Vigilant was awoken by the chimes of a bell. The young monarch opened his eyes with a groan and looked around his suite for the origin of the sound. It was then he noticed a white Silfy maid by the doors to his chambers. She was a Silfy unicorn, as was evident by the horn on her forehead which glowed a soft white. She held a golden bell and a tray with a silver lid in her magical grasp. She gave him a shy smile and walked up to a dining table on the other end of the suite. The table stood in front of a window covered in red and golden drapes. The maid pulled them aside to let in more light into the room. The prince just pulled a pillow over his eyes to shield them from the intrusive golden sun.

“His divine excellency has sent you some coffee and sweetbread. There have been new skirmishes by the eastern border, and so his divine self can not attend breakfast just yet. However the meeting should not take long, honored prince Vigilant Watch,” the maid said.

“There’s no need for the ‘honored’ part. Just say prince Vigilant or prince, I don’t care which you’ll use,” the Cosean stallion mumbled and removed the pillow from his head.

The maid removed the lid from the tray with a flourish and bowed towards Vigilant. “Of course, prince Vigilant.”

On the tray, there were thin slices of light bread and a cup filled with coffee. Vigilant got up from his bed and stretched. He observed the maid as he walked over to the table and picked up a slice of the sweetbread. Vigilant had only seen a few Silfy ponies on Cosea and most of them had been stallions. They had been battle-scarred, rugged, and aggressive. The maid in front of him however was the complete opposite. Her white skin held no blemish, her back fin did not miss any parts, and she shyly looked away when she noted his starring.

“Would… Would the prince want me to service him?” she asked with a blush.

Vigilant tilted his head and looked at the maid with confusion. Her tail curled and she placed her left front leg behind her right. The prince took a bite from the sweetbread and hummed at the taste. It reminded him of sugar, but it held an interesting sting to it.

“What would this service entail?” Vigilant took a sip from the coffee with another hum.

The white maid turned a bright pink and swallowed. “Well… All delegates and foreign dignitaries are given a personal maid once they arrive in Tarnov. A part of that maid’s duties is to help relieve stress and tension, and this maid is trained to do so.”

“So like a massage? I could use one before the meeting with the emperor, I feel as stiff as a piece of driftwood after my time at sea.”

“No… While I can give you a massage, I have received such training, my services are more of the… carnal kind, prince Vigilant,” the maid blushed.

Vigilant froze and his eyes widened. He looked at the maid with his mouth agape and he tried to form a sentence. Instead, he let out a flustered cluster of words and looked away. “No mare should willingly offer her body to a stallion. Are you not ashamed that you are supposed to act as a common prostitute? Are the daughters of Silfy so willing to ruin themselves?”

The maid looked shocked at his words before her gaze fell to the floor. She took in a deep breath before she tried to answer him. “I am sorry if I have offended you, prince Vigilant. It is merely an extension of my duties-”

“Get out. I am grateful that you delivered breakfast to me, but I want you to leave. Neither of us should succumb to such sin,” the prince said with a flustered cough.

The maid looked at him with confusion. “Sin? Carnal pleasure is no sinning here, nor have it ever been considered a sin for a mare to offer herself to a stallion.”

“Well, it is a sin on Cosea, a sin and a sign of depravity. Leave.”

The maid nodded and left the suite with her head hung low. Vigilant exhaled deeply and he had to lean back into his chair and calm his heart. It beat at a fast pace and his cheeks were as red as the drapes by the window. Never had a mare so brazenly offered herself to him. Not even the boldest of noble’s daughters had dared ask the prince to mate. Yet here a simple maid dared not just ask him but held no shame before the gods about it. Vigilant placed a paw on his chest and took a deep breath to calm down. He stood up and walked over to his closet once his heart no longer threatened to jump out of his chest.

“Let us hope the emperor is more reasonable than his servants...” the prince mumbled.

Vigilant got dressed in a black silk shirt with white puffy frills along his shoulders. The same puffy ring of white material could be found around his wrists. The prince then placed a golden band around his head to signify his rank and on top of that he styled his gelatinous mane to resemble a bun. The black and white, along with the puffy frills, was the highest of fashion in Silfy. The bun was a traditional Cosean look and one that was easy to pull off. Finally, the prince placed a golden chain around his neck with a green gem attached to it. Some display of wealth other than the silk fabric and crown was needed. As the prince looked over himself in the mirror he found himself to look quite appealing.

