I was very, very lucky. My guess was completely correct, and as I drew closer to the crowds surrounding the makeshift arena, I spotted a familiar brown-haired young boy speaking with the two nearest guards, clutching a branch tightly as if it were no different from one of their spears. And Mama and Dad weren’t anywhere in sight. Good, I didn’t want a scolding from them for losing track of one of my siblings. As I ran to catch up with Perene, I heard his pestering of the guards become clearer and clearer amidst the hubbub of the crowd.

“Is this the tournament? Can I join?” Perene asked, his eyes sparkling.

The two guards he had cornered exchanged a look, faced with the impossible choice of crushing a child’s dreams, and placing that same child in the way of immense bodily harm—while also crushing his dreams. “Apologies, brave hero,” one with a bushy beard and twinkling brown eyes said. “We’re only accepting participants from Gresha’s army. We’re afraid any legendary adventurers would have too much of an unfair advantage.” He eyed me. “And who might you be?”

“I’m his sister,” I said, brushing my hair away from my sweat-slick forehead. My lungs burned slightly from the run here, and my garments stuck to my skin. At least there was a nice breeze blowing.

I wasn’t sure how many of the guards’ words Perene actually understood. He had always seemed a little slow for his age, much less clever than Elian—but just as passionate. He nodded stoically, appearing quite proud. “Oh, okay!” he chirped. “Is there a prize for the winner? Is there a big ceremony?” Then he gave me a big smile. “Hi Raike! Here to watch Ellie too?”

“No. We need to go home, before Mama and Dad find out you left,” I said, an edge to my voice.

The second guard, who had a large scar twisting across his chest and shoulder, said, “Oh, what’s the harm in watching if the boy wants to watch? This tournament should be entirely safe. In fact, that’s the point—to assure the people of Gresha that they’ll still be well-defended, even as we move into a new era.”

“We’ll have the opportunity to see our new king in action,” the bearded guard agreed. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the boy. And we work hard to ensure nowhere in Gresha City should be dangerous for him. Especially with kind people like his big sister looking out for his well-being.”

“We’ll see Ellie fight? Really?” Perene asked, the stars in his eyes becoming burning galaxies.

“‘Ellie’?” echoed the scarred guard.

I sighed, and gave the guards a quick bow, keeping my hand on Perene’s back so I could guide him into doing the same. “He means King Elian, eldest son of Aren and Grenia. We are Raike and Perene, children of Aren and Grenia. Younger siblings to Elian of Gresha.”

The guards exchanged a look, suddenly sweating as if they’d been the ones who had just finished running across half the city. Then, the bearded guard turned back to us with an anxious smile unfitting for a guard. “Well, if that’s the case, does not the Crown-son’s younger brother deserve the best seats to watch the King?” he asked Perene.

The scarred guard nodded, looking a little calmer at the prospect of treating the young King’s wayward family. “The Crown-son’s blood family deserves this much.”

Despite my protests, I was outnumbered. Well, at least Meyna and the others would be safe enough where I had left them—and like this, I could be sure Perene wouldn’t run away again. These guards seemed so welcoming of the new King’s family—not at all like how Mother and Father talked about it. A part of me was left a little on edge; another part wondered if Elian might let us move into the palace.

We were led closer to the arena—and the palace—by the guards. As we approached, I heard a much louder, and more intense sound of commotion. A quick peek confirmed my suspicions: Mother and father were already here, making a scene as they argued with the guards at the palace gates. I gestured for Perene to stick with the bearded guard and the scarred guard as they led him to a better place to watch the tournament from, and then listened in on the commotion.

The guards my parents were arguing with looked a lot less amiable than the ones Perene had encountered. Maybe that said more about Perene than the guards, though. Their knuckles were white as they clutched at their spears, glaring down my parents. By the time my parents were convinced to leave the unbent guards alone, the crowd had grown much larger. If it weren’t for the fact that the guards were armed, I wondered if my parents, both of whom were quite muscular being farmers, would have tried to force their way into the temple to talk to Elian. I could hear their harsh tones, though the hubbub of the crowd kept me from hearing any words, and I didn’t want to get any closer just yet. Eventually some further deal was apparently struck, because a guard with braided auburn hair was now escorting them nearer to the arena. As I followed them, I realized, to my dread, that they were being escorted to precisely the spot where Perene was waiting for the tournament to begin, excitedly bouncing in place.

Oh, Fiend take me. I knew it had been coming, but I still wasn’t looking forward to this talk, as I slipped through the gathering crowds to reach Perene before them. I wasn’t sure what they’d do if they thought Perene had come here completely alone. But if they thought it was my idea, at least they’d only punish me.

The conversation didn’t go as I’d hoped. To my surprise, Perene started insisting that it was all his idea, and he’d left on his own, but I still talked our parents down from anything too bad. Neither of us would be eating dinner tonight. But with how much Elian’s kingship was weighing on their minds, use of the switch leaned against the doorframe seemed to slip their minds. That might change once we got home. For how badly I had fumbled the situation with Perene and my siblings, I was lucky.

