Monarch's Rebirth: Chapter 14

It was past midnight and night fell. I laid down on a nearby bench and looked up at the ceiling. Artorius found his bed on a bench and so did Felix. No one dared move either and just let them rest.

I was asked if I would take a room but I decided on a bench as well since there were more soldiers to be treated.

The clinic lights were dimmed but there were soldiers that were being treated. The sound of healers and alchemists trying to keep them from dying kept me awake the entire night. I felt anxious for Wilhelm.

Nevertheless I stopped worrying soon as I knew he would be fine. His condition was already getting better from before and his blood supply is back to normal.

I closed my eyes but all I could see and hear were the sounds of war and chaos. Volleys of arrows, swords clashing, shields breaking, elements being created and fired. All I could remember was being in the middle of all this madness and knowing one thing, that is to kill.

I could not sleep no matter how hard I tried. I got tired and decided to take a walk around the city itself. I knew the sights would not be pretty but it's better than laying here doing nothing.

I got up and checked on Artorius and Felix. They were both sound asleep on their benches.

I left the clinic and took a deep breath of the air outside. It smelt odd due to the war but it was better than the clinic where the only smell was of odd medicines and blood.

I took a walk around the city and checked out the buildings and shops. All of which looked marvelous and great pieces of architecture. They looked quite old but still stood strong with no issues.

There were many bodies still being put to rest. I took a look at the cemetery which filled up to the max capacity. It was sad seeing so many troops being laid to rest. The fact that this is happening all across the border is terrifying and sad.

There were so many innocent men who risked their lives to defend against Lukas. He's gone but the damage he did to the land still echoed on. Even still, Artorius asked for him to be honoured.

The night was gloomy and dark. There was a cold breeze constantly blowing past, hopefully bringing in rain that would soon clean off the grounds here of the bloodshed. Was this all worth it?

I fell into deep thinking as I watched the cemetery from afar. Multiple bodies are being laid to rest one by one, slowly but surely. Families torn apart for what?

I get irritated and rub my forehead. "I need sleep…" I muttered. I made my way back to the clinic through the darkness of the city. I went inside to find Artorius sitting upright. He only had twelve hours of sleep and seemed tired.

"You're awake… Finally someone to talk to!" I exclaimed quietly.

He turned and looked at me all drowsy meaning he just woke up. "Wilhelm is fine. You can worry no more." I told him as I took a seat next to him.

He looked at me with a confused expression as if I was a stranger. "I… I wanna go home…" He says slowly.

I take a deep breath and think for a moment. "Home… Let's go home…" I said before breaking into tears myself.

ARTORIUS' POV

I see Alexander slowly break into tears and sob profusely. I grabbed him close and embraced him into a hug. "It's over… Let's celebrate instead." I quietly whispered.

I was still wearing my torn uniform but I had bandages wrapped around my scars to stop them from bleeding. I still felt the irritation of the scars as they are still open. My bandage already became bloody from the blood that came out.

"All the bodies will be buried in their respective towns. The blood will be cleaned by the rain and we will be at my palace taking a well deserved rest."

Alexander started to smile through his tears of sorrow. "I can see that happen…" He whispered.

Suddenly I hear Felix wake up on the opposite side of my bench. He scratches his eyes and looks around all confused. "Where the hell am I…" He speaks in confusion.

Me and Alexander see him and giggle from his confusion. Felix notices and turns towards us. "M-master Artorius… You're awake…" He says before rushing towards me and embracing me in a hug along with Alexander. "The war is over…"

Me and Alexander stood up and embraced Felix properly into a hug. The smell of blood and sweat nearly knocked me out as we hadn't showered yet.

We break into a soft sob of happy tears. It's only been two weeks or so but I had made a bond deeper than blood.

"Let's get home and take a shower first thing." I spoke out from the sobs.

We all started to laugh hysterically but quietly. It was midnight and rain started to slowly pour.

"The rain is calming…" Alexander whispered under his breath.

"Truly is… It will clean away the bloodbath." Felix spoke out.

I checked my pocket watch to see the time. It was nearly five in the morning which meant the sun would come up soon.

The rain got heavier and heavier as time went on. The three of us sat down together on one bench and just pondered to ourselves for some time.

