《In Line》


 1 Chapter 1: Seventeen

    Where I was from, we had kings and queens. For a long time, the monarchs were loved by the subjects they ruled over because it seemed generation after generation; they remained kind and light-hearted. After the death of King Herald,  his son King Perry became the first Mad King, the first great evil. It was evident that the son took nothing of his father''s teachings, and the crown he wore only gave spark to hidden sins. Perry became the first king to be overthrown in the history of our kingdom, and then the cycle restarted. But the new monarchs wanted their people to feel safe. The new rulers wanted the people to know there would never be another Mad King.


    They came up with the idea that stood the test of time.


    Whenever a king and or queen gave birth to children, they would adopt two newborns from the kingdom they presided over. The royal family would never know which of the three children was their own blood, so they could not favor one over the other. When the children grew up, and their parents finally passed, it would become the people''s decision as to which of the three heirs would become the next ruler.


    Of course, it was a flawed system. As children grew older, naturally, it became easier to deduce who was the actual spawn of the royal bloodline. Still, by the time a king could know for sure which child was his own, he likely had already grown too fond of all three to simply abandon any.


    But this being the case meant that for generations when children were picked to become heirs to the king, they were selected by the shallow traits. It often came down to who appeared to be the most similar genetically. If the king and queen were white, the children they were given would likely be as well. Of course, if they were given two black babies dark as moonstone, they would know the only white child in the liter of newborns was their actual blood.


    And that brought the story to me. The king and Queen were white. When they had their baby and were given two from the public, they were given me, a black, and Louis, a Spaniard. They knew right away who their baby was, she was the only white after all, and they named her Sky. For the first time in history, the two adopted children to the royal family were of a completely different race, but our parents were good people. The king himself, my father, knew that he was not related to the former king before him. I liked to believe he loved my adopted siblings and me the way he did because he remembered how he wanted the same when he was growing up.


    I, Louis, Sky, King father, and Queen mother never had a problem loving each other as a family. We were a family, but the public was another story. My mother and father were in perfect health, so they weren''t going anywhere anytime soon. Unfortunately, that didn''t change how people could not imagine the sight of myself or Louis on the throne. Louis didn''t want to be king, and I was never interested in it myself, but the people also had a problem with Sky. She was a woman, and despite her being perfect for the crown, people couldn''t see past her sex. The kingdom of Fae had many queens in the past, but they only came into power after the deaths of the kings they were married to. In short, the kingdom was either unsure of who they wanted, or didn''t want any of the next potential line of monarchs to wear the crown.


    It was my 17th birthday; it was also Louis and Sky''s birthday as well, of course. The night marked the beginning of our last year living in the castle together. It was a tradition for heirs at the age of 18 to take on positions of power in the kingdom to better prepare themselves to rule. Taking on said positions typically meant having to move out and living fare away from the castle. As different as me and my siblings might have been, we were close. Where one of us lacked the others made up for considerably.


    Sky was a natural-born leader, fearless, trustworthy, and above all else, accountable. But my sister lacked a softer side. She always meant well but had trouble being organic. She wasn''t the most fun at a party, but she was level headed in a crisis.


    Louis was almost the exact opposite of our sister. Out of us three, he was the most connected to the people. They may not have wanted him on the throne, but they kept him in their hearts as well as their parties. He was the heart of the castle. Sure, he could be an ass some times, but he knew the people. He was of the people. He wasn''t as accountable as Sky, or nearly as book smart, but he was honest and had conviction in whatever he decided to do.


    I guess my brother and sister were always the two extreme points on a spectrum, and I was somewhere between them. I was the midway.


    We already knew what jobs we would likely take on when we turned 18. Sky was ferocious in combat, and she was a natural-born leader, so she''d probably go into the military. Louis was a man of the people. He didn''t like to order others around. My brother preferred going with the flow of whatever everyone wanted. He was going to make a great speaker of the people. I didn''t know what I was good at, and I didn''t know what role I would best fit in the kingdom. But it was our 17th birthday. We had a year before we''d have to leave home or make such vital decisions.


    I remembered the party we had that night. Mother and Father went all out. They were the king and queen after all, so extravagant gestures and events were to be expected. They lit the entire castle with a new invention called "light bulbs." They came in many vibrant colors, and made candles seem almost barbaric. Sadly, Louis wasn''t around to see them, and Sky didn''t seem phased by them at all. The most amazing feat of wonder that happened that night was the fireworks set off over the great lake that lived behind the mountain of the castle. They spelled out my name, Par, in the sky. I didn''t know they could do that. We were outside on the balcony as the last flame left the sky. I hopped Sky might have seen them before they faded, but I found her talking to a castle guard.


    "Did you see," I asked as I approached my sister.


    "See what?" She asked.


    "The fireworks, my name in the sky."


    "Yes, it was nice," She replied as if without weight or actual care.


    "Have you seen Louis, he''ll understand how amazing it was."


    "Last I heard he was with his usual friends at ''The Splint''"


    The Splint was the closest bar to the castle that my siblings and I could travel to without an escort. It was also a place to find cheap streetwalkers, cheap drinks, or cheap drinks to give to streetwalkers to make them cheaper. My brother started visiting The Splint more frequently around that time. We all knew he was entering manhood, but he really let us know by the company he would bring home. We''d see that same company leave the morning after. I said he was a man of the people, didn''t I?


    "He''s going to miss the cake," I said.


    "He misses the cake every year."


    "Mother put a lot of work into this one."


    Of course, my mother didn''t bake the cake herself. She had the cooks bake nearly a hundred recipes until they made one she thought was best.


    "I''m sure she''ll understand," Sky debated with me.


    "Maybe we should go fetch him," I suggested.


    "Fetch him? You mean go to The Splint," she said with a distaste for the idea.


    "It would mean a lot to Mother if we all cut the cake this year," I said.


    "I''m not stepping a single foot into that filthy brothel," she exclaimed.


    "You won''t have to. I''ll go in, get Louis, and get out. I just need you to stand outside and make sure no one tries anything," I pushed harder.


    I was embarrassed to admit my fear of leaving the castle on my own. My siblings and I were royals, so there was always the threat of kidnappers, but I also wore the skin of a lesser minority. Sky and Louis left the castle on their own all the time. But Sky could handle herself in a fight, and people loved Louis too much to ever hurt him. I, on the other hand, was the least favorite of us three. The bar was just outside the castle walls, but I didn''t want to go alone. Sky snickered and gave me a half-grin at my fear.


    "Alright, but you owe me one," she said.


    "One of what?" I questioned.


    "I''ll tell you when I think of it," she said.


    We snuck away from the party as it was time to cut the cake. In royal families, everyone liked to give speeches. There were a lot of people who attended the party that year, and three people to give speeches for. Needless to say, Sky and I had more than enough time to find Louis. I indeed wanted us all home to cut the cake that Mother worked on, but in the back of my mind, there was another reason I wanted to retrieve Louis. I was entering manhood as well, and I was curious about what The Splint had to offer. I''d never been with a man or woman. I wasn''t sure which of the two I preferred, or if I favored both as Louis did. Regardless, would there have been a better time than the present to find out?

 2 Chapter 2: No Doors

    Sky and I made it to The Splint. It was a worn down multi-leveled barn with a few coats of old paint. Somehow it was less than expected, but exactly what I was expecting. As we approached closer to the entrance, I noticed there was a couple laid out on the ground. Making out in the mud like pigs, they blocked the door, so we had to step over the couple to enter the establishment. My first step through the rickety doors was met by the smell of beer, sex, and sweat. My next step was cut short.


    "Hey! Wipe your feet at the door, we ain''t animals," the barman exclaimed from afar.


    He wanted me to clean my boots before walking into a room full of people drinking and having sex. I did as instructed before the room could grow volatile.


    Sky and I approached the bar as the barman was handing out drinks. The barman was an ugly fat thing. He was a big beast of a male with a balding spotted head and beefy fingers. His thick roles of chin were moist with what may have been drink or sweat. How he managed to fit behind the bar, much less move, was a mystery.


    " I''m looking for my brother," I said, taking the direct approach.


    "Who''s your brother," he asked with disinterest.


    It was a strange question. We were members of the royal family. My ego wasn''t big enough to find it unbelievable, but it was unlikely he wouldn''t know us.


    "His name is Louis. His skin is red. His hair is black. He stands taller than me, he caries a set of gold daggers," I informed.


    He wasn''t listening to a word I said, and his eyes seemed to be on my sister standing behind me.


    "Have you seen him?" I asked again.


    "Sorry, kid, that don''t sound like anyone I know, but tell you what," the pig of a man said before leaning over the counter to get closer.


    He licked his lips, and a few drops descended onto the bar and almost on me.


    "If you give me time with your friend, maybe then I''ll remember something," he suggested.


    "My friend? You mean my sister!?"


    Even with her standing behind me, I knew she was ready to claw his throat out. I heard her grip the sword on her hip, and I knew nothing good would come of it.


    "That''s not going to happen, but I can pay you for information if that''s what you need," I said, trying to persuade the man from a deadly path.


    Before I could pull a single coin from my pocket, my sister had already pushed me aside. She gripped the barman by his chest and held her sword to his throat.


    "We are in a hurry, now if you would kindly point the way to our brother we would appreciate your cooperation," she said plainly.


    The barman didn''t seem phased even as my sister''s blade was pressed to his adam''s apple. Many men often underestimated my sister due to her sex, but she was a formidable woman. What she lacked in stature strength and build she made up for in speed tact and skill.


    "Calm down, princess, your brother is upstairs," the barman patronized.


    "Sky, maybe we should put away the weapons," I suggested with a hand on her shoulder.


    It became apparently clear the patrons were watching us, but I''m sure my sister didn''t care. Had I been absent, nothing would have calmed her temper after being so brazenly disrespected. But I was present. With exasperation in her eyes, my sister slowly released the large male and sheathed her sword. She was steaming, but I took back my position in front of her before she could rethink her course of action.


    "What floor is he on?" I asked the barman after laying five gold coins at his fingers.


    "Third floor, last room on the right. Try not to step in anything on your way up, kid," he joked as I stepped away.


    I started to head upstairs, but Sky wasn''t following behind me.


    "Aren''t you coming with me," I insisted.


    "I think you can take it from here brother, I''ve had my fill of camaraderie for the night," she said before leaving me on my own.


    "See you around princess," the pig couldn''t help but retort before Sky was out the door.


    I could hear him laughing as I continued up the wood steps.


    There was a deep scent filling the air of dirt and musk. Women were running around nude as day, men were passed out everywhere,  and wild animals like birds and monkeys roamed freely. Every footstep was met with moisture that only came from sex. How there was so much steam might have confused me had I first understood how there were so many people in such a small barn-like building.


    I made it to the third floor, and as I walked down the hallway, there were no doors to hide the many deeds performed by men and women alike. The sights grew worse as I walked deeper into the madness. Making it to the last room on the right was a battle, if not an experience. There was so much calling for my attention.  I was unsure whether I would enjoy giving in or find myself disgusted. I don''t know if I found what my curiosity was looking for, but I found enough to stay with me for a long while after leaving that place.


