulia realised. The new boy was identical to Luca—the same tousled silver hair that looked like the queen’s, and even the same dark blue eyes with silver flecks. They even have the same slim build.

  This new boy’s features, however, were a tad softer, and he looked like he smiled more than Luca. And where Luca seems more solemn than a boy his age should be, this new boy seems more…innocent somehow. If he had been born a commoner, Yulia was certain he would have been the kind of boy that parents warned not to accept sweets from strangers.

  This new boy shifted nervously on his feet, his fingers fidgeting with the hem of his shirt, his expression anxious and even nervous, his eyes flickering towards Luca constantly.

  “L-Luca…” The new boy whispered timidly.

  “Come here,” Luca gestured towards the new boy. The boy didn’t need further prompting, immediately scampering over to Luca, and curling by his side, his small hands clutching Luca’s sleeve.

  “This is Prince Rem,” Yulia’s father said, his voice gentle. “Prince Lucien’s younger twin brother.”

  Yulia only blinked, as this is the first time that she’d heard of there being two princes.

  “H-Hello,” Rem said, his voice light and shy. He had a light blush on his face when he nodded politely to Yulia, his small hands still clutching onto Luca’s arm.

  Luca was clearly the protector of the two.

  Rem looked at Yulia with huge, scared eyes—acting like Yulia is some monster from a book sent to eat him. But he seemed more relaxed next to Luca’s side, acting like a boy who is sure that his big brother would keep him safe.

  Hamilton smiled, rising to his full height. “Sweetheart, I need to speak with the king. Play with the princes for a while. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  Yulia nodded, turning back to the twins, already forgetting her father’s departure as he slipped out and closed the door quietly behind him.

  The twin princes warmed up to her sooner than she thought they would.

  Both admitted to her in hushed tones that Yulia was the first child they’d ever been allowed to play with. As royalty, they’d never been permitted to leave the Imperial Palace. And even within the palace, there were places forbidden to them, like the east and west wings, where the military and government offices were housed.

  With a Crownsguard watching over the three children with quiet amusement, the twins showed Yulia the sprawling Imperial Gardens, where there were huge rose bushes that were the pride and joy of the Imperial Gardener, and where Queen Lysandra loved to spend time in the evenings. Towering green hedges shaped into mythical beasts loomed over winding paths, and two massive hedges at the garden’s entrance had been carved into the shapes of two lions—the symbol of Alathia.

  The princes even showed her a secret hallway that led to the palace kitchens. The head chef, clearly familiar with the mischief of the twins, only gave them a stern look mixed with exasperation and fondness, before offering them candied fruit and warm milk bread.

  Rem quickly warmed up to Yulia, with the younger prince being clumsy and sweet, and tended to chatter away like a chatterbox once he got going. He even showed Yulia a beetle that he’d found in the Imperial Gardens, and looked positively heartbroken when Luca gently told him to release it, reminding him that the nanny would likely kill it if it made its way indoors.

  Prince Lucien—Luca, on the other hand, however, wasn’t much of a talker. When he did, it was in short sentences or answers, mostly observations and questions. But every time he opened his mouth to ask Yulia a question, mostly curious questions about Evershade and the world beyond the Imperial Palace, Yulia understood him perfectly, even before he finished his sentence.

  Luca is trying to learn more. He wanted to know more about Yulia. About her world. And he seemed genuinely interested and curious instead of simply asking for the sake of asking.

  Yulia caught Rem watching their interactions more than once. The smile never faded from his face even once. But his eyes held a look of longing every single time he saw Yulia and Luca interact.

  Even at five, Yulia understood what it meant.

  Prince Rem is kind. Too kind. A sweet and gentle soul. It is an admirable trait in a person. But in a world like theirs, where crowns and titles came with daggers, and shadows hid sharper blades, that same softness and kindness could cost him everything.

  Prince Lucien, on the other hand, was Prince Rem’s opposite.

  Where Rem was kind, Luca was sharp. When Rem hesitated, Luca analysed. When someone smiled at Rem, he thought nothing of it. When someone smiled at Luca, however, he would already be thinking about what this person would want from him.

  Prince Lucien, even at five years of age, is pragmatic. He’s logical. And Yulia, who is already training for her duties as the Nightray heiress, understood him more than he expected. Luca was born to take a role where kindness and softness could cost him everything, and it might not just be him who suffered for the bad decisions he made, and he understood that.

  And yet, despite being the Crown Prince, it was clear that Luca lived in isolation. Aside from Rem, the Crownsguards, and a few staff, most of those in the Imperial Palace seemed to keep their distance from him. Even the king, if Yulia had read him right, seemed uneasy around his son.

  If no one else will protect him or stand by his side, I will, Yulia vowed to herself, even as Luca tugged her gently by the wrist to read a picture book together.

  Prince Lucien von Aubere would never scare her. He is the boy that she would stand beside, duty or not. And Prince Rem… Rem would be the one she would stand in front of, if she had to.