“Perhaps I was too harsh on that poor maid… I do look quite striking in this- No. Such thoughts lead to nothing but sin and misery,” the prince glared at his reflection and pointed to the door. “Purge those thoughts. Focus on the emperor, you need his favor dammit. You will go out that door and face him like a true king. You will walk away having gained a new ally, or the gods may curse your step.”

Vigilant then walked to the chair by the dining table and window and waited. And waited. And waited some more.

After two hours there was a knock on the door and a large dark green Silfy stallion walked inside. He was clad in heavy black steel armor and he held a spear in his paw. “The prince is summoned for lunch with his Divine Excellency Emperor Terasias III, prince of the rolling steps, conqueror of dragons, owner of the northern sea, dorus of the Yilma tribe, lord of the island Tebetia, protector of the holy land, rightful heir to the crystal throne, and vessel for the greatest of all gods. You will adhere to him with his rightful title of ‘divine’ or none at all.”

Vigilant looked at the stallion for a second with an amused smile as if the guard would reveal it was all a joke. “The emperor has so many titles?”

“His Divine Excellency Emperor Terasias III has many more titles, but those are the most important for one of your standing and background,” the guard huffed.

Vigilant’s smile fell and his ears dropped. “Oh.”

“You have been instructed to make yourself presentable and to then appear in the dining room,” the guard walked a circle around the prince with a scrutinizing eye before he returned to the door.

“Why is a member of the guard checking out if I am presentable or not? Is that not assigned to a chamberlain or the maid staff?” Vigilant asked.

The guard hummed. “If you were to simply attend a party among the aristocracy or meet with someone in the palace, not of the royal family may I add, then perhaps a simple maid would have sufficed. But you are to meet with his Divine Majesty himself! Only someone of rank, and someone of correct background, may decide if you are presentable for the emperor.”

The prince eyed the guard as if the scars and armor would tell him where the stallion had come from. “The correct background?”

“My father was a tailor, and so was I before I joined our honorable army.”

“Ah. Well, do I pass?”

The guard eyed Vigilant one more time before he nodded. “Yes, I suppose you are presentable. I would have preferred you in something blue or green, but I hardly think his Divine Excellence will care for my color preference or my thoughts of the latest fashion. You are good to go, follow me.”

The guard left the room and Vigilant followed. They walked down a long corridor with a myriad of doors to their left which led to guestrooms. Between each door were expensive glass casings that displayed artifacts and heirlooms. Decorative weapons made from silver and gold were also hung on the walls and banners which bore Silfy’s shark tooth flag hung from the ceiling. The carpet their paws walked upon was soft as a cloud and black as night. The staff they met did not smile nor bow their heads at the prince, they simply stared forward and walked past like the Cosean stallion did not exist. Vigilant felt a twinge of anger at being ignored and he glared at the servants, though he was broken out of his sour mood as the guard coughed to get his attention.

“They are not supposed to greet you or look upon you, Prince Vigilant. You are of royal descent, and unless the emperor himself permits them then they are to consider themselves too lowly to even look upon you or speak to you.”

“I see… But how am I supposed to get their attention if I need help with something?” the prince asked.

“You have a maid assigned to you as your guide and helper. Should you need assistance then she will provide it. If she is not available then the guards posted outside your door will help you. If they are not available either then find the chamberlain. Now it should be impossible for your guards to be missing since they are ordered, by the emperor himself may I add, to stay posted outside your quarters. They are to remain there until they are replaced by the next shift. If you find that the chamberlain is also missing then something is horribly wrong and you should seek out a military official. If all that fails then find your own people, understood?”

Vigilant nodded and dodged out of the way of a guard patrol. “Understood.”

“Good. As a guest of honor, you will enter the room before the emperor. You will seat yourself, but you will not take a relaxed position or eat anything before the emperor arrives. You will be ready to stand and greet his divine excellency when he enters,” the guard said.

“I will greet him as my mentor has instructed,” the prince replied as they turned a corner.

The guard looked back at him with unease but he reluctantly nodded. “Yes… I hope your mentor has prepared you well. A king needs a good father figure.”

Vigilant tilted his head at the stallion. “My mentor is a mare, the head priestess of the Cosean church in fact. An honorable and beautiful mare.”

“...You Coseans sure are something...” the guard mumbled.

“I expect a little more respect. I may be a guest, but I am still a king,” Vigilant said with a huff.

The guard shook his head. “In Silfy you earn your respect, remember that well prince Vigilant.”