    My brother was there, and lucky for me, he had on pants. Lying on the floor with a woman under his left arm and a man under his right, they were both beautiful. There was a bed in the room that perhaps they might have slept in, but it was against the wall blocking the window. I stepped further into the dimly lit room and squatted over my brother, lightly shaking him awake. He wouldn''t get up. There was a bucket of water in the corner. I thought I could wake him with a quick splash, but once I picked up the bucket, I realized it was not water. I dropped it and piss splashed. That woke my brother, or maybe it was the warm sensation.


    "Par, is that you?" He mumbled with glossed eyes.


    I helped him to his feet, trying not to wake his partners.


    "What are you doing here," he asked.


    "It''s our birthday. Mother made a cake, and I thought it might be nice for us all to be there to cut it this year," I said.


    "You came to a brothel to get me to come home for the cake?"


    It did sound ridiculous when he put it that way.


    "Yes," I said.


    "I''m sure they have cake here," he suggested as he pulled away from me.


    He searched the room for the remainder of his clothes while I took in the sights.


    "Mother would be happy if we were all together tonight," I said.


    "Sure. I get that. But I have these twins and," he started to say as he slipped his garments on.


    He was about to offer me the opportunity to lay with his partners, but I stopped him before he could.


    "Let''s not," I suggested as I tossed his daggers across the room.


    The thought of sleeping with someone who I''d have to pay for didn''t feel right, and a person that my brother already slept with only felt worse.


    "Fair enough," he said.


    We made our way downstairs, but before we could walk to the door to leave, we were stopped.


    "Where do you think you''re  going?!" The barman exclaimed as he watched our path.


    "I''ll pay you next time, besides they passed out when it was getting good," Louis joked as we both turned around.


    "You owe me for three nights," the pig argued.


    "I owe you for two and a half. If you want the other half teach your sluts to stay up till sunrise," Louis corrected.


    The door was inches away while the barman was a mile, and yet we were trapped all the same. How was my brother so calm? Perhaps it was the cheap drink he gorged himself on.


    "You little shit," the barman exclaimed again.


    I couldn''t understand why he wouldn''t come from his post. The beast of a man might have actually been stuck behind his bar.


    "If you got a problem, we could take it outside," Louis suggested.


    The barman went silent before he broke with laughter, and so did Louis and several patrons standing around the bar. I didn''t get the joke.


    "Get the fuck out of here," the pig said to my surprise.


    "You get the fuck out of here," Louis taunted the man further.


    It was an odd predicament, but we were able to leave. I waited until we were outside to say anything.


    "What was so funny?" I asked as the night''s air greeted us.


    "Frank wasn''t about to leave that bar for a while," my brother said.


    "But why?" I questioned further.


    "Everyone knows if Frank is behind the bar, he''s likely to have someone back there with him," he said.


    I still didn''t get it.


    "On their knees," my brother added.


    "Oh?!"


    It wouldn''t take us long to return to the castle. We had horses. Still, on a night like that time moved, however, it saw fit.


    "So why did you come for me?" Louis asked.


    "I told you, it''ll mean a lot to mother," I said.


    "Sure, but mother knows I''m not one for the ceremony. She would have been fine. So why come find me," he asked again.


    When you''re a part of a royal family, one might say you live by a different set of rules. One rule that my siblings and I knew was never to say, "I don''t know." When you said those three words, you stated you''re incompetent or naive. Even if it was something I had no way of knowing, I never let anyone know. It was important to understand the rule of "I don''t know " only mattered when dealing with other royals or people in the castle. We weren''t in the castle. My brother would not have cared had I said, "I don''t know," and I should have known that, but perhaps our nearing the castle walls made me more "uptight." Rather than answer, I went silent and hoped we would move on as if nothing was said at all. I thought it better to be silent than admit I didn''t know something. That did not work.


    "I''m waiting," he said.


    If I couldn''t be silent, my only other option was, to be honest.


    "I was curious," I said.


    "Of what, or are you going to make me work for this brother," he pestered me for depth.


    "You visit The Splint often, and I believe I know why," I admitted.


    I definitely knew why. After spending moments in such an establishment, it was hard to avoid its distinct and only values.


    "I''ve never been with a woman, or a male, I''ve never been with anyone," I confessed.


    "And you want to," Louis teased me.


    "Yes," I said.


    "Then what are we doing trying to cut the cake," he joked.


    I went silent again. He wasn''t wrong, even if he was wrong.


    We arrived at the castle and took a secret entrance inside. There were many passageways only known by the royal family and those responsible for building such stone marvels.


    "You know, Brother, The Splint is the perfect place for you to do whatever it is you want to do," he added as we walked stone paths lit by torch lights.


    "I don''t think it''s the place for me," I said.


    "Then I''ll help you find a place, or hell, ill bring the people to you," he suggested as we approached the exit of the tunnel.


    "You would do that for me?"


    "Of course, but you''ll owe me one," he said.

 3 Chapter 3: Peace Be Hollow

    We returned to the party in time to catch the final speeches. No one seemed to notice the three royals they were giving speeches for were absent. Regardless, my brother made it difficult to miss as we walked into the gathering covered in the scents of a brothel. We took our seats next to Sky at the high table overlooking the party and witnessed the madness that followed.


    The final speeches were given by a foreign king, Teco Tibet, and a foreign queen, Ola, and our King Father and Queen Mother.


    King Teco ruled over a land of people closer to my natural lineage, and darker complexion. In the southern sand-covered mountains, his people prospered well. Teco was known for being cold-hearted to those, not of his kind, but his kingdom and our King father''s were, for the most part, at peace.


    Queen Ola, the most beautiful yellow-haired vixen, ruled over what might have been the most diverse kingdom across the red sea. In her territory, there were more than milk roses and moon. Even her royal adviser was an Asian, rare to our kingdoms of deserts sands and oasis.


    The first to stand was Teco. With gray hair and shaky bones, he was an older soul but never showed his age.


    "The kingdom of Catalina is happy to celebrate the health and prosperity of your house. As a gift we offer to Par, Son of the Throne, this," the foreign king spoke.


    He waved an assistant to his side, who carried a sheathed sword. Teco presented the blade to the room, holding it high for all to see as he unsheathed it with a swift motion letting the light reflect off its blood gold grip and engraved blade.


    "A blade of ''The Last Dragon Kingdom'' forged in war and held in times of peace. This is a symbol of power and authority fit for the next in line to win a war or keep the peace," he added.


    He lowered the blade and sheathed it once again before having one of his men hand it to me at the table. It was a lovely gift. The era of dragon kingdoms was thought to be a golden age. Those old kingdoms ended only after their kings died without leaving successors to take their place. Anything from a dragon kingdom was priceless and rare. Still, what made king Teco''s gift strange wast it''s being given solely to me. He spoke of "next in line" to the throne, which was fine, but to give his gift to me alone was a direct endorsement. He was turning our party into a political move, and when he finally sat down, the entire room knew where he stood.


    There was a bit of a silence that took the air before Queen Ola stood.


    "The kingdom of Oboshi thanks the Queen Mother and King Father for inviting us to celebrate this joyous day of life," she said with silk tone.


    My siblings and I called our parents Queen Mother and King Father because they were our mother and father, but others would use the same names. As queen, our mother was mother to the kingdom by her generosity and love for its children. Our father was father of the nation by protecting its citizens and guiding it to prosperity.


    "We give the next queen the gift of the goddess," Ola continued.


    Like Teco, Ola waved her assistant to bring forward the gift, but rather than open it, she handed the small jewelry box made of ocean roses to my sister and let her open it herself. Again the room felt politically charged as it was clear Queen Ola was casting her vote for next in line for the thrown to be Sky. It was shocking, and I don''t think Sky actually opened her gift.


    Before yet another long silence could haunt the gathering, our King Father stood.


    "The kingdom of Fae thanks you all for your generous gifts and kind words," he said.


    Queen Mother stood to help our father as it seemed he was unsure how to swim the waters presented to him.


    "We know that one day one of our sons or daughter will make a great king or queen with the support of our people and our allies from the north and south," she said as father took her hand in union before the room.


    Despite King Teco and Queen Ola making politics, there was a bigger elephant in the room, or more accurately, not in the room.


    Though we were not at war, no one had any doubt of troubles between The Kingdom of Fae and the Kingdom of Mar. Ola cast her vote for Sky, and Teco his vote for me, but the king of Mar would have undoubtedly voted for Louis. But the Kingdom of Mar was not invited to the party.


    The other kingdoms had power over the royal line of Fae in complex relations. People voted for specific heirs to be next on the throne in many ways for many different reasons. Relations between foreign and neighboring powers was often a deciding factor. If the public knew Teco wanted me to be king, then people would vote for me because of the likelihood that trade might grow between our two kingdoms.


    "But we are far from that time, so for now, let us celebrate another year of peace, joy, and love for our family and all here tonight," mother added.


    "Yes, let us raise a glass," Father suggested.


    We all raised our glasses.


    To peace, we toasted.


    "To cake, can we cut the cake now," Louis joked.


    The room laughed at my brother''s blunt impatience. The cake was cut and served to everyone. Following tradition, Our king Father took the first bite. He should have used his royal taster.


    Before Father could swallow down a single bite of cake, it was clear something was wrong. The royal guards came to his aid, but by that time, foam was forming around his mouth, and he''d passed out. Mother couldn''t hold her shrieks, and our guests were up in a panic.


    Someone poisoned the cake.


    Our father survived the night, but he could not leave his bed. There were three questions on everyone''s mind that night. Would the king recover? Who poisoned the cake? And who would we soon be at war with?

 4 Chapter 4: King Eats

    A poor man''s breakfast was a breakfast lacking meat, that''s what King Father said. He didn''t say it to be rude, though. I didn''t eat meat, but when you live in the king''s castle, you''re expected to live a life of luxuries. When my father noticed I didn''t eat the same bounties at the breakfast table, he told me "A poor man''s breakfast is a breakfast lacking meat," and I said "but a king eats what he wants" to which he replied, "my son has a brain." He would say those types of things. I had a brain, my brother had a heart, and my sister had a strong will. With King Father trapped in his bed days had passed since last I or anyone else heard his voice at any table.


    My siblings and I all wanted an answer to the question of who poisoned our birthday cake. After our party, Queen Mother detained Ola and Teco under suspicion of a threat to our family. Unfortunately, we couldn''t keep the leaders of other kingdoms, especially two with such power and military, for very long without creating a ripe situation for war. We let them go days later. Lucky for us, Teco was less than sensitive or emotional when it came to how he ruled his own people. He understood his detainment. Queen Ola was also reasonable enough. But no matter how level headed a ruler was, their followers were unpredictable. We had no way of investigating the crime without creating further unease between kingdoms.


    So we turned to the one suspect that we already stood on bad terms with. The one kingdom not invited seemed to be the most likely responsible for such an act. Anyone associated with the kingdom of Mar was hunted. It must have been a hard call for Mother to make. The Kingdom of Mar was predominantly Spaniards. Hunting known associates meant singling out one of the three most residing communities in Fae. I''m just glad I didn''t have to make the call because outside of the politics, it meant Louis was in an awkward situation. He was the one Spaniard not targeted, so he didn''t, or rather, he couldn''t leave the castle. Louis loved being out in the community, so seeing him lock himself away was sad.


