The Author's Will

78 | Time Limit

　　 Twenty-two Years Ago . . .

"Rude!"

"..."

"Oi, Rude! Are you listening?"

The snap of a book being abruptly shut was followed by a sigh of exasperation, as a pair of scarlet eyes glared up at the blonde-haired young man calling out to him. Narrowing his brows into a sharp scowl, Rudien resisted the urge to throw the volume at his annoying guest.

"What is it? Can't you see I'm busy?"

Those puppy-dog eyes that resembled the depths of an ocean beneath the moonlight sparkled with a sad look. "Ehh? Why are you so Rude today?"

"For the millionth time, stop calling me that horrible nickname."

The blonde pouted, his long, soft hair falling off his shoulders as his gaze slid away from his silver-haired friend. "Never. It suits you."

"...Prince Theodore. For the sake of this empire, please don't make the Cherlianns an enemy." Rudien's icily delivered warning made Theodore shudder, enough to raise his hands up in resignation.

"A-Alright! I was just messing around!"

Despite their eccentric friendship, the two young men were bonded closely for as long as they had been alive. Enough to banter about things like starting wars over their childish feuds. Even as Theodore Jeramius Laydel remained a facetious, flippant prince who tested the heir of Cherliann's patience time and time again, somehow - these polar opposites managed to get along well.

"So? What is it you want?" Rudien stood up from his plush red armchair, his small figure gingerly setting the book he was reading back upon its place in the shelves of his father's office. Theodore watched him for a moment, staring at the bandage peeking from beneath his friend's knee-length shorts. It was secured around his leg tightly.

Seeing it made Theodore frown slightly. Looks like he got hurt training again...

"Theo?" Rudien impatiently called when he wasn't getting an answer, bringing the prince out of his mulling.

"O-Oh, right-!" Those sapphire orbs widened when he remembered the topic that tickled his fancy enough to interrupt Rudien's reading. "I heard that you're getting engaged! To the daughter of a Marquess from the South, as well. What was her name... Sarah Arvel?"

Rudien averted his gaze nonchalantly. "Right."

Theodore inclined his head, staring at the patterned plafond overhead in thought whilst leaning his body lazily over the chair Rudien was just using. "Isn't that girl your cousin? I saw her. She had white hair, like you."

The young Cherliann maintained his indifferent mien, as usual. "We happen to share the same ancestors from thousands of years ago, yes. So she's a very distant relative. It's customary for the heir of House Cherliann to marry from the silver lineage."

The 'silver lineage'... Theodore contemplated this for a moment. Though the knowledge of it was limited to only those it involved, what they said about the bloodline was true. The First Saintess - Meira. A woman who was born with hair like light and the ability to summon divine spirits from the heavens. A conduit of power who saved this nation in its earliest years when dark magic brought ruin to the people.

But now, stories of her had faded into folktales and legends. All that was left of her existence, were the descendants she left behind.

Those among the 'silver lineage' now had three things in common. First, they all lived in hiding - and even dyed their silvery-white hair to avoid the dangers of this world. With the exception of a few powerful families - such as the Cherlianns and Arvels, the descendants of Meira led quiet and humble lives.