Claudia finished tying on the little boy's leather armor. She took a step back and smiled, "Abel, now stand up straight." The little boy straightened up his back and smiled back at his mother.

"Well, I still don't approve, but you are a handsome one—my little prince.” She paused and then with a touch more concern in her voice, continued, “You could wait one more year."

A slightly older boy laughed, "Ha! Ha! Abel is the same age I was when I began my training"

"Well, I didn't approve then, and I don't approve now!"

"Oh, I will be okay Mother. Right Gain?" Abel picked up the wooden sword and began slashing at the air.

"You will be okay, but leave that toy at home. Captain Orin only allows metal swords for training."

Gain saw his mother grimace at the mention of metal swords, "Don't worry Mother, they are metal, but they aren't sharp. He can't really get hurt—well, not too bad anyway."

Claudia just sighed, and looked at her two girls—"Valentina, Clarissa, say goodbye to your little brothers."

Clarissa looked up from her book, "Goodbye Prince Gain, goodbye Prince Abel. Have fun!"

Valentina, the only one of the four siblings to inherit their mother's silver mane, walked up to the two boys and put her hands on her hips. Smiling, she looked down on the two, "Have fun, you little brats!"

Gain answered his sister with a grin, "Oh, don't be a sore loser, you are just mad because you can't go!"

"Yes, I am mad! Why can't I train? I'd be better than either of you!"

"Ha! You are a girl! Just stay home, and do whatever girls do!"

"Shut up Gain! Just take care of Abel, and make sure he doesn't get hurt!"

"Whatever you say, Queen Valentina!"

"Ho! Ho! You are so funny. Just get out of here, you shrimp," and then she gave Gain a push.

Gain smiled. He knew his sisters were special—Valentina was a force of nature that could do anything, and Clarissa had a mind that not just absorbed everything she ever read but understood the deeper meanings behind the words and synthesized them into new ideas. But, swordplay was his. It was something that he could be proud of. For Gain, there was no deeper meaning behind the brother-sister teasing than playfully claiming something special of his own.

However, the teasing meant something very different to Valentina. She was a girl approaching womanhood in a kingdom where women did not matter. She understood what her young brothers did not—their mother had been protecting her children from the misogyny that permeated the Kingdom. She knew that the only reason that she and her sister even had books to read was because they were intended for their younger brothers—men were worthy of the investment. She knew that they were fortunate that their beautiful mother was a far wiser and more knowledgeable guide than the parade of teachers and tutors that were in charge of the boys' daily lessons. She was even more thankful that the King managed to largely ignore the four siblings— which is what made the little world their mother created possible. Not that his indifference was surprising—Clarissa and Valentina just didn't matter because they were girls, and Gain and Abel were still too young to fight.

Of course, Gain knew none of this, he was only eight years old and just proud to have his own chance to play the role of big brother—and maybe tease his big sister a little.

For his part, Abel was excited to go on an adventure with his big brother, and he did his best to match his brother's stride as they made their way to the training grounds, where a grey-haired old soldier met the boys at the gate.

To the young prince, the old soldier looked ancient, but weathered skin and old scars did not obscure a muscular body that seemed to belong to a man decades younger.

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Despite his rough exterior, he seemed friendly enough.

"Good morning Prince Gain—it looks like we have a new recruit."

"Ha! Ha! Yes, an eager one at that!"

"All right then, Prince Abel, I am Captain Orin. If you follow my instructions and train hard, one day you will be as good as Prince Gain over there!"

Gain was already hacking at a wooden training dummy.

"This is first position, " the captain held Abel's arms in place, high above his head.

"That's good. Arms higher, now straighten your back. Good...."

"How is it going, Captain Orin?"

The one asking the question was Remno's warrior King. The massive hulk of a man was nearly peerless in stature in the Kingdom, matched only by a man known as the Adamantine Spear, a young man, just now reaching his prime.

"Your Majesty. This is a surprise. Well, Gain is impressive, as always, and Abel had a strong first day."