Nearby, I caught sight of the two guards Perene had encountered earlier. Both were skillfully avoiding looking at our private dispute. Intervening in how parents chose to discipline their children would be stepping far out of line for them—but at the same time, Elian was King. That sort of position was even more of a mess than the ones Elian and I found ourselves in. Who did they respect—their King, or the King’s commoner parents? I couldn’t remember a situation like this in recent history.

Today was a weird day. But at least I was sure I’d sleep well when it was over, with how exhausted I was already.

After the last of the crowd had trickled in, the tournament began. Through an open corridor lined with guards marched a procession of Greshan soldiers. They stood in an open waiting area, milling about impatiently until it was their turn to fight. A charged atmosphere spread from them to the rest of the crowd as eyes began to turn towards the brightly-colored palace doors, emblazoned with a complex sigil representing Crown Naruune. It almost resembled a bolt of lightning, or the antlers of a stag, or perhaps a branching tree. When the soldiers were all ordered in disciplined lines, the palace doors opened and one more person marched down the cleared aisle. I almost didn’t recognize him—almost. But there stood Elian, looking and feeling more different than ever.

Elian was still dressed in his old beetle-shell armor, but it had been polished and shined, and an exotic, richly-dyed crimson half-cape had been added to it. The injury on his arm had been hidden well-enough within his gauntlet that no one could spot it unless they knew where to look. But I could still spot raw-tender flesh beneath his shiny facade. Bracers and imported silk bandages wrapped tightly around his ankles, so they wouldn’t trip him mid-fight, only adding to the regal and noble air he now seemed to emanate, just like the black polish glinting from his nails. His short brown hair now glimmered with a bronze hue, framed by a many-pronged crown that resembled the branches of a tree, or perhaps a stag’s antlers. I knew that both were symbols of Crown Naruune, which only the Crown-son was allowed to wear. Upon his shoulder perched an elegantly-necked bird with brilliant red plumage, a long, golden tail trailing behind it like a second cape. The creature only added to his regal, almost divine, appearance.

Stolen novel; please report.

The outfit wasn’t the only reason my sibling felt so different. Ellie—no, Elian—was carrying himself in a completely different manner than usual. Gone was their typical laid-back and casual posture, their cheerful smile was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Elian’s mouth was set into a slim line of focused determination, his cunning hazel eyes locked on the battlefield ahead. The only noise that could be heard as he walked was the soft patter of bare feet on the baked-brick plaza, and the gentle jangle of his gleaming jewelry.

Beside me, I felt Perene grow still, his mouth falling open in pure shock. Even mother and father looked shocked to see their child like this. They were hardly the only ones. A wave of turning heads rolled towards Elian, as all took in their new king. They had seen him before, shortly after winning his challenge, but comparing the confused and tired boy to this figure straight out of a bard’s song was contrasting the pale spiral moon against the twin suns. Ripples of gossip and rumor brushed against my ears, reminding me he hadn’t quite earned a respectful silence yet. Briefly I glanced at my family again, wondering if any of them would shout something out and cause a scene, but none said anything, either Elian didn’t notice us, or was ignoring us, as he stepped onto the arena. Head Menone joined him at his side.

All the while, I kept wondering, who was that? What had happened to my older sibling? I’d always been more aware than the rest of the family of how little we seemed to know Elian, but maybe I’d known less than even that. Maybe Elian was more well-suited for the role of King than we’d thought.

Elian looked out across the gathered crowd and smiled. Not his usual smile. Not the deceptively casual and friendly one—a calm and gathered one now, almost inhumanly serene. “Citizens of Gresha, I’m so pleased you’ve gathered here with us today,” he began. “I know many of you may be confused and concerned about the sudden manner in which I was declared King, and so allow me the chance to address your concerns—”

The contents of his speech didn’t really matter, and I didn’t pay attention. The news of a new Crown clearly startled and impressed the rest of the crowd, but that seemed unimportant to me compared to everything else that had happened. Just another thing for the city to gossip over. Instead I spent the time he spoke trying to untangle the complicated feelings I felt, and dissecting his appearance with my eyes. Looking for cracks in the kingly image that would show me the person underneath. Briefly, my eyes fell again upon Ellie’s right arm—the one that was scarred and burnt for reasons I still didn’t know. It was covered in heavier armor than the other arm, not his normal beetle-armor. A way to preserve his untouchable image? But this was meant to be a tournament where he fought too, right?

Then the speech ended as the bird flapped off his shoulder, perching at the edge of the arena and crooning at nearby guards and onlookers. Some soldiers began to enter the arena, as Menone cleared out to the side. The tournament had begun. Beside me, Perene was still, though his gaze remained locked onto our sibling. I carefully placed a hand on his shoulder, more for my own sake than his. While Perene was completely taken by the action and cool fighting moves, I was looking for any sign of weakness as my sibling fought. It was hard to spot, because I didn’t really know anything about fighting. Perhaps everything Elian did was something Elian meant to do. Certainly, they seemed really good at fighting large groups of people. Their moves caused the other combatants to hit each other more than once, and a few times Elian even flipped a charging enemy over his head. But I did notice that they seemed to rely on their left hand far more than their right—and though Elian was skilled with using both hands when the situation called for it, usually they preferred their right. A few times, I even thought they winced.

