"Elias," King Alexander Kestrel Vance Ingris, Elias's father, said, his eyes brimming with unshed tears as he pulled his son into a comforting embrace. "I heard the poison acted up again," he said, his voice thick with concern. "Why did it act up now when it didn't for these last five months?" he questioned, his grip tightening slightly.
"It was always active, Father," Elias explained as he gently pulled away from the hug. "Caelum Valtheron, he has been the one helping me to stay alive."
Alexander gasped softly, his expression turning to shock. "Is the young man inside now?" he asked, looking towards the closed door.
Elias nodded, a small, tired smile on his face. "He is sleeping, recovering from the exhaustion," he said. "He cast an advanced holy barrier and a powerful healing circle around me for twenty minutes. In that same span of time, he used fire and ice magic to defeat forty grand and dire wolves and then ran out of the labyrinth while carrying me on his back," Elias recounted, his voice filled with a profound respect. "Please allow him to rest undisturbed," he requested of his father.
Alexander nodded in understanding. "May I go inside and see how the young one is faring?" he asked, his voice softening with curiosity.
Elias saw no reason to turn his father away, so he nodded again. He opened the door, allowing King Alexander to step inside the small, quiet room, and then closed the door behind him.
Elias walked over to his own bed and sat down beside Caelum, watching his friend's peaceful, exhausted face.
Alexander walked to the empty bed designated for Caelum and sat down on the edge of the mattress. "How long has he been helping you?" he asked, keeping his voice deliberately low so as not to disturb the sleeping youth.
"Since the day of the Welcoming Ball," Elias revealed. "I was planning to explain everything about my poison to him today, right after the labyrinth raid," he confessed, a shadow of worry crossing his features. "He might be angry that I kept it secret, but I truly believe he will understand in the end."
"Are you certain of that?" Alexander pressed, his eyes searching his son's.
Elias nodded with unwavering conviction. "No one has ever stayed with me for longer than a single month. He has stayed for five months and has already saved my life numerous times. If I cannot trust him now, after everything we have been through, I do not know what kind of friend I am," he declared firmly. "And he revealed the full extent of his magical capacity today, Father," he added, a hint of awe in his voice.
Alexander nodded, absorbing the significant information. "I need to speak with Alaric," he stated, referring to Duke Valtheron. "His son has brought a great honor to House Valtheron," he remarked.
Elias quickly shook his head, a look of strong disapproval in his eyes. "I do not want Duke Valtheron to know about Caelum's true abilities. Not until Caelum has officially graduated from the academy or has been appointed as my personal knight, before Valtheron ever learns of him," Elias insisted.
"But, Elias..." Alexander began, ready to argue the point.
"Please, Father," Elias pleaded earnestly. "Caelum was abandoned by that family once for not awakening his magic at the age of four. His mother died, and no one from his family came forward to look after him or offer comfort. If you reveal his power to the Valtherons now, they will undoubtedly try to use him and mentally break him in the process," he warned, his voice laced with protective fear.
Alexander gasped, the danger of the situation suddenly clear to him. "I will prepare a royal decree for him immediately," he announced. "Will you allow it to be read out to him when he finally wakes up?" he asked Elias, a serious expression on his face.
Elias nodded, a genuine smile spreading across his face at the thought.
"Matheas," Alexander called out. A tall man, wearing a rich purple cloak that bore a striking resemblance to the emperor's own regalia, entered the room with silent steps. "I will be appointing him as your personal knight and mage," Alexander informed Elias, gesturing toward Caelum's sleeping form.
Elias nodded his approval.
Alexander then looked directly at Matheas. "Stay here and keep both of them safe and sound while I go and get the royal decree written and finalized," he commanded.
Matheas nodded once, his face set with determination.
Alexander teleported out of the dormitory room, vanishing in a flash of light, heading directly for the royal palace.
A few moments later, Caelum began to stir, his eyelids fluttering open.
"Sleep, Caelum," Elias murmured, his voice gentle as he ran his fingers soothingly through Caelum's soft hair. "You are still completely exhausted."
Caelum slowly shook his head, his eyes struggling to focus. "There is a new presence in the room," he mumbled sleepily.
"That is Matheas, Matheas Rave Idrasil, my father's knight and personal mage," Elias explained, carefully helping Caelum to sit up on the edge of the bed.
Matheas walked closer to the bed, his demeanor respectful, and dropped down onto one knee on the floor. "Thank you for keeping His Highness safe all this time," he said sincerely.
Caelum tried to shift his body, but his vision swam and blurred with the slightest movement, a consequence of his magical depletion. "I did only what I could," he replied, his voice weak but clear. "I did not want to lose my first and best friend," he added, looking at Elias.
Elias offered him a soft, warm smile, a gesture of affection that Caelum, despite his blurred vision, did not miss.
When Alexander teleported back into the room, he found Matheas sitting comfortably beside Elias and Caelum. They were all talking quietly, soft smiles lighting up their faces as they exchanged words.
"Your Majesty," Matheas greeted, immediately standing to attention.
Caelum attempted to stand as well, but the lingering weakness from using such a vast amount of magic overwhelmed him, and his vision blurred dangerously again.
Elias quickly helped him steady himself and brought him fully to his feet.
"Caelum Jude Valtheron, listen now to the king's decree," Matheas announced, his voice formal and resonant, as he unfurled the parchment that Alexander had handed him.
He began to read the royal proclamation aloud: "From this day forth, Caelum Jude Valtheron, you are officially appointed as the Royal Knight and Mage of the second prince of Ingris, Elias Vance Sol Ingris.
Do you solemnly vow to protect him with all of your considerable might and strength?"
"Yes," Caelum replied instantly, his voice regaining a measure of strength.
"Do you solemnly vow to keep him from taking any wrong steps on his path?"
"Yes."
"Do you solemnly vow to never stray away from Prince Elias?"
"Yes."
"Do you solemnly vow to stay with him until the very end of your life?"
"Yes," Caelum said, his gaze fixed on Elias. He sank down onto one knee and reverently accepted the decree from Matheas's hand.
Elias immediately pulled him back up to his feet and wrapped him in a tight hug. "Thank you so much," he whispered into Caelum's ear.
Caelum, although his vision briefly swam and blurred from the sudden, quick movement, hugged Elias back just as fiercely and tightly.
Alexander, deeply moved by the scene, pulled both of the young men into a massive, enveloping hug of his own.
Suddenly, both Caelum and Matheas moved with lightning speed, before Elias and Alexander had a chance to react to the imminent danger.
Caelum, pushing all traces of his exhaustion and weakness away when he felt the distinct presence of arrows hurtling through the window, instinctively shielded Elias with his own body. He quickly layered low level shield spells made of air, ice, and light magic around them.
Matheas, equally fast, pushed his own powerful magic into the fragile shield Caelum had cast. This sudden infusion of power allowed Caelum to expand the shield's area, successfully protecting both of the royal figures in the room.
Matheas drew his sword in a blur of motion, slicing the incoming arrows cleanly in two, and then rushed to the window. He flung it open violently. "Crown Prince," he gasped out, his voice filled with shock and immediate recognition.