Guinevere stared at him.

"Reigns…" she whispered, her purple eyes fixed on him.

Artreus raised a brow, shifting slightly.

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

She blinked, her gaze flickering with something unreadable before she shook her head.

"Nothing… it's just… you must be Arthur's younger brother."

Artreus stiffened slightly at the mention of that name.

Guinevere continued, her expression thoughtful. "You have quite a resemblance to him—as a child."

Artreus twitched.

His annoyance flared up instantly.

"Oi—don't call me a child!" he snapped, arms crossing over his chest.

Guinevere simply smirked at his reaction.

"I am a fearsome warrior!" Artreus huffed, puffing up his chest slightly as if to prove a point.

Guinevere's smirk only deepened.

"Oh, I can see that," she mused, her tone dripping with playful amusement.

Artreus rolled his eyes before regaining his composure.

"And yes, I am Arthur's brother. Perhaps you knew him too?"

Guinevere's expression softened.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Artreus," she said with a graceful nod. "I am Guinevere Elora Aragorn, Princess of Elenora. I humbly thank you for saving my life."

Artreus scratched the back of his head, his confidence faltering for just a second at the way she spoke so formally.

"Umm… well… no need to thank me," he said, waving a hand dismissively. "It's part of my job to rescue you… for rewards."

Guinevere narrowed her eyes slightly.

"…Rewards?"

Artreus coughed awkwardly, realizing how that sounded.

"I-I mean, I was sent on a mission to save you! Yeah, yeah, totally for noble reasons," he quickly added.

Guinevere's lips twitched into a knowing smirk.

"Mmm-hmm," she hummed, clearly unconvinced.

Artreus quickly changed the subject.

"Anyway! How did you rescue me?" Guinevere asked, tilting her head. "That fortress was heavily guarded. Powerful mana users and night bandits swarmed the area. And most of all… Liones, the fierce Beast King."

Her purple eyes darkened slightly.

"It was impossible to defeat him."

Artreus smirked, leaning back slightly.

"Hah! Not for us!"

Guinevere blinked, intrigued.

"I wasn't fighting alone," Artreus continued proudly. "I had Master Samson fighting alongside me, and my friends—Aidan and Mikael."

He stretched his arms behind his head, grinning.

"We handled those bastards."

Guinevere stared at him for a long moment.

Then, slowly, she smiled.

"Is that so?"

Her gaze lingered on him—almost appraising him.

As if she was starting to believe in him.

Artreus stretched his arms, still grinning with confidence.

"Of course, we're built different," he said smugly, his voice brimming with pride. "We're faster, stronger. Nothing can stop us—that's what my master trained me for."

Guinevere watched him for a moment before smiling, a small chuckle escaping her lips.

"Very well," she said, a hint of amusement in her voice. "I believe you."

Artreus smirked, feeling even prouder of himself.

Then, Guinevere's expression turned slightly more serious as she glanced around.

"How did we end up here anyway?"

Artreus leaned back against the stone wall, exhaling.

"I don't know exactly. A huge earthquake hit just as I was carrying you on my back. The walls collapsed around us, and before I knew it, we were falling deep underground."

He gestured toward the river beside them.

"We almost drowned in the river, but—of course—I saved you again._"

He shot her a smug look.

Guinevere raised an eyebrow, her lips twitching in amusement.

"Hmph. Modest, aren't we?"

Artreus shrugged.

"Hey, I'm just stating facts."

Guinevere chuckled softly, shaking her head before turning more thoughtful.

"So… we're trapped here now?"

Artreus nodded.

"Yeah, pretty much. The only way out is probably to follow the river. It has to lead somewhere."

Guinevere glanced at the flowing water, her purple eyes reflecting the dim glow around them.

"I see."

Then, she turned back to him, her expression softening.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"For a young boy like you to know how to save people…" she said, her voice quieter, more thoughtful.

She smiled gently.

"You're just like Arthur."

Artreus froze.

For a moment, he didn't say anything.

His brother's name still felt… heavy.

He finally forced out a small chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well, I am his brother, of course…" he said, trying to sound casual.

But deep down, something about her words stuck with him.

He quickly shook off the feeling, clapping his hands together.

"Anyways, we've been here long enough."

He stood up, stretching.

"I don't think my Master would come looking for us down here. We have to keep moving forward. It's dangerous out here in the outside world. So…"

He turned to her, his eyes serious.

"We have to get you home. To your kingdom. That's the main priority of our mission—to escort you back safely, Princess."

He smirked slightly.

"I'm your knight now."

Guinevere stood up, brushing off her dress.

She looked at him, her purple eyes studying him for a moment before nodding.

"Alright then. Protect me on our travels, my young knight."

A playful smirk tugged at her lips.

"I'll be in your care."

Artreus rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the small grin on his face.

"Yeah, yeah. Just don't slow me down, your highness."

Guinevere giggled softly before looking ahead.

"So… you know where my kingdom is, right?"

Artreus blinked.

Paused.

Then turned to her slowly.

"…You do know where your home is, right?"

Guinevere cleared her throat, looking away.

"Well…" she muttered, shifting uncomfortably.

A long silence.

Then—

"We're gonna need a map."

Artreus facepalmed.

"You've got to be kidding me."

Morning – Escape into the Forest

The soft chirping of birds filled the air as Artreus and Guinevere stepped out from the underground cavern, finally emerging into the light.

