I. My Father Figure is Something Else

The village is a safe haven for anyone in need of help.

That is what the village elder said to Alisha when she was under her care. She would always look up to the old woman, stars in her eyes, watching as she heal the wounded demon, nursing the battered ogre back to health, or even that time when she took care of a man being hunted down by the King.

She could even remember the first time she personally encountered one of the people the village elder saved. And for some reason, he became far more connected to her than ever.

The man being hunted down, he said his name is Regar, is the older brother of the King. Apparently, he thought that he was going to be crowned king since he is the heir, the firstborn. He was groomed for this.

But, their father have decided, at the last minute, to crown his little brother king.

"That is so unfair," She recollected telling the man. She was just a young child back then, so innocent to the outside world and reality.

"I say the same thing, too. But, alas, since I am not the favored one, I am now being hunted down." She remembered how the man would always look so sad whenever he was left alone. Because of the other favors from witches that the village elder have taken care of, there are illusion spells casted upon their village.

"Why are you being hunted?" Call it childish curiosity, but she asked the insensitive question to the man who obviously doesn't want to talk about it.

Fortunately for her, the man is more patient than she thought and just smiled at her. But, what she didn't expect for him to do is answer her question.

"I...have been framed by my own brother. The whole kingdom now thought that I tried to kill him." He answered, another sad look dawning upon his face. Even though she is just a child, she could understand the words that was said to her.

"So, you can't go back home then?" She asked.

"No... unless some people speak up about my innocence, I would never be accepted back." She remembered that by this time, a plan was forming in her head. If the man couldn't go back home, that means that he would have to live on the streets. That is unacceptable.

There are no people in the village that has no roof on their heads.

"Well, live with us here!" Her suggestion might sound absurd to adults, but she thought that the man was kind, and she felt sorry for him. He doesn't deserve anything that happened to him.

It was that evil younger brother of his!

"U-Uh, I couldn't possibly..." But before he could even say something, she jumped down from his bed and ran to where the village elder is.

That is the story of how a royalty came to be in their humble, little village. He became a father figure to her, announcing that the minute he can clear his name, he would buy her hundreds of things that she deserves and more.

He even calls her "Princess", which stuck to her until the present day. Right at the moment, everyone calls her "Princess", tho she did sometimes say that the name is very absurd for someone like her.

"Nothing is absurd for our precious princess Alisha! For you, I will bring down even the strongest of the kingdoms!" He would always shout things at the top of his lungs; how she deserves the whole world and how it doesn't deserve her. Everyone has gotten used to it by now, and her father's antics.

No one will question why there are new packages by the village entrance from the capital. They'll just knock on her door, smiling and telling her how her father have ordered another set of dresses for all of them (though a significantly large amount of dresses all went to her).

"How can you walk inside the capital without anyone knowing who you are?" She asked one day, curious at how he had the ability to walk around as if he wasn't a hunted man.

"Well, I had the witches in our village to cast enchantment on this necklace," he brought out and showed her a necklace with an emerald pendant on it.

"A glamour charm is very much effective ANYWHERE, I can visit my old home and still get in contact with my allies. There are still a lot of people loyal to me," at the mention of allies, she got reminded at the fact the man in front of her, the man that showered her with attention, is of royalty.

She got used to his quirky and happy-go-lucky attitude around the village that she have forgotten all about his past life. He was framed, got his image destroyed to the people all because of greed.

She couldn't imagine just how kind of a younger brother his brother was. He must have been a very unpleasant person to be around with...

"My men and my allies are moving so that I could clear my name... I miss being a free man." They are just thankful that the villagers all believed his side of the story. And there are witches, and seers, and soothsayers on this village- they could detect (if they want to) if a person is lying.

"You could even go home! I know that if that day comes, I'm going to rejoice with you." He smiled at her and started ruffling her hair.

"You know I would never leave this village... this place is the only place where I felt accepted and loved without any expectations..." For the longest time that he has been here, he never talked about his past life, or how the life is as a prince. Normally, he would just tell a funny story about the court or two, but he would always deflect talks about his own life on the castle...especially his childhood.