"Abel, show me what you have learned.

Gain, show me what you have learned."

Abel dutifully demonstrated first position, While Gain alternated demonstrating a variety of feints with lunging at the training dummy.

The King gave the Captain a disgusted look, "What the hell is this! Posing? Hacking at wooden dolls? These two have been playing with little girls for too long!" He then yelled at the boys, "Fight!"

The two boys looked at each other with puzzled looks on their faces.

"Your Majesty, the boys aren't ready. It's the young one's first day!"

"They are of Royal blood, My blood! They are ready."

He commanded the boys, "Gain, Abel —fight!"

The boys faced each other again.

Gain calmly prompted his brother, "Okay, Abel first position..."

"What the hell is this? A dance? Fight!"

Gain turned to the King, "Father, it's hardly fair, it's his firs..."

Crak—the back of the King's hand slammed into the boy's face. The boy wiped his mouth with his hand and then stared at his own blood. He then looked at his father—the eyes that stared back at him were dead things. Gain felt a coldness and then an overwhelming fear.

"Fair? Do you think the battlefield favors fair? It favors the bold, the strong, the ruthless. Women want fair because fair gives power to the weak. Are you a woman?"

"No, I am a man Your Majesty." The young boy responded to the King.

"Good! Then fight!"

Gain faced Abel. The boys took two swings, and then Abel's sword went flying out of his hands.

Gain looked toward his father, "There, we are done."

"You are done when I say you are done."

The King once again commanded, "Prince Abel, pick up your sword!"

Once again, the first prince complied.

"Now fight!"

Within seconds, Abel's sword once again went flying.

Gain looked at his father with eyes that pleaded to end this demonstration.

"Again!"

After about thirty minutes of having his sword knocked out of his hands, Abel was barely able to grip his sword at all.

"Again!"

Abel's arms had given out, the weight of his sword pulled him forward. Gain tried to pull back from his swing.

Swack!

The flat of Gain's sword struck his brother's left arm. The little boy fell in a heap wailing and in tears. Gain looked at the King, and the King nodded.

"And, that's when it's over! When the enemy is beat! When he has lost the ability and the will to fight!"

The boys walked home—Abel still wailing, holding his arm, and Gain silent and confused.

Clarissa was the first to see the boys.

"Mother! Abel is hurt!"

Claudia and Valentina came running.

"What happened."

What happened? Gain was the older boy, but still just a child. He had done as his Father instructed—he had acted as his King commanded. But, the brother he loved was hurt, and Gain didn't understand. He didn't have words to describe what happened, so he used the King's

"The battlefield favors the bold, the strong, the ruthless. Defeat must be..."

Valentina ran to Abel, "You! You did this? His arm is broken!"

"Broken?" Gain said quietly.

"You monster! You horrible little monster!" Valentina threw the boy to the ground and began kicking him with the heel of her foot. "Never! Never hurt him again!"

Gain just rolled up into a ball.

As Valentina returned to Abel, Clarissa walked up to Gain. She put her hand on his back, "Gain—What happened? Why..."

The little boy didn't answer. He didn't try to explain.

Horrible little monster!

Valentina stopped talking to Gain after that. It wasn't just anger at Gain—she hated herself, too. Yes, Abel was a little boy, but really, so was Gain. She had struck her eight-year-old brother out of anger—he was still just a child—she knew he was hurting, too. This is not who he is! But, she knew even that would change in time. Remno was a poison, and no one could escape its corruption. I wanted to change the world, but I couldn't even protect the ones I love. I can't do this anymore...

Clarissa and their mother would try to mend what was broken—but the world that Claudia had worked so hard to create to protect her children had crashed down upon all of them. Abel and Valentina would not forgive Gain, and Gain could not forgive himself. In the end, all that Gain was just left with was the sword and his Father.

Valentina would try to still be a big sister to Clarissa and Abel. She would play with them, and try to teach them what was wrong in the world. But, they could feel her spark fading. When she drowned less than a year later, they knew it was not an accident.