Out of the blue Felix suddenly spoke out, "I'm growing quite old and haven't found myself a partner yet." he said looking miserable.

Alexander laughed at Felix's sudden mid life crisis thought. "It's not like you're that old! How old could you really be!"

"I'm about eight years older than young master. Which makes me thirty on the dot."

"See? You're not that old! Just entering your thirties!" Alexander reassured Felix. "Let's go and find him a partner when we get to the kingdom, shall we Artorius?"

I smile and lean back into the bench. "Yeah sure. We all have to find someone soon enough, even you, Alexander."

"I-I know that! But I'm young so marriage is not my concern." Alexander says as he becomes flustered.

Felix sighs and also leans back onto the bench. "...You must be wondering about Blizzard."

"Yeah. Where is he?"

How could he read my mind!?

"He's probably been taken to the stables." Felix says as he gets up from the bench.

The rain has calmed down and I wanted to go find Blizzard. "Let's go check."

All three of us get up to head to the stables and look for Blizzard. The sun was slowly rising as the sky got lighter but it was still quite dark due to the rain.

The weather outside was cold and wet. The streets that were covered in blood and casualties were now cleaned off. Small rain droplets poured from the sky as the clouds cleared out and the bright rays of sunshine peeks through.

Spending no time to marvel at the weather and the city's beautiful architecture we looked around for where the stables are in the city. After a quick search we found the stables were outside the city.

The gates opened revealing the war torn fields outside the city. The grasslands had burnt patches of grass and weapons of all kinds still on the battlefield. Shields that have been broken into pieces. The aftermath of war.

Felix stood cross armed and stared off into the field. "Well… This is quite the sight to wake up to." Felix sighs as we stare at the fields.

I put my left hand on my hip and breathed in the fresh air. "Incredible to think children used to play here before the war." I say, disheartedly.

"Now some children would dare never play here because they lost someone on this field." Alexander said, concerning both me and Felix.

We both looked at Alexander, concerned and confused as to why he was saying something so dark and dreadful.

."Alexander… are you alright?" I asked with concern.

"No." He shakes his head.

"Okay."

I looked around trying to find the stables, luckily it was on the right hand side of me and I noticed it. "Anyways, enough mourning. Let's get our horses and get back. Back home…"

Felix and Alexander followed me to the stables where I found all of our horses. Blizzard got the rest he so long deserved and I also got enough rest to last me another war.

"Let's go home, Blizzard." I said under my breath as I got on him and started to trot away from the stables.

Blizzard looked to be in a joyful mood today, really joyful as he started to bolt it at full speeds leaving Alexander and Felix behind.

ALEXANDER'S POV

I watched as Artorius flew off into the distance with his horse. "Does he always just dart away like that?" I asked Felix who was the only one left with me.

"Blizzard is not your average horse. Only when young master Artorius allows it will he let another person ride him." Felix explained.

"So he isn't fully tamed?" I asked curiously.

'He's tamed. He lets others take care of him but only Master Artorius ride him."

The horse made me curious as I never heard of a horse like that. "How long has this horse been with him?"

Felix and I sped up to try and catch him. He was already far gone but we would all be in the same place, Artorius' palace.

"Blizzard is only three years old. Blizzard's horse is the son of King Theo's horse and another white horse that was in the stables. His conditions weren't good at all in the beginning and he could barely stand up after two months of being born."

"Lord Miyuki! How did he go from that to what he is now?"

"Blizzard's story is like a heroic fairytale. Born weak but develops into the strongest. King Theo gave the horse to Master Artorius when Blizzard was only five months old. It was a challenge to keep him alive with professional help and King Theo wanted to see if Artorius could be up for the challenge.

"That's quite fascinating! So that's how the trust between these two grew?" I squealed while hearing this fairytale of a then prince now king and his horse.

"I'm not sure how long Master Artorius spent with the horse but he spent nights on nights in the stables, sleeping next to Blizzard with hay as a bed and a thin blanket for warmth. When Blizzard was a year old he was completely different. He outran every horse in the kingdom, he jumped the highest and furthest, he was smaller than most but that gave him an advantage. He only got better and better as he got older. That's the full story of Master Artorius' horse, Blizzard."