    I figured between King Father''s battle to recover and Louis being stuck inside, maybe it was a good time for my brother and me to spend some time together. No one died yet, so there was no grief but much worry. I knew the best way to relieve my brother''s worries; drink and the company of paid partners. I might have invited Sky, but she was never the type to worry. She adjusted, no matter what the situation was. The day after our father''s poisoning, Sky continued with her studies in combat with the guards like she always would as if nothing was different.


    If I were honest, you don''t invite your sister to join the type of day Louis and I were going to have. I wasn''t blind to how pampered I was, but I was still a "guys guy," my brother made sure of that. My sister often made it known she was not "common people." She never got drunk, didn''t sleep around, and even when she lost her temper, she always did so with manors. So, of course, she was not invited.


    You''d think to get prostitutes and drink into the castle a challenge. In actuality, with my brother''s history of doing what I was attempting, I only needed to find the right guard to get the job done. In just a matter of hours, my request was met beyond expectation. The real problem was keeping my "special guests" hidden and unseen inside the castle. I suppose that''s why my brother went out rather than bringing his guilty pleasures in. As I snuck the group of "workers" from my room to Louis'' my only thought was, "what would be worse, Queen Mother seeing this or Sky." None the less I made it to my brother''s room.


    I knocked three times, and for a moment, I thought Louis might have been sleeping or away. That was until he opened the door. It had been a week since the night of our birthday, and Louis looked and smelled as though he hadn''t bathed since then. He seemed unphased by the horde of women and men standing behind my back.


    "What is this," he questioned.


    "I thought you could use...," I started to say.


    "Par, you can''t do this," he scolded me.


    It was embarrassing, to say the least. I went through so much effort to do something so intolerable, and yet it should have been just right.


    "I can do this, not you. Mother would have your head if she thought you were this kind of man," he laughed.


    I was unsure what to say, and even more uncertain of what to say to all the guests I invited to my brother''s doorway.


    "Well. .. they''re here so," I said.


    "I said I would help you find someone. I don''t need help finding a lay, send them to the guard''s house," he said dismissively.


    "The guard''s house?" I questioned


    "Let them have our fun, you and I, on the other hand, have people to see," he suggested.


    He started to leave his room. Shutting the door behind himself, he was in nothing more than his pants and leather boots.


    "Don''t you think you should get dressed first," I joked as he pushed past me to lead the way.


    It was an awkward ordeal discarding my house guests so abruptly, but Louis was right. The guards were pleased with my unplanned gift of bought pleasures.


    Louis and I didn''t leave the castle. We couldn''t leave the castle, but it was a surprise seeing how easy it was to get my brother out of his room. I half expected a battle to be necessary.


    "You know I had a whole day planned out," I argued if only lightly.


    My brother attracted many eyes as he traversed castle halls with bare chest and tall back. His emerald eyes were usually enough to entice.


    "I appreciate the sentiment Brother, but as I said, I''m not the one who needs help in that regard," he answered.


    "I thought you were upset, depressed, with everything happening from Father being poisoned to your people being questioned by Mother''s enforcers, I just thought you would be feeling something," I suggested as we took steps down.


    "I''m fine," he said.


    "Then why has it taken a week for you to leave your room?"


    He became mute for a moment.


    "Perhaps it is overwhelming. I know if I leave these walls, I might be mistaken for a suspect, or worse, those who are suspected may turn on me as a hypocrite. But I''m not worried, I have always been closest to the people, and when things die down, I will remain just the same," he said.


    I''m not sure he believed his own words, but he said them clearly.  How long would it take for things to die down? Louis tried waiting in solitude, but that was a finite solution. Perhaps that''s why he took the opportunity to not only join me outside his room but to guide the expedition. I wondered what he had planned at such short notice.


    We entered the east dining room. It was a small room meant more private conversation where ironically dinning rarely happened despite the many finely crafted tables. There were the usual guards that stood by the entrances and exits of every room, but also a group of people I''d yet to meet. My brother escorted me over to them and gave me an introduction.


    "Par, this is Non, from the kingdom of Catalina," my brother said.


    Non was, of course, black as night, and his stature was taller than mine and my brothers. I could tell he was strong. His back hunched in a way that only happened after back-breaking work. He wore his kingdoms black armor and carried a sword nearly my length on his side.


    The men of Catalina were known for being fierce and made of stone. Non looked to fit the mold. There was a general assumption that they were less than open to different forms of relationships outside of the common norm. But he was there, and my brother introduced him as if he were "viable." It was unexpected that my brother would invite guests from other kingdoms to meet me, especially from nations that might have been involved in the poisoning on our birthday cake.


    "It''s nice to meet you, Non," I said with a firm handshake.


    His grip nearly dislocated my fingers, but he released quickly enough to hide my lack of tactile strength.


    "Likewise. Your brother has postponed this event for several days now," he expressed.


    "Well, we''re all here now," Louis commented, making light of it all.


    How had my brother assembled suitors and kept them waiting while he kept to his solitary? I didn''t have a moment to ask. Before Non and I could speak further, Louis moved me to the next guest standing in wait.


    "Moving on. This is Santo. He''s the one responsible for the castle''s new lights," Louis explained.


    Santo was an Italian inventor. Admittedly I''d seen him around the castle but never gave him much attention. He was so skinny it gave the presumption of sadness and hardship. The most curious thing about Santo was part of his ear seemed to be missing. I noticed it as I approached him. He wore casual clothes and a small tool belt, but nothing special. I could tell he tried to look presentable. Unfortunately standing next to Non, who was a member of Catalina''s royal guard, Santo seemed out of his element.


    "So you''re who I have to thank for the beautiful lights," I said.


    "The technology has been around for a while, I simply put it together," he explained.


    "I''m glad that you did," I offered as thanks.


    "We all are, but we must keep moving," my brother interjected himself again, cutting conversations short.


    "My name is Yale, your highness," a beautiful woman introduced herself before my brother had the chance.


    "Oh, you don''t have to be so formal with me," I said.


    "This is Lady Yale from the kingdom of Oboshi," Louis explained further.


    She was stunning. An olive-skinned beauty with long flowing hair dressed in sea green and sandstones. No matter where she stood in the room, light followed her, and a breeze kept her in motion. Her eyes, for the brief moments she would look into mine, were solid like glass looking through me.


    My brother had to peel me away from her side.


    "Which brings us to Jin, a dancer of the ''Travelers of Major,'' a new circus popular among several kingdoms," Louis continued his tour.


    "Jin? That''s a beautiful name," I said.


    "It was my mother''s," she informed me.


    A performer was in the castle. She was a red rose woman, but what would mother have thought? With the body of a dancer, hair of flames, and petite features, she was a ruby. Her clothes were of thin silk, hiding only the most private features. She had a presence about her that stood out for sure.


    When did my brother find the time to gather these people while he was locked away? They were all so different. A moment came when I realized my brother had gathered those people not for me to connect with, but to lay. Did they know the reasons they were selected? I had no idea, and to be honest, it didn''t feel right to ask. My brother was just standing there waiting for me to make a move of some sort. I couldn''t do anything with him there. What was I to do? Send him back to his room? No. I pulled him away from our guests to speak in private.


    "What exactly am I supposed to do with these people," I questioned.


    "Whatever you want, Brother," he said with a wicked grin across his devilish face.


    "Do they know that''s why they are here?"


    "No." My brother said.


    "I don''t think I can simply lay with them," I admitted.


    "Not all of them, that would be a challenge on your first go around," he joked to which I punch his arm.


    "Louis, I''m serious."


    "Alright, Brother, alright, just pick someone, and whoever is left, I''ll keep busy," he suggested.


    "And by keeping busy, you mean?"


    That wicked grin returned. My brother. What more could be said?


    "Pick one, and I''ll keep the others busy. If things don''t work out, you can always try again with someone else," he said with a hand rested on my shoulder.


    We were the same age. How was Louis such a natural while I was stunted in growth?


    We needed a distraction from the turmoil of the kingdom and our father, and it seemed we''d found just that. After all, there was no better distraction nor convolution than the presence of choices without foreseeable risk of loss. But who to choose first was a pressing question.

 5 Chapter 5: Like Mind

    My sister was displeased, to say the least. She didn''t care that we had our get together at a time when there was a killer somewhere in the kingdom. She was upset by the choice of guests we invited into our home.


    "You allowed strangers into the castle," she argued.


    "The Reeves vetted them, everyone was and is safe," Louis debated still with a light tone.


    "This isn''t about safety," Sky continued.


    "Then what is this about, they weren''t from The Splint, they were good people," I said.


    "Good people? A knight from a foreign kingdom, a scientist who''s only major success is a slightly brighter light than candles, a winch looking for a crown, and perhaps the worst is the literal circus perform. Does either of you want to be king? Do you care about the reputation of the crown at all," Sky flew off without holding her tongue.


    "Sky, you''re looking at this too deeply, a few unique guests aren''t going to give the kingdom a bad reputation," Louis said.


    "But would you care if they did," she quickly retorted.


    "Of course, I''d care. God, you act as though you''re the only one fit to wear a crown, but you''re so detached from everything," my brother exclaimed.


    "I would keep our people safe. I would make sure our family name stood with honor unblemished by scandal and rumor," she said.


    "You would keep our people scared and soulless under the military''s boot. We wanted to have some fun, something you should learn to do Sister," Louis insulted our sister if only on the back end.


    "Sky, this isn''t a battle, you don''t need to guard us against life," I said.


    "And I suppose you think you''d be a better ruler as well, even after the events of the past days?" She questioned me with the same disapproval she granted Louis.


    "I don''t want to rule anything, but if I did, I wouldn''t let fear stop us from living. We could have waited to have our guests, but no one is going to die or rebel against the Kingdom over my first kiss, our family name is still good," I rested my case hoping it was enough to end our feuding.


    How we managed to get so far from unity was a mystery, but I knew it started with a choice I made days before such a conversation erupted.


    Four guests, each unique in their own right, and they were there for me. I made my decision in a unique shallow way. Santo was the most "out of place" guest,  but he was also the easiest to approach.


    My brother took the others on a tour of the castle, leaving me with the inventor.


    "So, I''m the first to be looked over, am I?" Santo joked as I returned to his side.


    "Looked over?" I questioned his choice of words.


    "Inspected, your brother was vague in his description of what you wanted from each of us, but he made it clear we were brought here for an opportunity to get closer to you," he said.


    "And that''s something you want? You are here after all," I inquired.


    "I haven''t made up my mind," he said.


    Santo was no stranger to working with royals, but his coy attitude was unexpected.


    "I am a prince of the kingdom you serve, do you mean to tell me I still require stipulation," I said.


    "There have been many kings and queens, and a good many of them have proven vetting is always necessary," he spoke without filter, and it was refreshing if not shocking.


