Part 33 – I Forbid You to Leave

Simon suddenly felt sadness and fear grip his chest.

"But... Nell, I need you!" he said, his eyes filling with tears. "You are the first friend I have ever made, in fact, you are my only friend! What happens when I get hurt again? What if I get bullied? Who can I turn to, then?"

Nell sighed and shook his head once more, but Simon held his shoulders tightly, his tears in torrents.

"Please, Nell, don't leave me! Didn't the high priest tell you to stay with me for a year? You can't just leave me now! I forbid you to leave!"

Nell's veiled face stared at Simon for a long time.

Finally, he heaved a heavy sigh and slowly nodded.

"Oh, thank you, Nell!" Simon exclaimed. "Thank you so much! I promise, you won't regret this one bit! I'll make sure you never ask for anything! I'll share everything I have with you, I'll even give you an allowance from my own pocket money!"

Simon kept fussing about as he told Nell all the plans he had and all the places he wished to visit together.

He was so excited that he forgot that Nell was supposed to be healing him.

Well, he didn't need any more healing, after all. Nell's holy power had completely taken all the damage and pain away from his body.

He truly is an exceptional healer.

Nell watched as his ward happily placed some clothes in his luggage.

He couldn't help but shake his head slowly as he glared out the window and sighed.

Simon and his brother Juno visited the kingdom of the West Twin the next morning.

The citizens exulted him once more, throwing flowers upon his path and singing him praises. He waved at the crowd as he passed, his face shining with pride.

Even more people welcomed him as their entourage entered the West palace. A choir of children sang of his glory, while performers danced around them. There were even trained beasts who lowered their heads as he passed by.

King Maurice Jobert Krems of the West Kingdom stood waiting by the Palace gates when Simon arrived. He welcomed Simon with open arms as soon as the prince got off his charger, and ushered him inside their palace.

"Welcome, dear nephew!" he said with a wide grin on his bearded face. "I welcome the Twin Kingdom's Hero into my humble abode!"

"I am most delighted with your invitation, your majesty, King Maurice," replied Simon with a deep bow.

"Oh, please drop the formalities, just call me Uncle Maurice!" said the King with a loud laugh.

"T-then, I thank you for the invite, Uncle Maurice," Simon said with a shy smile.

This was the first time he had seen this uncle up close.

During royal events, the younger princes are assigned on a table separate from the kings and the first two sons, as well as the queens and royal consorts or concubines.

King Maurice, as his father's twin, does have a lot in common with King Morel.

Their eyes were both as blue as the sky, and both have the same golden hair as Simon's, though theirs already had a lot of gray mixed into it. In fact, even their beards were about the same length.

But that's where the similarities end.

King Maurice, unlike Simon's father, is much fatter, as he has let himself go through the years.

He is well known as a very lax ruler who prefers to go to parties and hunting expeditions, rather than attend political meetings.

That is why he has left all the responsibility of governing the kingdom to his wise queen.

She was educated in the capital, after all.

"You do know my twins, Lucy and Skye?" the king asked his nephew.

Two young lovely blonde princesses stepped forward and gave Simon a curtsy. "And my two eldest sons, Hayle and Jude?" two princes in grand blue coats gave him a curt bow.

"It is a pleasure to meet you all," said Simon, bowing himself.

"The pleasure is ours, oh, great hero," replied the West Twin Kingdom's eldest, Prince Hayle." He looked about the same age as Largos, and acted the same, with the same sarcastic tone.

"For today's special guest, we had prepared a hunt in the Royal Woods," said the king as they led Simon further inside the palace and out a back door, towards a vast open area. "Alas, your father informed me that you cannot stay too long since you would be leaving for the capital later this afternoon?"

"I'm afraid that's right, Uncle Maurice," Simon replied. "We're supposed to leave for the capital soon, since the Emperor had summoned me there."

"Ah, but isn't that such a shame?" said Prince Hayle with a disappointed look on his face. "We were so looking forward to seeing the Twin Kingdom's Hero in action!"

"I guess so," said Simon, feeling relieved, "perhaps we can do that some other time, when we return from the capital."

"Then why not hold a small hunting game instead?" Prince Jude suggested.

"A small hunting game?" asked Simon.