The story was enticing and what you would expect from fairytales. But it was all real… Artorius is truly blessed! "The story is quite emotional and amazing! Just like a fairytale is."

"Unlike fairytales this was true."

I smirked and said, "That's what makes it even better."

We were approaching the kingdom fast, really fast in fact. We could already see the kingdom in the distance, not that it would be hard to spot such a large capital. The magnificent capital of Faunus Kingdom.

"Looks like it only takes a story and fast horses to reach the kingdom's capital from Boneham." Felix shouted out.

I smiled and sped up closer to him. "It seems so. But the story has to be fascinating as well."

Felix laughs and says, "You can't get many stories as fascinating as the one I said!" before storming in front of me.

I cannot catch up as Darkheart became tired. He could barely run at this point and I would need to slow down a bit more.

Far into the distance near the gate I see a white horse with a red haired man, obviously being Artorius. It seems that we were not far behind him after all. The guard seems to be having a chat with him while opening the gate and Felix joins in.

It was still really early in the morning and barely anyone was awake. The clouds slowly cleared revealing the bright sun rays for the new and exciting day.

I walked up to them as the gate opened and listened along to the chatter. Artorius seemed so happy yet we were both sobbing in each other's arms only a few hours ago.

"We're glad for your safe return, young master." The guard says as he bows down

"It wasn't quite safe. I have cuts all over my torso and fractures on my ribs." Artorius jokes about it.

The guard smiles at him. "War is never easy. You never return without a scar, be it mentally or physically."

We walked into the city after the gates opened. It was eerie quiet but it was home. Even if I am a forest elf I felt right at home with the humans due to our appearance not being drastically different. Only my ears were pointy and I had a slimmer shape than most.

I looked at Artorius from behind. The cuts and bandages on his back made me realise how much he pushed himself, far beyond what I thought he did. His entire back was covered in bandages that were bleeding.

I walked up to him to tell him about his back. "You know your back is like… completely bandaged right?"

Artorius looked at me with confusion. "It is? How come I never realised.

He tried to feel his back and when he did he was not surprised. "So that's why my back felt odd."

After a calm walk through the city to the palace, we finally made it.

ARTORIUS' POV

We made it back home quite early, even before the city woke up. I'm glad to have come here when no one else was around since it would mean I won't attract any attention and people won't see me all tattered and bandaged from my torso all the way to my legs.

The palace doors opened and the smell of food floated into my nose, making me feel alive once more. "Seems like we're having steak for breakfast." I exclaimed in excitement.

"Let's go and clean up first before sitting down to dine." Felix said while taking off his white gloves.

All of us go to our respective rooms to take a bath. I'd have to get rid of my bandages for that which would be a slight inconvenience.

I reached my room and took off my uniform which wasn't even a uniform, more like old rags by now. Most of my body was covered in bandages but there were some patches of my actual body still showing. I did have more scratches that were not covered by bandages because they already sealed up.

After entering the bathroom I looked at myself. I slowly took off the bandages one by one, revealing the scars that were still bloody. Most of them were quite deep and still hadn't fully healed yet. When I touched them it irritated my skin and pain shot out.

I finally got rid of all the bandages and looked at the scars in the mirror properly. They looked disturbing and I wish they all disappeared, not leaving a mark on my skin.

The bath was cold and the water smelled nice. The water was actually freezing cold but it was soothing. I rubbed off the blood and dirt from my skin, making it glow up once more.

I laid back in the bath and looked outside the window next to the bath, revealing the courtyard and the city. I could see far into the distance till the planet's curvature would allow me to. Far in the distance were tall and rigid mountains. I still wondered when I would visit those mountains.

"Right… Enough resting. Back to work." I muttered and got up from the bath. I spent longer than usual relaxing but it felt as though I spent too much time there, a little too much.

I walked out the bathroom to find my usual set of clothes. Just a plain white doublet and beige trousers. No fancy deep red uniform with six stars on the shoulder strap or a sword holster.

Suddenly a knock comes from my door. I assumed it's Felix and quickly put on my cologne. "Coming!" I shout out.

Quickly putting on my shirt I rush outside and find Felix dressed in his normal butler attire. A two piece suit with a bow tie and white gloves. "Let's go then." I said happily.

