"Ambition is the sword of all men. To make it strong and sharp, it must be carefully tended to and forged by forces stronger than the sword itself. The mold of ambition is fate, which forever holds the sword in place, defining its shape. It is a rare occasion in which a sword is stronger than its mold, and an even rarer occasion for a sword to break it's mold. Once a sword's shape is defined in a mold, it is destined to retain that shape. It is not up to a man to decide his swords shape or strength. However, It is up to the man to decide what he wants to use that sword for, as I have explained earlier...

-The Dark Prince

"It was a day much like this one, Death was lingering around the corner and no one had any idea." Duke began.

(8 years ago)

"Duke! Honey what are you doing!" A red haired woman yelled from outside his door.

He was sprawled across his bed consumed in some kind of writing on a piece of parchment.

"The profound feeling of contentedness envelopes me when we kiss

And the cold feeling of incomplete loneliness afflicts me when we part

All this tells me what I'm witnessing is no children's bliss

But a love that beats fervently in a man's beating heart.

Take me my dear Collete, and make me th-"

"Duke!" the woman yelled barging into the room. "Where have you been! Colette is waiting for you downstairs!"

"One moment mother!" Duke said, hiding the poem under his desk. "I just need to finish some preparations."

"Preperations?" His mother said eyeing the peace of parchmount hidden under his desk. "I see! I will tell her you need a few minutes."

His mother closed the door proceeding down the stairs of the castle.

"Take me my dear Collete, and make me-"

Wham!

The door blew open again with a red haired girl in pigtails crossing her arms. She had a very tomboyish demeanor frowning at him as he hid his poem away.

"Heh, little brother getting ready for a date on Valentine's day? So cute" She said snarling at him.

"Meredith!" Duke said rising from his seat. "Don't get mad at me because you scare all your dates away! I'm going to give this to Collete!"

"Yeh right Loser!" Meredith said tackling Duke onto his bed. With the greatest of ease she wrestled him into a headlock forcing him into submission.

"Ok! I give up take it!" Duke said, handing her the parchment.

"Heh it read exactly as I thought it would." Meredith said laughing"Your perfect for her."

"Why do you always have to tackle me every time you see me! Can't you let me live in peace!" Duke yelled

"Mom and Dad protect you! You never get into fights, always calm and collected! Someone has to teach you how to fight for yourself, you should be ashamed for losing to a girl!"

"You should be ashamed for acting like a man! Your a Princess! You should be wearing dresses and slippers, not clogs and trousers!" Duke yelled

"That's the problem! Why did you get to be born a boy and do whatever you want but because I'm a girl I can't do anything! It took so much convincing from father to let me use a sword! But he says I'll never become a knight!"

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"And that's my fault!" Duke yelled

"One day I'm going to run away, Duke! I'm gonna run far away from this place, and I'll do whatever I want just like a man does!" Meredith said, running away.

"She acts so tough and always cries… she's only my half sister but geez she's so annoying!"

"Duke!" A girl with white hair called from the staircase.

"Collete!" Duke said rising to his feet "I'm sorry… I was… writing you this poem and.."

"You wrote me a poem!" She said "Let me see it!"

"No!" Duke said "It's not finished yet…" He said.

"Duke!" A man said stomping up the stairs.

"Father…" Duke said as the tall and handsome man walked into the room.

"What is taking so long? If you do not leave in time you will not make the Festival in Paris?" He said.

"Father… I" Duke stuttered.

His father looked a the parchment and shook his head smiling. Walking over to his son, he placed his hand onto his head, rubbing it softly.

"You are truly my son," He said laughing. "A man of never ending passion," He folded up the note and placed the poem in Duke's pocket. "I'm sure the poem you wrote is beautiful, but do you know what else is beautiful?" His father said pointing to Collete.

"Collete… father…" Duke said blushing.

"Haha that's right! And not just her, but Paris as well! Sometimes you have to let passion flow through all things, not just through paper my good boy! Sometimes you cannot find the perfect words to say to someone, but they will come when the moment calls for it! Forget about the poem for now, you will know what to say when it is time to finish it! Now onto your carriage!" His father ordered.

"Thank you Father! Colette lets go to the festival!"

"Canderous!" Dukes father called. "Yes my Lord," He said bowing. "Follow my son and sees to it he enjoys his night! You are my most promised knight! I expect him back by bedtime!"

"Yes my lord."

