Volume 3 Chronicling the Prince
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The year 3289 of the World Calendar.
A certain day, the beginning of the year.
Today is a blessed day.
I find myself dusting off my pen and paper today to write, in spite of my lack of talent.
I wish to leave a record—humble as it may be—for those who will live here in the future, and for the village. This journal is a record concerning the kingdom’s prince and princess.
It was a short time ago that Queen Francesca—Lady Fiona, or just Fi—this is quite complicated, so I will refer to her as Fi.
Footnote: Fi is the younger twin sister of Princess Francesca. She was raised in this village as a normal girl, apart from the royal family. Years after the terrorist attack that left the entire royal family dead, Fi discovered the culprit and revealed herself before the people as Princess Francesca, so as to bring the criminal’s actions to light.
Very few people know this truth. Although I personally do not believe it will matter if we revealed it to the public now.
It was a short time ago that Fi gave birth to twins.
An adorable baby boy and a feisty baby girl.
Mother and children are all healthy and well. The entire village is in a festive mood.
But to think twins would be born into the royal family again… The rule that made Fi who she was—the mysterious rule in the family that allows the monarch to have only one child—remains. One of the twins will be officially announced as the prince or princess, and the other will be raised in the village as Fi had been.
A certain day, a certain month.
Their names are decided. Fi, who had realized that she was carrying twins, had consulted with Sir Benedict and come up with two names.
The girl is named Meriel.
Fi did not tell us the reason behind her name. Perhaps she had something meaningful in mind. In any case, no one was opposed to such a lovely name.
The boy is named Treize.
Everyone understood this choice instantly. We were moved.
The doctor whom Fi had called ‘Grandfather’, a physician named Treze Bain.
He was once a doctor here in this village, and the one charged with raising Fi. He had rescued Princess Francesca from the flames and done everything in his power to try and save her from her wounds.
Fi explained that the boy’s name was Treize—with an ‘i’—to make it easier to pronounce in Bezelese, the official language of Sou Be-Il.
It is a wonderful name.
I pray we will be able to watch them grow as long as we can.
Spring. A certain day, a certain month.
The proclamation has been made.
Fi announced Princess Meriel to the public. Ikstova’s next ruler will be a queen as well.
Prince Treize does not officially exist. Though his birth was registered, he will have both royal and commoner status.
I was also informed that the President of Roxche and the King of Bezel have been informed about his existence.
Summer. A certain day, a certain month.
It has been a long time since Fi left Kunst and came to the village. We had a chance to see the princess and prince as well.
Princess Meriel cries loudly enough to shake the floorboards. Prince Treize is impeccably quiet. They could not be any more different.
Princess Meriel received the edelweiss crest, and Prince Treize the hawk.
The golden pendants, proof of their royal lineage, shone on their breasts. Everyone panicked when Princess Meriel tried to eat her pendant.
The Year 3290 of the World Calendar.
Spring.
A certain day, a certain month.
Construction on the new palace and the villa have finally finished, and the queen’s family has moved out of the village.
But Fi has decided to keep her children at her side for the time being.
She says that she will have Treize live in the village later. She also plans to have the royal family live in the village as much as their public duties allow.
The prince and the princess learned to walk at almost the same time. Sir Benedict could scarcely hide his excitement. Some of the village women moved to the royal palace and the villa to serve the family.
The year 3291 of the World Calendar.
Winter.
A certain day, a certain month.
Princess Meriel and Prince Treize turned two today. Time seems to pass in the blink of an eye.
They can now both say simple words. Fi and Sir Benedict are doing their best to speak to them in both Roxchean and Bezelese.
Fi has begun to stay more at the palace for her duties. But the prince and princess do not seem to mind, as the entire village adores them. Even now, they are giggling and waddling about the room.
The year 3292 of the World Calendar.
Winter.
A certain day, a certain month.
On their third birthday, Princess Meriel and Prince Treize had a big argument.
