The One Before Us

He was a man in his late fifties with regal features and piercing blue eyes that seemed to hold the weight of the world. His long golden hair, which was always tied back into a ponytail, now fell in waves around his face.

He sat down on the chair near the window. He wore a luxurious golden robe that flowed down to his feet and was embroidered with intricate designs of silver and sapphire.

As the wind blew through the open window, the golden robe fluttered around him. The rumblings of the clouds outside indicated that it was soon going to rain. In this chilly weather, he wished to have a drink that could soothe his worries from the morning court.

A wine bottle stood tall on the wooden stand in front of him. He then carefully poured the dark red liquid into the crystal glass beside him. The rich aroma of the wine filled the room, mingling with the scent of freshly cut flowers.

The bottle was exquisite, and the wine looked even more so. The label bore the crest of the royal family, with a tilted crown hanging to the side of an empty throne. The words on that read "King's Riesling"

It was the wine that was specially made for the kings. It was so expensive that a single bottle could feed an entire city for a month. And he drank glass after glass until the bottle became half empty.

He could afford to do that because he was the king of Icemere, Theoren Van Winterbourne. Everyone called him "The Wise One," but the burden of those words was only known to him.

He couldn't make a single mistake. Not in front of his enemies, nor in front of his own people. It would only stain his name, which was respected by all.

As he took another sip from the half-empty glass, he folded open the sealed parchment that contained a piece of information. It was the seal of another kingdom. The kingdom of Windrium. The neighbour of Icemere.

It was a piece of information that stated a warning of the attack on the border villages of Icemere and also a request to catch those attackers in their act. It was simple, and, as the king of Icemere, even without others' support, he needed to act fast to protect his people. But here he was...

The rushing wind made the fluttering red curtains look like a beautiful dance. The weakened wind touched the face of the king, making him enjoy a nice evening breeze. He looked at the parchment once again before folding it and placing it under the wine bottle on the wooden stand.

His eyes fell on a mural that hung on the wall. It had a beautiful woman with pointed ears and a grace that cannot be expressed in words. Beside her was a man in his early thirties. His face gave a regal impression. A small girl with two swaying pigtails was seated on the single-chair sofa before them.

They looked like a happy little family.

"Has it already been thirty years…?" The king wondered to himself.

The mural was of his late wife, him, and his dear daughter.

"Where are you now?" His gaze fell on the little girl with pigtails.

"Knock! Knock!" The knock on the door made him come back from his dazed state.

"Your highness." The guard requested to enter.

"Sigh~" Sighing to himself, he put the wineglass on the stand.

"Come in." With his permission, he opened the doors to his room.

"I greet his Majesty, the King!" The single guard made a bow with both of his hands cupped together.

The king didn't look at him. He was still facing the window. The weather worsened even more.

"The envoy from Windrium is awaiting your reply." He spoke with his head bowed down.

The king of Windrium sent an envoy to deliver his words and show his sincerity. Or was it for something else? He thought.

"They said their warnings, so what more is there to say?" He asked in a solemn tone.

"They wish for the support of your forces in dealing with the attackers."

"I am already being lenient by allowing their forces to enter our borders, but now they want the help of our military too? What do they think of me? A pushover?" A heavy gust rushed inside.

"Isn't it just that they are trying to bite off more than they can chew?"

The guard stayed silent. Sweat beads formed on his forehead. After a few moments of silence, he spoke.

"They are not asking for the entire military, but the single most powerful one in our kingdom." He chose his words carefully.

The king doesn't need a reason to kill. He could just act on his whims and behead anyone who frustrates him, and that itself could become a reason on its own.

"So they want the help of the Dancing Blade, uh?" He thought for a second, resting his chin on his hand.

"Hahaha! Amusing, truly amusing!" His laugh echoed in the entire room, making the other tremble.

"Ev-Even they are willing to send their strongest, the Silent Death swordsman." The guard concluded, delivering all the information he knew.

"They want to use two of the Five Swordsmen as mere attackers? And that too, they want to support us, an enemy kingdom, to take care of the matter... What is that old coot thinking?"

Only a king could speak disrespectfully of another king, an equal of his status.

"From how they delivered the information and from how willing they are to help us in the matters of our own kingdom, it looked like they held a deep grudge against the attackers." The guard voiced his thoughts, unknown to him.

"A grudge for what? Did they attack Windrium before? Even so, for a small matter like this…" The king didn't mind it but instead continued with the topic.

"It doesn't look like it. What is your opinion on this?" He needs to give a satisfying answer, even if it is wrong. The guard's thoughts ran at high speeds, trying to figure out something from the current situation.

"Ma-Maybe something was stolen from them? Which is precious to the king?" He just hoped that was the case or something close to it.

"Hmm… Something precious enough to mobilise the two strongest of both kingdoms, huh?" Even the king gave it some thought.

At the same time, the rain started to pour from the outside, with rumblings of thunder now and then.

"That seemed to be true." With that, the guard breathed a sigh of relief.

