Julius de Ephalerith
1948 Words
“Julius...Prince Julius, wake up!”
“Hnn?”
Inside a brightly lit room, a young prince Julius woke up from his slumber. He looked around blankly before he hid back under the covers.
“Prince Julius!”
“Go away, Eisha...let me sleep a few hours more…”
“Prince, you can’t do that! Today is your coming-of-age ceremony!”
“...So?”
“So...it’s the day when you’re officially inducted as Crown Prince! Everyone will be there to witness your second-most glorious moment!”
“...Oh yeah? Then what’s my first?”
“Naturally, it’s when you officially ascend the throne as Emperor!” Eisha responded.
Julius sighed as he got up. He didn’t want the throne nor did he want the title of the crown prince.
He knew how much the people hated, despised, and were disgusted with him. He didn’t even know why it was like this. Julius had been sheltered in his Empire’s castle since he was a child, but the first time he walked out, the people immediately knew his identity and their treatment of him was already horrible.
Not once in his life had he done anything wrong to his Empire’s citizens yet they treated him harshly. He never found out the reason and since they hated him, he didn’t want the Emperor’s throne.
It was just going to be a source of trouble for him. He thought that it was better if his younger brother was given the throne, however, his brother had been selected to become a Sage’s disciple so he was studying abroad.
The throne couldn’t be passed onto his younger half-brother so to his chagrin, Julius had to put up with the people’s ire and protests, letting himself become the crown prince.
“Eisha...what good is a leader if the people he is leading hate him?”
“...”
“I’m just a filler. The true heir to the throne is my younger brother, Charleson. Look, even his name is the same as our father. He’s undoubtedly the true heir to the throne while I’m just there to warm his seat until he comes back…”
“My Lord, please don’t say that! The people just don’t know how talented and gifted you are*”
Julius cut her off and said in a slightly venomous tone, “Spare me the praise. Eisha. What good is my talent if all my father wants me to do is hide it?! I’m only here to become my brother’s support in the future. Not like I don’t mind it, but I’d rather have him tell it to me straight!”
“...”
“I’m sick and tired of those wretches staring at me like I’m some sort of filth! I’m this Empire’s prince yet even this palace’s servants look at me with disdain and disgust!” Julius angrily quipped.
Eisha and the Emperor were the only ones within the palace that knew of Prince Julius’s true worth. He was blessed with a smart mind that would shine in the political scene while also having the talent of both a warrior and a magus.
Yet, his father, Emperor Charles de Ephalerith, didn’t allow him to show off or display his talents to the people. While others his age were still training to even wield a sword, his skills were already on par with some of the best knights in their army.
Julius wasn’t much of a swordsman, however. He was more of a marksman. With his sharp eyes, talent, and deadly accuracy, Julius’s best record with his prized bow and arrow was 500-meters on the bullseye, and this was without him using mana to bolster his physique.
He wasn’t that great of a magus, unlike his younger brother, but he had a unique talent of direct mana manipulation which was something extremely rare to come by within humans.
Direct mana manipulation was something known to man that only monsters could do. For a human to have it, it was basically a cheat. However, this ability, like all of Julius’s other abilities, was ordered by the Emperor to be kept hidden.
Since he couldn’t show his talent, everyone in the kingdom labeled him to be useless. At least, that’s what he concluded after his first encounter with the citizens of his empire who despised him so.
“Come on, Prince Julius...don’t be so negative. Once you’ve ascended to the throne, your father said he’d release the ban and confidentiality of your abilities and talents. Soon, the people will know of how talented you actually are!”
“...I don’t care. At this point, I already loathe seeing another person besides you,” Julius scoffed and quickly undressed. He walked towards the bathtub which Eisha prepared and quickly began washing himself.
Eisha sighed. Seeing her lord acting so dreary… it wasn’t what she wanted. She had met the prince when she was 8 years old. At the time, the prince was only 5. Eisha was Julius’s maid from there on and she had practically raised and cared for him as if he was her own little brother.
She hoped to see him grow up and become a bright and splendid young man. However, at this rate, it was more likely that he’d become a spiteful and cynical person. Eisha could only sigh in worry at this.
