His name was Red, Red Uruz Alfwar. He was currently walking down a slightly busy street while waving to a couple of people that recognized him. The city he was currently in Uruz, was his city by birthright. His father had managed to found this city right before he was born, which by all intents and purposes made him the crown prince of the city.
Red didn't know how to feel about this, rather than being a king, he wanted to live like one. It was no secret that his father was constantly stressed by his duties as king. Red recalled just how far his father's hairline had receded and instantly felt dread. Stopping in front of a shop he examined his hairline just to make sure it was all good.
His father often teased Red, but each time his father James told him he would have an even worse hairline than him, he could do nothing but worry obsessively over that for at least a few minutes.
Having checked that everything was still good, Red continued on his walk. It was early in the morning still, so Red didn't have to worry about having to run into a whole bunch of people that wanted to talk to him. As to why Red was walking around town at this time was complicated, at least in his mind.
"Happy birthday to our lord!!!" A massive crowd of people suddenly howled their congratulations behind Red. Startled Red turned around in a flash, only to see the people he least wanted to at this time. That being the knights regiment, Red chastised himself for not remembering that these morons conducted their training early in the morning. "Thank you." Red voiced after cursing his luck in his head.
The master knight of the regiment slowly walked up and stuck out his hand, hopeful for a handshake. Red shook his hand. 'It's always the same with these morons, don't they have any work to do?' Red thought this while shaking the man's hand, he disliked people that wasted his time, and well the knights regiment was full of people like that.
"To think you're now sixteen my prince, WAAAUGH." The master knight said this while crying up a storm. "Yes I am Dominic, time passes by quite fast doesn't it; now if you'll excuse me, I have some things to take care off today." Red turned and tried to continue his walk, but being the pain in the ass he was, Dominic grabbed his arm and pleaded. "My prince, the knights regiment couldn't possibly allow for the great heir of this city to take care of menial tasks like those, at least allow me to accompany you." Red appreciated Dominic for his loyalty, but having a guy like that around would only annoy him, so he decided to compromise.
"Christopher, Kitty, you're coming with me." Red addressed two knights that he had known since childhood, he considered them friends even. "But sir." Dominic pleaded "I'm sure I could provide you with better protection than..." "I don't need protection Dominic, I'm stronger than you remember?" Red said impishly. "Besides I need assistance from people my age, I'm picking out new clothes, and I'm afraid that you might pick something from before the gods were born." Red noticing the chuckles of the knights behind Dominic decided to throw the man a bone. "You're Master Knight Dominic L'orange, I know just how capable you are, now go keep this city safe." Red then saluted Dominic. In a few moments, while barely holding his tears in, Dominic ordered the knights to start patrolling the city. Dominic also left but not before bowing in an exaggerated manner.
"Why, just why?" Red was already exasperated this early in the morning. "You know how old man Dominic is, I'm surprised you didn't sense us from afar." Christopher said this with a smile, while greeting Red with a fist bump. "Well, I was distracted, I'm gonna have to start making you guys wear bells." Red said while laughing. "Wow, I'm surprised Mister perfect actually made a mistake." Kitty said teasingly. "Even handsome people make mistakes every now and then." Red retorted.
"That's not what I meant by perfect!" Kitty could not hide her blushing cheeks. "Yeah, I know." Red could not keep his laugh in, if there was one thing he loved in this world, it was teasing cute girls. Kitty proceeded to punch him in the shoulder. "What was that for?" Red said with a grin on his face. "I could have you executed for that you know? "Yeah right, I'd like to see you try." Kitty replied. Christopher and Kitty were nobles of Uruz, so they could be less proper towards Red, it was probably because of this that Red considered them to actually be his friends.
"What's this about us helping you pick some clothes?" Christopher had never once accompanied Red to do something like that, if anything he would think Red would rather do that by himself. "Oh that, I lied." Red said while raising his shoulders. "So what are we actually doing?" Kitty had always been a curious girl. "Hell, if i know." Red said with a grin. "I only said that so that Dominic would get off my back." Red said with a sigh.
"Well we should do something at least." Kitty said with a whining tone.
"I kind of wanted to be alone, I don't really like my birthdays." Red was honestly morose at the thought of turning a year older.
"What type of grouch doesn't like their own birthday." Kitty was quite confused by Red's lack of excitement, the Calico family was infamous for their birthday parties, each time one of it's members had a birthday, thousands of pecetas were spent on the food and drink alone.
"He's probably just sad that he's been single for another year." Teased Christopher. Red pretended that this had nothing to do with it.