The guard stopped and saluted as the pair reached an oak door decorated with a shark tooth emblem made from gold. The door swung open by itself and Vigilant nodded to the guard before he entered. The room was long and lavish, with a long dining table in its middle with a mahogany chair at the far end and an oak chair on the other. A plate filled with shellfish and crab was placed in front of each of the chairs and a cup of tea was placed next to it. An odd combination, but tea was an important social drink among the Silfy aristocracy as it was among the Cosean one. The room also had three silver chandeliers hung from the ceiling, a polished wooden floor, and paintings from famous artists displayed on the wall. The prince froze in awe as he noticed a painting of a Cosean unicorn stallion who held a trident. The stallion was dressed in a great robe made from wolf skin and he wore a golden crown so decorated with jewels that it had to weigh down his head. The sea seemed to form around the stallion and the constellations shone brightly in the sky. Vigilant mumbled a prayer to Morgana, the goddess of the arts, and took a closer look. The canvas bore no name, only a mark of a golden seashell. Vigilant’s eyes widened as he saw the symbol and he took a step back.

“Your mother painted that one. She made it during the peace negotiations between me and dictator Storm. She made it to remind me that her queendom could still produce strong kings.”

The voice was deep and rich, it thundered across the room as if said through a voice amplification spell, yet there was not a hint of magic from the sound. It sent a shiver down Vigilant’s spine. A hoof hit the polished wood floor and it felt like the floor shook from the impact. The prince dared not look to his left, towards the door. The temperature in the room rose as the clip-clop of hooves came closer and closer. Finally Vigilant looked upon the creature which had entered the room.

Emperor Terasis III stood a head taller than the young prince. The stallion was shrouded in a red cape from the finest silk which dragged on the floor behind him. His skin was black, but age had started to show its hand as what had once been a rich, firm black was now greyed and dulled. The same could be said for the emperor’s blonde mane, it was almost a pale white. Yet as if to mask his age the emperor had white powered across his face, it gave him a dignified look, one akin to a judge. On his head was a golden crown decorated with shark teeth, rubies, and runic symbols. Around the stallion’s neck was a thick red band that was decorated with military honors and medals. Yet the thing that was the most striking was Terasias’ eyes. They were golden, yet they glowed and shifted like a wave on a stormy sea. Vigilant felt like someone pressed down on his lungs as the emperor leaned in for a better look. The prince threw himself to the floor and bowed, he pressed his ears against his head and slammed his paddled tail into the floor.

Terasias shook his head and walked towards the table. The emperor removed the cape and seated himself in the mahogany chair. “I can now see she was wrong. Stand, prince Vigilant, we are both monarchs. In this room, we are equals, for better and for worse.”

Vigilant slowly stood up and walked over to the oak chair on the other side of the table. He looked at the emperor with unease. The stallion was clearly not impressed with him, but he would not disobey Servis' advice. He bowed his head at Terasias and the emperor scoffed.

“This is why I told your mother to raise you here. You bow like a mare, instead of standing tall like a king. I wonder what else those advisors of hers have told you. Did they tell you to kiss the hooves of all maids that pass you? Are you supposed to give your lovers a wooden cock and let them ram it up your rear? Did that priestess of yours promise you some rewards if you did as she asked?” the emperor said.

Vigilant breathed out in anger but he kept his head down. “I don’t think such language is appropriate-”

“Look me in the eyes as you speak, boy! Do I need to send for my daughter so you dare speak with someone? Show some damn spine!”

Vigilant bit his cheek and looked up at the emperor with a glare. “I will not hear such talk.”

Terasias grinned at the sight and nodded. He picked up his tea with magic and sipped from it. “There it is… Your father’s anger. I hoped you had inherited it, you need it. After all, you are all alone in a nation of mares.”

The prince looked at the emperor with a grimace. “I have friends and allies.”

The emperor looked up from his cup of tea with a raised brow. “Do you?”

The response threw the young prince for a loop and he blinked in confusion at the stallion before him. The comment had been so strange and in any other situation he would have disregarded it entirely, but Vigilant knew that at least one person close to him could not be trusted. The problem was that he did not know who they were.

Vigilant picked up his own cup of tea and sipped on it with a frown. “I do. I met a childhood friend recently, he was kind enough to follow me here to Silfy. He is probably touring your military installations as we speak.”

“Ah yes, I was informed of a Cosean stallion who confidently marched into the fort on Cairmain island and asked to see the cannons. Said he was an important delegate and all that. I allowed him to tour out of amusement. For a Cosean he has balls to just walk up and ask something like that from a Silfy soldier,” Terasias smirked.

