Mordred made his way through the changed capital, walking through the streets just like he did when he was a boy.
Now of course even though only four years had passed, the capital had changed much since his disappearance.
Buildings were repainted and replaced, the walkways restored and reworked.
Yet, as he watched on as people young and old strolled and ran through the familiar streets brought a smile to his face.
And after enjoying the scenery for a moment, Mordred made his way to what he hoped to be a happy reunion.
…
Lenore Usher, only and the last member of the Usher family and incredibly overworked bureaucrat.
She had finally made it to her desk after six hours on her feet, and she was surprised that there was someone waiting for her.
It was the head desk clerk Clara, but just as she mentally prepared herself to hear that she would have to stay here for another five hours.
Until she noticed that Clara had dropped her happy go lucky disposition, she was unnerved and sheepishly holding a letter.
It was when Clara finally noticed Lenore, she started to tell her what happened.
An armored giant had entered their southwing office and came with a scythe in tow.
The grim titan then asked for Lenore herself, in a rough and sibilant voice.
of course he was denied, due to not "having an appointment."
But the story only continued to get stranger, because instead of getting angry or just leaving.
The giant apologized and asked if he could leave a letter for Lenore.
Which after procuring a pen and paper from the terrified staff patiently wrote the letter and left it for Lenore.
With the giant thanking the staff for their time and then quietly leaving.
After leaving, five desk workers instantly broke down out of fear.
Those same five then left soon after, without any word of ever returning.
That is when Clara flooded Lenore with questions.
Lenore only sighed before she told the jumpy desk clerk.
"It's just another joke by Myles, just forget it ever happened and find new hires."
Before ushering Clara out of her broom closet sized office, Clara only managed to give Lenore the letter before being shut out.
Lenore didn't even look at the letter as she placed it on her desk, as she rubbed her eyes trying and failing to relieve herself of fatigue.
'No more forty plus hour shifts.'
She told herself, before mindlessly looking towards her desk and the unfinished work on it.
That is when she saw the letter, wanting to get whatever Myles had planned.
Done with as quickly as possible, she took the letter and unfolded it.
She froze when her eyes laid upon the familiar handwriting, the likes of which she had not seen in four long years.
She immediately started treating the letter with more care as she read what could be the first piece of communication she has had with him in years.
…
"Dearest Lenore, after all this time I finally find myself home and somehow in one piece."
"I apologize for not writing sooner or setting up an appointment with you."
"Truly I have been away from administration and its many quirks for far too long."
"In truth a part of me wanted to see you the moment I returned."
"Yet I was afraid of rushing things, haste makes waste and all that."
"But when I heard from my mother that you had gotten the administration job you had wanted."
"I knew I had to come in person and tell you how happy I am for you!"
"It warms my heart that you were able to accomplish your dream."
"I hope we can meet face to face once more and soon, my Beautiful Omen."
"Hopefully you will have a much more interesting story to tell during our years apart than me."
"Yours always, Mordred."
…
Lenore read those lines, over and over again.
Trying to figure out if this was her dream come true, or once again another horrid joke from that bastard Myles.
The letter had brought back a lot of important memories for Lenore.
They met at Octavan when they were both thirteen, she the only child of a dying house and him the poster child for their generation of heroes.
Lenore had met people with similar backgrounds to Mordred's, prideful brats who viewed their parent's prestige and power as their own.
She remembered the first time they met, the boy looking around until spotting Lenore who was reading by herself.
Mordred ran up to her at a speed not possible for someone their age, and he politely asked her for directions.
The boy had a terrible sense of direction, and after the first time Mordred ended up looking to Lenore for getting around the maze-like academy.
Those moments of assistance lead to them greeting each other when they passed.
That turned into a friendship, her the only child of a dying house and him the nephew to the king.
Of course a relationship like that did not go unnoticed by the students and staff of the academy.
It started as murmurs, which turned to questions, which became sly remakes.
How she was trying to "cozy up" with the only heir to the throne, how she was only talking to him to elevate her family's floundering importance.
These words came from the noble children and staff whose authority dwarfed her own.
And her parents when they found out about her friendship with the young Collins demanded that the friendship ended.
Lenore tried her best to hide these cruel acts from Mordred, not wanting her only friend to pity her.
But when Mordred eventually found out about the bullying, his emotion wasn't pity for Lenore.
It was a burning fury towards her abusers, and most of all Myles Voyer the one who seemingly headed the student's malice.
That is when Mordred stated his counter attack, students who had participated with the bullying found their things burned.
Never anything expensive or cherished by the victims.
But they were important school books, uniforms, and stationary burned beyond use and somethings recognition.
That had deterred most of continuing the bullying, but not Myles.
There was nothing other than circumstantial evidence for Modred and due to his status as next in line to the throne he was not one to be questioned.
So after two weeks of Myles trying his best to expose Mordred's identity as the culprit.
He had reached his breaking point, and challenged Mordred to a duel.
Which Myles almost instantly lost, and with Myles being forced to apologise to Lenore as the loser of the duel.
Had been the final deterrent needed to those who wished to cause trouble to the daughter of Usher.
Sadly Mordred was forced to leave the academy due to outside pressure with the noble families of said terrorised children.
Still no one ever tried to cause trouble to Lenore even after her avenger left.
But even if he was kicked out from the Academy, did not mean that was the end of their friendship.
Lenore will always remember when she received her first letter from Mordred, she awoke to have found it on her window sill.
And with that first letter started almost two years of communication between the two.
She had even stayed at the Collin's estate over vacation, meeting the kingdom's greatest heroes.
They had taken a liking to her, and both became warm and positive voices in her life.
Adder and Lenore over this period became closer as well, but before their relationship could once again change.
