WHO MADE ME A PRINCE
chapter seventy five - the secret and mana.

LIFE WAS GOING PRETTY WELL. Arius was happy. Everything was going so well. The next week was filled with fun for him.

He would go to the Aquamarine mansion every day to talk with Millicent and play with Edwin and Edna.

Athanasia started tagging along as well.

Claude had yet to speak of Arius's aunt, but Arius decided to not ask much since Millicent was also hesitant.

The Villareals would join them for dinner on alternate days and as I said before, life was going pretty well.

And now was the last day of the Villareals visit. They were going to leave the next morning. And to spend the last day, they planned to go out in the city.

A secret day out.

And when I said they, I mean Edwin, Edna, Arius, Athanasia and their knights.

And so when they were all done with lunch, the six of them gathered and they teleported to the city. Arius changed their appearance and told everyone to stick close.

Arius wanted to introduce Edwin and Edna to his friends in the city, but as soon as they came to the city, Edna and Edwin revealed a list of places they were dying to visit.

"Didn't you come to the city about five times already?" Arius asked as he stared at the long list.

"And isn't the city big enough to still have things we have yet to see?" Edna answered as she took out a pen from her bag.

"Sure." Arius shrugged. "Gun , Cad, you guys can go on to meet them. We'll meet up at the Wfiren Market by sunset, at the fountain."

"Your Highness we can't leave you all alone. We're you're knights." Gunther reasoned.

"Gun, you go, I'll stay here." Cadell concluded.

"What? No. "

"Geez, You haven't seen Mia for a while now. I go on errands in the city and usually drop in for a while."

"Errands?" Arius asked as he gave Athanasia a questioning gaze.

Athanasia just averted her gaze and rushed the two knights conversation. "Okay so. it's decided! Cad is staying! "

And so, the leaf-head separated from the rest of the group.

"Okay then, what's first on your list?" Arius asked Edna.

Edna smiled wickedly as she gave Arius the list.

Arius gulped as he went through the list of places.

Today was gonna be a very long day.

THEY VISITED APOTHECARIES as Edna had a unique interest in herbs and was hoping to find ones that didn't grow in Feradona. Well herbs was a vague word, she was more or less asking the shop owners about poisons.

Arius made a mental note to never, ever, ever, get on her bad side.

Next they had gone through the alley markets of Obelia.

They didn't get anything from there but they enjoyed the market's liveliness and variety. There were snake charmers and eagle tamers.

Athanasia wanted to touch the eagle and so they all had turns for the eagle to stand on their shoulders.

Surprisingly, Athanasia remained calm when the eagle gripped her shoulder with its sharp claws.

On the other hand Edwin screamed and hid behind Edna a second after the eagle touched it.

As someone who was fond of snakes, Arius challenged Edwin to keep a snake on his shoulder for a whole five minutes.

Arius was expecting him to scream again, but Edwin seemed more comfortable with snakes than eagles.

The snake charmer had two cobras, and although he was reluctant to allow the children to touch and place the snakes on their shoulders, he was impressed as well.

Edna too crouched down and patted the snakes which was a strange sight for the two royals and their knight.

They came across a stall of a variety of items. Hair pins, bracelets, small glass bottles filled with strange fluids.

A set of daggers, pocket watches and well, many random objects.

Arius pointed towards the glass bottles, "What are those?"

The stall owner, who wore a cloak, replied "Potions."

Arius raised his eyebrow. I mean, they do exist in this world, but to find them laying on a random street stall isn't normal.

"Welcome children, you won't find a stall like this no matter how far you search the market. I have everything one would want, Magic potions, weapons, jewelry for such adorable ladies like yourselves, ancient and magic artifacts."

A certain pocket watch caught Athanasia's eye, it was silver with delicate green gemstones embedded at the sides, and a center design of a leafless tree.

"Athy do you want it?" Arius whispered, but Athanasia shook her head left and right.

"It's cute, but unnecessary."

Arius shrugged and looked towards Edwin who was eyeing a certain dagger. "You like it?" Arius leaned forward.

A bronze sheathed dagger. It looked old.

"Wouldn't this break quickly?" Arius asked Edwin.

Edwin grazed his finger over the hilt before picking it and taking out the blade. It had a few cuts at the edges, probably due to being used a lot.

"It's durable." Edwin declared.

Before he could ask the price Edna asked the woman,

"Do you have Azlorphus?"