“That does sound like Sayian. He is confident in his abilities, as he should be after his service with the Silveltians. He is also a very loyal friend.”

The emperor dropped his smile at the mention of the republic and put down his cup. “Yes, I suppose even the Silveltians have more spine than the common Cosean stallion. Perhaps the only thing of value that exchange could have given him. And with all due respect, prince, I don't think any of your people have an ounce of true loyalty.”

“My people are quite loyal. They love the royal family, and they felt great sorrow upon my mother’s death. I hardly think you can insult their bond to the crown,” Vigilant said.

“People are fickle, believe me,” Terasias said and drank from his cup, “The people of all nations are fickle and they are just as likely to betray you as they are to help you. Loyalty is not what keeps them in line, but fear. This is something you must know, prince. Your soldiers do not salute out of pride and loyalty alone, but out of fear of what happens if they don’t. People are like sheep, they move at the beck and call a single shout and fall in line when they feel threatened. That you think they are loyal shows how misguided your upbringing has been.”

Vigilant growled. “I was taught by my mother to trust in others. She made sure I knew that our people’s loyalty did not just come from an iron paw or pointed spear. She made sure that I knew who to invest my trust in. Our people do not stab each other in the back.”

“And have you placed this trust in the Shekel council? Are you sure they won’t betray you?”

Vigilant looked at the emperor with unease. “What do you mean?”

Terasias put down his teacup and gave the prince a look of pity. “I called you here because you are the only one left. Your mother is gone, and your father perished before he could impact your life. The two most important people for your growth and security have been removed from the picture, and all that remains is that council...”

“The council wishes only the best for me, even if I often disagree with them. But it is not my place to question their decisions unless it is necessary. They are not just my peers, but they are also mares. The faith dictates that I adhere to their voice before my own.”

“Which is where the problem lies. You have fickle mares in positions of religious, military, and state power. You entrust them with such important roles where a proper stallion should be. You put all your trust in the faith, but that very trust will be your downfall if you are not careful. The second they have the chance that council will replace you with a mare,” Terasias said and glared.

Vigilant bared his teeth and magic sparked from his horns. “Do NOT insult the faith, old man. I am of the royal family and the head of our church. The council would never turn their back on the blood which flows from my veins, blood bearing the gods' blessing. I may be a stallion, but I still sit on the seashell throne.”

Terasias snorted at his anger. “Which is why they’ll put up with you until you sire a female heir, hopefully before your coronation. Be careful from the advances of mares in the coming months, remember that protection spells are important.”

Vigilant grew flustered and cleared his throat. “I do not need your help with such things.”

“Clearly you do. You are willing to put your trust in that council, which they will abuse, so reject any proposal of suitable wives or mates. If you have a female heir then they will no longer have any use of you. And your ‘loyal’ people would happily welcome a mare to the throne. Perhaps they would simply think a wife is enough before they get rid of you like they did your mother.”

A chill ran down Vigilant’s spine and his eyes turned to pinpricks as he watched the stallion before him. The golden eyes of the emperor shone brightly for a second and he smiled. Vigilant shrugged it off and cleared his throat. “That is a heavy accusation to throw at my council.”

“Yet it is true, is it not? Perhaps I am just paranoid, after all, I have had many poisons slipped into my drinks, but your mother’s death does not strike me as an accident. Neither did your father’s when it happened. You have many forces on your island who wish to get rid of you, prince Vigilant, and I can’t stop them if they depose you. As much as I tear into your nation and faith, your navy is mighty—you can thank your grandmother for that—and I would rather not have a hostile nation in control of some of the most important trade routes and colonies in the world. Remember to not trust anyone, or it will be the end of you.”

The rest of the lunch passed without much said. As the meal was finished Terasias rose from his seat and pulled the cape over his back. He looked at Vigilant with an inquisitive look before he sighed and walked out of the room. Vigilant felt like he had failed a test in one of Servis' classes, only this was much worse. When he returned to his room he simply laid down on the bed and stared up into the ceiling. He laid there until dinner time where he met with the emperor once more. The guard escorted him to a much larger dining room than the one he had met Terasis in for lunch. The right side of the room opened up to a wide balcony where one could look out over Tarnov and the sea. The dinner was also attended by more than just Vigilant and Terasias. Some noble stallions dressed in black and white approached the prince as he entered the room and presented themselves. A duke there, a viscount here, some young baron over yonder. Every one of these stallions held their head high and presented their title first before they delved into how they were related to the emperor and therefore allowed to partake in dinners meant for Terasias household.