The morning sun shone brightly, filtering through the towering trees of a vast green forest. The crisp, fresh air was filled with the sounds of nature—deer grazing peacefully in the distance, squirrels scurrying up the trees, and the occasional rustle of leaves as the wind passed through.

Artreus stretched his arms, taking a deep breath.

"Ahh… finally, fresh air!" he sighed in relief.

Guinevere simply smiled, enjoying the warmth of the sunlight on her skin.

As they continued walking, Artreus couldn't shake the question that had been bothering him.

"Hey, Princess, mind telling me something?"

"What is it?" Guinevere asked, glancing at him.

"How did you even get captured by those bastards? You have the power of pure mana, right? Royal blood. You can shift the balance of the world itself. I mean, come on, you could've wiped them all out with your powerful magic—just like your ancestors."

Guinevere suddenly stopped walking.

She turned to Artreus, blinking in confusion.

"Huh? Who told you that nonsense?"

Artreus raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean nonsense?"

Guinevere placed a hand on her hip, sighing.

"I don't have that kind of power."

Artreus stared at her like she had just told him water wasn't wet.

"What do you mean you don't have that kind of power? King Arathorn—"

"It's not that simple," Guinevere interrupted. "Because I'm not King Arathorn."

Her expression became more serious as she continued.

"Those stories you've heard? They're old legends. King Arathorn was a genius, a well-respected hero in our history. His mana was limitless, given to him by the gods themselves."

She looked down, almost hesitant.

"But his magic was forbidden—not just for elves, but for the entire world. His power was too great to handle. If someone used it carelessly… it would cause death through mana exhaustion."

Artreus frowned.

"So you're saying… you can use it, but you choose not to?"

Guinevere nodded.

"For me, I think I could handle it… but only in emergencies. I don't want to use my power to hurt anyone."

Artreus exhaled, shaking his head.

"Tch. You're such a goody two-shoes."

Guinevere smirked, crossing her arms.

"A child like you wouldn't understand."

Artreus snapped his head toward her.

"HUH?!"

Noon – A Conversation About Age

As the sun reached its peak, the two continued walking through the forest.

After a while, Guinevere glanced at Artreus and asked,

"How old are you?"

Artreus narrowed his eyes.

"Why would I tell you my age?"

Guinevere shrugged innocently.

"Why? Is it wrong to ask?"

Artreus huffed.

"I'm not telling you. You'd probably make fun of it."

Guinevere smiled mischievously.

"Fine, then I'll guess."

She tapped a finger against her chin in mock thought.

"Hmmm… Nine?"

Artreus's eye twitched violently.

"DO I LOOK LIKE A BABY TO YOU?!"

Guinevere giggled.

"Well… you do look like a cutie patootie… maybe seven?"

"STOP CALLING ME THAT! I'm twelve!"

Guinevere clasped her hands together.

"Aww~ Okay! Hehe!"

Artreus groaned, running a hand down his face.

"Alright, my turn," he said, rubbing his chin. "Are you… twenty-four?"

Guinevere gasped, dramatically placing a hand over her chest.

"My gosh… am I that young?!"

Artreus frowned.

"So how old are you then?"

Guinevere tilted her head, smiling.

"Actually… I'm 112 years old."

Artreus froze.

His brain shut down.

"…112 YEARS OLD?!"

Guinevere nodded proudly.

"That's right!"

Artreus stared at her, then suddenly—

"YOU'RE AN OLD HAG!"

Guinevere's eye twitched.

She kept smiling, but there was visible rage behind her expression.

"What. Did. You. Call. Me?"

Before Artreus could react, she pinched his ear and twisted it.

_"OW, OW, OW, OW!!" Artreus yelled.

"Repeat that again?" Guinevere asked sweetly, still twisting his ear.

"Y-You're the most youthful and beautiful elf I've ever met!" he said quickly.

Guinevere smiled victoriously before letting go.

"Good boy."

Artreus pouted but said nothing.

Sunset – Setting Camp

The sky was turning a deep orange, the sun slowly setting over the horizon.

Artreus let out a sigh, stopping in a small clearing near a stream.

"It's almost dark. Let's set camp here. I'll go hunt something to eat."

Guinevere stretched.

"Alright. I'm going to wash up at the river nearby."

Artreus perked up.

"Ha!"

Guinevere narrowed her eyes.

"No peeking."

Artreus jerked back.

"I- I wasn't gonna peek!"

Guinevere smirked.

"Oh really? Then why did you react so fast?"

Artreus coughed loudly.

"T-Then I'll just come with you!"

Guinevere raised an eyebrow.

"You can't come with me, you perv."

Artreus crossed his arms.

"It's my duty to protect you! What if there's a snake monster in the river?!"

Guinevere sighed dramatically.

"I can handle myself."

Artreus shook his head.

"NO! I must fulfill my duty, Princess! I cannot deny an order from your king!"

Guinevere stared at him with a straight face.

A second later, magic energy surrounded her fingers.

"What are you—?"

Suddenly, golden vines shot out, wrapping tightly around Artreus's arms and legs.

"HEY—WAIT—!!"

THUMP.

Artreus fell onto the ground, completely tied up.

Guinevere dusted off her hands.

"Hunt later. After I'm done washing."

She walked away, leaving Artreus struggling helplessly.

"PRINCESS!!! DON'T GO ALONE!!! IT"S TOO DANGEROUS!!!"