Paper Crowns [On Hold]

[10.2] Hostile Peace

Even in its greatest moments, the universe is unkind. Never will it give without first demanding. There is no such thing as altruism. This was the very first lesson Master Alistair had taught Sal when Sal began as an apprentice five years ago.

Of course, Mathias had disagreed wholeheartedly. He had then proceeded to give Sal a slice of cake to prove his point.

At the time, Sal had agreed with Master Alistair without hesitation. To him, his masters' words only echoed his own heart's melody.

But as he grew alongside Mathias, Sal was not so sure anymore. Mathias was an outlier. An anomaly. A being whose very existence disproved his master's words.

However, if Sal wanted proof of the filth riddling the world, he needn't look further than the deal Master Alistair was forced to make when he took Sal as an apprentice.

The Helian Order, those wrinkle-addled cretins that controlled anything remotely 'magic' in Calnoiva, strictly forbade the Archmage from bringing Sal under his tutelage. The Archmage adamantly refused to be snubbed by asses who did not understand the magnitude of their mistake.

Eventually, the Order buckled under pressure and agreed, with two conditions. The first required the Archmage to relinquish his position on the High Council of the Order. He had agreed immediately. Alistair wasn't one who particularly enjoyed the ramblings of fools.

The second one, however, was slightly more complicated.

It required Sal to pass the Order's entrance exam twice. Once at age 16 and again at 18, when everyone else had to do it. As he found no other option, Alistair agreed to this too.

So now, when Sal turned 16 in a week, he would be more concerned with ensuring the safety of his master's pride than with celebrating.

Sal would have to miss the ball Mathias would undoubtedly throw in his honor. Which reminded him, he still hadn't told Mathias about the upcoming exam.

Sal strolled through the marble hallways as he mentally sifted through the various ways he could break the news. It wouldn't be a big deal; after all, they weren't little kids anymore. They had long since learned to cope with inconveniences.

In the five years since his arrival at the castle, a lot had changed. The scenery had changed, the people had changed.

Wolf had lost a substantial portion of his left leg in the Battle of Exile that took place only a year after Sal began his studies. Thankfully for the Crystal Paladin, he was permitted to continue as the King's right hand and was allowed to do the one thing he wanted more than anything in the world- to train Mathias.

Only a year after the events of Exile, Hollow square had burnt down in a freak fire. Fortunately, at the request of Mathias, it was repaired and the gallows that adorned the square previously were replaced with a massive marble fountain. The new structure was easy on the eyes and operated as the heart of the marketplace that had emerged after the fountain's establishment.

What once served as the pinnacle of gory entertainment was now the backbone of Sal's hometown. Sal had only Mathias to thank for this.

Mathias was no longer the skinny pest of the past. He had amounted a fair bit of height and impressively filled out his frame, thanks to Wolf. The Crystal Paladin had taken it upon himself to train Calnoiva's Crown Prince well past his breaking point.

On the inside, however, Mathias was much the same. Unmatched in kindness with a lethal kind of charisma and a penchant for political diplomacy. That boy could talk his way out of anything. Sal was convinced that if Mathias really wanted to, he could rally the entire country against the King in just the blink of an eye.