The Former Liege

"Gentlemen! I and the king is going to have a session of training, please don't bother us" Arden said with a loud and assertive voice.

Everyone looked at him and there is a moment of silence before all of them started praising Arden, "You are so good!" "Come to me for help if you need it!"

Some patted his back when he walks and then makes a path for the king and Arden himself to walk. After searching for a while, Arden thought the wide grassland is good to train the king himself.

Both of them began their preparation to trains, from weapons to warming up. All that was done under the watch of various nobles looking at them.

Then, the training started, from sword technique and weapon to choose for battle. All of the knowledge Arden held was given to the king and he accepts it with an open mind.

Everyone praises Arden about how knowledgeable he was and shouted on the training ground, "You are doing good for the king and this kingdom, we are proud of you!"

He himself actually surprised getting this kind of treatment from the nobles. He was expecting them to despise him like what the Karen and her group did to himself but no one did that.

This resulting in him smiling every second on the training grounds. Teaching the king techniques and moves, even dirty tactics Arden himself never used, like throwing sand to the enemy.

They didn't have a single minute of break at all and continue their training when the sky colour's switches from the blue to light blue and to the yellow-red of the afternoon.

All the other nobles were still there, watching the training as a show about techniques and other things. They ate and drink at the place where they sit or stand on the field while watching the king train.

Some of them even shouted advice like body posture and other things Arden missed. He, instead of being mad, shouted back at the nobles that gave advice a long "thank you!"

With sweat covering all of their bodies and their smell becoming so bad they couldn't stand it. Arden quickly said, "This is the end of our training! We can continue tomorrow, just tell me if you want to train again"

This words are like a mistake for Arden because he was called by the king every day to be his trainer. From bows, riding horse and fighting as melee, all were passed down to the king.

Even he couldn't take that much knowledge to his mind. The king simply said, "I didn't master any of the sectors in the fighting. If I want to master them, I must train with you!"

Arden smiled upon hearing this and just answered, "Even though I'm a little tired, but I can't say no to a friend, we are a friend, right?"

The king looked at Arden as his eyes became glowing like a bright star in the sky. He dropped a tear from his eyes in the middle of the training ground.

All of the other nobles rushed to him and were worried about what Arden to have done to the king. They were shocked when the king suddenly said to Arden, "You are the first friend I met since I was little"

He sobbed and then cleared his eyes before continuing his words, "All of the nobles here are my friends from now on!"

The nobles were taken aback, some fell to the ground and some of them even. Clapped and cheered for the king, all of them changed their opinion about Arden and some even hugged him.

That's when the king said, "Tomorrow would be the day I become a true king, I will ask for all the help I can get"

The nobles can be heard saying, "eh?" cause they actually forgot about it. Arden, too, forgot about the day and counted on his head, 'This day is 14th, 9th month… oh sh*t, I forgot about it!'

All of them gave a fake smile before sweating nervously, forgetting about such an important day. The king looked at them with doubt and said, "All of you didn't forget about it, right?"

All the nobles there smiled before saying, "Of course we didn't forget about it! You are our friend after all!"

The sound produced by a little bit over 60 people saying the same sentence is loud. The king looked at them with his face full of doubt and the nobles began scattering and left the location with an excuse like, "stomach ache" "I need to write a letter!" and other stuff.

The king just laughed with Arden there, seeing the nobles scatter and leaving the place with such excuse. Arden calmed himself down and said, "I think we have enough for today, it seems the sky is already red in colour"

The king looked at the sky and smiled before saying, "Yea, we have enough for today!"

He said excitedly before being escorted out by the guards of the training grounds and into the carriage that brought him there. Leaving Arden standing at the open grassland and staring at the sky.

He remembered the one that taught him everything before being a knight and then smiled. That's when that familiar voice of the one that taught him could be heard behind him.

"Haha, Arden!" This is what he heard, but he just ignored it and thought, "Must be my mind. I miss him a little and haven't met since a year ago it seems, couldn't even remember about it, hahaha"

That's when he heard the sound of the horse stomping on the ground and stopped before someone tapped his shoulder from behind. He turned his body back with his hand ready on the sword.

Then, he saw him, the Duke of Aswen, sir Aswick. He looked at him for a few seconds and couldn't believe he was really in front of him. Memory started kicking into his mind.

…

"Hey boys, I'll teach you something important from now on!" his liege said to him in a training session with him, his best friend and the liege himself.

Both of the 16 years old kid looked at their liege curiously and waiting for the knowledge to be passed down to them. That's when he opened his mouth and said, "Be calm and always stay cautious, even if you are not sure who is tapping you from behind"

…

That's what Arden remembered from 6 years ago in a training session with Ady and Sir Aswick himself. And now, that very same teacher is standing in front of him.

He couldn't help himself but to let out a smile on his face. It was visible by the duke himself, and he smiled back at him. Both of them are looking at each other with a smile on their face.

The level of awkwardness rise up quickly but it was quickly broken by the duke, "Nice to meet you after a long time"

Arden responded with, "Nice to meet you too, it has been a year or more since we last met right?"

The duke respond with, "Let us talk while we are walking toward my tent that is being set up by my squire over there"

He then points at a direction where the tents of the nobles are standing. Arden looked at that direction and both of them began walking there.

While walking at the road that leads into the city gate, the duke praised Arden about his land, "I heard your land became a rich and resourceful land, at the extent of having your own blacksmith group. Many envy that land, they will surely do something to get it! Be careful with it"

Arden giggled and answered back, "I will take good care of it, even if I only govern that land for 4 years, I have done enough to make it have some fame that many people come to it"

Both of them arrived at the duke's tent and Arden could see 3 kids that looked like 14. The three of them have the same appearance from hair to face, all of them is similar.

While they are setting up the tent for their liege. 'That must be sir Aswick squires, their technique has so many flaws in them, I'll help them'

He thought about it before approaching the 3 boys and crouched down before saying something to them. "I'll help you all, look closely!"

All of them was confused at first, and one of them actually barked at Arden. "Who are you! We don't know you, go away"

The duke saw this and said from behind 4 of them, "Hey Arden, you don't need to teach them, let them do it their self and learn like what you did years ago"

The 3 boys looked back and as well as Arden that is standing upright now. One of the boys that is still confused with this situation asked, "My lord, who is he?"

Before the duke could answer, the boy that barked at Arden before throwing a punch from behind.