When I heard that they were playing in the village hall, I went to see them. And there I found the little ones swinging their tiny fists at each other. It ended with Princess Meriel’s overwhelming victory.
Prince Treize was wailing, and Princess Meriel was sitting atop him proudly, a trickle of blood running from her nose.
The cause of the fight, it seemed, was about who was the older of the twins.
Fi did not say, so I could not answer. But the prince and princess seemed dissatisfied with my response. I hope they won’t squabble over this issue for years to come.
Summer.
A certain day, a certain month.
Prince Treize is bedridden with a cold.
We had Princess Meriel sleep in another room so she would not catch his cold, but she insisted on personally nursing him to health. In the end, both of the twins were left bedridden.
Autumn.
A certain day, a certain month.
The puppy at Benny’s house was spooked by lightning and ran into the house—and, of all times, when Sir Benedict was asleep.
Princess Meriel and Prince Treize ran circles in their room trying to escape. In the end, Princess Meriel struck the puppy on the nose to drive it off.
Thankfully, they were not hurt. But Prince Treize cried in terror all day long until Fi returned in the evening.
Everyone is worried that Prince Treize might become even more reserved than he already is.
The year 3293 of the World Calendar.
Winter.
A certain day, a certain month.
Princess Meriel and Prince Treize had their first argument in a very long time.
Like before, they fought over who was the older sibling and ended up getting into a fistfight in front of Sir Benedict.
Prince Treize, who suffered a clean defeat, escaped to my house and asked me to teach him how to use a gun.
I told him to train by shoveling snow so he could lift something as heavy as a gun. Innocently enough, he did exactly what he was told with enthusiasm.
I don’t approve of his wanting to win with strength, but Prince Treize does need to someday learn to fight in order to protect the kingdom and her people. He must become strong. I plan to use this opportunity to slowly train him.
Although no amount of training, of course, will help him triumph over Princess Meriel.
Spring.
A certain day, a certain month.
Fi took Princess Meriel to the palace in Kunst to begin teaching her about the work of a queen.
Even Sir Benedict is away from the village at times now. But Prince Treize bravely told me,
“I’m not lonely! Because everyone else is here!”
Perhaps he was lying, then. The entire village fell in love with the unrecognized prince all over again.
Summer.
A certain day, a certain month.
Ms. Allison Schultz from the Capital District visited the village with her three-year-old daughter, Miss Lillianne.
I don’t know the details, but apparently Ms. Schultz and her daughter visited Kunst once, when Miss Lillianne was still an infant. I was told that a photograph Fi had taken at the time still hangs in her office at the palace.
Ms. Schultz and her husband Wilhelm Schultz are heroes who saved this country several years ago. It pains me that we cannot publicize their incredible actions.
Ms. Schultz told me that this year, she finally achieved her dream of becoming a test pilot with the Confederation Air Force.
Miss Lillianne, born a year after the prince, is a sweet girl with brown hair. She’s incredibly clever and energetic.
Miss Lillianne met Prince Treize at the village and played with him.
There are no other children in the village. This was the first time Prince Treize played with someone of his own age, other than his sister.
I was worried at first that the quiet, introverted Prince Treize might end up running away.
But the prince seemed to get over his reservations. Miss Lillianne led him outside and they played together. In the afternoon, they were both tired out from their games and fell asleep together under a tree.
The villagers gathered to have a look at the heartwarming sight. Sir Benedict took a picture. He says he will show it to Fi later.
We instructed Prince Treize to not tell Miss Lillianne about his true heritage.
We worried that, in his youthful recklessness, he might tell her anyway; but Prince Treize was true to his word.
A certain day, a certain month.
Today, Miss Lillianne and Ms. Schultz left for the Capital District.
Prince Treize was teary-eyed by the time they said their goodbyes. He must have been sad to see her go, after they had become such close friends. He began crying when the bus finally left.
The entire village stepped in to bring a smile back to his face, but no amount of coaxing—in Roxchean or Bezelese—would stop his tears. The prince cried himself to sleep.
