Arthur Ren was born into status in Leria, a cousin to the legendary Lucius the Praised. But from birth, he and his family lived in the shadow of that single, overwhelming fact.
His mother, the sister of Lucius's late mother, had married the noble Julius for her otherworldly beauty, a charm that faded for him as quickly as it had appeared, creating a divide in their household.
Arthur was the third son, an afterthought. His family's favour had already been spent. His oldest brother, Trysten, was accepted into Leria's Academy for knights training. A natural with a bow and unparalleled endurance, he was the son their father considered the most worthy heir to the family's martial legacy. His second brother, Matthew, inherited their mother's looks and possessed a sharp mind, scoring the highest grades in the noble's school before entering a prestigious doctorate program.
When Arthur arrived, he was less a new son and more a final stressor on his parent's crumbling marriage. He was shunned, even by his mother, whose own mental state began its slow decline. The one who truly raised him was the maid, Martha.
When Arthur was six, his father began seeking Martha's counsel more and more in private. The day his mother discovered Julius had assaulted the maid, leading to a pregnancy, something broke in her. The betrayal in her eyes was absolute.
Martha named her daughter Freya. For a few years, Arthur was happy. He had a mother who loved him and a little sister who adored him. But that happiness was stolen when a sudden sickness took Martha.
Hearing the news from the other mourning maids, how fiercely she had fought, how her last thoughts were of Freya and Arthur, it hit him like a train. It was like losing his mother all over again. But it was her last message that broke him completely, forcing him to cling to his little sister's hand for strength.
It was a recording of her final message. It must have cost her a fortune seeing as technology such as this was so expensive, most nobles would have second guessed buying it. Everyday since then, her words would repeat in his mind like a broken record.
(The sound of weak, ragged breathing, then her voice, soft but muffled.)
"Arthur..my beautiful boy. Can you hear me? My rising sun.. I am so..so proud of you... You have always been so strong. Not matter the darkness in the sky...no matter how cloudy your heart...you never stopped shining...you never stopped smiling."
(muffles and static)
"Promise me...promise you will keep smiling. For me. For your sister. I love you...I love you both...so much..."
(It ended as soon as another woman tried calling her name after a silence.)
He couldn't bring himself to attend her death ceremony. He heard his brothers had gone, out of respect for the maid who had cared for them all. But no one came to console him. Not his mother, his father, or his brothers. His 'real' mother was gone, and Freya was the only piece of her he had left.
From the on, the House of Ren was broken. Arthur watched his father spiral into silence, then bitterness, then total absence, burying himself in his duties. His reclusive nature shattered Elise's self worth. She began to look at her son with new eyes, as if he were the reason her husband neglected her.
Arthur grew up small, chubby, and quiet. His brothers teased him. He was the kid who hid behind Martha's skirts and played toys by himself, who balled up in tears when he made a mistake, making the maid's hearts ache. But when he smiled and laughed, it was if the heavens were smiling through him. He was a dumb, loveable kid. Even when his mother struck him in private frustration, even when the other noble children mocked him, even with no friends and a distant father, he still smiled and loved. For Freya.
They were inseparable. Even when he was younger he would sneak into her room to make her laugh. Her first word was his name, or more precisely ,"Artor." Their bond only grew after that.
When Arthur turned fifteen, the tale of Lucius defeating an elder dragon became a legend. When his brothers decided to see the Church parade their cousin through Ren City, they invited Arthur and Freya to come along.
It stung that the invitation was only for Freya's sake, but it was the first time they were including him. He would take it.
His brothers, busy with their careers, looked different. Trysten wore casual but sharp clothes, while Matthew carried himself with a distinguished, proud air. They adored Freya, but with Arthur, they never knew what to say. He was different, a house guest in his own home. His dark brown hair, a mirror of his father's, stood against their mother's blonde legacy, a constant reminder of the man's neglect. Still, time apart had softened them. With their father absent and their mother's mental health fading, they were all each other had left.
By late afternoon, they reached the city's Center. Pushing through the bustling crowds, Arthur's eyes were drawn upwards, past the banners and rooftops. There, in the central plaza, stood the city's ancient symbol, a massive golden stone statue of a Phoenix. Its wings were spread as if for flight, and even weathered by centuries, it held a majestic, watchful air but the reason for its existence had been lost to time.
By evening, trumpets blared as a horse- drawn carriage arrived. Officials on horseback surrounded it. Arthur was nervous. It had been years since he and Lucius had spoken. They had been close once, but from the day Lucius began losing his sight, he had become distant, as if Arthur didn't exist. The memory still hurt. To everyone's surprise, the first to exit wasn't Lucius, but another high-profile Synchrite.
Jacen, known as the Slayer, awed the crowd with his presence. With slicked-backed black hair, a tall frame, and two blades on his hips, he exuded an aura of deadly power. A stunned silence turned to whispers, then to reverence. The crowd erupted as he waved for quiet, a slight smile on his face.
"You are all gathered here today to see the face of the saviour of Leria!" His voice boomed, reaching the farthest corners of the crowd. "The one who single-handedly brought down a fearsome Elder Flo beast! A dragon so terrifying, even we trained Synchrites were cautious of it! Yet! A Mere boy traversed the mountains! A mere boy slew the beast! A mere boy came back down dragging the carcass with power as if given to him by the Arc itself!" He paused, letting the anticipation peak. "I preset to you. Lucius. The Praised!"
Lucius stepped out.