A person's character is shaped not by the people who support him, but by the things that challenge him.
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In the garden of the palace known as the Enkidu castle, a small boy was leaning against a tree, watching the stars in the dark sky.
The boy had bright blond hair that fell across his forehead and diamond shaped blue eyes that reflected the billions of stars in the sky.
He was wearing a luxurious white shirt and matching cream pants that most normal income families wouldn't even dream of buying, the clothes were too big, as if they belonged to someone else, but the boy didn't care about that, he kept looking intently at the sky. Watching the stars made him forget everything and calm down.
When the boy heard more footsteps nearby, he stopped stargazing and hurriedly grabbed the white cloth and blindfolded himself. Soon the footsteps came closer and closer and finally stopped.
One of the knights, wearing white armor with some parts made of gold, stepped forward and spoke.
"Hello prince, I am Aaron of the paladins of salvation."
The boy wasn't surprised, he had already guessed who they were. paladins of salvation agnes empire was the elite force under the emperor himself, tasked with protecting the palace and the emperor's family.
"Why are you calling me at this hour?"
"Prince Zion, the Empress has summoned you to the execution area."
'What!'
Zion, froze in place after hearing the man's words. the execution area was a place in the empire used to reclamation those who tried to harm a member of the agnes family directly.
Zion, had no idea why he had been summoned there, because no prince or princess until the age of 16 was ever summoned to the execution area because of the trauma it could cause.
"Why is the Empress summoning me?"
"The empress forbade us to give information."
"As you know, I can't go in there right now."
"If you refuse to go, I'll have to take you by force."
Zion looked at the man without moving, as if he could see through the cloth.
"I thought you only took orders from the emperor."
Aaron paused for a moment, not expecting the little prince in front of him to say something like that.
"The emperor knows about this."
Zion froze in place, his mouth opening and closing, trying to say something but unable to choose the right words because of his confusion, so that all doors of salvation were closed for Zion. There was nothing he could do, with his weak body he couldn't escape the paladins working directly under the emperor.
"All right, let's go." He nodded and sighed helplessly as he spoke.
"Escort the prince!"
They soon arrived in front of the palace of Enkidu and began to wait. Zion didn't want to start a talk with anyone, he wanted to end this ridiculous situation as soon as possible and return to his room.
A few minutes later hoof beats were heard and a normal looking hors drawn vehicle stopped in front of them, any noble wouldn't have believed that this hors drawn vehicle belonged to the Agnes family.
"Please sit down prince, I will escort you the rest of the way as your knight."
Zion didn't care what the hors drawn vehicle looked like, his eyes still blindfolded with the white cloth, he walked with tiny steps and sat on the window seat, removing the cloth from his face.
After Aaron got in the horse drawn vehicle, the vehicle started driving with the sound of hoof beats.
There was the Valdivian rainforest that separated the Enkidu palace from the capital Astana.
In contrast to the empire's sunny and warm weather throughout the year, the weather in the Valdivian forest was mysteriously cold and rainy. In the forest, there were giant trees with long leaves reaching 90-100 meters in height, rare poisonous plants that grow nowhere else, and many animals that had evolved there. It literally had its own climate and ecosystem.
It was impossible for people to leave the Enkidu palace without reaching a certain level of power. For this reason, the empress exiled Zion and his mother to the Enkidu palace located in the Valdivian forest, which many feared.
Luckily, the palace of enkidu was created by the emperor using his divine powers. It was protected by the dome. This prevented the creatures of the forest, fearing divine power, from attacking the palace.
The reclamation area was also built in the middle of this dark and gloomy forest. According to some rumors, many ordinary people lost their lives for various reasons while the execution area was being built.
Shortly after the horse drawn vehicle entered the forest, the sound of raindrops falling on the roof of the vehicle could be heard. There was also a sharp drop in temperature, and every breath Zion took began to vaporize. Zion did his best not to show that he was cold, because if he told the man in front of him that he was cold, he wouldn't care. No one cares about the emperor's illegitimate son, whom he never even wanted to see.
After driving for a while longer to the sound of raindrops, the vehicle slowed down and finally stopped. Realizing that the journey was over, Zion put the cloth back over his eyes and waited.
"Hold my hand, prince. I will accompany you to the hall."
Zion raised his hand and grasped the cold iron glove. They carefully got out of the vehicle and began to walk slowly toward the execution area.