The maids stood in two perfect lines outside one row on the left, one on the right heads bowed so low they were nearly touching the ground. The king hadn’t even stepped out of his carriage yet, but they were already showing their devotion.

  Everyone was bowing except for me, my brothers, my mother, and my father. We stood in the center of the path, directly in front of the carriage, waiting for the royal family to step out.

  I glanced at the royal carriage, and suddenly, ours felt like a pile of scrap. The top was lined with gemstones, and the doors were crafted from a material I couldn’t even recognize. The wheels were massive, each embedded with even more gems at their center, gleaming in the sunlight. Even the two drivers dressed in tailored, high-quality fabrics.

  As they stepped down, they moved with an elegance that only long time servants of royalty could possess. They approached the carriage door, bowed deeply, and then pulled it open.

  The first figure to emerge caused the entire carriage to shift slightly. I had assumed the king would be an imposing man, but I wasn’t expecting this.

  King Harold was… short. No taller than 5’5 or 5’6, with a belly far larger than the rest of his body. His brown hair was well kept, though his thick beard barely concealed his round, chubby face. On his head rested a gold plated crown embedded with emeralds, glowing in the daylight.

  There was no doubt this was the king.

  The moment he stepped out fully, my father and mother immediately bowed. My brothers and I followed suit without hesitation.

  One by one, five more figures stepped out two men and three women. The oldest woman, whom I assumed was the queen, was stunning.

  She had flowing brown hair, bright blue eyes, and a frame that was the complete opposite of her husband’s. She was slim, graceful, and elegant, dressed in a royal gold dress adorned with ruby gemstones. Around her neck rested a necklace of pure gold, lined with emeralds that matched the king’s crown. Her crown, similar, had a slightly different design perhaps to distinguish her rank from Harold.

  The king let out a hearty chuckle and waved his hand dismissively.

  “There’s no need to bow before us,” he said, his voice carrying a rich, tone. “After all, you’ve been kind enough to host us for the next few weeks.”

  My father was the first to rise, followed by my mother and brothers.

  “We’ve spent all day preparing for your arrival, King Harold,” my father said.

  As if on cue, the king’s drivers began unloading their luggage, carrying them inside without a word.

  Harold scoffed and shook his head. “Volker, what have I told you about being so formal?” He rubbed his stomach. “And you say you’ve been preparing all day? I certainly hope that means you’ve got food ready I’m starving!”

  Without another word, the king brushed past us and headed straight into the house. His family followed behind him, and we quickly did the same.

  The moment Harold disappeared inside, the maids finally lifted their heads. As I glanced at them, still kneeling in perfect obedience, I couldn’t help but think... they reminded me of obedient dogs.

  Breakfast was soon served.

  Large plates were set before us, filled with golden pancakes, crispy bacon, plump sausages, and fluffy scrambled eggs. It looked incredible. My mouth nearly watered at the sight, but the king was already one step ahead, he was actually drooling.

  “Manners, dear,” the queen Seraphina said, sighing in mild embarrassment. “We are guests, after all.”

  I decided then and there that I would just call her ‘Sera.’

  Breakfast was lively. We went through formal introductions, and I learned that the two kids were Dorian and Kael, the king’s sons, around our age while the two women were their sisters. Also around our age.

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  At first, I had assumed King Harold was the type of man who would buy slaves and do unspeakable things to them. But after spending time with him, I realized he was actually just a laid back, carefree person. I quickly discarded my initial judgment.

  –

  How the hell did I get into this situation?

  I stood in the backyard, on the training grounds we used for sparring. In front of me me was Dorian, one of the king’s sons.

  He was nine, the same age as Nobo. Shorter than him, but his expression was twice as intense. He looked furious probably because he didn’t want to lose in front of his father.

  Behind me, my mother stood anxiously, clearly hoping I wouldn’t get hurt. Near her were Dorian’s brother, his two sisters, his mother, and of course, King Harold himself. My own brothers were watching as well, with my father standing right beside them.

  This wasn’t supposed to happen.

  After breakfast, my father had reminded Nobo and Yasuo about their training. They must’ve thought he had forgotten because they looked genuinely disappointed.

  Then the king asked why I wasn’t sparring.

  My father explained that I wasn’t ready yet, even though I was older than Yasuo had been when he started. The king simply laughed.

  And now, here I was.

  I feel bad for Dorian. He doesn’t want to lose in front of his father. But me? I’m not scared of losing... I’m scared of hurting him.

  My father raised his hand then dropped it.

  The fight had begun.

  Before I could even process what was happening, Dorian was already rushing me.

  When he reached me, he leaped into the air, lifting his leg high before swinging it down like a hammer. He was putting everything he had into this attack.

  But something like this wasn’t going to hurt me.

  I caught his foot mid air. With a quick push, I sent him stumbling backward. He barely managed to regain his balance, but his face burned red with frustration.

  Realizing everyone was watching, his anger flared, and he charged at me again.

  This time, I didn’t wait. I rushed toward him as well.

  He swung his left fist I leaned back, letting it pass harmlessly.

  I pivoted on my foot and threw my own punch, putting every ounce of my strength behind it.

  CRACK.

  My fist connected with his nose.

  He didn’t just stumble he collapsed, hitting the ground hard. Blood streamed from his nostrils as he clutched his face, tears forming in his eyes.

  His mother rushed forward, scooping him up in concern.

  “I—I’m so sorry!” I dropped to my hands and knees, bowing my head deeply.

  King Harold only laughed. “Ahhh, he’ll be fine. It’s just a sparring match. These things happen all the time.” He gestured for me to rise. “And as I’ve told your father no one in the Takeda family ever has to bow to me. Or anyone in the royal family.”

  Everyone watching was shocked that I had just beaten someone trained by the best instructors in the kingdom.

  From their perspective, I had never even fought before.

  That one moment changed everything.

  I continued sparring throughout the day. Every opponent I faced I defeated. Easily.

  My mother, the queen, and her daughters left early to take care of things in the city. We were so caught up in the sparring sessions that we didn’t go with them.

  That night, after showing the royal family to their rooms, we were about to call it a night when Harold suddenly groaned.

  “We’re going to sleep so soon?” he whined. “Come on, we can’t! Let’s play some games or tell scary stories! This is one of the few weeks I don’t have to sign paperwork all day. Let’s make it worth it!”

  Since we knew the king wasn’t exaggerating about being buried in paperwork all day, we decided to stay behind and keep him company by playing board games for a while.

  After playing for some time, I couldn’t hold back my curiosity any longer. At first, I had planned to keep my thoughts to myself, but the question burned inside me, demanding an answer.

  "Hey, Harold. Why are you and my father so close? Not just that, but you’re close enough that we don’t have to address you by your title, or bow in your presence. Why is that?" I asked, watching him closely for a response.

  My brothers turned to the king, clearly interested in what he had to say.

  Harold let out a deep, hearty laugh one that instantly reminded me of an old legend from my past life. Santa Claus. That Ho ho ho kind of laugh.

  “So, you mean to tell me you haven’t told them yet… about the Takeda family?” Harold said, his grin widening.

  My father’s expression remained unreadable as he simply replied, "No, I haven’t. I planned to tell them once they were off to the academy."

  "That long?" Harold scoffed, shaking his head. "Waiting that long to teach them about their destiny and heritage? Bah! I’ll just tell them now. It'll pass the time anyway," he said, still chuckling.