Marked Ones: Advent of the Demon Prince

The castle grounds of the Arcadian capital were massive, covered in lush greenery and various fruit orchards. With the assistance of magical implements, many fruit varieties that were impossible to cultivate in the country's natural climate thrived here.

Not only were there rare fruits and flowers planted on the grounds but there were also a handful of private pastures with animals not commonly seen. A short distance away from the castle was a pig pen with a rather rotund species that Lucius had remembered seeing in Eroa. They were prized for their excellent flavor and high-quality fat.

It seemed that the royal family was rather invested in having rare and exotic foods available to them at a moment's notice. While it was impressive, something Lucius could not get out of his mind was the wastefulness of it all. Though beautiful, the fruit orchards and animal pastures so close to the castle simply made it so that it would be easy to sneak onto the grounds.

It provided too many avenues of infiltration.

"Honestly," he muttered, "I will never understand nobility."

"Ha!" Kalivas chuckled, walking beside him. "You say that, and yet…"

"Zip it."

His biological father simply continued to chuckle, satisfied that he almost ruined his son's plans for the evening with a single slip of the tongue. Tonight had to go perfectly. Everything was set in place.

When they approached the gates, the guards saw the marks on Kalivas' and Lucius' hands. For Lucius, his mark was covered in combat. While not technically legal to hide one's mark, it was permitted for his fighting since he was not allowed to use it anyway.

After seeing their marks, the guard pointed his halberd at them. "Halt. What business would you lot have in the castle, eh? Filthy Marked Ones don't need to soil its grand halls."

Kalliope stepped forward to answer on their behalf. "We are the entourage for King Verdayl Eroa. The beastman is Kalivas, the warrior, and the half-blood is the champion of the tournament, Lucius of Pelith. Stand aside."

"You rotten…"

"What in the world are you doing, you fool!"

Someone who appeared to be the captain of the guard walked up to inspect the commotion, and when he realized what was happening, he slapped his subordinate upside the head.

"You complete fool, let them through. What the lady says is correct, I ought to have you fed to the pigs for your idiocy…"

Kalliope laughed as they walked past the checkpoint. From behind them, they could still hear the captain yelling at the guard who had attempted to harass them. Though Lucius cared little about what happened, he found himself slightly amused by the karma that befell the man.

Once inside the castle proper, they could admire the stonework. The walls were made of beautifully carved stone, with each piece locking together without so much as a gap for air. The ceilings were vaulted, not unlike a church, and the rafters were made from dark brown wood. The floors were mostly made of finely polished granite.

Because of all the hard surfaces and high ceilings, their footsteps echoed throughout the halls. They were gathered with another group of people and led through the castle until they reached what could only be the ballroom.

From the entrance, a set of majestic stairs curved down to the main floor below. The stairs themselves were covered with a vibrant blue carpet with gold frills, while the floor of the ballroom appeared to be made of marble.

Various tables lined the edges of the main floor and were filled with every cuisine imaginable from each of the participating countries. Drinks were being served by wait staff carrying trays of glasses filled with champagne, wine, and other alcoholic beverages.

There was also a quartet of string instruments off in the far corner, to the side of where King Aleksander was seated. They were playing a soft, gentle tune to create an atmosphere for mingling and idle chatter.

Sitting in a half-circle formation around King Aleksander were the other representatives of the participating nations. The only seat that was empty was that which was set aside for the Queen of Aedrider. It seemed she would not be in attendance.

"Announcing Sir Kalivas of Eroa, Kalliope of the Gray Wolf Clan, and Titan of Eroa, formerly known as Lucius of Pelith." The man who led them to the chamber announced their presence to those gathered below.

After the introduction, the three of them descended the stairs to join the party. King Verdayl Eroa was already present and maintained a neutral expression as he glanced at their group. Kalivas bowed deeply and took a standing position behind his king, while Kalliope and Lucius moved to a table that their announcer gestured to them.

They each took a glass of champagne from one of the wait staff moving about the room in the meantime. Lucius was waiting for the arrival of another guest before he greeted the leaders. However, while looking about the room, he settled his eyes on the source of a very familiar scent.

Meeting his gaze from across the massive ballroom was a stoic man of average build. He had red hair and green eyes. At one time, this figure was larger than life and more imposing than Lucius could ever imagine, but now he was not. It wasn't that Richard had gotten weaker or that a fight between the two would be easy or even end in Lucius's victory.

What was true, though, was that his strength was no longer unattainable.

These thoughts brought a small smile to his face. He had grown, and that excited him. How much more could he grow? How powerful could he become?

"Announcing: Lady Adellia, the Oracle of Arcadios, and her daughter, Lady Lyrah. Also announcing Lady Rena von Petra."

Subtle gasps and murmurs erupted around the room, but Lucius tuned them out. Strange scents in the air surprised him, but they were nowhere near as interesting as the ethereal beauty of the love of his life.

As she descended the grand stairs to the ballroom, every step made the slight curls at the end of her hair bounce. Her bright green eyes contrasted sharply against her deep, crimson hair, and they were locked right onto him.

The dress she wore was a beautiful white that matched her fair skin. The material on her chest was a thin, nearly transparent lace. The sleeves were similarly semi-transparent and went all the way down her arms and looped around her ring finger on each hand. Around her neck was a familiar black choker with a small cat-shaped charm, though it contrasted with the rest of her outfit.

For Lucius, it only served to increase her beauty several times.

As she finished coming down the last few steps, Lucius made his way to her side, offering his hand to assist her onto the ballroom floor. "My Lady, it a pleasure to meet you this evening. Might I say you look absolutely ravishing."

Rena giggled, a sound that he had not heard in years and nearly sent him to the realm of Celestia. Even for him, it was a struggle to fight back the tears teasing to escape from his eyes.

"You know, Titan, while flattery may get you everywhere, it doesn't feel as though it suits your tongue." Rena said with a teasing smile.

"I think you might be right about that. Come." Continue your adventure with m|v-l'e m,p| y- r

He guided her across the marble floor until they approached the slightly raised landing that held the seats of the leaders present.

They bowed together and Lucius spoke, "I apologize for my delay in paying the proper greetings, however, I felt it would be more worth your graces' time to greet you along with my would-be wife."

Aleksander rose from the his seat and waved over Richard. "Lucius, from what Lord Richard has informed me, you are not only a commoner, but a Marked One. Though we promised you one wish, we cannot allow the intermarriage of a commoner with nobility, not at the risk of dishonoring one of our kingdom's great houses."

Rena let out a slight gasp and looked as though she might cry. Lucius felt her hand tremble, but gave her a warm, comforting smile.

"Your majesty, were I a noble, then it would not be a problem? Even though I bare a mark?" Lucius asked.

Aleksander gave a strained smile. "That would be correct, however a Marked One…"

"I beg your forgiveness from all those present." Lucius said, coming to a fully standing position. He turned around and threw his arms wide while shouting out for the rest of the ballroom to hear. "A proper introduction is in order it seems.

"I am Titan of Eroa, formerly Lucius of Pelith. However, I am also the son of the Oracle, Lady Adellia, as well as Lord Kalivas Kane of Eroa. You may refer to me as Lucius Kane, sole heir to the illustrious House of Kane one of the great houses of Eroa." Lucius gave a small bow and a flourish, before he turned back to King Aleksander and the other kings.

"Does that fulfill your requirements, your majesty?"