A Prince Among Nobles

Aric's POV:

I stood at the edge of the grand courtyard, the cool morning breeze brushing against my face, but my thoughts were far from the fresh air around me. I'd never felt the weight of the world quite like this before—not even in the quiet halls of the Priesthood of Knowledge. I was no longer just Aric, the servant of the Almighty God, the scholar among the ancient texts. I was Aric, the thirteenth prince of Valerya.

And the twelve others, the ones with bloodlines that stretched back for generations, they knew it. They saw me. The commoner. The outsider. A priest, elevated above them—above their birthright. How could they not? I, who had spent my life studying the mysteries of our world, was now thrust into a world of politics, power, and ambition.

"Prince Aric," they would call me, their voices laced with thinly veiled mockery, but I'd heard it enough times by now to let it roll off my shoulders.

I had no bloodline to stand on, no noble history to bolster me. All I had was my mind, my knowledge, and the queen's final decree. And that was enough for now.

The heavy doors of the palace opened behind me, and I heard footsteps approaching. I didn't turn immediately, not because I was afraid, but because I already knew who it was. The tension in the air was unmistakable—the kind of tension that only existed when Prince Valtor was around.

"You've already set foot among us," Valtor's voice cut through the silence, smooth and dripping with disdain. "But you don't belong here, Aric."

I turned slowly, meeting his gaze. The eldest prince, heir to the throne, the man who had been raised for this moment. His eyes, sharp and calculating, studied me as though I were nothing more than a puzzle to be solved—though I knew he saw me as something far less.

"I belong here as much as you do, Valtor," I said, my voice steady, betraying none of the nervousness that churned beneath the surface. "The queen chose me. Chose us."

His lip curled into a thin, cruel smile. "Yes, well, the queen has always been... unconventional. But let me be clear, Priest-turned-Prince: You'll never be one of us. You'll always be the outsider, the anomaly. And that doesn't sit well with anyone who has earned their place by blood."

"I don't need your approval," I replied, standing my ground. I wasn't going to let him bait me into something foolish. "I'm not here to be accepted by you or anyone else."

Valtor took a step forward, his height imposing, his shadow falling across me. "The others may not voice it, but they will never see you as an equal. You're a distraction—a symbol of what's wrong with the throne. You're not a prince. You're a... token."

"I am a prince," I said, my eyes narrowing slightly, "just like you."

His laugh was low, cold, almost pitying. "We'll see how long that lasts, priest. You might wear the crown now, but the kingdom won't tolerate your kind for long. You're nothing without power, and you'll never have what it takes to rule."

I didn't respond. Instead, I turned away, walking towards the edge of the courtyard. I needed air—space to think, to breathe. The weight of his words settled deep into my chest, but I refused to let them define me. Valtor could say whatever he liked, but I was here because the queen believed in me. That was enough for now.

Later that evening, I stood once more at the threshold of the royal dining hall. The grand doors, lined with intricate gold and silver carvings, loomed before me like the gates to another world—a world of titles, of bloodlines, of power.

Inside, the other twelve heirs had already gathered, their voices a low murmur as they exchanged quiet words. Their eyes fell upon me the moment I entered. Their expressions were a mixture of curiosity and barely concealed disdain. They could see me. The outsider. The commoner. The priest who had somehow found himself among their ranks.

Prince Valtor was already seated at the head of the table, his posture perfect, his gaze sharp as he surveyed the room with the arrogance of a man who believed the throne was his by right. But tonight, no one was above the queen's final decree. The rules had changed.

I took my seat at the far end of the table, as far from them as possible. The air was thick with tension. The other heirs—royals, nobles, foreign bloods with an ancient blood of Valerya—were seated in their respective places, casting quick, appraising glances in my direction. I could feel their eyes on me, but I kept my gaze forward, pretending not to notice.

The queen's frail form entered the room moments later, carried by two attendants. Her crown gleamed faintly in the dim light, a symbol of power and the end of an era. She was a woman who had ruled for decades, shaping the kingdom with strength and wisdom. And now, as she gazed upon the twelve heirs before her, I felt the weight of her years and her decisions.

"Tomorrow, the trials begin," Queen Seraphina's voice rang out, clear and commanding despite the frailty that marked her every movement. "You have all been chosen. But none of you will inherit the throne simply by your bloodlines or titles. You will prove your worth through your actions. Through your strength. Through your resolve."

A shiver ran through me as she spoke. This wasn't just a game—it was a test of everything I had been taught, everything I had studied. The trials would not be about politics or power, but about survival. About what it truly meant to lead.

She turned her gaze toward me, her eyes soft but filled with an unspoken understanding. "Prince Aric," she said, her voice quiet but strong. "You, above all, will prove that leadership does not come from birthright. You will show the kingdom that knowledge can be as powerful as any crown."

The other heirs shifted uncomfortably in their seats. I could feel their eyes burning into me, their disdain palpable. But I would not falter. I would stand firm, as the queen had asked me to. I would prove that a prince could come from anywhere, even from the priesthood of knowledge.

As the queen sat down, the room fell into a heavy silence. The trials were about to begin. And I, Aric, the thirteenth prince, would be tested just like the others.

But unlike them, I had nothing to lose.

I had only the future of the kingdom. And that was all I needed.