We walked down to the dining room for breakfast. I could smell the freshly baked bread and steak from the staircase, I could even smell the wine!

I walked into the dining room and expected Alexander to just be alone and sitting down, waiting for me. But instead the other person that was inside the room surprised me. It was Vincent.

"Go~od morning, King Artorius!" Vincent said with a jolly smile on his face.

I was already tired of him. I looked at him with disgust as he sat down right next to my chair and opposite of Alexander.

"Felix, where is Warrior's Ballad." I softly asked.

"Wait here, let me bring it." Felix obeyed.

Vincent panicked and jumped up from his seat. "W-wait! Why pick violence! I'm on your side."

I got the reaction I wanted and took my seat. "Whatever. Leave the kingdom when you feel like it." I told him in a monotone voice.

Vincent sat back down and cleared his throat. "I was planning to get a job here but seeing as you want me gone, I'll take my leave. After breakfast of course."

I did not actually want him gone. I just wanted to see how he would react.

"Well get a job here, get settled here with your family. Actually a pub is looking for hires and you worked as a personal assistant to Lukas, maybe that pub would be a good starting place." I told him. Obviously it would be Wilkins' pub that I was recommending.

Alexander giggled at the small play that was happening in front of him. "Already getting on the bad and good side of Artorius? Quite daring." Alexander mocked.

"He would make for a good training dummy." I said out loud.

Vincent seemed uncomfortable from the mockery. He still ate with us nonetheless and did not fuss much about it. I had to catch up on paperwork so I focused more on that than actually eating.

Alexander looked at me with concern and said, "You should eat. Work can come later."

"It's fine. I'm used to working while eating."

"Still! You should eat right now! You just finished a war and now it's time for relaxing." He exclaimed.

I sighed and turned towards Alexander. "It's fine." I said before looking back down at the contracts.

"Whatever."

They both finished eating while I still had my steak left. I quickly finished it up and gave the papers to Felix. He also joined us for breakfast but he quickly ate and came back to just stand next to me while I worked.

"Keep them in the office. I'm going to take a nap before working on this again." I told him before heading off to my room.

I walked to my room and flopped on my bed, completely beat and tired even after the sleep I had at the clinic and the bath. War was taxing.

I sigh and close my eyes, thinking about what to do. "What do you do after war…?" I muttered.

"Well… I guess that thought can come later." I said before rolling to my side.

I opened my eyes just barely and through the blur I could see a figure standing next to my bed. I open my eyes in panic and see that it's a tall, slender, white haired elf. It was the dragon.

I jumped up from my bed and got on my feet. "Woah! What's wrong with you!? You can't just be walking inside the king's room!" I exclaimed.

The elf looked at me emotionlessly. "Come…" He said before opening what I assumed was a portal of sorts.

The room filled up with a bright luminescent light and temporarily blinded me. I closed my eyes and wondered what was happening.

I opened my eyes to find myself in darkness, complete darkness. "Where… am I?" I whispered under my breath.

Suddenly torches around me lit up. Two on both sides of me. They lit up in blue flames and revealed a dark and long hallway leading to a grand door that is bigger than any door that I've ever seen. The width was bigger than my own room's width and the height was even taller than my three story palace. It intimidated me and I became alert.

Out of the blue the elf showed up from thin air. "Follow me, prince." The lanky dragon elf said calmly.

"Prince…?" I whispered. He called me a prince before but I still cannot understand why.

Nevertheless I followed him to the door where we stopped. He turned around and looked down at me. "Prepare yourself." He said before gently pushing the door.

The behemoth double door slowly crept open, revealing behind it what I could only describe as hell's throne room.

A dark room lit up with blazing fires all around. A throne the size of my own palace and dragons standing upright with their heads up high and neck fully extended. Atop the giant throne sat a humanly figure with a hood and bright red glowing eyes, the same type of glow coming from the dragon's eyes.

The figure that sat on top of the throne looked down at me and smiled, revealing a glowing bright red smile. His fingers were not like normal figures. They were sharp at the end like claws of a dragon. But his body was that of an extremely muscular human with a hood and a cape.

"Welcome King Artorius Dorman… or should I call you Sung Hei…?"