The streets of Leonheart territory were among the finest in Alkazar – wide cobblestone avenues lined with lanterns that burned with enchanted flames, never flickering even in the fiercest storms. The buildings stood tall and proud, their whitewashed walls adorned with the blue-and-silver banners of the Magic Knights. Every morning, shopkeepers would roll out their awnings, displaying wares from across the kingdom: shimmering silks from the east, rare spell components from Ashford libraries, and steel forged in Thornton foundries.
Yet for all its grandeur, the district had its shadows.
Cedric knew them all.
A Beggar's Existence
The boy woke with the dawn, his body curled in the narrow gap between a bakery and a scribe's shop – a space barely wider than his shoulders, but one that kept him sheltered from rain and prying eyes. His limbs ached from the cold night, his stomach already gnawing at itself with hunger. Seven years old, and he'd never known a morning where he wasn't hungry.
He rubbed the sleep from his striking blue eyes – a feature that drew too much attention for his liking. The baker's wife sometimes called them "devil's eyes" when she chased him away, though the drunkards at the tavern would occasionally toss him a copper if he stared at them just right. His black hair, matted with dirt and grease, fell into his face as he crawled out from his hiding spot.
The Rhythm of the Streets
Cedric's days followed a careful routine:
Morning Scavenging
Behind the row of fine eateries along Knight's Promenade, the kitchen hands would dump yesterday's leftovers. If he timed it right – after the cooks left but before the stray dogs noticed – he might find half a meat pie or mold-speckled fruit. Today, only turnip peels and a crust of stale bread. He gnawed on it as he moved.
The Market Circuit
The main square bustled with nobles' servants doing their daily shopping. Cedric weaved through the crowd, small fingers darting where they shouldn't. A handful of nuts from a distracted merchant's stall. A dropped handkerchief he could sell to the rag-picker. Once, he'd stolen a whole sausage – the beating that followed taught him to stick to smaller prizes.
Afternoon Hideaways
When the sun grew hot and the guards grew irritable, Cedric retreated to his safe places:
The space beneath the old bridge where the washerwomen worked (their gossip was useful)
The abandoned dovecote behind the temple (high enough to see trouble coming)
The library's back steps (where the Ashford scholars sometimes dropped books – worthless to eat, but he liked the pictures)
Evening Shadows
As lanterns flickered to life, Cedric became invisible. The night watch didn't care about one more street rat, so long as he didn't loiter near the noble mansions. He'd watch from a distance as carriages rolled toward the Leonheart compound, catching glimpses of armored knights with glowing swords at their hips.
The Unseen World
The boy knew things the nobles never would:
Which guards could be bribed with a bottle of wine
Which sewer grates led to warm underground tunnels in winter
The exact moment when the tavern keeper looked away from his till
He'd learned to read expressions before he could read words – a merchant's carelessness, a guard's boredom, a noble's disdain. These were his survival skills.
The Six Pillars of Alkazar
The Kingdom of Alkazar stood strong because of six noble houses—six bloodlines that had, for centuries, served as the kingdom's sword, shield, and soul. Each family bore its own legacy, its own strengths, and its own role in maintaining the fragile balance between order and chaos.
Leonheart – The most revered of the six, the Leonhearts were known as the Magic Knights, warriors who blended steel and sorcery into an art form. Their ancestral lands were vast, their influence unmatched, and their knights were said to be capable of slaying monsters with a single spell-forged strike.
Blackwood – Masters of shadow and subterfuge, the Blackwoods were the kingdom's spies, assassins, and diplomats. Where the Leonhearts fought with honor, the Blackwoods ensured that battles were won before they even began.
Ashford – Scholars and mages, the Ashfords controlled the flow of knowledge in Alkazar. Their libraries were said to hold secrets from forgotten ages, and their scholars could unravel the mysteries of the universe—if they chose to share them.
Thornton – The shield of the kingdom, the Thorntons were the bulwark against invasion. Their warriors were giants among men, their fortresses unbreakable, and their loyalty unwavering.
Stirling – Wealthy beyond measure, the Stirlings controlled trade, commerce, and the kingdom's coffers. Gold flowed through their veins as surely as blood, and their influence reached every corner of Alkazar.
Pembroke – The wildcards, the Pembrokes were explorers, monster hunters, and adventurers. While the other houses fortified the kingdom, the Pembrokes ventured beyond its borders, facing the unknown so others did not have to.
Beneath these six great houses existed minor noble families—lesser in power, but still influential in their own right. Yet none could compare to the might of the Six.