Vigilant yawned as the tirades continued. Some of the stallions did share interesting tidbits about the city, like the Hall of Heroes, which was a giant mausoleum where war heroes were put to rest and immortalized with a statue. Vigilant did also listen with interest at the mention of an arena just north of the city where brave warriors could face off against one another with a hefty bag of coins as a prize for the winner. However, the tournament only occurred every six months, and Vigilant had missed it by three months. When Vigilant asked what the arena was used for the rest of the time, the nobles replied that it was a military training ground.

It was at point a steward—dressed in a very large, frilly, and puffy white collar—slammed a ceremonial golden staff into the ground five times, and the nobles all seated themselves by the table. Vigilant looked around with unease until he noticed that Terasias nodded to a chair opposite of himself. The prince hurried to the seat and sat down. He looked down at the six plates which laid before him, the smallest one on top and the largest in the bottom. On each side of the plate was a row of utensils, knives to the left, forks to the right, with every third utensil being a spoon. In front of the plates were four different glasses. Vigilant recognized two of them, one for red wine and one for white wine, but the other two confused him. The third glass was almost shaped like a snake and it was beautifully crafted with stars and the emblem of shark teeth around a sun on its side. The fourth glass was a short, simple, and round glass. Vigilant assumed the last one was for water. He bit his lip in worry as he looked over it all. He had read about Silfy's customs, but he could not remember everything from the chapter on fine dining.

He looked up to the emperor for help, but instead, his eyes were drawn to the amount of space was left for the monarch. Terasias sat on a golden chair with three more to his right and four more to his left. The emperor looked to the first seat to his left with a frown. The Silfy stallion's gaze almost seemed to penetrate the wood.

That is when the steward by the door cleared his throat. "Now that all gentlemen are seated, and our glorious emperor has blessed us with his presence this evening, may I present Athena II, the third child of his divine excellency Terasis III, first princess of the empire, lady of Zawargart island, and inheritor of the holy spirit. All may rise with the exception for his divine excellency."

Vigilant stood up along with the rest of the attending nobles and looked towards the doors as they opened. His eyes widened at what he saw. A black paw set foot over the threshold and slowly the princess entered the room. A few of the attendees craned their necks to see the royal mare as she made her way to the table. Vigilant's eyes were frozen on her. The black dress she wore was laced with sparkling black silk and it cascaded down her neck all the way to her tail. A hole was cut along the back of the dress to allow room for her back-fin. Her skin was a grandiose black and even the sunlight seemed to warp around it to create a halo around her form. Vigilant wondered if it was a trick of the light or the power of the supposed god who lived inside her. Athena's golden mane was cut short into a pixie cut and a silver hairclip was added for extra effect. A firm purple mascara was drawn under her eyes and her lips were coated blood red. Both of her ears had three piercings in them which at first appeared as normal steel, though as the mare came closer one could see the subtle blue glow to them. They were made from adamantine. The princess also held two earrings who also were made from adamantine and they consisted of a long chain with a small sword attached to it. Finally, his eyes shifted to Athena's crown. It was made from silver with seven sharp edges that jetted out like peaks of mighty mountains.

To say that Vigilant was enthralled was an understatement. The prince watched with a slack jaw as the Silfy mare made her way to the table and seated herself on the chair second left from Terasias. Athena then pulled out a white rose and placed it onto the chair between her and her father. The emperor smiled brightly at the rose and bent down to kiss both of his daughter's cheeks before he turned his gaze to Vigilant.

"Athena, this is crown prince Vigilant Watch of Cosea. He is an honored guest and should be treated as such, is that understood?" Terasias said with a stern tone.

Athena bowed her head at her father and turned her gaze upon Vigilant. A shiver ran down Vigilant's spine as she gave him a cold look and her expression stood still as marble. Nothing indicated anger or frustration from the princess, her teeth were not barred and her tail moved aimlessly, but he could tell from her look alone that something was wrong. It was then the princess bowned her head deeply at the prince.

"I shall be of service, prince Vigilant."

Vigilant shot up from his chair, eyes wide and mouth open in horror. "No! There is no need to bow! If anything I should bow," the prince said and bowed his head low, "Do not worry yourself with such things, I will be fine."

Athena looked up at him with a curious look and tilted her head before she returned to her cold and neutral expression. "If you say so, prince Vigilant."

Terasias watched their interaction with intrigue and nodded to Athena. "My daughter will show you around our beautiful capital tomorrow. You must get to know our nation if we are to be friends."