The year 3294 of the World Calendar.
Winter.
A certain day, a certain month.
The day Prince Treize and Princess Meriel turned five, my wife passed away.
She was more than I could have ever asked for—not once since we moved to this valley did she utter a word of complaint.
Though Prince Treize and Princess Meriel should have had a wonderful day of celebration, they wept for my wife instead.
Summer.
A certain day, a certain month.
Prince Treize is finally strong enough to hold up a small handgun.
I taught him how to use it, taking extra precautions for safety’s sake.
The prince is quite talented—perhaps it’s his quiet and withdrawn nature. I can’t wait to see how much I can teach him before I pass away.
Autumn.
A certain day, a certain month.
Ms. Allison Schultz and Miss Lillianne visited Kunst.
They were only there for a day, as Ms. Schultz was there on business. But when Prince Treize returned to the village, he told me that he had a wonderful time with Miss Lillianne in Kunst.
He happily told me that, unlike Princess Meriel, even if Miss Lillianne got angry, in the end she became kind again.
“I’m gonna grow up to be a cool guy so she can protect me!”
I thought he might have something confused, but I did not correct him.
The year 3295 of the World Calendar.
Spring.
A certain day, a certain month.
After discussing the matter with Sir Benedict, we decided to teach Prince Treize hand-to-hand combat.
Prince Treize would stay at the home of a member of the royal guard in Kunst, and take lessons at the police station. I considered that this might be too difficult for him—he is only six, after all—but Prince Treize was thrilled.
A certain day, a certain month.
Prince Treize returned to the village after his training, covered in bruises.
“That was fun! I wanna go again!” He said. It warmed my heart to see him be so confident. But—
“Your face looks stupid!”
When Princess Meriel made fun of his bruises, Prince Treize began to cry.
Summer.
A certain day, a certain month.
Ms. Schultz and Miss Lillianne came to visit over the summer holidays.
Prince Treize was delighted to see Miss Lillianne again. They played together and lost their way in the woods.
It seems they assumed that they had gotten lost, and walked around in circles in the forest.
The other villagers weren’t worried—Prince Treize and Miss Lillianne were just by the mushroom farm, and their voices were clearly audible all the while.
When the villagers went to get them in the evening, they were both asleep, exhausted.
I asked Prince Treize what happened.
He explained that Miss Lillianne had stubbornly led him around, taking them both in circles.
“Next time, if I think I’m right, I’m going to say so loudly.”
It seems the prince has learned a lesson.
The year 3296 of the World Calendar.
Winter.
A certain day, a certain month.
Prince Treize and Princess Meriel turned seven today.
Rather than attend school, they began private studies at the village and at the palace respectively. Prince Treize was quicker to learn to read, but Princess Meriel was faster at maths and sciences.
Prince Treize also asked to learn Ikstovan, a dying language. The oldest of the villagers are teaching him now, but I wonder if he could learn such a complicated language. I have my doubts.
Summer.
A certain day, a certain month.
Sir Benedict has begun to give Prince Treize flying lessons.
At first, he says, he sat the prince in his lap and taught him the basics. Prince Treize was moved when he got to move the aeroplane on his own for the first time.
Meanwhile, Princess Meriel’s interest was piqued by the roaring engines. She proudly declared that the mechanic taught her to unscrew a bolt.
I cannot say I know how the prince and princess will mature.
So I pray with all my heart that I will live to see them age as much as I can.
The year 3297 of the World Calendar.
Summer.
A certain day, a certain month.
Miss Lillianne and Ms. Schultz came to visit.
Miss Lillianne is seven years old now and attending primary school in the Capital District. So she naturally asked Prince Treize about his school life.
When Prince Treize replied that he was being homeschooled by the villagers, Miss Lillianne decided that she wanted to be homeschooled as well.
Prince Treize seemed to feel responsible. He did everything he could to explain how wonderful it was that she was able to attend school, but Miss Lillianne would have none of it.