While the crowd was held captive by the tournament, and even Mother and Father kept their eyes locked on the arena with inscrutable expressions, Perene surprised me by jabbing a finger in my side. I responded with a glare, but I was more surprised than annoyed. With how much he talked about becoming a guard, I thought he’d be completely enraptured. Instead, he was looking at me with soulful eyes.

“I’m sorry I got you in trouble. I just really thought I needed to be here,” he whispered.

I shook my head. “It is what it is. With how mad Mama and Dad are, one of us was gonna get in trouble for something.”

“But it’s my fault, and now they’re mad at you,” he whined. “Ellie said it’s a brother’s job to protect his sisters.”

My mouth tightened into a thin line. “Did he.”

Perene nodded. “If I’m a guard I can protect you and Meyna and Kerri when you get scared, right?”

I glanced at our parents out of the corner of my gaze, then looked back at Elian fighting in the arena. “It’s the oldest sibling’s job to protect the youngest. So of course I’ll be the one to get in trouble.” I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry. “But you can help look out for the others, okay? Maybe soon we’ll need it.”

Beside me, I felt Perene slump. “Okay…”

My hand found his head, and I ruffled his hair. “Sometimes, protecting people isn’t very exciting, Perene. We can’t all run off on adventures. That doesn’t make it less worth it.”

It felt like only minutes before the tournament ended, though it must have been much longer. The final match was Elian against Menone, and while it was heart-pounding at times, this time it seemed more obvious to me that it was all a performance. This close, I could see the way Ellie’s arms trembled, and the sweat gleaming on his face. He shouldn’t have won. But the match ended in a draw, and as both King and Head bowed to the cheering crowd, I realized all of the matches must have been similar performances. All were good enough that they could trick the easily-entertained crowds of Gresha, but really it was all a big show to make Ellie seem stronger than they were.

While Perene leapt to his feet cheering and screaming, the silent spell on him broken by the action, and mother and father exchanged a look, I was suddenly struck with memories. Watching Ellie come home from training with the army, or from wherever Ellie disappeared to all the time, covered in bruises but still smiling. Ellie scaring off the neighbor boys that had been teasing me, and telling me it was okay if I didn’t like them the way our parents seemed to think I should, because he didn’t really like many people, either. A very old memory I almost thought I had dreamed, when Ellie and I had played at being heroes fighting, but Ellie had fought so hard and so seriously that it had actually hurt.

…Maybe Elian will be fine as a king, I thought as my sibling began to walk away.

Our time as siblings was coming to an end, and I wasn’t sure if they had been a very good sibling, but I knew I would miss them. At the same time, I was happy that they were leaving the house. Elian had decided that this was what they wanted to do, and I didn’t think anyone, even our parents, could convince them not to. What a strange feeling.

Elian isn’t at all like Mama, and the story she told me, I realized. They won’t ever settle down and be content, just because others tell them they should. They can’t. Someday, they’re going to leave Gresha behind and forget all about us. They’ll leave with their two friends, and go on so many more adventures. Becoming King’s just a crossroads for them. Mama and Dad just don’t see it. They’re too happy here…is it happiness?

Maybe I was even a little envious of that, I realized. Not being king, but of defying Mama and Dad’s expectations like that. It sounded…nice. Maybe he had the right idea after all—maybe it would be nice to leave Gresha someday, and see what the rest of the world had to offer. Maybe I could do that too. But I didn’t think I could.

Someone had to stay behind and watch all our other siblings. Mother and Father couldn’t be trusted with the task—they hadn’t even noticed Ellie had grown up a long time ago, not like I had, not until it was too late. Will they notice the rest of their children slipping, either? I don’t think they realized I did, I wondered.

I hoped it’d be easier with Perene’s eyes to help me too, though.

From above, Elian cleared his throat. Apparently he wasn’t done talking yet. The bright red bird toddled back towards him; he stalwartly ignored it as it pecked at his skirt. “Though this has been a confusing and chaotic time, please rest assured that with the protection of Crown Ruuthelaine and myself, there is no challenge we as a community cannot overcome. When the second dynasty rebuilt the city after the Sun Fiend’s rampage, it signaled a time of rebirth and change, and Gresha has been known as a proud and prosperous port city ever since,” he said. “Let my coronation and Crown Ruuthelaine’s arrival represent a new dynasty and a new era, too. We as a city have always preached the virtues of love and community. Of supporting and feeding our neighbors. But what of our neighbors outside Gresha’s walls? Does not this war only continue because we’re all human, because we’re all hungry? Perhaps, by joining hands, we will be able to usher in an even greater era of true peace. Perhaps we can truly earn the title of the greatest city under the Sun Falcon’s gaze.”

While I was still struggling to figure out what, exactly, Elian was saying, he took a deep breath and continued. “As such, starting from the time of the next Rite of Sunset into eternity, no longer will Angrans be sacrificed at the time of the Rite of Sunset, they will be replaced with animal sacrifices. Instead, we will attempt to offer a hand of atonement and friendship with our age-long enemies. The first decree of my rule is that his barbaric and outdated war and tradition is over.”