SHADOW AND LIGHT (CHIAROSCURO)

HOW DOES A LORD ACT?

Before I could relax my furious expression, I was alerted by the sudden footsteps of Penelope entering my chambers...

“Sire! I've found your shoes,” Penelope said as entered my room with my poulaine shoes in her hands.

“Ah, yes... I see.” I composed myself and proceeded to wear my shoes, they were of oxblood in colour and had a golden tip on both shoes.

Once I had worn my shoes, I took a special glass bottle that I left in my drawers with a golden substance in it.

I went to my human-sized mirror and slowly applied the golden creamy contents of the bottle all over my jet-black hair follicles.

In a few seconds of applying the golden substance, I witnessed my glossy jet-black hair turn golden almost instantly. I now looked like I had natural blonde hair.

I was finally ready, “Penelope!” I called for my maid as I gradually brushed my now golden hair and bangs in place.

Penelope approached me and gracefully curtsied while saying, “Yes, Sire?”

“I need you to summon for me the lord chamberlain of the manor!” I ordered.

“Yes, your highness!” She hurriedly went to summon the chamberlain.

I took a seat on the mattress and thought, “If I was sent here to die, then it would only be right, No, right even, that I survive this trial by any means necessary...”

It took a few minutes but the chamberlain appeared before me.

The lord chamberlain looked like he was in his mid-forties. He was tanned, bald with brown eyes and 5 ft 5 in height. He had a certain slouch to his stance that made him seem to be hunching. His name was Lord Ferdinand Augustus, the former lord of the state of Sterilia.

“I am here, your royal highness. How may I serve you?” he asked respectfully whilst bowing gracefully.

I hunched towards him and ordered, “Summon the people of this state!”

“Pardon me, sire?” he replied with a surprised expression. I'm sure he must have thought that I wouldn't care to address the people and leave all ruling matters to him and the other nobles of the state.

But I was different from the rumours, different from the title I was given.

“You heard me! Summon everyone in the state of Sterilia, I shall address them all as the Lord of this land!” I exclaimed with a stern expression.

My exclaimed order startled the old man so much that he clumsily fell back, stood up and ran out, saying, "Y-Yes, sire! At once, your highness!"

I was escorted to the horse stables by Penelope, along the way, she suggested I take a carriage into town instead. But I refused, saying, "I like to feel the breeze along my face and hair."

Once we got to the stables, I met Paige once again, he was brushing a certain big black stallion's mane. Probably preparing it for departure. That was my stallion, Moonlight. And he would be my ride into town.

"Ah... I see that you've got him ready for me already. How did you know I'd be taking him out today?" I asked Paige.

"I just thought that it was about time you went to see the town, just as you probably thought as well, sire," he answered with a smile still brushing Moonlight's head and sides.

*A FEW HOURS LATER*

Here I was, in the middle of the town square, in the hot afternoon, seated on a wooden throne on a wooden stage overlooking the gathering of hundreds of townsfolk that live in Sterilia.

To my left were my attendants such as Paige, Penelope, Lord Ferdinand and a few knights in silver shining armour, all standing of course. And to my right were a few old nobles of the state, standing as well.

All the people of Sterilia had gathered below the platform. There were at least two hundred people gathered below me.

It made me think, "Huh... So these are my subjects."

The sun was high up in the afternoon sky and it heated my forehead to the point that I began to sweat. I was extremely nervous about addressing the people of this town but I didn't waver.

Instead, I confidently stood from my position on the platform and looked toward the people with reverence.

A few loud murmurs and whispers escaped from the crowd of people into my ears...

—“He looks like a royal!”

—“Is he a royal?!”

—“I think it's the first one?”

—“But he doesn't have black hair!”

—“Isn't he the weak one!?”

—“Weak!? But his blonde!”

—“I heard that he's never unsheathed his sword before?”

—“What do you think he wants in this old town?”

—“Are we getting a royal decree?”

—“Isn't this prince without a mother?”

—“I heard that that prince had dark hair!”

—“Maybe he was sent to gather materials for the upcoming solstice.”

“QUIET!! A ROYAL STANDS BEFORE YOU!” I roared and the noise ended abruptly. It was as silent as a grave.

I took a breath, in and out then introduced myself, “Yes, as you all may have suspected, I am the first prince of the kingdom of Gladia, Prince Philip Tenebris Gladia!”

There was still silence.

“Good. Now some of you townsfolk may be wondering what I, the first prince of Gladia, was sent here for!?” I said as I held onto the hilt of my sword, it was a protective hilt which is constructed to protect the hand wielding the sword.

A slight murmuring from the people occurred but I quickly silenced it with my words...

“I, Prince Philip of Gladia, have been sent here by the king to govern over you simple folks as the lord of the land!”

An uproar occurred, and the people were in a state of panic and confusion...

—“The King has abandoned us!”

—“I knew he was the dark prince!”

—“The dark prince, our lord has forsaken us!?”

—“Why not the second prince!”

—“This is an outrage!!”

I gripped the hilt of my sword tightly and shouted “Silence!” But my words didn't reach the people, the uproar continued.

Until, to my right, a knight in shining silver armour stood forward and roared from his stomach, “SILENCE, YOU HEATHENS!”

And there was silence.

I didn't know who the knight was, but he seemed to be one who was stationed in Sterilia. He was taller than me which meant that he was at least 7 feet tall, he had brown hair and brown eyes, and his armour covered most of his body but I could tell that he was fit.