Age Of Heroes

RENASIA

1014 AF LIGHTMONTH

The palace was in chaos.

Attendants scurried inside, searching and calling, while the knights remained mobilized behind castle walls.

Even the King and Queen rushed around the courtyard, looking anxiously.

Isabelle, Rhyssa's handmaiden, looked worried and concerned. Word was not to get out of this misfortune that had befallen the royal family: The Princess was missing!

As pandemonium broke out in the palace, Pedro sat in his office reading the latest report on the Rhyssa's disappearance.

The room was richly decorated and had been gifted to him to honor all his years of loyal service to the royal family.

The cushioned chair was made of a fabric so smooth that the knight had almost refused the king's gift for fear of envy from the other courtiers.

In a corner lay a couch-bed of fine green silk, embroidered with delicate leaves that must have taken hundreds of hours of labor.

A library with racks full of books stood in another corner of the room.

A sword and a shield hung on the wall and right beside them, a portrait of King Luis and his wife.

Pedro shook his head, a heavy burden weighing on his conscience.

Luis has always given me his utmost trust, he thought, I cannot do this to him. I must tell him the truth.

In fact, the commander had known for quite some time that the Princess had been missing before it was discovered in the palace.

He had lied for her and when her handmaiden had asked him where she was, he had simply responded that Rhyssa was out playing and wandering as usual.

He sighed now that he thinks about it.

Suddenly, a knock was heard at the door. Surely another report. A knight entered.

"Knight Lord Pedro, we searched every nook and cranny of the palace from the gardens to the dungeons, yet we could not find her. Maybe she really did…"

"Keep looking!" Pedro interrupted and the knight exited the room to resume his search for the Princess.

Pedro stuck his hand inside his coat, deeply absorbed in his thoughts.

He knew Rhyssa to be rebellious, but not to this point. He never believed that she would ever run away from the palace.

It all began about a month before, after the army had successfully defeated the Mountain Tribe during their raid of Renasia.

Even though Pedro had told her the expedition was a dangerous one, Rhyssa had continued to sulk after being unable to join.

It was also during this time that the royal couple had decided to marry off their daughter in the hopes that it would reign in her independent and freedom-loving nature.

She didn't like it. She didn't like it one bit.

Rhyssa was against the idea and had tried to negotiate with her parents.

If any of her suitors could defeat her in battle, then she would acknowledge that man as her fiancé.

Not her husband, but her fiancé, mused Pedro.

The Princess drove a hard bargain that reminded him of her grandmother, Queen Rhaessa.

The King, believing in his daughter's lack of skills in martial arts, accepted the wager, but he was soon proven wrong.

The suitors of the Princess come in drove all desiring to win her hand.

The sons of many noble lords came to ask for Rhyssa's hand in marriage, but they were all badly beaten and humiliated.

The Princess was such a vicious fighter that some of her suitors even left with broken bones, but thankfully, there were no casualties.

Rhyssa's mother was furious. Not only had her daughter injured innocent men, but her behavior had soiled the reputation of House Renasi.

In a way, this is partially my fault, considering that I was the one who kindled Rhyssa's interest in the martial arts, Pedro thought.

However, he was not entirely to blame for her fighting skills.

There was also her random encounter with a martial arts expert, the infamous Eastern Devil, whom she met when she visited Blossom Island with Arturo.

Pedro did not know the full story, but it seems that the Eastern Devil, one of the Four Immortals, had taken a liking to the young princess and for two months, had taught her martial arts and swordsmanship.

Afterwards, Rhyssa had returned to the palace.

She had not finished her training, of course, but Pedro had sensed a change upon her return.

 Training under one of the Four Immortals, an unrivaled expert in the martial arts, was a great honor on the Human Continent.

Pedro had noticed that Rhyssa had become more confident.

Her aura felt different and her eyes glowed fiercely.

She had proven to everyone in what later became known as the Marriage Battle how skilled she was in fighting.

