Chapter 75 ‒ Roots of Loyalty
Chapter 75 ‒ Roots of Loyalty
Nyelisse’s eyes went wide. She dropped to her knees instantly, forehead almost touching the grass.
“My apologies, Your Majesty! I didn’t know it was you. Please forgive my rudeness!”
Theodore waved his hands frantically. “Stand up! Please, please, stop bowing! Why are you so formal?”
She hesitated but finally rose.
“Now that we know each other’s names, we aren’t strangers anymore, right? So, take this flower.”
She accepted it hesitantly, fingers trembling.
“It is an honour, Your Majesty.”
“Hey!” he pouted. “I don’t like that title. Call me Theo. We’re friends now!”
She stiffened again. “I can’t do that. I could never disrespect the royal family in such a way.”
He puffed his cheeks. “Stand up straight! That’s an order!”
She blinked. She stood up immediately.
Theodore coughed and said in a formal tone, “I, Prince Theodore of Virelia, hereby appoint Nyelisse to the esteemed position of my friend.”
Nyelisse looked up confused. He looked at her and said, “So Nyelisse, will you be my friend?”
She hesitated, before finally mumbling an answer. “Ye.. yes.. yes Your Majesty.”
“Friends do not call each other ‘Your Majesty’, so you must refer to me as Theo.”
Nyelisse bowed her head. “I’m sorry, I can’t obey that.”
“It’s an order!”
“I’m apologize, but I cannot follow that order.”
He stomped the ground lightly, frustration written all over his young face. “What kind of knight will you be if you can’t follow the prince’s orders?”
She looked away, her ears flicking downward. “A bad knight. But if your orders require me to disrespect the royal family, I would rather be a bad knight than betray my duty.”
Theodore’s mouth fell open, but after a moment, he burst into uncontrollable laughter. Nyelisse stood frozen, clutching the lavender bloom to her chest as he wiped tears from his eyes.
As his laughter quieted, footsteps echoed across the marble pathway. Nyelisse’s father approached, stopping beside the prince.
“Greetings, Prince Theodore. I see you’ve met my daughter.”
Theodore turned, still chuckling. “Oh Uncle! So she is your daughter! That’s probably why she is so stiff and formal.”
Her father laughed warmly, shaking his head. “That indeed sounds like Nyelisse. But Prince, she’s diligent. One day, she might even surpass all of us.”
Theodore grinned. “But Uncle! She’s a bad knight! She doesn’t listen to me at all!”
Her father, shocked, asked, “What?”
“Yes, even though I ordered her to call me by my name, she outright refused! She is my friend now. But who calls their friend ‘Your Majesty’?”
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Her father’s laughter deepened, and he patted Theodore’s shoulder. “In that case, I have a suggestion Dear Prince. Nyelisse is still young and learning how to be a knight. Perhaps my training is lacking. But maybe, with your help, she can become the knight who will follow all your orders.”
“But how do I help her— I don’t even know how to wield a sword.”
“Then you could join my training sessions at dawn. Who knows — it might teach you both something important.”
Theodore’s face turned pale. “Dawn? But… but I’m not even strong enough to lift a sword yet!”
Her father’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “Well then, you’ll have to catch up. Nyelisse already trains harder than most grown men.”
Theodore’s shoulders drooped in defeat. Nyelisse stood still, uncertain, glancing between them with wide, conflicted eyes.
Her father bent down beside her, lowering his voice. “Thank you, Prince Theodore. For being her friend. She’s always been alone because of my orders. I hope you can give her the childhood I could not.”
Nyelisse’s eyes glistened, though she quickly looked away. In her hand, the lavender flower trembled slightly.
As the sun dipped behind the garden walls, its last rays bathing them in a warm, golden glow, something shifted quietly inside her — something that felt like the first fragile seed of a bond.
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The next morning, dawn’s pale blue light painted the training grounds in misty silver. Nyelisse arrived first, as always, her movements sharp and controlled. She drew her wooden sword and began slicing through the air in fluid arcs, each swing echoing with a crisp whistle.
Nearby, Prince Theodore sat slumped on a bench, bundled in a cloak far too large for him. His chin bobbed up and down as he fought to stay awake. Nyelisse approached with a stern expression, tapping his shoulder.
“Your Majesty, please wake up. It’s time for training,” she commanded.
His head snapped up, eyes half-lidded. “Who’s sleeping? I’m fully awake… ready to tra…in…”
He reached for her arm to pull himself up, but in his groggy state, he only managed to drag her forward. With a yelp, she stumbled, and both of them collapsed into a tangle of limbs on the dew-soaked grass.
Nyelisse’s face turned bright red as she pushed herself off. “You did that on purpose! Get up!”
Theodore giggled, rubbing his head. “Haha! So that’s what it takes to make you speak informally. I guess, I just have to keep making you angry.”
Nyelisse scowled fiercely, her ears flattening. “What? So you really did that intentionally? Forget it! I’m going back to train.” She stormed off, shoulders tense and sword clutched tight.
Theodore watched her retreating back with a lazy grin. He finally stood, attempting to follow her movements, but quickly tripped over his own feet. He staggered, arms flailing, before landing in an ungraceful heap.
Her father approached calmly, shaking his head with a sigh. He picked Theodore up effortlessly and laid him back on the bench. “You should rest for now, Prince. You aren’t used to this yet.”
Theodore mumbled as he curled up again. “Ahh… I don’t have the legs for this. I’m a majestic dragon, you know. We don’t run — we terrify with our gaze alone…”
Nyelisse marched past, pausing just long enough to glare. “In your current state, even a bug wouldn’t be scared of your gaze.”
Theodore’s eyes flew open. He burst into laughter, rolling over on the bench. “Haha! You’re so funny, Nyelisse! I’m glad we met and became friends… But I am serious. My father is so strong — that’s why he is king.”
She paused, her voice softening slightly. “I apologize, but you possess not even a fraction of your father’s power. For that, you must train. You must become strong.”
Theodore sighed heavily. “Yes, yes. But… can I sleep just a little longer before I resume?”
Nyelisse turned away sharply, her tail flicking. “Useless…”
Later, after the official morning drills had ended, Theodore woke up to find Nyelisse waiting on a bench nearby. He rubbed his eyes and shuffled over.
“Is your training over?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No. I’m taking a short rest. The knights’ official training is much harsher than my solo practice.”
He brightened, clapping his hands. “So you were waiting for me!”
She looked away, crossing her arms. “No. Father asked me to wait here. He said… as your friend, I should ‘play’ with you after training.”
“Aww! That means you were waiting for me!” he teased again.
“It’s merely an obligation. I don’t even like playing. It’s a waste of time. You could use that time to train—”
He cut her off, eyes sparkling. “Do you want to play hide-and-seek?”
She paused, ears flicking. “Yes… hiding your presence and locating hidden enemies is a valuable skill.”
He nearly fell over laughing. “You can make anything about training, huh? Alright! You seek first! Count till twenty— no fifty!”
She sighed, dropping into a push-up position. “I’ll count while doing push-ups.”
“Ahh! You’re impossible!” He ran off, giggling.
Nyelisse finished her count, sprinting forward with sharp eyes. She found him almost immediately behind a bush, his horns giving him away. “Found you,” she said flatly.
His face dropped. “Wha— that was too fast! Let’s do it again!”