    "And what have you concluded about me thus far?" I questioned his scales.


    "You are nowhere near abrasive as your brother, and your willingness to speak with me at all makes you a different animal than your biased aristocratic sister," he answered.


    I was stunned. Was he so truthful he could not lie, or was he a fool testing my limits?


    "Am I wrong?" He asked with modest pressure.


    There was a nice chemistry brewing between us. He didn''t seem intimidated by my title, and that perhaps allowed us to speak without red lines to avoid. Out of respect for my siblings, I couldn''t answer his question, though I believed we both knew what my answer might have been. As waters ran warmer, I thought it best to simmer.


    We sat to eat lunch.


    The cook made quite the spread, all of which was to my taste, vegetarian. Santo was such a lithe figure I felt cruel for withholding his chance at a real royal feast with meat cooked fresh and artisanal.


    "I apologize. I can have them bring something filling," I proposed.


    "No need, I''m a vegetarian," he said to which my eyes lit up.


    The kingdom of Fae was open to many things, be it culture or lifestyle. I was sitting with another male at the table after all, but the choice to abstain from the consumption of meat was new to most. Few people knew it by name, and even fewer had the will to try it long term. It made sense why Santo was so lean.


    "I''ve never met another soul who could survive without meat, are you trying to impress me," I joked.


    "It''s not by choice. I can''t eat anything living," he informed me.


    "I''m sorry."


    "Don''t be. I haven''t had meat since I was a boy. I don''t miss it," he said.


    "It''s still such a rarity. You must require many meals to make up for what you can''t have."


    "Meals are rare," he said.


    "You''re not poor, are you?" I questioned bluntly.


    "No. Not at all. I''ve invented a way to go long periods without food, it''s a special drink of mine," he said with no sign of hurt pride after I called his status into question.


    "It''s amazing how you make these new things. King Father always said I had a brain, but you," I chuckled, "you know how to use yours."


    "I''m nothing special. It takes a hundred failures to come close to a single invention worth use."


    That might have been the first instance of doubt I witnessed from Santo. His inventions were a soft spot, a sensitive subject, or perhaps the heart of the man.


    "But you keep trying don''t you," I said.


    "I suppose so."


    He turned away from me, but it wasn''t from shame.


    "I have to say; you''re not what I expected," he said.


    While he watched the castle guards, I watched him. Our food was going cold, but something else was feeding our hunger.


    "What were you expecting?"


    "Not this. Royals are always set in their ways, closed off, or don''t care for what the common people they rule over have to say, but you seem more interested in what I do than the people who hire me," he said.


    The people who hired him were King Father and Queen Mother.


    "We don''t all see science and innovation as witchcraft and black magic," I joked as I stood from my seat.


    There was a pause, but it was good. I joined Santo on his side of the table, and for a brief moment, no words needed to be said as we shared a smile and equal comfort. Sips of wine and daylight made the air aflutter.


    "Would you like to see my workshop," Santo broke the silence to offer.


    "Right now?"


    "Unless you''re done with me," he joked.


    My brother was keeping everyone else occupied, so I was free to leave, but I was uneasy. I never left the castle without my brother or sister. Still, there was a good wind in the air, and I threw caution to it.


    I debated with myself on taking royal guards, but it felt to heavy a garb for the moment. As we walked the cobblestone streets, I lacked the feeling of fear. I was overcome by the banquet of foreign sights I''d never seen for myself. Little things like shops and parks. Fae was an old kingdom in the sand, and many of its buildings were lush with overgrowth and the most unpredictable beauties. And of course, there were the things I could have gone without seeing like the many homeless, and the decrepit state of land still untouched after the war of The Mad King generations before my time.


    Santo and I finally arrived after a walk outside of time. His workshop was a small little house hidden away in a wooded area similar to an oasis. We were so far from the castle, and it started to set in just how long our walk took. The sun was beginning to grow low as he unlocked the doors to his home, and we stepped inside.


    "It''s not much, but it''s mine," he said.


    From front to back and top to bottom, all my eyes could see were wood and metal forming the most elaborate things. Such things that I did not understand. I appreciated the sight greatly.


    "It''s beautiful," I said.


    As the sun''s light fell, it became a challenge to see until he pulled a lever, and lights illuminated everything. Where to begin? I''m sure that was the question on our minds at the time. He took my hand in his and pulled me into the weaving of beautiful madness.


    "This is my life; this is what I do," he explained.


    It was more than what he did. It was who he was.


    "I can only imagine what your home must look like if this is your workshop," I teased.


    "This is my home, or it will be when I can afford to buy it from the owner," he admitted dismissively.


    "The owner?"


    "He''s a nice man, let''s me conduct my experiments how I wish as long as I don''t burn the place down," he joked.


    "But where do you sleep, where do you eat?" I pestered out of curiosity.


    He showed me to a wall in the corner of the room and pulled another lever. Right before my eyes, everything sank into the floor and the walls. It turned from a workshop to a bedroom.


    It was a less impressive sight. Perhaps even a sadder sight.


    "You sleep here, in this small place?"


    There seemed to be more space when it was full of machines, tables, and chemicals.


    "We can''t all afford gold-encrusted castles, your highness," he said.


    "I didn''t mean it that way."


    It was almost depressing. At least as a workshop, the many inventions that took up space made the room feel like a marvel, but with only a bed and wardrobe, I couldn''t help but feel guilty. I knew when our day ended, I would return to a castle, but he would stay in that place. King Father once said, "never pity a man who has less, but don''t assume he wants what they lack." If Santo was happy, then I had no reason not to be. That didn''t make it a simple thought to sit well with, but I tried.


    "It''s getting late, I think I should be getting home," I said


    "Before you go, let me give you something," Santo said with warmth.


    He went over to his bed and pulled a wooden box from under its frame. He took from the box a small rod-like thing made of metals and glass.


    "This is a light similar to what is now in the castle. You can carry it with you," he said.


    He gave it to me, and I found it was relatively easy to use with only a simple switch to turn it on and off. But it was strange.


    "Why is it blue?" I asked as I shined the halo around the room.


    "Different chemicals, and special glass," he said, watching me.


    I believe he wore a bigger smile than I. Watching me use his invention might have been a joy greater for him than my actual use of the marvel.


    "Well, thank you, but I didn''t bring anything to give you," I said.


    "Just say you won''t forget me when you return home."


    "I believe I can do that," I said as I shut the light off.


    I didn''t know if it was right to hug him or kiss him good night. We stood so close to one another; either option was viable. Unfortunately, I was inexperienced. The moment was dragging on, and I couldn''t bear it. I went with the most awkward choice of shaking his hand before leaving. I wished that I did more, but we both laughed at the moment, so perhaps it was a humble end that fit.


    It was a good night.


    As I started my walk back to the castle, I lost myself in thoughts of all that Santo showed me that day. The many things he could show me in the future titillated my imagination. I was so lost in thought I became lost in reality. Those beautiful streets seemed menacing in the moonlight. One might have feared spirits as they walked the abandoned sand-covered streets. But with my new gift in hand, I could see the castle in the distance.

 7 Chapter 7: Like Soul

    When I left my room the next morning, I was greeted by my brother waiting for me in the hallway. He hadn''t slept all night from the looks of it.


    "How was it?" my brother asked as he rested a hand on my shoulder.


    "How was what?" I said


    "Don''t play games, Brother, I know she was in your room last night. The guards have been talking about it all morning," he informed me.


    I was embarrassed. It just happened, and already it was common news spread like wildfire.


    "I was worried when she went missing, imagine my surprise when I found out she was with you," Louis teased me further until I pushed him away.


    "She''s not here anymore," I said, opening my door wide enough for my brother to see inside.


    "What?!" He exclaimed.


    He pushed me out of the way to get into my bedroom. Searching around as if she might be hiding, Louis acted like a dog.


    "I think she left last night or maybe this morning, sometime while I was asleep," I said.


    "Fuck! She''s a Lady of a very wealthy house in Oboshi. We need to find her," he said, still turning my room upside down as if there were actually so many hiding places.


    I felt oddly naked in front of my Brother that morning. So often, I was the one who met him after a night of escapades.


    "It''s alright. I''m sure I''ll find her. But in the meantime, how were things with the inventor?" he asked as he finally returned to me.


    "It was fine, he was fine," I said as Louis took me from my chambers.


    "I''ll take it he wasn''t fascinating if you left him to come home to Lady Yale," he joked at my expense.


    My brother could be very smug at times. You could hear a laugh shadowing the background of his voice as he teased me.


    "It''s not like that... things were going well, but we hit a snag towards the end," I corrected him.


    "What kind of ''snag''?" He asked.


    "The kind that I''m keeping to myself."


    "Fine brother, be private about your business, I suppose I should send Non and Jin away since you''ve grown so close to Yale and Santo."


    "No, don''t do that!" I exclaimed just loudly enough to embarrass myself.


    "You still want to try the land, do you?"


    " Lady Yale was ... I don''t think I can see what we did becoming something serious," I informed my brother.


    "Something serious? The point of my bringing you these ''guests'' was not to become serious," he said as we stopped walking.


    I had to look away.


    "I know that, but I''m not like you Louis, I want more than just a ''physical'' release," I said.


    He sighed before stepping back into my line of sight.


    "Must be so much easier to say after you''ve gotten just that," he teased.


    "I''m serious," I said.


    "I''m sure you are, brother."


    He took a moment to look me over before he continued.


    "Fine, if you want to turn guests meant to be laid into relations, then I have one piece of advice."


    "And what''s that?"


    "As a royal, you can have as many concubines as you wish, but sometimes less is more," he said.


    It felt like an odd thing for him to say.


    "What does that mean?" I asked.


    "Who knows, it''s something Father told me once. But you''re the one with the brain, remember."


    I imagined it was a warning not to give myself too many times. After all, there would always be those who wanted a seat next to a royal. Then I imagined maybe it meant even if I found those who were right for me, I would still only be a single person limited in what I could give. Honestly, the idea of being in a relationship with more than one person had yet to cross my mind until my brother threw it. I was eager to find out if any of my other guests could similarly meld with me as Santo seemed to. Or perhaps better than Santo if possible, but he set a high bar to climb.


    Non was somewhere outside the castle, but Louis informed that Jin and her family were in the courtyard.


    "You know just because Father says you have a heart doesn''t mean you have to love everyone," I said to my brother as we sought after the lovely performer.


    "I wouldn''t call it love Brother, what you''re doing may be closer to it than I," he said.


    My brother left me to return to his search for Lady Yale while I went to join Jin in the courtyard.


    There was a full-blown circus. Music was played loud, dancers danced, and perhaps the most notable eye flow went to the many odd performers. As I walked out of the castle into the family of acts, I passed what I assumed were the main attractions.


    There was a fire-breather named Salvador. He juggled balls of fire like fruit. As I passed him, he offered to toss me one of his flaming orbs, of course, I declined, but he seemed intent on passing me the ball. He prepared to throw them all my way, and for a moment, I was terrified until he released them up into the air, and they fell into his mouth, extinguishing them. He then regurgitated the orbs and placed one in the palm of my hand. It was a fantastic show, so fantastic that I ignored the substantial amounts of saliva that came with the ball in my palm.


