Becoming Acquainted

'He is so weak that I could easily kill him right now but I have to follow Mother's instructions to avoid complications.'

After a dark thought, Lucien released the boy, shoving him towards Edmund.

"Fine," Lucien said, his voice dripping with disdain. "But you've crossed the line with this one... brother."

Jamie stumbled but managed to catch himself before he fell. He looked up at Edmund with gratitude-filled eyes. "Thank you, Your Highness," he whispered.

"Go on," Edmund said gently.

Jamie nodded while hurrying away. Edmund watched him go, then turned back to Lucien. "Bullying doesn't make you strong, Lucien. It just makes you look weak."

Lucien's eyes flashed with anger. "You're one to talk, Edmund. You can't even unlock your essence."

"Maybe not," Edmund replied calmly. "But at least I don't need to hurt others to feel powerful."

With that, Edmund turned and walked away, heading towards the training grounds. He could feel Lucien's glare burning into his back, but he didn't care.

"What a fucking hypocrite... Is he really telling me about bullying?"

Lucien never really got pissed about Edmund's actions because they never crossed paths. The only thing he felt for his brother was contempt due to his inability to unlock his essence and how he shamed the royal family.

However, for the first time, he was truly pissed at Edmund because this was the first time Edmund interfered with his actions. Usually, Edmund would only ignore them and act like he didn't care no matter what he did... Why did he suddenly take action?

'I better tell mother to speed up whatever she is up to... I want to watch him suffer!' Lucien clenched his fist in anger.

...

The training grounds were bustling with activity. Vampires of all ages and abilities were practicing their combat skills. The clanging of swords, blades as well as other weaponry and the shouts of instructors filled the air.

Edmund made his way to an open area where the vampire instructor was positioned before many others.

"Extending your essence to a weapon of choice requires a certain mastery. Without doing that, your blade is just what it is... Ordinary but once your essence has been refined, it automatically extends to anything you're in possession of," Instructor Dexter voiced loudly while raising his fingers which were covered by some silvery ornaments.

The ornaments soon emitted a purplish aura like mist as he swung his arm forward.

Fwwhwiii~

The ornaments cut a streak across the air as they shot through the chest of multiple dummies up ahead.

"Woaaa~"

Voices of astonishment could be heard as the holes left in the chest of the dummies began to expand in a crack-like format before they crumbled to pieces completely.

"Train hard and maybe you will get to this level someday..." Instructor Dexter stated while the ornaments spun across the air and flew back into his possession.

He seemed to flash Edmund a glance as he moved aside while instructing everyone to take a certain pose.

Edmund drew his sword and began his drills. Although he still hadn't unlocked his essence, he could very well take note of the classes for future use.

Hours later when Edmund was about to leave, he noticed a group of students walking towards him.

Among them was a striking girl with long, silver hair and enchanting violet eyes. She was accompanied by two other students, a tall, muscular boy with short black hair and a petite girl with curly auburn hair.

The girl with silver hair stepped forward, her eyes assessing Edmund. "So it was true that the crown prince has returned," she said, her voice smooth and confident. "I'm Esmeralda, and these are my friends, Marcus and Elena. We're your juniors."

"I'm Edmund," he replied.

"We know that," Esmeralda vouced with a smile.

Edmund smiled back wondering what their intentions were; "Nice to meet you."

Marcus, the muscular boy, crossed his arms with a skeptical look on his face. "I've heard a lot about you, Your Highness. Let's see if you live up to the stories."

'The good or the bad ones?' Edmund wondered but then realized that there weren't any good ones.

Elena, the petite girl, smiled warmly. "Don't mind Marcus. He's just curious."

Edmund nodded. "Not a problem. If you'll excuse me I need to..."

"We could use someone like you in our sparring sessions," Esmeralda tilted her head as her eyes sparkled with interest. "Care to join us?"

"There would be no point to that. My essence remains locked," Edmund reminded them.

"Not to worry Your Highness... We won't use our essence when sparring as well. It would be like a regular spar between normal vampires," Esmeralda assured him.

"Alright then."

As they moved to a secluded area, the group gathered around, drawing their weapons.

