Summary

Aestor was born as a younger brother to Princess Cylia, the latter of which was destined to take the throne. As a child he had no real qualms with this; and in fact admired his sister for her strengths. What he did struggle with was his sickness since youth; an oversensitivity to magic that oftentimes caused fatigue or even collapse. As a result he was usually kept sequestered in the palace for his safety, unable to see the lands outside. Despite this, Cylia would play with him and tell stories of the villages outside the palace walls, always bringing back a trinket or two for him to keep. She also helped foster a love for gardens, through which the young prince realized he was gifted in healing magicks, if nothing else. However, the happy times would not last for long.

The Queen had been poisoned by their father, but Cylia, not wanting to torment her younger brother with the knowledge, had left him oblivious to what had occured. She stayed there for him long enough for the prince to recover from losing the parent he had been the closest to, but things continued to go downhill. Cylia then fled the palace, wishing to mend the kingdom beyond the palace walls, and Aestor, being too young and sickly to follow in her wake, had watched her. This took an immense toll on the prince, already being a lonely boy, and started a change in him for better or for worse.

Due to the high expectations of the King, Aestor was forced to learn quickly in a new world with neither mother nor sister to back him up. Strengthened by the conviction of turning things back to the way they used to be, he began to train, losing his childlike charms in favour for a more serious nature. Though dangerous to his health at first, Aestor paced his training over the span of years, learning to wield a blade as efficiently as any other paladin. Eventually, pleased by his progress, the King reinstated him as the leader of the Paladin Guard. With his healing magicks, the prince became one of the most formidable threats, even though his illness continues to fatigue him after long battles. In the present, it has finally boiled up to the point his training has been meant for. The King has decreed a new task: bring back his sister, and she will live. Fail to do so, and she will be branded as a traitor and a threat. Though none but the Prince know of this ordinance, he swears to bring her back, no matter what the cost.