Duke and Collete road in the carriage and attended the festival enjoying the many attractions and lovers amenities that were there. At the end of the night Collete danced across a water fountain dangerously walking along the edge.

"Cmon Duke!" She yelled reaching out her hand.

"But… I'm afraid I'll get we-"

"Collete grabbed his hand forcing him to awkwardly dance across the fountain with her.

"Silly! What's water going to do to you!"

"You're right!" Duke said holding her close "Your right!"

"Duke…" Colette said blushing.

"The profound feeling of contentedness envelopes me when we kiss

And the cold feeling of incomplete loneliness afflicts me when we part

All this tells me what I'm witnessing is no childrens bliss

But a love that beats fervently in a man's heart.

Take me my dear Collete, and make me thine

Take me away from my fears and merge your heart with mine

I will be your Duke, you will be my duchess

Mary me and your love will never leave my clutches!"

"That was beautiful Duke… but Marry you?" Colette laughed. "We haven't even ki-"

Duke leaned in kissing the young women with all his heart.

"What about now! Will you will marry me Collet de Rose'?" Duke said to her.

"Yes," Colette said overwhelmed by Dukes boldness. She leaned in kissing him once more under the falling waters of the fountain.

"EHHHEEEMMM!" Canderous groaned from across the fountain. "Time for the young cupid to return home!" He ordered

"Hehehe, Didn't see you there Mr. Canderous!"

Canderous took Duke home, all the while watching the boy lick his own lips as he anxiously awaited returning home.

"Father!" Duke said bursting into his house "I've done it! I finally told Collete…."

Duke trailed of his sentence frozen in place. His lips trembled as he looked up a the balcony.

"DEAR LORD! YOUNG MASTER!" Canderous yelled

Duke fell to his knees cascading his tears all over. It was like a river running from his eyes that he couldn't stop. The tears kept coming until they burned, burned his eyes with image of the nightmare he had walked into.

"MOOTTHHERRR!!! FATTHEERRR!!!" He yelled

"We must leave this place at once!" Canderous yelled. "The killer could still be at large!"

Canderous whisked Duke into his carriage and carried him away.

(Back to present.)

"They were dead, hung by their organs dangled across the balcony." Duke said. "There was a giant heart of blood edged into the ground."

"This is unsettling, where were the knights!" Wiesheng said

"Dead" Duke answered

"All of them?"

"Yes."

"And the perpetrator?"

"One man with an extremely powerful artefact, he was known as Byron"

"Byron the mankiller! One of the most dangerous killers in France? What was he doing at your castle?"

"Byron was awaiting trial for sentencing, but due to King Bourbons grace, he was let go, that very same night he killed my family and went at large. What I really don't understand is how a common man like that got such a powerful artefact." Duke said scratching his chin.

"What are you saying?"

"That is the reason I read about murders, I'm still investigating my parents death."

"Is that right?"

"Yes, I believe someone inside of the Bourbon home wanted them dead, and gave that artefact to him, but Until I can find him and match the artefact to its origin, I have no evidence."

"An incredibly sharp boy isn't he?" Godefroi, "Its terrible what happened to the Niche's" Godfroi sighed.

"So then how are you two related?" Weisheng asked.

"Do you remember that little girl who's body was not found in this story?" Godefroi asked.

"Yes, Meredith, what about her?"

"She is my Bastard child, I am related to Duke by that extension."

"You had a child with the wife of a Prince?" Wiesheng said.

"It is not an affair I like to talk about. To this very day, I'm searching for her! If only I had been there that night!"

"Achooo!" Meri sneezed. Back at the plantation, she, Marlin and Jimi had arrived. Out on the hillside looking over the Valley, Prince was sitting by himself taking in the view.

"Well, despite everything we're all here, we're either the biggest idiots in the world, or the easiest manipulatable people on the planet." Marlin said

"Or we are friends that are held together by something stronger than we could possibly comprehend." Meri said.

"Do you mean god?" Marlin asked.

"Yes," Meri said. "The question is what is it that god is using to hold us together?"

"I believe that thing is called fate." Marlin answered.

"Fate…" Meri said looking on at Prince. "I wonder.."

Prince went through his treasure, admiring the golden crosses and pearls in his treasure bag. As he rumbled through the treasure, he found a small book with the word Prince written on it.

"The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli" it read.

"What it is this doing with treasure?" He said to himself. "Pedro do you know of this Machiavelli person?"

" I do not… nor do I know of this book. let's read it together. Maybe we can uncover the significance of this treasure."