    I continued my walk through the courtyard and came across a woman who could change her face. Her skin was grey and her body feminine, but with her hands and makeup, she fit her face to match mine. It was like looking in a mirror as long as I didn''t allow my eyes to fall below her shoulders.


    Perhaps the most curious performer was a young man in make up. I believe he was known as "Clown" by the sign he wore around his neck. Not "a clown," not "The Clown," just "Clown." Everyone else seemed to avoid him, but to me, he seemed harmless. It''s worth mention that he was in an unkempt cage and a tiny one at that. I began to step closer to the bars reaching my hand out to the almost depressing sight of a beaten man. Before my fingers could slip beyond the metal frame, I was finally met by Jin as she pulled me away.


    "He only acts sad to draw you in," she said.


    "He does it well. Why is he in a cage?" I asked.


    "He is Clown," she said.


    "What does that mean?"


    "He has done things outside the need of the family, so now he is Clown."


    "It''s a punishment," I said.


    "Only for a week or two, he gets a pie in the face and takes the lesser positions in acts," she informed me.


    "And he stays in a cage," I repeated.


    "To keep him from running when it is his time to perform," she said.


    Her accent was so flavorful. It made even the slightest of syllables color-rich. Still, seeing a man, a boy close to my age locked in a cage, was a bit hard to swallow.


    "What did he do?" I asked.


    "He stole the families money and spent it on cheap wine and entertainment of the cheaper brew," she said before promptly kicking the exterior of the cage enough to make the metal din.


    I could understand being punished for going against one''s family. Family was all we had after all. Take away the castle, the fortune, the name, and all we were ever left with was family. Loyalty had to be important.


    "Don''t worry about him. I have an extraordinary surprise for you," she said, offering her delicate hand to mine.


    "A surprise greater than that I''ve seen so far?"


    "Greater and growing still as your mind can not comprehend it until your eyes have been opened," she said.


    "You give me high expectations," I said as I finally took her hand.


    "We would not want them low," she remarked.


    She guided me through a sea of performers until we were on the castle''s great yard. I suppose I missed the tents being set up the night before because of the cover of the night. Even still, I couldn''t believe they managed to set up such high structures without being noticed. How Queen Mother had yet to go into a rage over our castle being overrun by a circus was a mystery, but as I entered the tents with Jin Queen Mother was far from my mind.


    It was dark, pitch black, even with daylight outside. I lost Jin in the void and tried to find her. I called out for her but was denied an answer. I couldn''t tell where I was, and couldn''t find a way out. Then I saw it. A light in the distance. I walked to it and found I couldn''t see the hand holding it. As I grew near the flame, It extinguished itself, and once again, I was lost in the dark.


    I counted 5 seconds before there was an explosion of light around me. Dancers surrounded me in clothes set on lovely bright, colorful fire. Jin was their center. She sat me in a seat I couldn''t see, and it began. I was entranced by stars floating around my head, pulling me into a dream. One by one, fire became constellations until they faded and came again bigger and bright than the last. In the end, all stars dimmed, and Jin came from the above to offer me a soft kiss before she too disappeared like sparks in the night.


    I spent the day with Jin and her family. The sight of her at the center of a fading and bright universe of stars stayed in my eyes. Out of all the acts I came to know, her''s was the one that spoke to me. I couldn''t hear the words, but I knew they were there.


    I got to speak to her alone when her family started to pack up their circus. The castle guards felt there were too many unknown faces around at a time when King Father was still recovering, and recovering well might I add.


    I took Jin into the gardens on the castle rooftop, and we sat surrounded by juniper trees stretched out to the sky.


    "You were right," I said.


    "Was I?"


    "It was amazing, you are amazing," I offered my admiration for such unknown arts.


    "I am but a feather on the bird that is my family," she said.


    "You are the eye of your family''s bird," I said in an attempt at conveying the same poetic air.


    It came out differently than I thought it would in my mind, but she laughed, so I wasn''t embarrassed.


    "How did you know you wanted to be in a circus," I asked.


    "I had no choice; I was born to this life," she said.


    "But you seem so happy, so sure of yourself."


    "I was born into the circus, but I decided what I would do here. My start was given to me, but I created my path from it. I''m sure you must be doing the same?"


    "Making a path? There are only two roads for me to take as an heir to the throne, become king, or don''t," I said.


    "And which do you want?" she offered the question as a choice.


    "You''re the first to ask me that," I said.


    Everyone always assumed I wanted to be the next king, but I never knew for myself.


    "I knew I had to be in this life, but I decided how I would live it, King or no king, circus or no circus, what matters is how you rule your life and what you do with what you are given," she said.


    But what life would I have as a king?

 8 Chapter 8: Like Body

    Non, unlike Santo and Jin, sent for me rather than waiting for me to come to him. He requested that we meet in the castle''s training ring, so I arrived the next morning as requested before dawn. It seemed I was the first to enter. Not even my sister stepped foot in the ring for her daily training so early. The sun was still rising on the sandpit. When he finally arrived, he seemed to walk down the stone steps as the sun rose behind him. It was quite the entrance. There was something different about him, but I couldn''t put my finger on what. Perhaps my eyes were still waking up, but as he came closer, it became clear what changed. He was missing the red paint on his armor.


    "You got new armor," I said.


    "Why would I do that," he answered as he closed the space between us.


    " You had red spots the last I saw you," I said naively.


    "Those were ... stains," he chuckled.


    He was a member of Catalina''s royal guard, but what could he have been doing to be so drenched in "stains" the last I saw of him?


    "Stains of battle?" I asked.


    "Training. I lead the combat training of my kingdom''s royal guard. In great practice, things can grow....out of hand," he said as he began circling the ring feeling out its space while I stayed stagnant at its center.


    "Was anyone hurt?" I asked.


    "Many were hurt, but they''ll live," Non Joked as I was forced to turn continuously to keep my eyes on him.


    "It sounds like you''re a demanding teacher," I said.


    "I have to be strong as steel if my men are ever to break stone," he said.


    He was so young, close to my age, and yet he was in such a position of status. He wasn''t born into his rank, nor was he selected. He earned his place, and lead men who were likely older than us both.


    "Is that why we''re here, am I to watch you train," I assumed.


    "In Catalina, love is seen as a war. Unlike combat, in love, we hope that our adversary never falls, we wish for a battle to be endless and ever-growing no matter how weighed we become."


    "That''s very... poetic," I said.


    "As a royal, you were trained to defend yourself?"


    "Yes, I know the basics."


    There was a brief pause as he finally stopped moving. He was standing near a rack of practice weapons to his side. His glare swam from the weapons back to me, implying what his true intentions were.


    "I''m sorry, but are you asking to fight me?" I said.


    "This is a ritual held before any relationship begins. A battle between two meant to join together is fought until one yield. The winner decides if their union begins or departs," he explained.


    He picked up a sword before testing it''s swing. Non wasn''t a showman. He never performed an unnecessary maneuver, but his handling of that wooden blade portrayed his skill fairly well. He was effortless and sure of himself.


    "I know how to defend myself, but my sister is trained for war," I debated.


    "I know you will not win, but if anything between you and I is meant to be real, then this is a tradition that will mark its start," he said.


    He tossed me the sword, and I caught it surprised to find he would not be using it.


    "What if I hurt you, you''re a member of another kingdom''s royal guard?" I protested.


    He laughed. He took up a spear and returned to me at the center. Was he using a weapon he was less proficient in or perhaps more so?


    "I doubt that will happen, but It would be a welcomed surprise," he taunted me.


    His body took a fighting stance to which mine did the same in response.


    "Does your king know you are here, doing ''this'' with me," I questioned as he made the first strike.


    He was fast for someone so tall, and his strength was inescapable.


    "My King asked that I offer myself to you," he admitted.


    "He wanted you with me?"


    "My King knows you are at an age where you are ... explorative, and he felt you would connect best with one who fits your heritage," he said as he viciously attacked me.


    My reflexes were all that protected me. Our weapons were made of wood, but the force behind his blows could cripple. I could hardly keep up enough to go on the offensive.


    "I don''t think it''s your king''s place to meddle in my affairs," I argued between breaths.


    "You misunderstand. It was my choice to make in the end, a choice that I am still making."


    " So, you''re here of your own wants?" I asked.


    There was a gravity to the scene that only came from our being in solitary silence in such a spacious arena. Though when I made the mistake of pausing, Non quickly knocked me back into the fight.


    "You know if you hurt me, my sister may fight you next. She can be protective that way," I said as I picked myself up from the sand after he so casually dropped me.


    "You speak of your sister so heavily. Perhaps I should ask her to enter this ritual with me instead?"


    He laughed again but waited for me to find my bearings. We took our stances before going again.


    "This is a strange way to start a union," I said.


    "You know little of your traditions and heritage," he claimed.


    "I am a prince of Fae, not Catalina," I debated.


    He pushed me around toying with me, only allowing peace long enough to warrant the next strike.


    "Your skin tells a different story, your blood is of Catalina," he said as he knocked me back on my ass yet again.


    "My blood is of Fae," I stressed as I fought to return to my feet.


    He waited again, but when we returned to blows, there was nothing playfully about him.


    "Do you not wonder what you might have been had you not been given to this foreign land?"


    "I was born here."


    "You were brought here."


    "What difference does it make?" I exclaimed as his spear struck my side, and I felt my soul crawl from its body.


    I sank to my knees in defeat.


    "It makes all the difference in the world. Had you never been given to this family you cling to, you would be home with your brothers," he said.


    "You speak as though you know my birth family. I could be from anywhere, Oboshi, Fae, Merce, anywhere," I argued as I sought the will to stand.


    "But what if you are from my King''s kingdom? What if you were my prince?" He said.


    What was he speaking of? He had no doubt in his voice. Questions of hypothetical realities seemed to be real to him.


    "What are you saying?" I demanded an answer as I looked up to find his eyes looking down on me.


    "My King knew it would be a difficult life for you to grow up away from your people," he said.


    "What are you saying, Non?!" I exclaimed.


    I tried to get back to my feet, but he kicked over like a drunk in the street.


    "Your father, your true father is King Teco," he said with a spear held at my throat.


    "You''re lying," I said


    He chuckled.


    "Perhaps I am, but what If it were the truth," he said before backing away.


    He was toying with me, or he was utterly insane. I couldn''t tell which.


    "Now, are you ready to fight?" He said.


    He meant to make me angry by raising questions of my blood, and it worked. I gave him a fight, a long fight, a battle. It was clear who was the better fighter, but he got under my skin enough to push me through my lack of power skill and speed. Of course, he won, he had to. I was never going to beat a royal guard in direct combat, but I didn''t give up.


    I knew the battle was done when I woke up hours later, and by that time, Non was gone. I assumed what he told me was only meant to upset me, but he fabricated such a story with ease. It stayed with me. I needed to find him again to know for sure if it was a lie.


    I was battered and bruised. Covered in sand from the pit as I searched the castle for Non to no avail. I found my brother first.


