Alma 73 A Weapon of Mass Destruction

He was not the smartest of his many siblings.

Neither was he the strongest or most talented of the lot.

Nor was he the bravest or the wisest of the many who sought the crown.

Nevertheless, he ended up winning the title of Crown Prince.

He possessed a twisted idea of what honesty was to point that many detested conversing with him — it was horrendous flaw for someone who would have to one day manage the domestic and international affairs of the North as its head representative.

The man valued the concept of honesty so much, he forbade himself from lying through forbidden, arcane means when he first became a contender.

He self-imposed a particularly severe geas upon himself in an act of passion and resolution on a fateful night — that he could no longer lie, and that breaking or circumventing the geas would lead to his death.

Henceforth, Haydn Kingscrown would live a clean life, unafraid of the temptations brought on by deceit and the evils that followed it. He became someone who could not lie and therefore, could never partake in any form of transgression against the throne, the people, or the law.

Someone who would never be able to scheme against his own subjects, vassals, or empire for his own benefit. He would have to follow the path of justice, reason, and wisdom or remain silent for the rest of his life.

In a single, decisive sweep Haydn had won the race against his fellow siblings for the throne.

For none of Haydn's siblings had the resolve do what he had done to himself — wager his entire life for the sake of the country on a toss of dime.

On that day, it was said that the North found its future king. One that would remain in the service of his people until death.

The Honest Prince had been born... and the day he fell silent would be the day he would no longer be king.

Reed found Hadyn's blunt honesty incredibly irritating as far as he was concerned. He wanted to throw him out of the tree-spire or at the very least, glue his mouth shut with tape. Every that came out the guy's mouth was poison to the ears and a burden on the soul.

"But really, that speech of yours? An absolute masterpiece. Sent shivers down my spine how clear and calm your tone was throughout the entire thing. It was like watching one of the holy saints from the Holy Church give a sermon on peace, love and understanding."

Haydn leaned over and whispered, "...So? Who wrote speech? I was hoping you could introduce to me that fellow. I need a good writer like that — someone who can write a speech that can inspire and win over the hearts of the ignorant masses like you did."

Angered by what Haydn had just implied, Reed coldly replied, "I didn't get any help and I meant what I said, too. What the hell do you mean, 'win the hearts of the ignorant masses,' you piece of—"

Violett hurriedly interrupted and said, "Don't take what he says to heart, Reed, he's just can't help himself. Hadyn's special… in a very unique way, you see..."

"What do you mean? As in uniquely irritating or just socially inept beyond comprehension?" said Reed indifferently.

"Well sort of, but it's a little more complicated than that. It'll be easier if I just explain it to you before things get any worse…"

One long and complicated explanation later, Reed finally understood what Violett meant by "special in a unique way" when she described what Haydn was.

"I can't tell whether you're a genius or an idiot. Either way, I can't deny that you really are something special. Your story belongs in a fairytale an old parable for kids to read before bedtime," said Reed as he laughed his off at Haydn's expense.

Haydn said, "Talk about the pot calling the kettle black," and laughed as well. "Of all places in the world, a human prince in the East. Not only that, but one that also one that sincerely preached for peace and understanding. Are you sure that you aren't the one that belongs in a fairytale book?"

The pair laughed even harder when they realized that they were both idiots in their own right. It was then and there that a bond between brothers had been formed.

Reed rubbed the tears out his eyes and said, "You're a pretty nice guy… for a prince."

"You're a pretty decent guy, too. And what do you mean, 'for a prince,' you're a prince too now!"

Violett and Lu'um stared at the irredeemable pair and wondered how they had bonded so... easily. Just like that. With a couple of jokes and laughs.

Men really are simple-minded idiots no matter the origin…

Men really are narrow-minded fools no matter the origin…

An astute observation, but it would never be revealed to the oblivious duo. It was a truth that only the ladies would have the privilege of knowing.

"So why did you two really come here? If you wanted to take me back, she would have been enough," said Reed as he looked at Lu'um. "I don't think that the two of you would have come here just for me…"

Haydn shook his head and said, "You're not valuing yourself enough, Reed. We knew what the general situation was when we detected an intrusion in our network, trying to access our restricted archives. We traced the intrusion back to a known, identified spy that belonged to the East…"

Violett took over and said, "The spy was looking for restricted information about someone who fit the description of a young man in his late teens. The number of people who fit such a description are so few that left little room for interpretation. Add your sudden disappearance and news of a young, human prince being crowned in the East..."

Oh, for fuck's sake... Then I never had a chance in the first place. I lost the second I let myself get captured in Rosenfield...

I lost the moment I stepped into the East!! God. Fucking. Dammit!!

Reed face-palmed, groaned in embarrassment and said, "I don't want to live anymore… someone put me out my misery…!" He wanted nothing more than to go back in time and beat himself up.

Lu'um rubbed his back and said, "You fooled me, you know. …Well, until I heard the new about a human being crowned prince in the East. Come on, keep your chin up, okay?"

Reed let out soft grunt in agreement and then said, "What now, then? There's no going back now that I'm a prince here. …Not that I hate it or anything. What will become of my status in North?"

Violett scratched her head and said, "That's the complicated bit. You're still the Lord of Evergreen, which traditionally was a title only reserved for royalty in the North. When I gave you the title that made you sort of pseudo-royal in terms of lineage, something I struggled a lot to achieve. Had to  really convince Father which was no small feat, I can assure you…"

"And now, you're a prince in the East! But you're also still Lord of Evergreen and we can't just take that title from you because it mean the same as forsaking you to the East, something we want to desperately avoid at all costs. If that ever happened, the East would use your disownment as proof of racial discrimination towards an Avunian, since you are technically an Avunian now…" said Haydn in a grave tone.

"Not only that, but they'd also push the narrative that we disowned you because you became prince here — that the North's filled with heartless monsters incapable of empathy or understanding. That they, the East would gladly take you, a human outcast, as one of their own with compassion and kindness," said Violett.

Haydn bitterly chuckled and said, "If we let you go, they'd smear us as heartless fiends… and if they let you go, we'd call them out for the same thing. Do you see the situation now? Whoever lets you go will be called a terrible, selfish nation filled with shameless hypocrites. In this modern era, our wars are mainly fought with words and not with swords. And you, my dear friend, are now a living weapon of mass destruction for either side."

"Oh."

Reed twiddled his fingers and said, "So I'm essentially going to be stuck with both titles from now on, right? Won't that make, you know, royalty in two different empires in a sense?"

Violett sighed deeply and said, "Yes, and that's the problem. This unprecedented and I mean it. Something like this has never happened before, ever. There has never been a prince that belonged to two empires at once and that's what makes you so important and… dangerous now."

Haydn grinned and said, "Simply put, you are threatening the balance of peace in this world… just by existing. You've entangled yourself and two empires in ball of yarn that no one can fix anymore…"

"Oh…"

It seemed things were going to get much more complicated from now on in ways Reed had not expected...

Chapter end