Arius, Athanasia and Cadell turned to Edna with a look, like saying, 'Az–what?'.

"It's a poison, the one she's been searching for everywhere." Edwin whispered to them.

"Of course I do. As I said, I have everything one would want. "

The stall owner searched through her bag, taking out several glass bottles with different labels. And then finally one with Azlorphus.

Edna observed the glass bottle, a fiery orange fluid entrapped within it. There were a few black things spinning around in that fluid as well.

"How much for it?"

"2 Gold Coins."

"That's too much."

"Take it or leave it."

". . . Fine." Edna grumbled, "Let's go guys."

As she walked away, Arius whispered to her, "Hey, you've been looking for it since afternoon, you really wanted it, I'll pay for it. "

Edna paused in her steps.

"It's not worth it at that cost. Leave it."

"But–"

"I second that, Plus buying things from shady markets, it might not be authentic." Cadell added.

Edna nodded.

"Then let's move forward."

And the group then moved to the Wifren market, to meet up with Gunther and to look through the market.

There were bookstores and food stalls and fortune tellers and so many more things spread around the market.

And it's no wonder they all got seperated quickly. Well, not all of them. But Edna, Edwin and Cadell were going towards the bookstores, and when they turned Arius and Athanasia were gone.

Meanwhile Arius and Athanasia were standing around the fortune telling stalls.

They turned around to realize they were separated.

Both sides didn't panic and instead had the same thought, "Let's head to the fountain."

That's where they were supposed to meet up with Gunther and so the one marked point of their meeting.

The crowd was getting denser, Arius held Athanasia's hand so as to not get seperated. They began making their way among the crowd, but Athanasia stopped.

"Athy what's. . ." Arius saw her staring at one of the stalls. An old man, a fortune teller, was sitting on the rock ground.

"Would you like to have your fortune read?"

"Athy, these things are mostly fake." Arius whispered, so as to not offend the old man.

"Hm, yes you're right, it's just I felt a stare and looked around."

"You two . . . are different from the rest of the people here. Your souls. . . perhaps." The old man mused.

The siblings flinched. They gave each other a glance.

"It could be a coincidence." Arius whispered. "He's just trying to tempt us."

"Yea. . ." Athanasia seemed hesitant.

Arius glanced at her, and then sighed.

"Okay old man, how much for one fortune telling?"

The old man smiled. "Three silver."

"Fine then, read her fortune."

Athanasia looked at Arius.

"Just get it over with Athy, I wouldn't want you to regret not doing what you want to."

She smiled, "Thanks."

"It's too crowded here. Let's go to my store."

"How far is it? We have someone waiting for us."

"Just one turn to the street, boy."

Arius sighed, "Okay let's make this quick." He pulled Athanasia along with him out of the crowd and onto the street.

The old man walked towards a store and gestured for the two to enter. Right as Arius was about to step inside, a voice popped out from the back.

"You're still here? Tricking children this time, I see." A man, black hair and black eyes walked out from the crowd on the main market.

Arius narrowed his eyes on the old man.

Tricking?

The old man flinched. He hesitated to say something but just ran away.

Arius sighed.

"Guess he was just a scammer Athy." He looked towards Athanasia, who looked disappointed.

"Hello there, it's quite the busy market today. Did you get separated from your parents?" The ravenette asked from behind.

"Ah, Thank you sir. We'll be fine."

"You didn't give him your money did you? He ran away in quite a hurry."

"No, not yet. Once again, Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Arius stared at the man and he could've sworn his eyes were jeweled for a second. He glanced at Athanasia who was also giving the man an observational gaze.

"Pardon, but have we met before?" Arius asked in his usual bluntness. Athanasia didn't even bother freaking out.

Perhaps because she felt a strange familiarity to this man as well.

The ravenette smiled. His smile screamed danger. He saw a flash of red in his ebony eyes. Athanasia gripped his hand tighter and the siblings were both thinking the same thing. Run.

"I believe not. . . Well then I'll be on my way." The ravenette said as he turned.

Athanasia and Arius sighed in relief, but almost forgot to breathe back in when the man suddenly turned around and brought his hands towards Arius.

Out of reflex, Arius pulled Athanasia behind him and closed his eyes when he saw the man's hand directly in front of him.

Gather your mana!

Concentrate!

Arius screamed in his head, but there was not enough time. And suddenly it happened.