Ficool

Chapter 1 - The Stranger in Gold

The palace bells rang just before dusk.

Their sound rolled over the kingdom of Elarion, soft and solemn, like the sky itself was humming. From the far hills, a lone carriage approached plain, wooden, drawn by a tired horse. It didn't belong among the white marble walls of the capital.

Inside sat Eldric Dawn, the King's craftsman, and beside him, his son.

The boy said nothing the entire journey. He never did.

Kaelion.

His eyes were still, unreadable the kind that made even grown men feel seen. He didn't fidget, didn't ask questions. He just watched the golden light roll across the world, painting his reflection on the glass.

There was something about him the way he carried silence like armor. Not shy. Not nervous. Just distant.

Like someone who already knew the truth about people.

When the palace gates opened, Kaelion stepped down first.

Servants walked past without looking. Soldiers nodded briefly. He didn't care. His gaze drifted upward at the towers, the windows, the glow of gold against the evening.

He wasn't impressed by beauty.

He was studying it quietly, as if memorizing every shade of light.

"Stay close," his father murmured. "The King's men don't like wandering."

Kaelion gave a short nod but said nothing.

He never wasted words on what didn't matter.

Inside the great hall, his father knelt before the King. Kaelion stayed back in the shadows, eyes calm, posture unbroken. The nobles whispered, but he didn't glance at them. Their gold, their pride none of it interested him.

He was built different.

A quiet storm in a room full of thunder.

When the meeting ended, Kaelion turned down the wrong corridor.

Or maybe, deep down, he didn't.

The palace stretched endlessly sun pouring through tall windows, making the marble glow. He walked until the noise of voices faded. His boots barely echoed. He preferred it that way.

At the end of the corridor stood a tall window. And by that window, her.

A girl in a pale gown, standing in the golden light, her face turned toward the sunset. Her hair caught the glow like a crown of fire. She didn't see him at first.

Kaelion stopped. Watched.

He wasn't captivated by beauty not at first.

What caught him was the stillness. The same kind of stillness he carried inside.

Then she turned. Their eyes met.

He didn't bow.

He didn't move.

He just looked at her, silent and steady, as if he'd already seen her somewhere in a dream, or a life that never was.

"You're not supposed to be here," she said softly, surprised but not afraid.

"I know," he answered. His voice was low, even, like calm water over stone.

"Then why are you?"

He looked past her, at the sunset over the hills. "Because it's quiet here."

She smiled a little not out of amusement, but curiosity.

No one ever spoke to her like that.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Kaelion."

"I'm"

"I know," he said before she could finish, his gaze returning to the window. "Everyone knows who you are."

The words should've sounded cold, but they didn't.

There was no mockery, no awe — just truth.

She turned back to the sunset, her expression softening.

"You speak differently," she said.

"I only speak when it matters."

He began to walk past her, slow, deliberate.

But as he passed, the wind from the window caught her hair — and for a moment, it brushed his arm. She froze. He didn't look back.

"Will I see you again?" she asked quietly, almost to herself.

Kaelion stopped at the doorway.

For a long time, he said nothing.

Then, without turning, he answered:

"If the wind allows it."

And he was gone.

That night, the princess stood by the same window, staring at the stars and wondering why silence could sound so much like music.

And somewhere in the dark halls below, a boy with storm-gray eyes couldn't sleep — because for the first time in years, he'd found something louder than his thoughts.

More Chapters