The King With The Iron Mask
The moonlight dims as you carry the wind towards the cemetery
The ugly face was crying behind the iron mask.
He still remembered his mother's last cry, during the last spring when they were together
Kingdom of Paradise
A king with an iron mask who always shows the same expression. He tried to write poetry even though his hand was starting to weaken. Occasionally he winced in pain when his skin accidentally touched the rough thread of the luxurious clothes he was wearing.
"Your Majesty, I have come with a doctor who will examine your condition." Said an old servant who loyally accompanied the young king.
"Let him in!"
"Very well, Your Majesty!"
A middle-aged man entered with sturdy steps into the private room of the young king who was called the ugly king. Ten years have passed since his coronation as king following the death of his father on the battlefield. Until today, he has never once shown his face without a mask in front of his people.
They admire him, worship him like a god who gives blessings to nature. But he knew that they would not be able to accept his condition if they saw his face.
"How long will you hide your face, Your Majesty?" Sebastian, the old servant who had taken care of him since childhood, kept pressing him with the same question.
The king just remained silent while enjoying the pain when the doctor removed the bandage that was wrapped around his entire right wrist.
The stench of the wounds eating away at his skin wafted. Even though the doctor had done it slowly, the young king still felt the pain.
"That's not necessary, Sebastian. I don't think I will live long enough to show them my ugly face. Let them know me as the ugly king that the nobles say."
"Those bastards are getting bolder and bolder in insulting you, Your Majesty! I think it's time for you to punish them for their impudence." Sebastian growled in annoyance every time he remembered how the nobles and royal officials always insulted the king when the king was not with them.
They called him a weak king, useless and cursed because of the crimes of his ancestors who had seized the land of Paradise from the Almaric Empire 300 years ago. They just didn't know that the king's illness was not a curse.
The king remained silent, no one knew what kind of expression he was currently showing behind his mask. He rarely speaks if it is not very important and rarely appears in public if there is nothing urgent. His illness meant he had to be isolated in a quiet room and rarely interacted with many people. If he were not a king, no one would want to have anything to do with him.
"Just let them say whatever they want. I can't silence everyone's mouths, Sebastian. I can just cover my ears and that's better."
Sebastian was silent, his feelings were touched and it made him ashamed of himself. He is 72 years old, but he lost to a young man who was not yet 23 years old.
"You are so wise, Your Majesty. If only they saw your good side. Then I am sure, they would prostrate themselves at your feet."
"I'm not God, they don't need to bow down at my feet. I've sent a letter to my two sisters, Irina and Alexandra, please send it to them!"
"I'll do it immediately, Your Majesty!"
Sebastian saw two letters on the table and when he took the letters, he accidentally read a poem that the King had written in his favorite book.
His eyes were wet, he knew who the poem was intended for and it left him speechless.
"The king will not be 23 years old, we must immediately decide who is the next heir to the throne. His Majesty is not married and has no children, his two sisters will not be able to become queens because the female ruler is not recognized. However, we can hand over the half-brother king to become heir if there is no other candidate who can replace him."
Every time he remembered that it made Sebastian furious. They really wanted the king to die quickly, because then they could elect new incompetent ministers so they could take over all the kingdom's assets for themselves.
"Sebastian!"
"Yes, Your Majesty?"
"You've sent a letter to my sword master, Master Gordon of Silsila? When will his knight come to the palace?"
"He has chosen four young knight who is known to be very tough and intelligent, Your Majesty. But he doesn't expect you to go to war even though there are knights as tough as that with you!"
"I already have three great knights who will accompany me, I need one more knight. I cannot continue to remain silent and wait for news about the number of our knights who died. If we don't stop them now, then they will succeed in entering our territory. "
"But your condition doesn't allow you to-"
"I know, Sebastian. But I believe in my teacher's prophecy about four Silsila warriors who will help me to defend this kingdom. Three of them are already with us and now we only need to wait for one last warrior."
"Why do you believe in that prediction so much, Your Majesty? What if the prediction is not proven and actually makes the condition of our kingdom worse?"
"I believe in Mr. Gordon, Sebastian. He was the one who trained a weak and disabled young man like me to ride and wield a sword. If it weren't for him, I would never be able to lead my soldiers on the battlefield. Mr. Gordon can see the future through his dreams and when he dreamed about my mother's death in the spring, the dream came true."
"Okay, I understand. I will try to send a letter so that Mr. Gordon of Silsila immediately sends his best soldiers before Almaric's soldiers penetrate Paradise's borders."
Silsila Village
The tough knight was named Sapphire, his small body was no obstacle for him to defeat his opponent.
Praaang...
The sword slipped from Veros' hand, his skin was cut and fresh blood dripped from the open wound.
"Tch, I have to admit you're really great, Sapphire!" Even though I hate to admit it. However, Veros had to admit the greatness of this young man who was less than six feet tall, perhaps even far less than six feet tall.
Veros, who was already boasting about his muscular posture, was then embarrassed by Sapphire. Sapphire looked at Veros with a cold gaze, she hated being looked down upon by everyone who thought that she was unfit to be a king's knight.
Gordon from Silsila is said to be the best teacher for prospective soldiers who will dedicate their body and soul to Paradise. He lost his left eye and left arm while fighting dozens of Almaric soldiers 10 years ago alone when all his comrades had died. He was the only survivor even though he lost one eye and one arm.
"You can return to headquarters, Veros. I have decided that Sapphire will be the last knight to go to the palace." Gordon said. Veros looked annoyed, even though he lost to Sapphire this time. But before that he was far superior.
All the knights who serve Paradise definitely want to go to the palace and become the chosen knight s who will accompany and protect the king both in the palace and on the battlefield. They will definitely get high honors, medals and money.
It has been one year since the king decided to look for four of the greatest warriors to be his personal bodyguards to the battlefield, after three of them had been selected. Now the last soldier has been determined.
"Why does Sapphire have to be chosen? I am far superior in strength and physical endurance, why is it that you can decide so easily in just one small fight?" Veros, who did not accept Gordon's decision, loudly opposed his decision.
"Just because you weren't chosen to be one of the king's four personal guards, doesn't mean you can't be a knight, Veros. You can stay in Silsila and go to the battlefield for the battles to come. Hundreds of our soldiers die every time a battle takes place, "Therefore, as much as possible we fight back and protect the king we love."
"I heard that the king who leads Paradise right now is just a king with a strange disease who keeps wearing a mask. He must be hiding an ugly face behind that mask." Veros wiped the sweat from his forehead with a piece of cloth. His bad attitude showed absolutely no respect for the king.
If Veros was not the son of Reinhard, the legendary warrior of Paradise, he would have beheaded him long ago.
"Ugly or not, Your Majesty has succeeded in defending the kingdom to this day. Five years ago, I witnessed with my own eyes how Your Majesty succeeded in repelling the enemy troops whose number was three times greater than the number of our knight. The current King whose not yet 17 years old, he managed to unite the strength of the remaining soldiers and with his courage, to this day we are all still free from the grip of our enemies."