    "Par, you look terrible, what happened to you," Louis asked as he found me wandering the halls like a breathless ghoul.


    "Non," I said with the wooden sword still in hand.


    "Non did this to you?!" He exclaimed with disbelief.


    "Yes! No! It''s complicated, do you know where he is?" I demanded.


    "He left hours ago to rejoin Teco in the city," my brother informed me.


    "Where in the city?"


    "The embassy," he said.


    I was nearly on my way when our sister joined us. She stormed down the hallway with her gaze of fury set on both Louis and me.


    "Morning sister," I offered as warmly as I could with my pride still in recovery.


    "What have you done?" She asked.


    She was displeased, to say the least. There was already a bark in her voice.


    "You left the castle with a commoner, you lost a Lady of Oboshi," my sister began to rant.


    "We know she''s in the castle," my brother said in my defense.


    "You both allowed a circus on castle grounds," Sky continued.


    "It''s gone now," I said.


    "Who do you think gave the order to remove it?" she informed.


    "That was you?" Louis and I both questioned.


    "Don''t begin to question me when you invited strangers into the castle, into our home," she snapped at us both.


    She was displeased by the choice of guests we invited into our home.


    "You allowed strangers into the castle," she argued.


    "The Reeves vetted them, everyone was and is safe," Louis debated still with a light tone.


    "This isn''t about safety," Sky continued.


    "Then what is this about, they weren''t from The Splint, they were good people," I said.


    "Good people? A knight from a foreign kingdom, a scientist who''s only major success is a slightly brighter light than candles, a winch looking for a crown, and perhaps the worst is the literal circus perform. Does either of you want to be king? Do you care about the reputation of the crown at all," Sky flew off without holding her tongue.


    "Sky, you''re looking at this too deeply, a few unique guests aren''t going to give the kingdom a bad reputation," Louis said.


    "But would you care if they did," she quickly retorted.


    "Of course, I''d care. God, you act as though you''re the only one fit to wear a crown, but you''re so detached from everything," my brother exclaimed.


    "I would keep our people safe. I would make sure our family name stood with honor unblemished by scandal and rumor," she said.


    "You would keep our people scared and soulless under the military''s boot. We wanted to have some fun, something you should learn to do Sister," Louis insulted our sister if only on the back end.


    "Sky, this isn''t a battle, you don''t need to guard us against life," I said.


    "And I suppose you think you''d be a better ruler as well, even after the events of the past days?" She questioned me with the same disapproval she granted Louis.


    "I don''t want to rule anything, but if I did, I wouldn''t let fear stop us from living. We could have waited to have our guests, but no one is going to die or rebel against the Kingdom over my first kiss. Our family name is still good," I rested my case, hoping it was enough to end our feuding.


    "I''d expect this from Louis, but Par," she said my name with disbelief.


    "I have met four of the most amazing people these past days. I refuse to feel sorry or ashamed," I said.


    "Sorry isn''t good enough," she said.


    Sky left us. I understood her argument, but it felt out of place. I wouldn''t argue that having a circus invade the castle wasn''t too far, but Santo was a nice brilliant person, and I didn''t care if he was a royal or not. Jin was a beautiful soul. Yale was... who she was. And I was still making up my mind about Non. If being king meant I couldn''t see such amazing people, then I wanted no crown atop my head, no throne to sit, and no seat of power. But I always knew where I stood when it came to the subject of being king, even if I could never say it out loud.


    What surprised me was Louis. He said it. He wanted to be king, or at the very least, he believed he''d be better at it than our sister. Still, that was something to think over later.


    "I''m going to go find Non," I told my brother.


    "Good luck with that, Brother," he said, still deflated by our sister.


    I knew he wanted to go with me, but with his people still being questioned for our King Father''s attempted murder, he couldn''t leave.


    "You should find Lady Yale," I joked.


    "She''s in the castle, she''ll turn up eventually," he said.


    I was on my way. Leaving the castle with Santo made me more comfortable out on my own. I still carried hesitation, but growth required repetition, so I left my royal guard to travel into the city on my own.

 9 Chapter 9: Fathers Unknown

    I traveled to the embassy. It was a long ride on horseback that nearly took till sundown to clear. The building was unlike anything else in the city. It went below the ground rather than above. My first steps were into shadows as I followed a narrow set of stairs down into the earth that slowly turned into a tunnel lit by torches. I thought I was alone, but as I crept deeper, I saw guards were standing near every other flame. I tried to speak with them as I walked, but they gave nothing.


    I finally met the end of the tunnel after walking what seemed to be an endless void. There was a large wooden door locked from the opposite side. A man slid open a slot to speak.


    "What is your business here?" he said.


    "I''m looking for a royal guard by the name Non."


    "There is no one here by that name," he said.


    He started to close the sliding door.


    "I am Par, Prince of The Kingdom of Fae, and I command you to open this door," I said.


    "You have no power here, prince, only a king or queen may enter without reservation," he informed.


    "Then, I''m here to speak with King Teco."


    "The king of Catalina has given no warning of visitors."


    "Ask him if he wishes it. He will tell you to let me in," I declared.


    They shut the sliding door and for a long while I was left in silence. Suddenly the gigantic wooden structure was opened, and I was allowed in.


    The main area was spacious. It was a big circular waiting room with several doors.


    "The King of Catalina is behind door 5, he will see you now," said the old man who''s face I finally matched to the voice of the gatekeeper.


    I proceeded to enter room number 5. It was a red room with black furniture and dim lighting. There were guards everywhere and in the center sat Teco as if he were waiting for me.


    "You should have a seat young prince," said the foreign king.


    I sat across from him, unsure of the meaning of the situation.


    "I''m looking for Non," I stated.


    " So you are enjoying my choice," Teco said.


    "You don''t care that I know you wanted us together?"


    "I want many things for you, all good, so why would I not want you to know?" He answered.


    "You used him to lead me here?"


    "Non had no choice but to return to my side. As a general of my guard, he must see to the routine renewal of my detail, your following him is simply a bonus to the usual," he said.


    "Are you lying to me? Setting me up and luring me here," I questioned aloud.


    "Your king is the one who has lied to you, and in more ways than one. I offer you truth with no vail to remove," he said.


    "And what is the truth?"


    "You are my son," he answered.


    Not a single soul shifted. For Non to spout such lies was surely a disrespect, but for Teco to corroborate his tale was earth-shattering.


    "I''ve already heard this lie once today, and it is every bit as impossible now as it was then," I said.


    "It was a plan set to span years. We made sure you became a member of the royal family of Fae so that you might take the throne and give its power to me," he informed.


    "I am no spy."


    "No, but you are my son. In giving you up, I realized how cold I became as a ruler. That is why I left you in the dark so that you might grow up unhindered by my shortcomings."


    "Let us pretend that I believe this fabrication; it doesn''t matter because I am not yours."


    "No, you are no one''s to control, but there is more that you do not know," he added.


    "I don''t need this, I came here for Non, not a fairy tale," I said.


    I tried to stand, but blades were held to my throat until I sat down once again. Leaving was no longer an option.


    "You may not be mine to control, but I will protect you, and that is why you will listen boy," Teco exclaimed.


    His posture was tame and subdued, but for that one moment, it was savage and domineering. He retracted himself and took a breath before motioning his guards to lower their weapons.


    "To what?" I hesitantly asked.


    "Growing up, you assumed you and your brother were the odd children, but your sister is not a child of your king and queen," Teco said.


    "What does that mean?"


    "Your queen had a miscarriage. She never gave birth to a single living heir," he added almost smugly.


    "How could you know this," I begged for an explanation.


    "I have kept eyes on you and your adopted family long before I gave you to them."


    "So my sister is adopted as well, what difference would it make?"


    "Her true father makes the difference," he said, sitting up to illustrate the importance.


    He paused.


    "Her birth father was a man of great wealth, great power, and great insanity, and so was his father and his and so forth," Teco explained.


    "Are you implying that my sister is insane?"


    "We believe your ''sister'' is responsible for the attempt on your King''s life," he added.


    "I''m done here, let me go," I demanded.


    "Your people, your inspectors, they are poor at best. It took my spies only days to find the poison that nearly killed your king," he boasted.


    Teco tossed me a vial of the supposed poison.


    "We had it extracted from each slice of cake served that night we could examine before its disposal. Would you like to know who''s slice had none?"


    He sat back in his seat as if to rest his case.


    "Stop this," I exclaimed.


    "You, your brother, and your sister had no poison while your king and Queen were given enough to kill ten men. I do not doubt that if anyone else received their deserts that night, it would have been their last," he continued at my dismay.


    "My sister did not do this. She is too loyal, too protecting," I debated with The foreign king and his servants just as much as myself.


    "I''ve given you the information you need, but I won''t hold your hand. If you do not trust me, then search for the answers on your own. I''m sure you''ll be back when you realize I am on your side like only your true family could be," he said.


    I left only after the guards let me stand and pass them to get to the door. All the while, I felt his eyes watch me till I was gone.


    On my way out of the tunnel up the stairs, I found who I came for. He was waiting for me.


    "Was this all just a game to you?" I questioned.


    "No, never," Non answered without shame or remorse.


    "Then why make me go through this?"


    "I have done nothing but be loyal to my kingdom and my king," he said.


    "You mean my father?" I pushed him and myself.


    I couldn''t believe the words that fell from my mouth.


    "Your king, thinks that I need you, he thinks you would be good for me, what do you think?"


    "You lasted a minute longer than any of my men in combat, I''d say you don''t need anyone," Non said.


    "I don''t know if I can trust you," I admitted as much as I questioned.


    "Then don''t, but as the winner of our ritual know that if you come to see beyond what your father has set into motion, I will be here for you," he said.


    "Will you ride with me back to the castle," I offered.


    "Another night, my prince, King Teco, has requested that I stay here for the remainder of our stay in your land," he said.


    "And how much longer will you be here?"


    "We make leave for Catalina at dawn."


    I looked away. Perhaps my brother was right. I might have been too quick to offer my self in earnest.


    "Already, you show me more affection than I deserve. I''m sure you will have many to keep your company until we meet again," Non joked as he took my hand.


    "Would you not protest it?"


    "You are a prince. I''d be a fool to think you were not wanted by many. It would be cruel to deny you the joy of joining with them, whether it be myself or another."


    He engulfed me in his presence as he held me close enough to die.


    "But I leave you with this," he said before offering me a parting gift.


    With my chin held and parted lips, our eyes shut. For a moment, we were nowhere as the wind blew sand like stars. As it ended, I knew already I would miss the embrace. With a kiss to keep me warm, I went on my way to search for cold truths.

 10 Chapter 10: Trusted Poison

    How much could I trust? How much should I have distrusted? They were wild tales with the possibility of Sky being an adversary and a foreign King becoming an ally. Or was it all a trick to have my hand turn against my family? How does one begin to answer questions that could in themselves hold falsehoods? I needed evidence to prove the makings of my questions were real. I needed to know two things.


    Could Teco be my father?


    Who was Sky''s father?


    If even one of the stories Teco told were true, it meant they all had a chance of holding weight.