The technique she had learned under the Eastern Devil was cruel in execution and cunning in tactics.

Her attacks were brutal, aimed at vital organs, and her stance ever-changing with fluid movements meant to confuse the enemy.

There is the trace of viciousness in her technique, that reminded him of the infamous reputation of the Eastern Devil.

The technique of Eastern Devil is famous for their brutal execution and cunning tactic.

She resembled an Avenging Angel, standing over her fallen opponents, confident that she could never be beaten.

She needs someone to teach her that there is always someone stronger in this vast world, Pedro mused.

He had always known that she was a prodigy, but had never believed her capable of mastering such a technique in such a short amount of time.

He had rarely seen any man or woman show such prowess or have such a domineering personality. All this only reinforced his opinion of her.

A genius. At least in the area of martial arts. Charismatic and all-conquering, he thought.

Suddenly, Pedro heard footsteps rushing towards the door. The King barged in, out of breath.

"I heard," he said panting, "that she left a letter, didn't she?"

"Yes," Pedro replied. Then he smiles bitterly

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Pedro let out a heavy sigh.

"Your Majesty, I thought we could find her before you ever noticed."

"Pedro!" the king yelled with a balled fist.

The commander held his hand up.

"I'm sorry, old friend. I thought I could handle the situation. I truly believed that she was simply playing and that all this was just another one of her pranks."

"What did the letter say?" the King asked.

Pedro gave him the letter. As he read it, his face puckered in amazement and disbelief. The letter was brief: I'm going to go outside and play.

"What does this mean Pedro?" Pedro only laugh weakly

"Arturo is missing as well. The only explanation that comes to mind is that your daughter is out there exploring the world with him in the hopes of finding someone who is qualified to become her husband."

"You mean because of the battle?" the King said in disbelief.

"Yes, but I don't think she is really looking for a husband," Pedro continued.

"What do you mean?"

"I believe that she will use that as an excuse in order to get people to fight her. She is a girl after all and most people will not take her seriously. I think she realized during the Marriage Battle that if she presents herself as a prize to be won, people will respond more fiercely."

"Why?" the King asked, shaking his head, "why would my daughter do that?"

"Because…" Pedro paused, "I don't know how to say this to you Luis, but your daughter is not like you. She loves fighting and I believe that she truly, if not naively, thinks that she is the strongest in the whole continent."

Every person who learns martial arts dreams of gaining fame and glory, instead of protecting the weak and defending the innocent, Pedro thought to himself.

"You didn't know, did you, that your daughter learned her skills from the Eastern Devil?" he continued.

"Wait… the Eastern Devil!?" the King exclaimed, alarmed. "He's dangerous!"

"So is your daughter," retorted Pedro. "She is dangerous to herself and to others. She believes that no one can beat her. And sooner or later, she will be proven wrong. I only pray that the Water Princess will spare our little Princess from her tears."

"So, what do you suggest Pedro?"

"I believe that your daughter is in Cori right now. If I am right, she will probably go to each nation's major city and offer her hand in marriage as long as her opponent can defeat her. This will make it easier for us to search for her."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, old friend."

The King let out a sigh of relief.

"Then find her and bring her home. She is the heir of this nation. Nothing must happen to her!" he ordered and exited the room with the letter in his hand.

Pedro heard him mumbling: Just wait until she gets home.

The commander went outside and quickly ordered his men to send out search warrants to all of the nations without mentioning, however, that the person they were looking for was the Crown Princess of Renasia.

The letters simply asked for information regarding a girl that was known to start fights in exchange for her hand in marriage.

Pedro suspected that Rhyssa was traveling under a false name.

If it was discovered that the Princess had gone missing, then certain factions in other nations might take the opportunity to harm or even kidnap the only heir of Renasia.

After a long day of coordinating the search effort, Pedro retired to bed.

Rhyssa, Rhyssa where did you go? he pleaded to the Sun Emperor and the Water Maiden before he drifts off into his sleep.

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