Julius quickly got ready for the ceremony, not bothering to ask for anyone to help dress him as most nobles did. He noticed that the castle was somewhat quiet today.
Even though people didn’t like him, it was still his coming-of-age ceremony so there were still bound to be a few people there for the festivities. However, the castle was deathly quiet.
“Eisha...why is it so quiet?”
“Eisha is not sure, my Lord, but we should hurry to the royal hall. It’s just about time for the ceremony to start.”
The two made their way down to the royal hall. Along the way, they didn’t see or meet any of the knights who were usually on patrol nor did they bump into any of the castle’s servants.
“Where is everybody?”
“...Eisha is not sure, Prince Julius…”
They continued moving towards the royal hall before Julius finally felt that something was wrong. There was an odd smell in the air and he immediately recognized what the smell was.
“This smell...blood?”
“What’s that, Prince?”
That iron-like smell that could make anyone nauseous and light-headed. He knew it all too well. But the odd thing about this smell was that it came from the palace’s great hall. Julius quickly slammed open the door to the great hall and he reeled at the intense smell of blood that wafted into his nose.
“What the*”
Inside the great hall, Julius immediately caught sight of the battle between two squadrons of knights. One he immediately recognized, the Emperor’s personal guards, and the other was from the Empire’s strongest army division, the Golden Lion Division.
From a glance, Julius could tell that the Emperor’s guards were losing ground and slowly being overwhelmed. He couldn’t process what was happening right now so he just stood there blankly in disbelief.
“I’m glad you decided to show up, brother. I was worried that I would have to come find you in your quarters,” A voice called out to him which quickly snapped Julius back into reality.
“...Caine?” Julius turned to look at the young man sitting on one of the hall’s long tables. It was his half-brother, Caine. “What’s happening, why are those knights********’t we go help father’s knights?! They’re attacking fa*”
“Yes, we should go help them, right?”
“Then what are you waiting here for?! Let’s go*”
Before Julius could finish his words, he felt something pierce into his chest.
“Prince!”
Eisha cried out and quickly rushed forward, kicking away Caine who had just stabbed her lord with his sword.
Caine quickly stood back up and growled, “You’re going to regret that, you lowly wretch…”
Eisha shielded Julius behind her back when a few knights suddenly came forward and surrounded them.
Julius pulled the sword out of his chest and he grimaced with pain. He had reflexively dodged to the side so the sword didn’t pierce anything vital. It was just a superficial wound, but his very own brother caused this wound.
“What’s the meaning of this, Caine?!” Julius yelled.
“I’m sorry brother… but you and father were in the way…”
“What’s that supposed to mean?!”
Julius grimaced in pain but even though he asked, he already knew what Caine meant. Maybe it was because he was the son of a concubine, Caine wanted the throne more than anyone else.
Julius’s father, the Emperor, didn’t have many children. In fact, he only had three. Birthed by the Empress was Julius and his younger brother, Charleson. Birthed by a concubine was these two’s half-brother, Caine.
There was never a time in his life that Julius recalled treating his half-brother, Caine, in any way indecent. He loved both his blood brother and half-brother equally so Julius couldn’t understand why Caine would suddenly turn his blade at him.
If he wanted to throne, Julius was prepared to just give it to him without resistance. All he needed was to ask.
“If you wanted the throne so badly, you should have just asked!”
Julius looked up and soon saw his father being impaled by multiple blades. Some were even from the personal guards. He could faintly hear Eisha call out to him before dragging him away then everything else went blurry from there.
He couldn’t remember what he did after he saw his father die to his own people’s blades. He and Eisha had escaped from the castle being pursued by Caine’s men. His mother’s whereabouts were unknown so they couldn’t go and find her.
They escaped to the forest before being engulfed by a white light. Julius remembered dragging Eisha’s body behind him...her bloodied and dismembered body.
She had used her body to block the attacks from their pursuers so that he wouldn’t get hurt and she did this willingly and happily. There was no hesitation and regret in her actions.
Eisha did all this in the hopes that her prince**** little brother****** continue to live. She prayed to the gods that a miracle happened that would save her prince. Even until the point where she was on the edge of life and death, this was all that she wished and prayed for.
- Writer