If that's the case, it would also explain how the other kingdom got the hang of the matter—that a group of people were going to attack Icemere—even before them. They wouldn't mobilise their strongest just to simply attack a group of nobodies.

Even if something like that had happened, their information network would have found that out before anyone else. They are that trustworthy.

So, no chaos was spread, but still, they held a grudge, huh? So something like a 'precious' stolen item would make sense.

With the king's and his opinions aligning, he was out of danger for now. The pure mental pressure he was feeling while being in this room eased a little.

"So what do you think that so-called 'precious' thing is?" He turned his head and looked at the guard straight in the eyes.

This made his heart tense again. He darted his eyes here and there in search of an answer, but he couldn't find any.

At the end of the day, he was just a guard who came to deliver a simple message. He didn't know the internal affairs of his own kingdom, so thinking about those of a neighbouring one is useless. So even if he wanted to take a guess, he couldn't.

"Th-That…" His words stuttered, sweat forming around his tight-clothed neck.

The king wasn't dissatisfied in the slightest. He just wanted to tease the ignorant guard in front of him while also gathering his thoughts.

"Leave it." A small smile formed on his face, but he covered it slightly with his palm.

"Send someone to deliver my words to the master of the magic tower." His face became serious.

"Bu-But, will they allow us inside?" It was the rule of the tower that no one who didn't belong there could enter without any prior arrangement. Even the king himself.

"Tell him it would be a mistake if he chose to ignore my words." With that, he got up from his warm seat and went to the desk in the corner.

There were numerous books beside it. He tore a blank sheet of wheat-coloured paper and wrote something on it with a luxurious quill. It had a feather that extended to half of his arm.

He folded the paper and put it inside an empty envelope, finally sealing it with a king's seal. The seal itself represents that the words inside came directly from the King of the Icemere himself. It had that much authority.

Noticing this, the guard came forward and took the envelope with trembling hands.

He had confusion painted on his face for a while as to what the king was doing, but he didn't even dare to proceed with his internal thoughts that seemed more and more curious.

He decided to go back immediately, but he forgot that he didn't get the answer to the crucial matter he came here for.

"Then, your majesty, should we answer with a yes?" He was talking about the king agreeing to the Windrium's request. He looked like he was willing to send the 'Dancing Blade' to the place where Windrium's forces will meet.

"Why would we do that? It was they who have suffered and are eagerly in hopes of taking revenge for their damage. Why will our kingdom, which has nothing to do with this, involve itself in this matter? We have already given permission for them to enter our borders, haven't we?"

"Bu-But, the villagers?" This was also a topic of concern. Even if they didn't warn the king beforehand, he should at least protect the people near the borders when he already knew there was going to be an attack. How could he stay so calm in this situation?

"You mean those backwater villages? Leave them alone." He didn't understand. He couldn't. Why would the king say something like that? Wouldn't we take the losses then, too?

"Th-The People…? Should we at least inform them beforehand for them to evacuate?" He was trying to find reason within the king's order.

"Then who will become the meat shields?" These words shook him.

"There should be someone present to delay the attackers, right? They will have their hands full killing all those useless things. And when the Windrium's forces reach there, they will take care of the matter. They will have one of the strongest, the Silent Death, with them, won't they?" The king spoke nonchalantly before getting seated on the fragrant bed.

"Bu-But, your majesty..."

"What?" His voice was imposing, making the other person silent.

"Nothing, your majesty. I will safely deliver your words to the envoy and also take care of the matter regarding the letter." He involuntarily clenched his hands, causing the envelope in his hands to crumble a little.

The king saw that but ignored it.

The king was ruthless. He saw his own people as insignificant pawns. Is this what they hail as wisdom? The guard thought to himself.

"Is there anything more for me to say?" As the matter of discussion was over, he urged the other.

"No, your highness!" The guard's words were now steady and strong. A wisp of uneasiness filled with frustration rose in his burning heart.

But what could he do? Does he dare to talk back to the king? Does he dare to look straight into his eyes? Does he have the right to voice his own idealistic principles in front of his ruler? No, he didn't. That's what he was—an insignificant guard who just needed to obey the orders.

The guard stayed quiet for a while.

"Then be on your way, and don't let anyone come near my room for the night. I need some sleep."

The guard bowed once again and closed the door to the king's room.

"In this way, we wouldn't need to lift a finger, and our losses would also be negligent. That is the right thing to do... it is." After the door closed, the king muttered in a light voice to himself.

A pair of thin, slender hands wrapped around him from behind his back. They slowly undressed the only robe he was wearing. He became completely naked as the chilly wind touched his skin.

The hands hugged him tightly from the back. His back was filled with a soft sensation. It was the body of a woman. The darkness didn't reveal her beauty, but as the king's hands slowly moved from her arms to her hips and below, he could feel her perfect figure.

His eyes fell on the mural, but he averted them, holding the naked woman up close and hugging her tightly.

The two naked bodies on the bed were intimately intertwined with each other. The heat of the room rose, contrary to the weather outside.

Something was happening somewhere. But until it reached the ears of the king, he bathed himself in the night of pleasure.