Mordred was taken, from his kingdom, from his family, and from her.
She only found out when the Collins themselves told her a few days after his kidnapping.
She cried then, for the first time since meeting him, sadness overcame her.
It was only the Collins themselves that helped Lenore through her grief.
With their help she was able to graduate from the Academy with the highest grade the academy had ever seen.
Lenore wiped the tears from her eyes as she thought about how Uther and Igrain were there for her.
She still didn't know where her parents were that day, but they were there and that was more than enough.
She brushed back her hair thinking about last year when it hit her.
While she had gotten a job where she wanted to, she was still in the position she had gotten a little over a year ago.
And for the amount she was doing for the whole department, that was inexcusable.
She yawned as she started her plans for the upcoming week, because she refused to appear before Mordred as some underpaid mole.
No, she would meet him bright eyed and bushy tailed and if everything went well.
They would reunite with her being the head of the southwing.
Lenore chuckled at that idea, as she made way to her supervisor.
…
Mordred walked away from the southwing building, with a feeling of accomplishment and a burning excitement for the future.
Hopefully Lenore remembered him, but he couldn't blame if she moved on after four whole years.
But the thought of them meeting once again brought a smile to Mordred, that he hadn't had since truly reuniting with his parents.
So as he had done his sole reason for going to the capital he decided to explore the capital until he had seen everything.
Or when his parents finally find him, Mordred couldn't deny that a small shiver came down his spine when he thought of that.
But could you blame him?
Years away from his homeland and weeks stuck at his family home with him not allowed to explore, had given him a rare case of wanderlust.
Now he was here, the capital city of Dournier, his home away from home.
A part of him wanted to go to the royal palace now that he was free, but he had heard how busy his uncle and aunt were and decided to meet them when they no longer weighed down by duty.
So while strolling down Barcroft Road, Mordred had ran into the last he would want to have a reunion with.
…
Myles Voyer was having a hard week, his father, one of the four leaders of the oblige faction had suffered a great defeat through the courts.
And that bitterness at that loss had not diminished at all, so Myles' request for a substantial boost to his already generous allowance only gave him a talking-to.
So to blow off steam and get some spending money, Myles decided to do the easiest thing he could think of to earn some quick cash.
'Protection Fees.'
He didn't even have to hide his face, his father being captain of the royal guard meant any of his victims were too scared to come forward and those few who dared.
Well his father dealt with them, so all Myles had to do was wear something plain and not advertise who he was.
And he would have deniability, so Myles had gotten quite used to being invincible while frisking the fruit vendors and curio stalls.
"No! This is ridiculous. I pay my taxes and I know my rights afforded by the Kingdom!"
Myles coyly shook his head, this peddler was new it seemed.
Not used to the fee collections that happened when Myles or his friends were in need.
But as the stall owner was arguing, he suddenly became silent.
Myles looked back at the man, to see him frozen in fear.
"Finally!"
Myles thought, the stall owner finally came to his senses.
Only to realize that the stall owner was not looking at him, but whatever was happening behind him.
That was then someone grabbed Myles shoulder, the hand of this mysterious individual made him pause for a moment.
But having dealt with fools blinded by justice before, Myles didn't even look as he smashed his elbow into the assailant's core.
Only to feel like he tried to hit a statue made of solid iron, Myles turned around his elbow throbbing to face the fool who was trying to stop him.
What stood before Myles was giant, clad in shabby armor and a scythe resting on its shoulders.
The giant's helm that was large and bulbus cauldron and was slanted down towards him, Myles would have believed someone had put a statue there as a way to scare him off rather than someone who could move in such armor.
That was until it spoke, its voice raspy but deep silencing all who were watching the escapade.
"Truly a disgrace."
The giant said to him, his anger apparent as its grip on Myles' shoulder tightened.
Myles tried to rip himself out of the giant's grasp, but no matter how hard or fast he squirmed the giant refused to let him go.
"Do you know who I am?!"
Myles yelled indignantly as he continued to thrash around, unable for the first time in years to escape another's grasp.
"Myles Lawrence Voyer, only son of Davan and Maria Voyer, serving the royal guard for two years and counting!"
The giant's voice traveled through the silent streets bringing more passersby to the spectators.
Myles, seeing how this was spiraling, sputtered.
"Can we change locations? I doubt you want to be known for assaulting a noble's son, especially the son of the captain of the royal guard!"
Myles regained confidence with each word spoken, of course he was untouchable!
The Giant said it himself that Myles was important, if it was smart he would let him go and allow him to continue receiving 'protection fees'.
But the giant only laughed as he started to drag Myles to who knows where.
He fought of course, but that ended with him losing his own balance falling backwards.
This made the giant lose his patience with the young man, making him carry the thrashing Myles over its shoulder.
…
The giant through Myles to the other side of the ring of the arena.
Myles had watched helplessly as the giant had taken him to the Aladone.
The largest and oldest battle arena in Soladarr, and if that wasn't enough the giant had bought out all the seats and made this fight free to the public.
Which brought joy to the spectators that decided to follow the giant to the arena.
Myles looked up as he tried to regain some sense of control of this situation.
Many of the spectators of this upcoming duel, were past victims of Myles and his friends fee collecting.
Their shouts and jeering filled the air around the arena.
Others were vocal critics of both Myles and his father, who wore excited faces.
furious by the smiles and jeers of those he saw as below him, Myles roared to the giant.
"I swear on the throne's noble heart you will die here!"
This declaration actually halted the giant in his tracks, only for him to stand on his side.
And when the bell rang heralding the beginning of the battle, the giant spoke for the last time.
"You better kill me, because you will not like what will happen if you fail."
And after saying that, the giant was swallowed up a a large pillar of fire.