"Feel free to use anything," Marcus voiced from the side.

Edmund stared at the array of weapons stacked before him and picked up a twin dagger.

Edmund tightened his grip on his twin daggers swinging them a few times in satisfaction.

He had always felt more comfortable with daggers since their swift and precise movements matched his fighting style perfectly. The others had chosen their own weapons: Esmeralda wielded a slender rapier, Marcus held a massive broadsword, and Elena opted for a pair of short swords.

"Ready, everyone?" Esmeralda asked as her violet eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Ready," Edmund replied while adjusting his stance.

Marcus grinned and his broad shoulders relaxed as he hefted his broadsword. "Let's make this interesting."

Elena's auburn curls bounced as she took her position. "Let's see what you've got, Your Highness."

The four of them instantly faced off. Edmund could feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins. His senses were heightened despite the lack of essence.

Esmeralda moved first as her rapier darted forward with speed. Edmund parried the strike with one of his daggers causing the clash of metal to ring out across the surroundings. He pivoted on his heel, using his other dagger to deflect an attack from Marcus's broadsword.

"Nice moves, Your Highness," Marcus said with a grin.

Edmund chuckled. "You're not so bad yourself, Marcus."

Elena came at him from the side as her short swords moved in a blur. Edmund ducked and rolled, narrowly avoiding her strikes. He came up behind her, aiming his dagger at her back, but she spun around just in time to block his attack.

"Almost got me there," Elena said almost breathless but yet filled with excitement.

"Not quite," Edmund replied with razor-sharp focus.

'Looks like he is quite skilled regardless of his locked essence... He will definitely become formidable if he is fortunate enough to unlock his essence,' Esmeralda thought with a surprised expression.

Esmeralda's rapier flashed in the sunlight as she moved fluidly. She and Edmund exchanged a rapid series of blows, their weapons clashing and sparking. Edmund admired her technique. He knew that if she was to use her essence right now he'd immediately be toast, however, he wondered why they had proposed this.

"You're fast," Edmund remarked while parrying another strike.

"And you're sneaky," Esmeralda replied with a smirk as her rapier darted toward him again.

Marcus's broadsword swung in a wide arc, forcing Edmund to leap back to avoid the powerful strike. The sheer force of Marcus's attacks was impressive. His strength was unmatched even while his essence was momentarily sealed.

"Watch your back," Edmund teased while sidestepping another attack.

"Only if you watch yours," Marcus shot back, his grin widening.

Elena moved in as her short swords blurred in motion. Edmund found himself in the center of a coordinated attack, each of them coming at him from different angles. He spun and ducked as his daggers moved in a deadly dance to block and counter their strikes.

Edmund felt a sense of satisfaction as he held his own against some of the best students in the academy. By the time they finished, he was exhausted but exhilarated.

"Not bad, Your Highness," Marcus said. "Not bad at all."

Elena nodded in agreement. "You're definitely not what I expected."

Esmeralda smiled with a look of respect. "Welcome back to the academy, Your Highness. I think you're going to do just fine."

"Hmm... Why did you three wish to spar with me?" Edmund decided to ask.

"Because we want to be acquainted with Your Highness... If Your Highness is okay with this," Esmeralda answered with a smile.

"Call me Edmund," Edmund said to all three of them.

Since he didn't sense malicious intent, he was okay with being friends. However, he still felt they had underlying intentions.

As they parted ways, Edmund decided to sneak away.

"You think he deserves our allegiance? He doesn't seem as cruel as the rumors say," Marcus said to Esmeralda as they walked away.

"Be that as it may... He carries a certain presence that is irrefutable. We can keep our eyes on him and make our decision later," Esmeralda responded with a vicious-looking grin.

"The Crown Prince may be skilled in weaponry but he still hasn't unlocked his essence. Even if he somehow manages to unlock it now, he remains far behind us in terms of essence cultivation and even more so for his little brother. He might never catch up. I do not understand what you see in him," Elena shook her head in disagreement.

"Don't be too quick to judge Elena. Comprehension has never been your strong suit," Esmeralda continued smiling as they headed off.