Three Races Tournament

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(A/N: Time for the story to really start with all the introductions to the main characters done.)

3 years later:

Arthur POV:

It was a strange feeling being more nervous now, meeting my family, more than when I first appointed a king while in the midst of the most powerful people in the world.

"Whew~ let's do this Alistair."

"Yes" He responded, his hesitation somewhat apparent. 

The dull sound of metal clanging on metal rang surprisingly loudly.

Unexpectedly, I could hear the faint pitter-patter sounds followed by a childish voice. "Coming~!"

A maid opened the door together with a little girl. Immediately upon seeing me, she hid behind the maid.

The maid looks at me curiously, evidently surprised to see an eight-year-old knocking on the door of a noble's estate.

"Ahem, nice to meet you. My name is Arthur Leywin and this is Alistair. I was informed that my family is currently residing in this manor. Do you mind if I speak to them?" I give a slight bow, Sylvie rocking on my head.

Before the confused maid could even respond, I heard an all too familiar sound in the background.

"Eleanor Leywin! There you are! You have got to stop running to the front door every time someone..." My mother stopped mid sentence and dropped a small bowl of what looked to be food for... my sister.

I look down to see the girl with dazzling brown eyes, looking at me with innocent curiosity. Her light ash brown hair shimmered with a much prettier quality than Father's but I knew who she had gotten the colour from. Her hair was tied into two pigtails on the side of her head above her ears.

I struggled to peel my eyes away from my little sister and turned to face my mother. My vision going blurry as tears filled my eyes, I said one thing I knew she was waiting to hear.

"H-hi Mom. I'm home." I gestured a small, awkward wave, not knowing what to do if she couldn't recognise me.

Fortunately, my fear didn't come true and she raced towards me at a speed I swear was faster than Grandpa Virion's, but that might've just been because of my blurry vision.

"Oh my baby! Arthur!!" She arrived in front of me and collapsed on her knees, her arms around my waist, gripping with all her strength, afraid that I might disappear again if she let go.

"You are alive! The Voice... I knew it was you! *sniff* You're back now! Yes, you're home now. Arthur, my baby!" That was all she managed to sputter out before breaking down into a bawl.

I couldn't even manage a complete sentence before shut my lips tightly in order to hold back my sobs.

I couldn't help but think while my head was buried in my mother's shoulder: you could be an all powerful, immortal tyrant but when you were in front of your loved ones, the ability to control emotions betray you.

I kept repeating in half gurgled sentences that I was alive and that I was home, that I wasn't leaving. My mother was a flurry of emotions. She was happy that I was back and alive, she was mad that I couldn't come back sooner, she was sad that I had to be away from them and how hard it must have been for me all at the same time.

At one point, Eleanor walked to us and started patting Mother's back. "Mama. There, there. Don't cry." But after unsuccessfully comforting her, she began crying as well.

"Arthur!" I turned my head, face still wet with tears to see outside the sprinting figure of my father drenched in sweat. I guess the maid had told him I was back.

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