He has never gone hunting before, since his father only brings his brothers Juno and Largos when he wants to go hunting.

"I'm afraid we don't have enough time for that, right, brother Juno?" he asked his brother who has been very quiet since they left their castle.

"Of course we do!" Prince Juno replied, standing next to Prince Hayle. "We still have more than enough time to spare."

"We do?"

Simon felt a bit nervous, thinking what his uncle King Maurice and his cousins might want him to do.

"Good, shall we head to the enclosed garden, then?" asked Prince Hayle, his smile widening.

"A-actually, I don't think I can show you my best right now!" Simon blurted out. "I haven't recovered my strength, yet, and I might injure myself further if I force myself to do something I'm not used to."

He was hesitant, since all he had ever handled before, was a simple composite bow and arrow.

"Oh, but I thought you said, you're feeling much better already?" his brother Juno asked him in a sarcastic tone. "Isn't that the reason why our Father decided to send you to the capital immediately?"

"W-well, that's true, b-but... I really haven't recovered all my strength yet..." Simon insisted. "I-I mean, I might look fine on the outside, but I still have internal injuries and might weaken further if I tire myself out!"

"Really? Is that all the new 'Hero' is capable of?"

Simon felt his face burn, even though Prince Jude gave a little laugh to pass his comment as a joke.

"I-I'm sorry, I guess I'm not the hero you expected," he mumbled, his head held low, "but I am still the hero none the less."

Simon raised his head and looked straight at his cousin.

"I did get rid of the behemoth, after all, or do you perhaps think that I was just making all those things up?"

The smile on Jude's face disappeared as Simon stared at him.

Even Juno was surprised to see the challenging look on his brother's face.

"O-of course, not, cousin Simon!" he quickly replied with an awkward laugh.

"Jude, how could you say that to our Kingdom's 'Hero'?" asked his brother Prince Hayle before facing Simon. "Don't mind him, cousin, it was just a harmless joke. I hope you don't take it against him?"

"O-of course not!" replied Simon, keeping his face straight as his heart kept pumping.

He can't believe that he actually talked back to somebody!

"I do hope we can go hunting together some other time."

"Of course," Prince Hayle replied. "We shall be looking forward to that day."

Simon and his companions went straight to the banquet hall after that. They had a small feast and left shortly after to leave for the Capital.

"There would be other chances to use that crossbow," he told Nell as he recounted the events during his visit in the other kingdom. "I bet I could learn to use one when we get to the University," he went on with a big smile, "then, I can go hunting with my cousins when we return during summer vacation!"

Nell gave a curt nod.

"Would you like to learn with me?" he asked the novice priest.

Nell placed his two index fingers together, making an 'X'.

"Oh, are you perhaps thinking that you won't be able to join me since you're not a student?" Simon asked him. "I can take you with me as my attendant. Even brother Juno has Rode and two knights with him to act as his attendants. He took Rode back since I told him that I only needed you to stay with me."

Nell sighed and shrugged.

"Don't worry, there won't be much for you to do as my attendant. You just need to accompany me during my classes!"

Nell gave another sigh.

Soon, the procession of carriages and knights on horseback reached past the Twin Kingdom's borders and entered the East Rim of the vast Twilight Forest.

Simon was still chattering happily, when the carriage they were riding came to a sudden halt, hurling Simon towards Nell who was sitting right in front of him.

"Ouch! What happened?" asked Simon.

Nell looked out of the windows.

Simon did the same and saw knights at either side of their carriage.

"What seems to be the problem?" Simon asked the knight to their right.

"There's a stalled cart in the middle of the road," said the knight. "The cart in front seems to have broken its axle. You may step out of your carriage if you wish, since this might take some time."

"Oh, if you say so," said Simon. "It would be nice to have a good stretch, right Nell?"

Nell didn't reply.

Simon opened the carriage door.

He held on to the door handle and bowed his head to get off the carriage, when he noticed something silver flickering down towards him.

He was suddenly pulled back inside unceremoniously.

"Wha-what happened?!" Simon asked Nell who held him by his collar.

The left carriage door flung open.

He was surprised to see a bearded knight enter the carriage, brandishing a sword in his hand.

============

Go to Part 38

============