"I've never liked my birthdays, they always prove to either be disappointments or downright tragic." Christopher stiffened at these words, he had forgotten about what had happened during Red's twelfth birthday.
"I'm sorry, I..." "It's fine lets forget about it." Said red cutting Christopher's apology short, he hadn't taken offense in the first place.
"Lets go to the new cafe by the cathedral, I need some coffee." Red decided that sitting someplace with a drink was better than being interrogated by his friends.
At the cafe Red ordered a blueberry muffin and a large iced coffee, while Christopher had a glass of water as well as a plain bagel. Kitty on the other hand, had ordered a massive sundae that almost covered her entire face.
"I know I'm paying, but there's really no need to gorge yourself." Red said this despite having a large appetite himself, but seeing as he wasn't much of a breakfast person eating such a huge amount of ice cream in the morning simply seemed nonsensical to him.
"What do you mean?" Kitty truly had no idea why he said this.
"More importantly..." Christopher called Red's attention "To what do we owe our young lord being awake so early in the morning?" Red winced at the question. "You usually don't wake up until noon, why the sudden change?" Christopher continued with a suspicious tone.
"Oh come on Christopher, the future king of the city has to at least work out every once in a while doesn't he?" A nervous laugh adorned Red's reply.
"You ran away from home didn't you?" Christopher asked this but he already knew the answer. "He definitely did." Kitty and Christopher knew that Red was a night owl if anything, so they were sure he had ran from home.
"I didn't run away from home you morons." Retorted Red. "I simply left while everyone was asleep, I plan on going back." Red realized they didn't mean he had become a runaway, but he felt that if he just agreed with them they would tease him more.
"Fine, fine. I'll leave it at that." Christopher decided to end his questioning there, he already knew what had happened.
"Maybe you should make a big show of your birthday, the people of the city love seeing you, you're one of the Four Kings after all." Kitty loved a show, so she honestly thought Red should try to be more expressive about his gifts.
"I might be one of the Four Kings but that doesn't mean I want to parade around like a monkey." Red said this knowing full well what Kitty was imagining.
The Four Kings were four individuals who had received the blessing of a god shortly after being born. Red was the final of the four, as he recalled he had been blessed by the god of determination and knowledge Usval. Although Red liked being special, he didn't enjoy the idea of serving as someone's entertainment.
"Kitty I know what this is about if you really want an autograph you can just ask, you don't have to get me to put on a big show just for that." Red knew just what buttons to push. "That's not what I meant!" Kitty was visibly flustered. "Red you should really stop teasing your servants so much." Christopher said this while stifling a laugh. "You're laughing too aren't you Christopher." Kitty had had enough of the boys for the morning so she simply stuck out her tongue and left.
"How can such a small girl eat her weight in ice cream?" Christopher said this having witnessed Kitty finish the entire sundae before she left. "Hell if I know, hahaha. She sure is fun to tease though." Red said this with a grin across his face. "Check please." Red signaled the waitress. "You know what I'm thinking Chris?" Christopher already knew what Red was thinking. "That we should go check out the girls working out in the park?" "Bingo!"
At the city entrance Red's mother and the Queen of Uruz, was welcoming a friend and her two children. "Hello Sybil its so nice to see you again, you too Rosalina." Alice greeted her friend and her daughter, then stopped. "I'm afraid I haven't met you before, my name is Alice Alfwar Blanca." Alice introduced herself to her friend's son. "My name is Azure Rosales Kailen." The young man introduced himself. 'I should have done that first, I hope I didn't come across as rude.' Azure hoped that he hadn't embarrassed himself.
"Azure remember what I told you about my friend Alice?" Sybil asked her son in a motherly tone. "Her oldest son also happens to be one of the Four Kings like you, try your best to get along." Sybil hoped that her children could get along with Alice's just like they did. Azure and Rosalina were both surprised when they heard this. "I hadn't realized lady Alice was the friend you were referring to." Azure really did not expect to meet another of the Four Kings today.
"Where is the strapping young man by the way." Sybil had met Red once before, she honestly hoped that Rosalina and him would hit it off especially. "The brat has been missing since this morning." Answered Alice annoyed at her son's antics. "Missing!?" Sybil was visibly worried. "I just meant he left the house early this morning, it's his birthday today, and he hates being the center of attention." Alice knew why her son disliked his birthday, but it was harder for her to think about what had happened a few years ago.
"Enough about my son for now, lets have you and your servants settle down in the castle." Alice said this to be polite, but also because she wanted to change the subject.