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It’s on the day Rosalyn decided to relinquish her claim to the throne when she realised how family was more than just those determined by blood. The King and Queen had espoused benefits to try to keep her, her fourth brother Pen had bawled, and only John, steady, quiet John, had nodded as if he had expected it. It was to be expected, however. The court had imagined her taking the throne, giving rise to a talented queen, good with magic, who would lead the Breck Kingdom to higher heights.
However, few had realised that her desire to be a mage outstripped her desire to rule. She had always been enchanted by magic, but the biggest push had to be meeting the young black dragon. At a mere four years of age, the dragon was already performing feats of magic that humans could only dream of. She aspired to reach that same height – to use magic like a dragon. It was an extremely greedy wish and she knew it was impossible to reach if she was tied to the throne.
Hence, she did not hesitate when she utilised the magic bomb to destroy her own palace. Its destruction signified that she had nowhere to return to within the Breck Kingdom. This was her determination to go down the path of a mage. That she had taken away her ability to go back home.
She had been a little more lost when deciding where to go to afterwards, but Lock had simply said “Come with us, Noona! Let’s go visit my younger brothers and sisters!” Choi Han had chimed in with “I’m sure Cale-nim would not be bothered by you joining us,” and their destination was set.
A smile graced her lips when she realised, even after she had let go of her royal bloodline, that she still had family members to go with. Family members who understood her and supported whichever path she chose to tread.
Following Choi Han and Lock, she eventually visited Harris Village. The place, which was once Choi Han’s home, was in the midst of being rebuilt.
One of the greatest mysteries about Choi Han, Rosalyn decided, was how he was not formally tied to the Henituse household. Choi Han thought of Cale Henituse first and foremost and did not question any orders that the young master gave. Yet, according to Choi Han, he held no formal position there.
Rosalyn asked the deputy butler Hans for confirmation about this and learnt that this was true. Hans had added, “Count Deruth had raised this issue to young master Cale before, but the young master was adamant that Choi Han was not his subordinate.”
"The same way he was adamant that he did not prioritise the reconstruction of the cemetery?" Rosalyn queried.
The deputy butler flashed a smile as he nodded. "The same way. With his eyes furrowed and his usual frown."
Rosalyn looked down the streets of the Harris Village, now, with scaffolding, and building materials littered around. She looked towards to training field, where Lock's brothers and sisters trained against Hilsman, the Vice Captain of the Guard. And then, in the distance, she could make out the glossy gravestones of the rebuilt cemetery.
It was a significant expense for any single person, even if said person would likely be the strongest swordsman in the continent. It was an invisible string that could become a noose to tie Choi Han to the Henituse Household. Another noble house would have drafted contracts, proposed marriage ties, or even used their power or authority as nobles to do so.
Cale had not asked for anything in return.
It would have made sense if Choi Han had done a large favour to the Henituse household. Rosalyn had asked about this before, a little after they had successfully calmed Lock from his first berserk mode. She could not help but notice how Choi Han had been treated like a VIP within the Henituse residence, escorted by the deputy butler, and how everything, from meals to clothes, had been provided without question to them. So, after they had laid the exhausted Lock to rest, she had asked, “Choi Han, did you save the Cale’s life or something? Why is the Henituse household treating you so well?”
The swordsmaster had chuckled at the question. “It’s the opposite,” he had replied, black eyes seeming to sparkle. “And from my experience, Cale-nim is very, very generous.” Choi Han did not elaborate then, but Rosalyn was starting to understand why Choi Han had wanted to return to the Henituse territory.
Maybe that was why she was not really surprised when a room in the villa was provided to her, and that she was free to use the basement as her magic laboratory. The noble didn't seem to care that she was no longer a princess - that there was no longer any royal benefits for helping her - only shooing her away after providing her the keys.
She would not mind staying a little longer with her new family, within the Henituse household for that.
It was a far more eventful stay then she imagined possible. She had a chance to visit the Magic Tower, as she had originally intended, had witnessed the Jungle’s fire being put out, had battled against Arm atop the Whale Tribe, and even had visited the underground city built by the Dark Elves. It was a freedom she had never had as a princess, to travel freely to a multitude of places. Yet, what stood out to her, was the smaller, quieter moments.
She cherished the times she had accompanied Raon for meals, the time Choi Han and Locke somehow found out about her birthday and had given her a present, the times where she just spent an afternoon chatting with Mary about the wonders of the world. She could immerse herself in the study of magic, locking herself within the basement for hours, and would only be interrupted by calls from Ron or Beacrox for meals. There were no rigid timetables where she had to go for etiquette classes, no political tea times with stuffy nobles that were only thinking of benefits. She was free to do as she wished, to indulge in the smaller pleasures of life without feeling harassed by the duty of being royalty.
However, the blood of the Breck Kingdom royalty flowed in her veins. When young master Cale had dropped the bombshell of the northern kingdoms’ alliance, her mind went back to her homeland. She thought of her parents, her five siblings, and of the people within the Breck Kingdom. They were still people she owed a responsibility to and she had to make sure that they were adequately prepared for a future war.
For a moment, she contemplated picking up the shackles once more, to lead and protect the kingdom she was born in.
But cold, reddish brown eyes told of another way.
“Miss Rosalyn, do you think it is necessary to give up on other things important to you in order to achieve your dream? You can go visit your family as mage.”
The young master of the household said this as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He did not put chains on any of the people around him, no, he usually told them to do whatever they wanted, and simply provided support in the form of resources without question. It was an unspoken, warm trust that they would not betray his expectations. Choi Han, Locke and all the others had already made up their minds to pay back what had been given to them, and she was no different.
So, of course, she had to return with souvenirs. There were simply too many things she had to return to, within this new home she had found with her friends.