"Do you want to show me around, Athena?" Vigilant asked.

"I do what the emperor commands," the princess said curtly.

Silfy mares dressed in maid uniforms entered the room and they carried plates that held wooden cups and bottles filled with a clear liquid. They put down a cup before each attendee in the room and filled it with the liquid. The nobles ignored the maids, they did not look at them or thank them. Vigilant blinked in confusion and nodded thanks at the maid who filled his cup. The mare did not even look at him. If anything she only hurried away faster once the prince acknowledged her presence. Vigilant looked down at the small cup and smelled it. He flinched and leaned back with a scrunched-up face at the scent. His nostrils burned and he was almost certain the liquid could sustain a fire for some time. It was alcohol, but Vigilant was uncertain what kind.

Terasias raised his small wooden cup. "Then it is decided. Tomorrow prince Vigilant will learn more about our fine nation and all its qualities. But now we raise a toast for our honored guest and the holy spirit! May prince Vigilant rule long and his enemies dance on a bed of lilacs!"

"May they dance and sing in agony from his name!" the rest of the room cried and put the cup to their lips.

Vigilant hurried to mimic the other stallions and pressed the cup against his lips. As the stallions tilted their heads back to drink the prince did the same only to cough violently as the liquid filled his mouth. He managed to swallow it, but tears formed in the corners of his eyes and he continued to cough. The nobles chuckled at his reaction and Terasias snorted.

"Better get used to the taste, prince, because we stallions from Silfy likes to toast!" the emperor declared and the stallions cheered and laughed in agreement.

Vigilant felt his face flush in embarrassment and he kept his eyes on the table, though it was then he noticed Athena pouring another cup of the hellish liquid. The Cosean winced at first as she raised the cup, yet he looked on in surprise as she simply leaned her head back and swallowed it like it was nothing. His interests turned to horror as the mare filled a third cup and drank that one just as easily. Terasias noticed the prince's horror and growled towards Athena.

"Daughter, I expect you to behave like a proper lady when we have guests. This is not a tavern but a fine dinner, and ladies of the court do not get drunk."

Athena glared at her father and her lips slightly parted as if she would snarl. Terasias stared back right back, though his face did not move. Though both father's and daughter's eyes glowed brighter and brighter. Vigilant looked on with unease as it seemed like it became warmer. Condensation formed on the glasses next to the royals and some of the nobles chuckled uncomfortably. The horn of one stallion who sat close to Vigilant lit up as he discretely formed a protective rune on the floor underneath his chair. Vigilant recognized the rune as one of protection against fire magic, it glowed with power from the Ocìc realm.

Vigilant looked at the father and daughter and swallowed thickly. Were they going to fight? Yet at that moment Athena took a deep breath and magically handed over the bottle to her father. It became notably colder and the noble next to Vigilant scrubbed away the protective rune with a cough.

"I apologize. That was unbecoming of a mare of my stature," the princess said and bowed her head.

Terasias huffed and nodded. "Good. Now let us bring in the appetizers and then the soup."

Vigilant learned that Silfy ponies were slow eaters. The stallions could speak for ten minutes before they took another minuscule bite from their plate. At first, he tried to mimic them, but the nobles were reluctant to let him partake in their conversations and Terasis seemed focused on the view of the city. So Vigilant tried to strike up a conversation with Athena, but her responses were short and her bland tone shut down any further conversation. So Vigilant finished his meal before all the other stallions, waited for ages before the next course came, and then the cycle repeated. The prince did pass the time as he drank two bottles of wine, though by the time the dinner was over he could barely walk and had to be escorted back to his room. The nobles had laughed at the sight, Terasias had shaken his head, and Athena had seemingly tried to hide her disgust but it still came through.

As Vigilant fell asleep on the big bed that had been provided to him he just groaned and buried his face in the pillow. The guards outside his door chuckled and joked about something, and the prince assumed they were discussing him. Vigilant summoned forth his magic to pull out Kira's notes from underneath his bed and he pulled out his mother's letter from it. He looked over it for a moment and sighed.

"Why did I ever think I could be like you?..."

The prince fell asleep with the letter next to him, yet it brought no comfort for the coming day.

Author's Note

Thank you for reading this chapter of King of Cosea! I am sorry it has taken me so long to update this story. I have been focused on my university studies and I have tried to not fall behind during this trying time for us students. Zoom lessons can suck it. Anyway, I hope to see what you thought of this new chapter in the comments and I hope you have a pleasant week.