The White Heron Prince

In a quiet room, only a chiming clock made of fine wood was ticking at a steady pace. There was a boy lying on a canopy bed, with drapery decorated in gold and white.

The boy’s name was Judas Ruvarsan Archideon, and he had just turned twelve years old. He was the first prince of the Kingdom of Ruvarsan—the only one of the three princes who had inherited the rare silver hair and golden eyes of the Ruvarsan royal bloodline. His appearance had drawn much attention because the culture of the kingdom valued not only one’s aptitude but symbolic features of lineage.

Despite his apparent gift, the prince had poor health and a meek disposition, which worried the people around him. He was also born with a particularly weak constitution, and he’d stopped growing at some point, resulting in him being very small and pale for his age.

He rarely spoke and wasn’t very active, giving him the appearance of a delicate doll. Hence, the first prince had not been given the title of crown prince despite his appropriate age. His long hair was usually damp with cold sweat, and his long, skinny limbs made him look even more sickly and frail. The boy didn’t look twelve. His small figure made him seem like he was around seven years old. On top of that, he had a soft personality, giving his subjects more reasons to not like him.

The concerned king had contemplated and chose Ruvar-H as a solution to the situation. It was an academy where aristocratic children, nobles and royals alike, were sent to determine and develop their gifts. It was the first international institution created by the Kingdom of Ruvarsan, hence the name.

Students could learn and compete in politics, economics, military strategy, medicine, geography, and even pharmacy and magic. The academy helped any diligent student to find their inherent talents and to train for what they lacked through education.

It was the king’s last resort for his firstborn son. However, things did not turn out the way he’d planned.

“Do you think His Highness is sick again?”

“Well, he is quite frail.”

“Given the circumstances, I can see how it may have been hard for him to bear.”

The first prince, Judas, did not uphold a good reputation at the academy. His small, ungainly body and quiet demeanor made it difficult for him to fit in with the noble-born children with their already arrogant attitudes. There was no overt bullying, but he was already a loner at the school.

Judas couldn’t even form his own faction, which didn’t help his reputation. There were many who considered him to be unsuited to the title of crown prince. That wasn’t entirely groundless, because Judas would often collapse and miss his classes for days at a time. His body was not growing well, and he frequently fell ill.

Many students had been interested in him at first because of his title, but after two years at the academy, the interest in him had gradually dwindled as he’d failed to socialize or excel in any field of study. Moreover, his mother had passed away, meaning he was unable to get any political support from her.

The sickly, incompetent, and cowering prince got the cold shoulder wherever he went. Rumors had been circulating in the academy that he was very ill and could die any day, and that he was mute, unable to speak a word.

Cleanliness was important to the maids even if the prince was in his sickbed, so they had cleaned up his quarters efficiently. They were sympathetic toward him.

“Anyhow, he’s been in bed for two days now. But no one has come to visit yet.”

“He really is the ‘white heron prince.’”

“Hush. Watch your mouth.”

The nickname “white heron prince” referred to the silver hair that symbolized his lineage, but it was also a way of teasing him for his solitary nature and not fitting in with the crowd. People didn’t dare persecute the first prince of the kingdom publicly, but the nickname was mocking enough.

The maids left the room talking among themselves.

It was then that the prince’s fingertips twitched in the silence within the draped curtains. His eyes, which had been closed and still, fluttered and slowly opened. Still unfocused from sleep, he stared up at the ceiling.

He was still in a daze as he pressed his small palms to his throat. He could feel a smooth, unwrinkled neck. The cough that had been bubbling up from his throat had cleared as well. He felt weak, but compared to how much pain he was in before, his condition right now felt almost refreshing.

Sitting up slowly, he carefully pushed aside the bed curtains and placed his feet on the carpet floor.

Then he realized that the situation was very strange. He looked down at his hands, then up to the ceiling and down to the floor again, scanning the room.

“Where am I...?”

He flinched in surprise at hearing himself speak aloud. He pressed his fingers to his mouth. Instead of the rough, chapped lips from his memories, he was touching soft, youthful skin. He tilted his head like he couldn’t make sense of this. His long silver hair fell over his shoulder as he moved.

“Huh...”

A deep sigh too mature for a young boy’s body escaped from his lips. He looked into a mirror on a table, which showed his reflection. He let out a scoff as he stared into the glass.

“Haha, this old man must still be lost in his dreams.”

The reflection showed the small figure of a child with long, ethereal silver hair and golden eyes.

Judas Ruvarsan Archideon, the first prince of the Kingdom of Ruvarsan, was no longer himself anymore.

His outward appearance remained the same, but the person inside him was the great sage who had passed away not too long ago: Egret.

***

Now in the body of a young boy, Egret stared into the mirror for a long while, not knowing what had happened to him. He had lived his life as the great sage, but he had never heard of or experienced anything like this before.

People lived only one life. Unlike the spirits of nature, humans got old and sick, and they died. That was the simple yet absolute truth of nature.

Even Egret, who had the power and wisdom to rule the spirits of all four elements, could not change that fact of mortality. He had closed his eyes for an eternal sleep after not even living a century, at the age of ninety-two. His life was supposed to end then.

“Isn’t this mysterious. Have I reincarnated in this small child’s body...?”

As he’d always used to in his contemplation, he tapped his fingers on his chin as he sank into thought. The golden eyes looking back at him from the mirror were shining so vividly. He could only let out a troubled laugh at this strange and new sensation.

“Well, well. Doesn’t this feel like staring at a ghost. Haha.”

He lifted his other hand and curled it into a fist. As he opened it again, a fresh gust of wind came from his palm. His long hair fluttered and flew in the sudden breeze.

What appeared on his palm after the wind subsided was a spirit in the form of a small girl with wings.

“Egret!”

The spirit had its bright green hair arranged in two long braids. She flew up to hug his cheek with a big smile on her face. He smiled softly at how she was clearly happy to see him again, even though she had tears in her eyes.

“You recognize me, Yuni.”

“Of course. You are my Egret.”

She drew in wind from all directions, and the room was filled with fresh air in a matter of seconds. The wind followed the king of the wind spirits, Yuni. Her happiness caused a refreshing wind to dance cheerfully as well.

“I promised you that I would be by your side. I’m so happy that you summoned me.”

He smiled at her again.

“Egret,” Yuni whispered as she planted a kiss on his cheek.

She was in the form of a girl small enough to stand on his palm, but she possessed the power of one of the four elements of nature. The kings of spirits were never to be dealt with carelessly, as they could alter natural phenomena at their will.

Egret felt deep gratitude toward the spirit king Yuni for her unfailing loyalty despite the change in his appearance. Even if he was the great sage, that should not have mattered to the spirits of nature in any way.

They only answered to his summons, remembering the oath they’d taken in his younger days. To the spirits, Egret was just Egret. He’d always felt that he was accepted by them for who he was.

He chuckled at the warm welcome and gently shook his head.

“Befriending all of you was the pride of my life.”

“Don’t talk as if it’s the end again. You fool, Egret. We’ll always stay friends.”

“Thank you, Yuni. But then again, I definitely thought... I died.”

Egret brought his small hand up and moved his fingers. He wasn’t related to the owner of this body, nor had he ever seen this face before. But judging from the unique color of the hair and eyes, he had an idea of who he might be.

He grabbed a handful of his swaying silver hair and took a good look at it.