Ms. Schultz stepped in, then.
“But Lillia, if you were homeschooled, you wouldn’t be able to eat school lunches. Wouldn’t you miss eating carrots?”
Miss Lillianne was convinced.
“I’m still no good…”
That evening, Prince Treize was still downcast.
Autumn.
A certain day, a certain month.
I began to officially teach the eight-year-old prince how to hunt and use a rifle.
I was around his age when my uncle taught me to use a gun. I began by teaching Prince Treize how to shoot a small-caliber rifle. Today, I had him shoot a chicken tethered to a post.
We thanked the dead chicken and ate it together.
“People can’t survive unless they kill and eat other living things.” Prince Treize muttered gravely before emptying his plate.
Winter.
A certain day, a certain month.
Prince Treize asked to spend the night alone in a snow shelter. He must have heard somewhere about using bivouacs in snowy mountains.
No one could change his mind. So we compromised and asked him to use the mound of snow by the village hall so that we could keep an eye on him. The prince would dig a hole in the snow and poke holes in the wall for air, and sleep with a blanket rolled up around him.
We watched him all night long, assuming that he would give up. But Prince Treize triumphed over the loneliness and the cold and enjoyed his breakfast the next morning.
He later told me that he had made a bet with Princess Meriel over this matter.
“I won!”
Everyone smiled when they saw the grin on his face.
A certain day, a certain month.
Two days after the bivouac attempt, Prince Treize was bedridden with a high fever.
This time, we had to watch him all night long to nurse him back to health.
The year 3298 of the World Calendar.
Winter.
A certain day, a certain month.
Prince Treize and Princess Meriel turned nine today.
They were in such fierce competition with each other that the entire village was astounded by their academic prowess.
Prince Treize is not only fluent in Roxchean and Bezelese, he is also proficient at Ikstovan. It is truly remarkable.
Princess Meriel stated that her dream was to work with machinery, and asked for a toolkit for her birthday.
They still argue over who is the older twin, but they no longer resort to fistfights. On that note, Princess Meriel never loses an argument.
Spring.
A certain day, a certain month.
Sir Benedict proudly declared that Prince Treize managed both a takeoff and landing on his own.
Naturally, Sir Benedict was in the instructor’s seat—but it is still quite a feat for a nine-year-old boy.
For some reason, Princess Meriel shows no interest in flying. But she commented that she wanted to take apart a large aeroplane engine. Sir Benedict had no choice but to give her a small engine from an old generator.
Summer.
A certain day, a certain month.
Miss Lillianne and Ms. Schultz came to visit. Miss Lillianne had a wonderful time with Prince Treize and left for the Capital District today.
Miss Lillianne was growing out her hair. When Prince Treize commented that he liked it, Princess Meriel raised her voice.
“Then I’m gonna grow out my hair too!”
The year 3299 of the World Calendar.
Winter.
A certain day, a certain month.
I fell ill and almost lost my life.
I was fortunate enough to survive, but I caused Prince Treize much worry.
“Don’t die, Grandfather. You need to teach me a lot more about marksmanship.”
When the prince told me this, looking me in the eye, I was so overjoyed that I could have died a happy man then and there. But I suppose that can wait.
Summer.
A certain day, a certain month.
I took Prince Treize hunting. He hunted large game for the first time.
All he had to do was hold his rifle atop a pile of sandbags and pull the trigger, but Prince Treize endured the long wait and succeeded with gusto. I was the same age when I hunted my first big game. I was moved.
We made stew with the deer we caught. Prince Treize proudly handed out the venison to the villagers. He only had one piece left for himself at the end, but his smile never left his face.
The year 3300 of the World Calendar.
Winter.
A certain day, a certain month.
The prince and princess celebrated their eleventh birthday and the end of a century.
I never imagined that I would live to this age, but these days I hope to live as long as I can.
Summer.
A certain day, a certain month.
