Will of a Prince

Lidia walked with Maria and Squabee back to their two houses.

"I forgot to mention... Pops is actually the Queens court jester. He tried killing us, but Slimo saved us before he could hurt anyone."

Lidia smiled and rubbed Maria’s head.

"I knew. Well, I didn’t know he would try and kill you all, but the queen told us herself of his relation to her." 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Just as they finished talking, Harold appeared in front of them, kicking up a cloud of dust as he stopped. He panted heavily as he looked at Lidia.

"Miss Lidia. I’m happy to see you in... well, I’ve seen you in worse conditions. I found Slimo."

Lidia nodded towards Maria and took a step towards Harold.

"Tell me where he is."

Slimo sat on the enormous wall of the kingdom, looking over are a large forest that laid further east. A small spot behind his ear had finally stopped bleeding, but the injury painted his white hair a light shade of red around the wound. The sun started setting off to his left, casting a long shadow along the top of the stone wall. He sighed as the wind gently flew around his shoulders.

"It’s getting colder by the day. Maybe you should start insulating your armor. Does this place even have seasons? How would that work?"

Lidia slowly approached and sat next to him, hanging her legs off the side of the wall.

"I have enough meat on my bones to keep me well insulated already. If anyone needs the insulation, it would be Sydney. That girl is thinner than a twig ready to snap."

Slimo chuckled, refusing to look in Lidia’s direction.

"You mean that blonde girl who likes that William boy? She’ll probably get mad at you for so much as suggesting it."

Lidia smiled warmly, looking out at the breathtaking sight.

"Maybe you’re right."

They both sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments before Slimo slowly sat next to Lidia. Before she could say anything, he softly spoke next to her.

"You’ve changed."

Lidia chuckled.

"So have you. Your change is more obvious I must say."

"I thought I shook that Harold boy off my tail. He must be a lot faster than I thought."

"Harold wasn’t who you had to worry about finding you."

Slimo smiled and sighed to himself.

"So, who should go first?"

Lidia finally looked into his eyes. She never noticed that his eyes were not blue anymore either. They had changed to a striking yellow color with small grey patches blending in with his cornea.

"Murderer... that’s what they were calling you. I understand it’s not my business, but I feel like I should at least know I can trust you still."

Slimo cleared his throat.

"You are right. Everyone deserves an answer."

Without looking at her, Slimo rested his hand on top of hers. Lidia welcomed the gesture warmly.

"My name is Slimo Kin. I am one of the three kids of Pelo Kin, the emperor of Paria Empire. I had an older brother and have a younger sister. I am the only royalty known to never be given a Zalo."

"You said you had a brother. What happened to him?"

Slimo squeezed her hand lightly.

"I murdered him."

Lidia’s heart dropped slightly, but she was willing to hear out his explanation. Slimo’s hand trembled slightly as he continued talking.

"My brother was to be the heir to the throne. My father is quite old and growing older still. Which means he is growing weaker. As you know, both empires are currently in a struggle to defeat one another. Having a weak leader could be detrimental for our empire, so our father grew us to be as strong as him. Countless days were spent training both our body and minds. Even my sister was not spared from such a harsh upbringing. It didn’t take long before both my brother and sister unlocked their Zalo. Me, on the other hand, stayed stagnant. I was nothing but a stain on my father’s perfect image. Did you know, not a single person on this entire continent knows what the Monlo Emperor’s Zalo is?"

Slimo looked at Lidia for the first time, prompting her to look back by the sudden gesture and question.

"Because I do. In fact, I am the only one who can remember it out of all the royalty."

Slimo slouched over the edge and put his hands together.

"One night, I was in charge of a scouting mission. I was leading a team further west in an attempt to pillage more land for our empire. Well, wouldn’t you know, the emperor himself happened to be taking a stroll right where we were scouting. Our group was decimated instantly by Zalos. I couldn’t even tell you what happened to the bodies of most of them. However, they left me alive. The emperor came up to me and placed his thick, rough fingers on my head and muttered to himself, ’I need you for something’. From there, it was as if I became a spectator in my own body. I watched myself walk back to our kingdom, watched myself speak to everyone in a strange manor..."

Slimo stopped talking for a moment.

"... and watched myself drive a blade through my brothers’ heart. I killed my brother with my own hands."

Lidia’s heart grabbed his hand and held on to it tighter. Slimo stopped momentarily and stared at her. Small tears filled her brown eyes as she stared at him.

"Please, keep going."

He nodded.

"I immediately screamed for help. Dozens of elite royal guards, as well as my father himself crowded to the scene. I tried explaining to him what had happened to me, why my own blade was soaked with my brother’s blood, but no matter how much I pleaded or how much I explained myself, everyone saw it only as a man trying to take the throne from their older sibling. There was also something unique happening whenever I brought up the Monlo emperor’s power. Everyone would immediately forget what I had just said whenever I would try to explain it to them."

Lidia held his hand tighter.

"It sounds like you were brainwashed or mind controlled in some way. I wonder who it was that did it to you. I bet it was someone you met on that scouting trip!"

Slimo rubbed his forehead with his other hand.

"Anyway, even if I wasn’t in the right headspace, the fact still remains that I killed my own brother. He was the one I saw in the trial we had to face to find the camp. Only then, I had to kill him with a sane mind. I’m not who you think I am, Lidia. I’m no better than a monster."

Instead of getting angry, upset or walking away, Lidia started laughing. Slimo looked at her dubiously.

"What’s so funny? Why are you laughing? Don’t you want to run away?"

Lidia finished laughing and stared off into the distance, kicking her feet off the wall playfully.

"Monster... huh? I killed daughter with my own hands. I mangled the body parts of palace guards thousands of times until they were unrecognizable. However, we don’t go on these adventures to kill. No sane person seeks murder. I can tell you did not want to kill your brother. We both live our lives with so much regret. If that makes us monsters for being guilty about actions we know are wrong about, then maybe the world needs more monsters like us."

Slimo widened his eyes and stared at Lidia. Even with her hair in disarray, her fists completely disfigured, blood staining every part of her delicate armor, she was still the most gorgeous sight in the world.

"You... aren’t going to leave me?"

Lidia stared into his silver eyes playfully.

"Leave you? And let that wretched Queen get a hold of you? Over my dead body!!"

"But I lied to you. I hid my true self from all of you. I betrayed you all."

"And you had a good reason to. All of us have secrets, Slimo. Besides, you’ve been one of the best guardians the kids could ask for! All of them were practically begging me to bring you back! Well, maybe I shouldn’t be calling them kids... most of them look like they are trying to grow facial hair!"

"...but my hair and eyes."

Lidia grabbed his face.

"Shut up. You’re ruining the moment pretty boy."

Lidia lightly kissed Slimo and hugged him tightly.

"Just come back to us. Please."

Instead of responding, small movements were coming from his torso. Lidia felt drops hitting her neck. Slimo was cried deeply in Lidia’s embrace.

"I just want to be a better person. I just... miss him so much, Lidia."

Lidia held the back of his head as he cried into her shoulder.

"I know. I miss mine too."

The two held each other in a peaceful embrace. Lidia held Slimo for as long as he needed it. As the sun fell under the trees, Slimo finally lifted his face from her shoulder.

"Don’t tell the kids I cried... I... need to keep my cool presence."

"Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me."