    I needed a way to know for sure without any shadow of a doubt who was in relation to whom. If there was one thing Teco told me that I believed it was the poor quality of our kingdom''s ability to investigate. Nearly two weeks had passed, and still, we seemed no closer to finding who poisoned the King. To ask that an investigation be held to find bloodlines lost by time would have been too big a risk and too much of a challenge. I needed someone smart but capable of keeping silent.


    Santo came to mind.


    I didn''t want to use him in such a way that might endanger his life, but he was the only person I knew who could help without raising alarms.


    I''d just returned from my ride back to the castle. In the late hours of the night, I retired to my quarters and searched for enough peace of mind to sink to sleep. When I entered my room, I was once again greeted by the sight of a body in my bed.


    "Lady Yale?" I questioned aloud.


    She did not speak. My mind was so confused I believed what she offered me once might have brought release again. I left the lights off and went to join her in my sheets.


    "My brother has been searching for you," I said.


    I spoke, and still, she said nothing as I crawled beside her.


    "I''m glad that you haven''t left us," I added.


    Still no answer, not a single word, but there was something. A cold sensation. I pulled the sheets from her body, and there she laid in a pool of her blood. Her throat was slit, and her hands were cut to ribbons, most likely from herself attempting to block a blade.


    "Guards!!!" I exclaimed.


    I screamed again and again, and before my third, my room was entered.


    My life was not the only one threatened that night. There were attempts on all of our lives. Earlier that day, Louis was nearly killed by a group of arrows shot through a window into the castle. A masked assassin attacked Sky in the castle gardens. I might have known these things first hand if not for my ride to and from the embassy, but I might have also been killed.


    Our father was no longer the only royal in the castle to survive near death. But there was something amiss. Sky said she fought her attacker, but they managed to get away. Sky never lost a battle. Louis was almost shot by three arrows while walking the castle grounds but was saved by his attacker confusing a house guest for a royal. I was meant to die in my sleep, but Lady Yale was in my bed rather than myself. Sky was attacked head-on, and her attacker not only got away but could not be described. If there were anyone a stealth approach was fitting to use against, it would have been my sister. I had no reason to doubt my Sky''s claims, none other than those planted by a foreign king. I needed answers to questions before I could begin to speculate, but I had enough. I needed a resolution.


    I couldn''t sleep in my room until Lady Yale''s body and blood were moved, so I decided I would have a long night. While my brother slept in a guarded safe room for protection, my sister seemed unphased by her attacker getting away. She was out somewhere in the castle. She was probably speaking with the guards or in the training ring, keeping her mind off of everything. Sky was always most calm in a battle. I took the opportunity to do a short investigation.


    I entered my sister''s quarters. With the gift that Santo gave me, I could look around without turning on the room''s lights, which would have given me away. It was a strange gift, the way it made things glow in all sorts of different colors. Nothing was the same color unless it was made of the same material. Teco gave me a vial of the poison that was in our birthday cake; I wondered if I could use my light to match it with its source inside Sky''s room.


    I shined the light on the vile, and it glowed bright green. From then on, I knew what to look for, but if my sister were indeed the one behind our danger, she would never leave something incriminating in plain view. Where to begin invading one''s privacy? I checked under her bed, in her cabinets, her armory, but found nothing out of the ordinary. There were no signs of anything that glowed bright green the same way my sample of poison did. I began to feel shame for allowing another King to get into my head and control over my thoughts. Ready to leave, I put away my light, sliding it into my pocket, but only when the room was dark could I see what I''d been missing. There was another source of light beaming through a stone wall onto my face. It was a thin line of light, one that I might have missed if not for my eyes being in the dark for so long. I couldn''t find a way to open the wall, but I knew it was there. That seemed to be the end of my investigation, but could I let everything go? I''d have to see.


    When morning came, I sent a summons for Santo. I hadn''t slept at all the night before, and my battle with Non was still present in the bruising of my body. I did not look my best. I waited for Santo in a particular room. Louis had his bedroom or perhaps The Splint, Sky had the training ring and armory, but where I felt most safe was the castle Frame room. A room of walls holding portraits of every generation of Fae''s royalty. I''d yet to have my portrait painted, so there was a space on the wall under King Father and Queen Mother between the paintings of Louis and Sky. I didn''t want to be King. I didn''t want to be a royal, and I loved that room because until my portrait was on the wall, it was as if I was never royalty at all. It was like seeing my choice. Standing outside of what my family all wanted, and no one could tell me who I was until I allowed it.


    As King, I could never be with someone as brilliant as Santo because he was not of royal blood. As King, I could never hold the company of such a marvel as Jin and her fantastic family. As King, I could never be close to a member of another Kingdoms royal guard like Non. But as King, I could have led my people into a future where they wouldn''t fear minds like Santo. As King, I could have made diversity a norm for people like Jin. As King, I could have kept us out of a war with my allies in the other Kingdoms. I had years to consider my choice, but lately, the question was on my mind more frequently than I liked.


    Santo arrived in time to keep me from spiraling into my thoughts.


    "I''m rarely summoned to a castle, you know," he remarked as he entered the room.


    "I hope I didn''t break you from your work," I said.


    "Quite the opposite. I haven''t been able to get work done since the night we were last together," he corrected.


    "I suppose it has been a few days."


    "I knew what to expect. A prince can''t keep all of his coins in one bank," he said.


    "But you are quite the bank to invest in," I flattered.


    We shared a laugh and a comfortable glance.


    "I''m assuming you didn''t send simply for a second date?" He questioned.


    "I might have, but your assumption is right, I need to know something that is long unknown."


    "And what is it that you want to know?"


    "Is there a way to test bloodlines?" I questioned.


    "There are a few, why?"


    "I need you to teach me how to go about running these tests without being noticed."


    "This isn''t my ground of expertise, but if you need to test blood for blood, you will need just that," he said.


    "Blood?" I questioned.


    "From the two subjects being tested against one another," Santo answered.


    "How do I take a person''s blood without their knowing?"


    "Who might I ask, are you testing?"


    Of course, the inventor was wise enough to ask the right questions, but I couldn''t supply answers.


    "It''s safer if you don''t know," I said.


    "Does it have something to do with last night?" He questioned further.


    "How do you know about last night?"


    "News travels fast when in relation to the throne," he said.


    "It has nothing to do with last night," I said, but I don''t think he believed me.


    "Once you have the blood, bring it back to my workshop, and I''m sure I can take it from there," he said.


    "It''s not safe for you to be so closely involved," I debated.


    "I was involved from the moment you sent for me. It would take a while to teach you how to run the test on your own anyway, and from the look of your lack of sleep, I''d say you want results quickly, am I right?"


    "What did I do to deserve you?" I questioned with a held hand.


    "You were open-minded," he said.


    Gathering blood samples from Sky, Queen Mother, and King father was going to be a challenge. I thought of a few ways to go about the ordeal.


    Sky seemed to be the simplest of the three to gather a sample from. I thought I might offer to spar with my sister and collect a sample by wounding her. Unfortunately, there was the risk of her breaking me in the process. So I decided on a simpler plan to wait until after one of her usual training sessions in the ring to collect her blood from the sand.


    King Father seemed to have recovered significantly after being poisoned. But he was still unable to leave his bed or even speak. With his chambers guarded heavily round the clock, I needed a stealthily approach to collect his blood sample. Or so I thought. Due to his condition, King Father developed a nasty cough that often expelled blood. I planned to check on him and be the one to take his blood rags from the room.


    All that was left was Queen mother. How to collect her sample was taking more thought than the rest. She would not merely bleed in a training ring, and she was not sickly and creating samples easy to procure. She was heavily guarded and very cognitive.


    But there was a fourth sample I needed. A fourth sample I wanted. Teco, was he truly my father? It was too late to collect a sample of his blood even if I came up with a plan. I kept my thoughts on the more pressing situation at hand. My suspicions towards my sister were growing too quickly not to proceed. I had to know one truth, just one solitary piece of information to tell me to worry or be at ease.

 11 Chapter 11: Lost Loyal

    Two samples collected, and one was remaining. How to receive the blood of a queen? The way I saw it, I had only two options. One way would have been difficult, while the other would have its challenges. I didn''t want to proceed with either, but if my first plan failed, the second would be my only choice.


    Queen Mother loved her garden. She built it on her own from the day that my siblings and I were born. She cultivated the rarest of plants, each more exotic than the last, but she adored one flower more than any other, her blue roses. No matter where you stood in the garden, blue roses were near. They were in every patch of green woven throughout everything. Mother once said, "to pick a rose is to pick a life." The blue rose was symbolic of the unattainable and the impossible, so to pick one was to symbolize the celebration of a life of impossibility, or so I thought. What mattered that day was not the beauty of the flower, but rather its danger. Everyone knew a rose''s thorns were sharp, and that''s what I needed. Queen mother was in the garden, tending to her flowers when I joined her. I couldn''t hide the unease I felt for the task I was to attempt.


    "What sits on your shoulders Par," Mother asked as I stood in pale silence.


    "Nothing, Mother, just worry over the events of the past night," I lied.


    "Something is biting at you, a mother knows when there is something wrong with her children," she said while pulling roots and clipping vines.


    I picked the thorny flower, but how was I to use it? I couldn''t be as forthcoming as to hold the thorn to her vein and open it.


    "First father, now Louis, Sky, and I are being targeted," I confessed an unprioritized worry.


    "Nothing will happen to my babies while I am here, nothing," she said.


    She stood from her spot on the ground and came to offer a hug. It was the perfect opportunity. It was my only chance. Either do it then or do it never. I hugged my Queen. With a rose in hand, as we departed from the short comforting embrace, I slid the thorn down her arm.


    "Oh, dear!" She exclaimed.


    I didn''t cut deep enough, at best, it left a scratch, but no blood flowed.


    "I''m sorry, I meant to give this to you," I said, holding the rose as a gift.


    I gave her the flower, knowing I''d lost my one chance.


    "Thank you, Par, it means so much to me that in these troubling times, you are still my sweet boy," she said.


    "Always Queen Mother," I said.


    I left my mother to her gardening. I couldn''t collect the last blood sample, not directly. I had only one other way. It was a terrible way. You see, some lines are never to be crossed for the sake of honor, loyalty, and good grace, but there are lines we avoid for what memories they will give us forever. A woman has a time of bleeding each month. My mother, the queen, was no exception. I did not wish to rummage through her chamber pots to find soiled wrappings, but I needed answers. It was both the most straightforward and most difficult sample I collected that day. Having to carry it in my pocket to avoid being seen with it in hand will always stay in my mind.


    I had the samples.


    I was on my way out of the castle to meet Santo, and to my surprise, my brother was going the same direction. We left the castle gates together.


    "Where are you going," I questioned.


    "Whoever tried to kill Father tried to kill me, that means it wasn''t The Kingdom of Mar. Mother said she''s going to end her investigation," he informed me.


    "You think it''s safe outside the castle so soon?"


    "How long could it take to end the investigation? Mother knows how I''ve missed the people, and the people miss me, Brother."


    "If you''re sure," I said.