Miss Lillianne and Ms. Schultz came to visit.
They stayed for ten full days this time, longer than ever before.
Prince Treize was overjoyed. He showed Miss Lillianne around everywhere in the valley. They went fishing and went out on walks together.
Miss Lillianne’s energy and Prince Treize’s composure was a wonderful match. Their laughter filled the village.
The women naively commented that it would be wonderful if the two of them were to marry.
I agreed with them, but stayed silent.
The year 3301 of the World Calendar.
Winter.
A certain day, a certain month.
Several days ago, on Prince Treize’s twelfth birthday, I gave him a gift—the rifle he had been too small to lift all those years ago.
Prince Treize thoughtfully considered the weight in his hands.
“Thank you, Grandfather. I’ll use this responsibly.” He said.
When Prince Treize begins something new, he has the habit of practicing it constantly and persistently. There have been no end of gunshots from the village firing range since I gave him the rifle. It is almost entertaining to watch his shooting distance increase.
Summer.
A certain day, a certain month.
Prince Treize successfully flew an aeroplane alone today. He took off, flew, and landed without any assistance.
He is probably one of the youngest to do so in history. Sir Benedict was also thrilled, and became even more enthusiastic about the flying lessons.
Princess Meriel lost interest in flying completely and is now focused on tinkering with machinery.
Autumn.
A certain day, a certain month.
Unusually enough, Miss Lillianne and Ms. Schultz came to visit in the autumn.
Prince Treize took a welcome break from his training to relax with Miss Lillianne, going fishing and taking walks with her.
The year 3302 of the World Calendar.
Winter.
A certain day, a certain month.
Prince Treize turned thirteen today.
This time, Princess Meriel had to be in Kunst for the celebration of the twelfth anniversary of the rebuilding of the palace. So the villagers got together to throw the prince a party.
Although he was the birthday boy, Prince Treize cooked alongside the women. He is skilled at brewing tea and cooking.
The women wanted to cut down the amount of time he spent hunting and shooting so they could teach him to cook. But I could not bring myself to agree.
Summer.
A certain month, a certain day.
The Schultz family did not join us this year, as Miss Lillianne is busy studying for exams. Prince Treize dedicated himself to training.
Whether it was marksmanship, flying, or his studies, he pushed himself to the very limit.
When Princess Meriel had the chance to see him recently, she commented,
“I’m not gonna lose to you.”
Princess Meriel is also dedicated to self-improvement. The prince and the princess are still in fierce competition, each claiming that he or she is the older twin.
The year 3303 of the World Calendar.
Summer.
A certain day, a certain month.
Miss Lillianne and Ms. Schultz came to visit.
Miss Lillianne proudly declared over lunch at the village hall that she knew how to fly an aeroplane. Prince Treize replied that he could as well.
Miss Lillianne didn’t seem to believe him, so Prince Treize brought over an aeroplane and showed her.
He must have simply wanted to clear her misgivings, but it had the opposite effect. Miss Lillianne sulked when she saw that Prince Treize could do what she could, but better. I don’t believe Prince Treize has noticed.
Addendum: The scene repeated itself later, when they discussed their fluency in Bezelese. Miss Lillianne continued to sulk.
The year 3304 of the World Calendar.
Winter.
A certain day, a certain month.
The villagers got together to celebrate Prince Treize and Princess Meriel’s fifteenth birthday.
I joined the festivities as well. We had a rowdy, lively party.
Prince Treize received some important news from Fi and Sir Benedict afterwards when Princess Meriel was away, but no one knows what they discussed.
May the gods bless Fi, Sir Benedict, and the prince and princess.
Summer.
A certain day, a certain month.
Prince Treize joined a search party that went out to look for a child who disappeared from a nearby village. He personally led the way into the woods where the bear was rumored to be, and safely found the child in the torrential rain.
The prince received a hero’s welcome at the village. He was asked to stay and attend school there, but Prince Treize turned down the offer.
