Story:  Arxus lived in the village surrounding the castle growing up with his older sister and mother. He never knew who his father was. Both he and his sister started working as young as they both could to help out their mother, and as a boy he always looked up to the guards whenever he saw them in the village. Growing up, he knew he wanted to become one of them, wanted to have the honor to protect the castle and town. He worked hard and followed his dream. During his training his mother sadly fell ill and passed away. With his sister married and starting her own family, Arxus had not much else than his dream, which he dove into head first. 

However sometimes dreams are not what we think it is and Arxus quickly discovered his was one of them. Instead of helping people and keeping them safe he was more often the one attacking innocent civilians. So he deserted his post one night after they had been told to attack a village because there might be some rebel supporters among them. 

Running through the woods in the middle of the night he ran into some folks who took him to a camp in the woods, the rebels he had once been tasked to find was now inviting him to be one of them. He quickly agreed and now this group of people, mostly civilians who cannot fight, is his family. As a trained soldier he help trains civilians who wants to learn to fight.

 Prince AU:  Arxus lives in the town bordering the castle. He works as a black smith and is very good at it. Leaning from a young age to help his mother who raised him and his sister all alone.

Turns out his unknown father was actually one of the princes. And when the princes only (legitamite) son dies, Arxus is found and brought to the castle. As a commoner who suddenly finds himself inside the castle walls he has a lot to get used to, most of all the extravagance and the wastefulness he quickly notice. 

He tries to fit in, especially when under the watchful eye of his father the prince and grandfather the king. But one does not simply go from a blacksmith in town to a royal prince without mishap and struggles.