Another Night Falls
As darkness settled, Cedric curled up in his usual spot, listening to the distant clang of the Leonheart guards changing shifts. Somewhere above him, in those towering mansions, nobles feasted on food he couldn't imagine. Somewhere beyond the walls, monsters prowled.
But here in the cracks of the city, a hungry boy with too-blue eyes clutched his stolen crust of bread and survived.
The streets of Leonheart territory were bustling as always, merchants hawking their wares, knights patrolling in polished armor, and commoners going about their daily lives. Cedric moved through the crowd like a shadow, his sharp blue eyes scanning for any opportunity—a dropped coin, an unattended food stall, anything to fill his aching stomach.
But today, luck was not on his side.
Framed
A commotion erupted near the market square. A noblewoman shrieked, clutching at her throat where a golden necklace had once rested. A city guard—a brutish man with a scar across his nose—immediately pointed at Cedric.
"Thief!" the guard bellowed, grabbing him by the collar. "This street rat stole the lady's jewelry!"
Cedric's heart pounded, but his mind remained sharp. He had stolen before—food, mostly—but never something as valuable as gold. He knew he was being set up.
"Search him!" someone in the crowd shouted.
The guard roughly patted him down, then—with a sly grin—pulled out the necklace from his own belt pouch. "See? The little vermin had it all along!"
The crowd gasped. Cedric's stomach twisted. He was about to be beaten—or worse.
But then, he noticed something.
A Clever Mind
"Wait," Cedric said, his voice surprisingly steady for a starving beggar. "If I stole it, why is there no dirt on the necklace?"
The crowd fell silent.
He continued, "My hands are filthy. If I had taken it, the gold would be smudged. But it's clean. Which means—" He pointed at the guard. "—you took it and hid it in your pouch to blame me."
A murmur spread through the onlookers. The noblewoman narrowed her eyes. The guard's face darkened.
The Heiress Takes Notice
From atop a pristine white horse, a girl with light blue hair watched the scene unfold. Aveline Leonheart, the sole daughter of House Leonheart, had been on a routine patrol with her family's knights when she spotted the commotion.
At first, she had been ready to ignore it—just another street rat causing trouble. But then she saw the way the beggar boy spoke. How his piercing blue eyes gleamed with intelligence despite his ragged appearance.
"Hmph. Not bad," she muttered under her breath.
Her escort, a senior knight, leaned in. "My lady, we should move on. This is beneath you."
Aveline ignored him. She dismounted and strode forward, her riding boots clicking against the cobblestones. The crowd instinctively parted for her, recognizing the Leonheart crest on her cloak.
"You," she said, pointing at Cedric. "What's your name?"
He blinked. "...Cedric."
She studied him—his sharp features hidden beneath grime, his unkempt black hair, his tattered clothes. But beneath all that…
"You're not bad-looking," she declared bluntly. "A little grooming, and you'd be presentable."
Cedric had no idea how to respond.
A Tsundere's Decision
Aveline turned to the guard, who was now sweating under her gaze. "You. Return the necklace and consider yourself dismissed from service. If I hear you've framed another innocent, you'll answer to my father."
The guard paled and scrambled to obey.
Then, to Cedric's shock, Aveline grabbed his wrist. "You're coming with me."
"W-What?"
"Don't make me repeat myself," she snapped, though there was no real malice in her tone. "You're clever. I can use someone like you."
Before he could protest, she dragged him toward her horse. The knights exchanged glances but said nothing—no one denied the heiress of House Leonheart.
The Leonheart Mansion
Cedric had never seen anything so grand. The mansion's towering gates, the manicured gardens, the halls lined with armored statues—it was like stepping into another world.
And then came the moment he dreaded.
"Father," Aveline announced as they entered a grand study.
A man with the same light blue hair as Aveline—though streaked with silver—looked up from his desk. Godfrey Leonheart, head of the family, exuded an aura of power that made Cedric's knees weak.
"Aveline," Godfrey said, his deep voice calm. "Who is this?"
She crossed her arms. "He's going to be my personal attendant. From now on."
Godfrey's piercing gaze swept over Cedric, taking in his ragged state. Then, to everyone's surprise, he chuckled.
"Very well. If you've taken a liking to him, I see no issue."
Aveline's older brother, Hugo—an eleven-year-old with a kind smile—peeked in from the doorway. "Oh! A new friend?"
"Not a friend," Aveline huffed. "An attendant. There's a difference."
Cedric stood there, covered in dirt, in a mansion that belonged to legends. His life had just changed forever.