It might have been an attractive offer to him. But he said,
“If I’m at the other village, it’ll be hard for me to rush straight over when something happens.” He smiled.
Winter.
A certain day, a certain month.
Prince Treize has grown so much. Now he can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with any of the village men.
Today, we all went out to hunt and worked together to take down the beast. I have nothing left to teach him.
Sir Benedict gave the prince a present. A motorcycle with a sidecar.
Prince Treize was so ecstatic that he rode the motorcycle on the icy roads.
Princess Meriel is in charge of maintenance. They squabbled as they got their hands covered in grease. Fi captured them on camera with a smile on her face.
The year 3305 of the World Calendar.
Winter.
A certain day, a certain month.
Prince Treize and Princess Meriel are sixteen years old.
My health has worsened, and I am confined to my home on many occasions. Prince Treize often comes to visit.
He told me that he lost an argument to Princess Meriel today before he left the house. When he asked me how he could defeat her, I gave an honest answer.
Prince Treize does not need to defeat Princess Meriel. I hope he will simply grow up to be a kind and considerate man.
Summer.
A certain day, a certain month.
Prince Treize is heading to the Capital District on his motorcycle. He will be staying with the Schultz family there.
The women whispered amongst themselves, “Is he going to propose to her?”. I am of the same mind—I want to see the two of them happy together.
Before that, Prince Treize must reveal his true heritage to her. But if he does, Miss Lillianne may end up distancing herself from him.
This situation calls for utmost delicacy. I do not believe the prince will have an easy time of it.
A certain day, a certain month.
Prince Treize has begun preparations. He loaded the sidecar with camping gear, repair tools, extra parts, and an extra fuel tank. It will be a long, 20-day journey to the Capital District.
Fi fretted about the fact that he was leaving alone. Sir Benedict looked a little envious.
Because the prince would not be accompanied by security, we received special permission from the Roxchean government to allow him to carry a firearm. The prince decided to take his favorite mid-sized handgun. He has been keeping up with his hand-to-hand combat training, so I do not think there is cause for worry.
A certain day, a certain month.
Prince Treize returned from his long trip.
The motorcycle was a mess from the journey, but Prince Treize looked healthier than ever.
But we were all shocked when, the moment he set foot in the village, he grabbed the first person he saw and asked for swimming lessons. Not many men in Ikstova swim. We managed to find a member of the royal guard who could, but Lake Ras was too cold for swimming. So the prince is now regularly visiting Elitesa’s heated swimming pool.
Winter.
A certain day, a certain month.
Princess Meriel has been invited by the royal family of Bezel for a month-long visit over the new year.
Meanwhile, Prince Treize has invited the Schultz family to the royal family’s cottage.
A certain day, a certain month.
There are only a few days left in the year.
Prince Treize plans to enjoy the new year with Miss Lillianne at the cottage near Kunst. The entire village hopes that things will work out for him this time.
We are making preparations now, but the prince took the chicken I was going to butcher for the dinner. He says he will use it as bait to lure out the wandering wolf. I wonder how it will go?
My health has improved, and I believe I will be able to attend the new year’s celebrations at the villa. This year, Fi invited a film crew that has been shooting the landscapes of Ikstova.
After the party, I will ask Prince Treize how his plans worked out. I will take this journal to Kunst as well.
Will Prince Treize be smiling in the first entry of 3306?
It has already been sixteen years since his birth.
It is truly an honor to have been able to spend all this time with him.
* * *
The year 3306 of the World Calendar.
The second day of the new year, in the basement of the palace.
“…”
Treize slowly slipped the yellowed journal into his bag and held a moment of silence for the owner of the note, who now slept in a casket.
Treize closed his eyes and quietly spoke.
“Grandfather… we took out all but one of the terrorists. The mastermind is still alive, but I’m going to leave that to mother. I’ve avenged you. …Thank you for everything, Grandfather.”
Then, the Prince of Ikstova raised his arms to his face and wiped his tears as he did in his childhood.