Once, he even walked away when people started pushing him to tell something- anything about his life as a prince.

"Aye, don't push the prince you see." The village elder, or 'grandmama' as she called her, said while drinking.

From then on forth, no one even dared bringing up about his past, fearing that he would be upset again. (They all apologized to him the next day. He acted like it's not a big deal when... it probably is).

"Are you alright talking about this...papa?" Papa; he cried when she first called him that. That was the day when she just turned thirteen, and he went out to hunt for food with the village men.

She was so worried for him back then since it's the first time ever for him to go outside the village ever since he got here four years ago. She can't stay in one place, always looking out the window or peeking at the door. When he got back, she immediately jumped towards him and hugged him.

"Papa!" She cried out, hugging him tightly. Said man froze and just stared at her with shock for a few seconds before- crying.

Anyways, back to the other story at hand.

"Yeah... I think it's time for me to heal as well. Life as a prince and the heir is very taxing." He walked towards the window, staring at the night sky, something he would alwayd do to calm himself down.

"What's more is that, I'm more of a pacifist than someone who wants to conquer this land or that land- that was my brother's goal. My father wasn't happy since he wants to see his kingdom expanding." He sat on the windowsill, his eyes still on the night sky but his hands are turning into fists.

"I-I don't want that. What is the reason for that if we could just be contented with what we have here. We could just make friends with other neighboring kingdoms, there is no reason for war!" He is shaking by this time, and now realization started dawning upon her. This is the reason why the King suddenly decided not to crown him king.

He thought of him as someone weak, a coward that does not want to fulfill his dreams.

"I could still feel the beatings that I would get whenever I would reject his tyrannical ideas of ruling, and whenever I would answer him." Alisha approached him, patting him on the back to comfort him.

"You are not there anymore, papa..." She said, smiling at her father figure. His father smiled back and nodded firmly.

"Yes. Back there, every move that I take is being judged indefinitely. I would always do something wrong in their eyes, not to mention the expectations of being the heir- oh! Those were the worst!" She couldn't even imagine the pain and exhaustion her papa have gone through. Having expectations far beyond your self-limit and focused eyes? No wonder her papa doesn't like talking about it.

It was all too much.

"Now you are here, papa. No one will judge you here, and no one will watch your every move." She hugged him tightly, comforting the once beaten and lonely man.

Said man smiled, not regretting a single thing that he have done in his life. If he hadn't defied his father, he would have never come here, and that would result in many wrong things.

One of them, and the most important one of all, is not meeting his now-adopted daughter, Alisha. For some reason, she seemed to have crawled inside his heart without any problems. To be honest, even if he is a known pacifist throughout their kingdom, he is still a dangerous warrior trained under the guidance of the Templars.

No one have ever beaten him in a sword-fighting tournament, not even his own brother.

He has been training, wanting to not forget his origins as a Templar. If ever he needs to fight someone, this would make him almost unstoppable.

When they finished supper, he walked towards the sword that has been displayed in their home.

"You know, I am going to still use this one day. With all the politics in my name, I wouldn't be surprised if someone would succeed in finding me." He said, eyeing the sword that he have never used for the past years. He promised himself that he would never use the sword...

...unless-

Unless the whole village is in trouble, or just Alisha. No one is allowed to hurt Alisha, not on his watch.

"I don't like fighting, papa. But...as you said, it is inevitable sometimes." She said, also staring at the sword. He told her that the last time he carried this sword was when he was escaping the castle. It was a very bad memory for him, with people that he thought he could trust shunning him.

And to see his own brother lie just to get him in trouble? He thought he was real...and he thought wrong.

"If I ever see that brother of mine, I swear, I would like to just give him a slice." He stated, a dark look coming on his face. Alisha sighed and just hugged her father figure, knowing him he is just stressed from all the reminiscing today.

"You'll regret that and I know it."

"I won't." And she just giggled, she knows his father figure well.

"Oh you will, papa. You can't even hurt a fly." And they both laughed, but that was a different story altogether. What matters now the most is that he and her is fine with how things are.

She just hopes nothing would change this.