The two children’s gazes met. For Cinderella, it felt as though time had stopped, because the moment their eyes locked, she began to see him differently from everyone else.

She could barely whisper:

"He’s cute."

Her mother, the queen, looked at her with a sly smile.

As for the king, he walked toward his guest. The two men stood face to face, and their serious expressions quickly turned into laughter. They embraced, giving each other warm pats on the back as they said between laughs:

"Uther, it’s been far too long!"

"You’re looking older, Alexander. Has the war worn you down?"

"You have no idea."

The men walked together toward the side of the throne, chatting animatedly. The soldiers in futuristic armor accompanied Uther, but the man raised his hand with a brief open-palmed gesture. The knights immediately understood they were to wait there.

At the same time, Alexander’s wife walked behind them while holding her young daughter’s hand. Cinderella seemed reluctant to continue, completely entranced as she stared at King Uther’s young son.

Her mother looked at her again and gave her a gentle push.

"Do you want to talk to him?" she asked.

Cinder, far too young to understand what was going through her own head, looked confused.

They were interrupted by the laughter of the two kings.

Together, the group walked toward the doors beside the marble throne, where a long hallway had been prepared for a friendly conversation between the two rulers.

They left the throne room behind, along with the knights guarding it, and advanced through the long red-carpeted corridor. Decorations stretched across the walls: beautiful paintings, statues, and the occasional soldier standing guard over the royal palace.

At one point, Alexander looked at Uther’s young son. The child was far too quiet and distant from everyone. He looked more like a porcelain doll than a living person, so the king glanced at Cinder behind him and came up with an idea.

Cinder seemed to notice the suspicious look in her father’s eyes and felt a chill run down her spine.

"Tell me, Uther. What do you say we let little Arthur and my daughter get to know each other while we discuss more important matters?"

Uther smiled solemnly.

"Of course. Arthur," he called to the boy.

"Yes, Father?" the child replied coldly.

"Why don’t you go play with Princess Guinevere? That way you won’t have to be bored listening to two old men talk."

"As you wish, Father," the boy answered once again in a robotic tone.

Little Arthur stopped and looked at Cinder. She froze nervously, glancing at her mother for help.

Then Alexander spoke.

"My queen, could you take care of this?"

The woman nodded silently. She looked at the two children with a kind smile and took them by the hands.

"Allow me to accompany you."

After that, the kings continued down the corridor as though nothing else mattered. Cinder watched her father walk away before sighing. She had no choice now but to go along with whatever their parents wanted.

***

They were brought to the castle garden, a vast field filled with flowers of every color. At the center stood a statue of the Goddess of Light, her hand raised toward the heavens in a posture of absolute holiness.

[ The memory distorted for an instant, showing Mitsuki at the moment he killed Cinderella, but then the memory continued as though nothing had happened. ]

Arthur stood silently staring at the statue while the queen waited quietly near the garden gates.

Cinder approached him and looked up at the statue.

"This is just a statue. There’s nothing interesting about it, you know?"

"I know."

Cinder grew curious.

Arthur raised his hand and touched the statue’s foot.

"But I’ve seen the Goddess in my dreams many times. She usually tells me fun stories to keep the nightmares away."

"That’s... really weird. Have you ever seen the Goddess with your own eyes?"

He shook his head. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"But I know people who have. They say she’s very kind, and I think it’s true. Otherwise, why would she help me sleep better?"

"That’s a good point."

Arthur fell silent again while staring at the statue.

Cinder grumbled internally because she was being ignored for a chunk of stone. Looking over the boy’s clothes, she observed the silver, blue, and gold garments fit for an idealized prince. He also carried a small sword tied to his waist.

Cinder paid special attention to that.

"Do you know how to use a sword?"

Arthur nodded.

"Big Brother Lancelot trained me very well. He was raised by a fairy, so he knows incredible and divine magic. I still haven’t mastered his teachings."

"That’s amazing. I’ve been training too, though the only magic I’ve learned is crystal creation. But I’m really good with a sword!"

"You know how to fight? Do you want to train together?"

Those words felt like a blessing amidst misfortune. Cinder’s eyes sparkled with excitement. Right now, she had an opponent her own age ready to fight. Well, train, since they obviously couldn’t fight seriously.

"Of course I do! Let’s train right now!" she exclaimed happily as she grabbed Arthur’s hand and dragged him toward the queen.

The young prince looked confused. His expressionless face shifted slightly as he felt the princess’s soft hand.

"Mom! Mom! The prince knows how to fight! Can we train here for a little while?!"

The queen looked surprised.

"Train? Is the prince alright with that?"

The little boy nodded without saying a word. The queen then clapped her hands with a smile.

"Well, you should’ve said so earlier," she said before raising her hand and snapping her fingers. "Come here, Percival!"

Arthur looked toward the sky, expecting something to happen, but all he got was an awkward moment of silence. He turned to Cinder to ask about it, but she already expected that reaction.

"Give it a second. He usually takes a few moments."

In the distance, the cry of an eagle could be heard. Immediately after, the shadow of an entity with massive feathered wings appeared soaring through the sky. The mysterious beast flew above the queen, and from the heights, something descended.

A suit of heavy armor landed gracefully before the queen. The armor turned out to belong to a young man around fifteen years old. He had light brown hair and silver eyes. His armor gleamed with a metallic white color, while his blue cape fluttered in the wind.

He looked at the queen and immediately knelt before her.

"What is it that you desire, my queen? Your orders are law!"

Arthur looked slightly bewildered by how theatrical this young knight was, but Cinder smiled happily at the sight of her swordsmanship instructor.