    "I''m sure, now, where are you off to?"


    I couldn''t tell him the truth, but I surely could not lie, my brother would see through it. So I gave a half-truth.


    "I''m meeting Santo."


    "The frail inventor? You''re still seeing him?"


    "He''s a good person, and a brilliant mind," I said.


    "When I pulled together, you''re group of lays, I didn''t intend for you to grow this close, or this attached," he argued.


    "I thought you would be happy. You have been the perfect matchmaker. Surely there must be those who you''ve grown attached to yourself?"


    "I''m a man of the people Par, but the people always change, and I change too," he said


    "That sounds lonely, Brother."


    "If you want to settle down before you''ve reached crown age I won''t stop you, but if you want to be king someday you''ll learn you can''t speak for the people if you belong to anyone that sleeps in your bed," he said


    "How can you speak for the people if you never let them close enough to love," I joked.


    "Kings don''t love," he said with a severe tone.


    How could my brother be so untethered?


    He went his way, and I went my own. I had enough to worry about without my brother''s heart on my list of situations to confront. I wasted no time riding to Santo''s workshop. He was working on something outside when I arrived. It seemed to be a firework.


    "This is how your name was spelled out across the sky the night of your birthday," Santo told me as I dismounted my horse.


    "You made this too?" I asked as I approached.


    "No, but after I figure out how to deconstruct and reconstruct it, maybe I''ll make something better," he said.


    "You''re quite the renaissance man, aren''t you?"


    "You flatter me."


    "Should I stop?"


    "By all means, continue, it''ll be the most praise I''ve received in a while, but I was under the impression you needed a test done," he said.


    I took from my back the bag containing the samples of blood.


    "Where do we begin?"


    We stepped inside. His workshop was different. I remembered my first time in Santo''s home. It was covered in machinery from door to wall. On that day, his tables were clear of everything but empty vials and chemicals unknown to me.


    "Let''s see what you have," he said as we stood opposite one another with his work table between us.


    I handed him my bag, and he took from it the samples laying them out on the table one by one. I could see from the look on his face that I made a misstep somewhere.


    "These aren''t what I was expecting Par," he said.


    "But the blood is there,"


    "I''m sure it is, but I''ll have to extract the blood samples before I can test them


    "How long will that take?"


    "To get enough blood out of sand, cloth, and ... are these," he stumbled.


    I hoped he would go on without asking why one of the samples was in the form of a womanly wrapping.


    "Yes," I said


    "It''ll take time, a long time, and there is still a chance there won''t be enough to test


    "I need this."


    "I''ll do my best, but you have to understand there is no guarantee I can give you," he admitted honestly.


    "Will you do what you can?"


    "Yes," he said.


    "That is enough of a guarantee for me."


    He got to work. It was something similar to Jin''s dance. He was in his element moving and working with fluidity in his motions like that of an ocean''s waves. Even with my being in his space, I could feel the passion he had for the work he did. The calculated and tedious lengths that he took were made to look simplistic and effortless. It was a show.


    "You know, there are kingdoms with scholarly programs to teach the public sciences like these," Santo told me.


    My eyes perked up. Despite the stakes at hand, waiting for tests to be run was uneventful.


    "They don''t fear knowledge; they cultivate it. I thought about moving to one of those Kingdoms," he continued.


    "And leave me?"


    "Your open eyes are a breath of fresh air in this place of ignorance, but you don''t need me," he said.


    "Perhaps I want you."


    "You know I''ve heard rumors about you."


    "Rumors?"


    "You don''t want to be king?" He questioned as he mixed chemicals.


    "It''s more than a rumor," I said.


    "I''m sure you''d be exceptional," he flattered me.


    "Who can you say?"


    "You are not those who came before you who were afraid of change, you''re not your sister who lives only to fight a war that doesn''t exist, and you''re not your brother who people love only until they realize how much he does not love them," he debated boldly.


    "I believe I warned you about speaking this way about my family," I said.


    "And now, just as you did then, you can''t find falsehood in my words," he said.


    "If I became king, I could never be with you. I could never be with anyone outside of royal blood or nobility."


    "You can''t be with me now, and yet here you sit with me, not in a castle but my home," he argued to my dismay.


    "It''s not the same."


    "No, it''s not. As King, you wouldn''t live by rules. You would make them. You could change them. Whoever says you can''t live your life, however, and with whoever you wish, as King, they could never control you."


    It''s not the conversation I wanted to have, but he spoke honestly and with more clarity on the matter than I ever had. In our silence, I noticed he stopped working.


    "It''s done?"


    "It''s done."


    He had three vials on the table before us, one with Sky''s blood, another with Queen Mother''s, and the last with King Father''s. In his hand, he held a bottle of clear liquid.


    "Now what," I asked impatiently.


    "Now, I add a drop of this to each sample. If they change to similar colors, we will know they are related, and of course, if their colors are not close in relation, we will know the opposite," he explained.


    He prepared to move forward. He added a single drop to each vial, and we waited.


    The first vile to change color was King Father''s. It was dark orange. The next was Queen mother''s. It was bright pink.


    "These two aren''t a match," he said.


    I couldn''t tell him who the blood belonged to, but of course, the King and Queen were not going to be a match. All that mattered was Sky''s blood. If it matched King Father''s, then Sky was not related to a supposedly cursed bloodline. If it matched Queen mother''s, that meant Teco lied about her having a miscarriage, and Sky was her daughter. At any rate, if any test came back positive, it would prove King Teco lied to me, but If nothing came back the same, it would mean he was the most honest of all.


    "It''s changing," Santo expressed as he held the vial to his hey.


    "How would we know if one sample is related to more than one of the others," I asked.


    "The blood will separate into two different colors," he said.


    If Sky weren''t the daughter of the King or Queen, I would have no choice but to turn on her. I would have no choice but to turn over any evidence and all information that I uncovered. Was I ready to accuse my Sister of being disloyal? It was the moment of truth. Was Sky the true adversary? Was Teco my ally?


    "There you have it, "Santo said as the colors changed and permeated.


    "No matches....."

 12 Chapter 12: Sing No

    I returned home at once. Chasing the sun as it set, I made it before clouds were black. Santo had no comprehension of why I needed to leave so abruptly, and to protect him, I refused to tell him the truth. On my arrival back to the castle, I found Queen Mother sitting in the throne room in Father''s seat. She was acting as his voice while he was incapacitated. To her side stood my sister with the castle guards.


    "Mother, I need to speak with you," I pressed.


    "I''m afraid it will have to wait Par," Mother said dismissively.


    "This can not wait," I refused.


    "Par, we are nearly done if you wait outside, I''m sure," Sky intervened.


    I snapped at my sister, cutting her off as she attempted to come near and guide me out.


    "I''m sure this can not wait," I said.


    I''m sure my voice gathered the attention I required. Queen Mother waved the guards to escort those not a part of the family out of the room.


    "She needs to leave as well," I said, gesturing to my adopted sibling.


    "What is the meaning of this Par," Sky asked.


    "What could be so threatening your sister need to leave, that you interrupt my long-held meeting with city diplomats?" mother added.


    If she would not leave, then I had no choice.


    "I have reason to believe Sky is to blame for the attempts on our family''s life," I said.


    "What nonsense is this," Sky exclaimed.


    "Yes, these are damaging accusations, what proof have you that our Reeves have somehow missed Par," mother questioned.


    "On the night of our birthday, the only cake served was to our family and of us, you and Father received poison in the mix, not Louis, Sky, or myself," I explained.


    "Then it could just as easily be you who is the culprit," Sky argued.


    "But after our father nearly died, my sister seemed to feel nothing. She retired to her training ring as usual," I added.


    "So my lack of tears is now a show of disloyalty," she refuted.


    "When assassins entered the castle and tried to kill me in my sleep and Louis by arrow through shattered glass, you were somehow the only one faced head-on, and you say you lost the battle, and they got away," I continued despite my discomfort.


    "Par I have heard enough," Mother ended the conversation.


    "But I haven''t gotten to the important part, I searched your room," I said.


    "You did what," Sky exclaimed yet again, ready to draw her blade, I''m sure.


    She lunged at me, and the only thing keeping her from my person was the royal guards.


    "You have a secret room behind a brick wall," I exposed.


    "Par, don''t do this," she cried.


    "But the piece of evidence that made me believe you were capable of all of these things is," I started.


    " I said enough," Queen Mother shouted over me.


    She stood up from the throne.


    "Par, what you have found, these accusations, I can''t," Mother said as she held herself.


    "Mother, this is all nothing more than," sky pleaded.


    "I can not let this stand," Mother said.


    There was silence.


    "Take her away," Mother ordered the guards.


    "Mother?!" Sky shrieked.


    She cried out as the guards dragged her away. Never had I seen my sister in tears, and I could never imagine a person who tried to kill their family weep so heavy as she. My sister didn''t fight. Why did she not fight? She could have left the room in blood-soaked ribbons and got away, but she allowed her self to be taken.


    "You did the right thing. Bringing this to me was the only way to keep our family safe," Mother said as she came down the steps to close the space between us.


    I wanted to believe her words, but a pit at my core told me I made a mistake.


    "What will happen to her," I asked.


    "For attempting the murder of a King and Queen as well as two heirs to the throne, Sky will face execution," she said.


    "Execution?! But she is your daughter, my sister, a loyal member of our," I debated with myself and Mother.


    "The moment she conspired to have your father and I killed is the moment your sister gave up on loyalty," she said, silencing my argument.


    She hugged me and kissed my head like a pet before returning to her seat above me.


    "Leave, Par, do not make this night harder than it need be by fighting what must be done," she ordered me.


    She made it clear I would be unwise to make her speak again.


    In despair, I needed someone to lean on, someone to tell me I did the right thing. I needed my brother. With night reaching its peak, I searched for my Louis. He wasn''t in his room, nor any of the dining halls. He was not in the garden or the courtyard. I remembered where he enjoyed spending his time when not in the castle.


    The Splint.


    Late as it might have been, I needed my brother. The establishment was just as grimy as my first memory of it, if not more. Like before, I entered and approached the bar to speak with Frank, the barman.


    "Look who decided to grace my fine establishment," the beast of a man announced my presence.


    Before I could speak, he began mouthing off.


    "You''re here to pay your brother''s tab, or you can take your monkey ass back to your ivory tower," he said.


    "Now is not the time to speak to me this way," I said.


    "That so? Well, the 100 pil your brother owes me, along with the door he broke, and the stairs he scuffed up are telling me to speak to you however I fucking feel, now pay me," he demanded.


    "Broken door? And scuffed floor?" I questioned curiously.


    "Is there something wrong with you and your brother, or are all royals shit customers," he added.


    "You said he broke a door and scuffed a floor, how?"


    "Some guards came by and picked him up. I guess he didn''t wanna leave."


    "Royal guards?"


    I knew it was too soon for Louis to leave the castle, even if Mother was no longer targeting his people, it could take days for all of the royal guards to know.


    "When did this all happen?" I asked, leaning over the bar impatiently.


    "About an hour ago," Frank answered smugly.


    I turned to be on my way.


    "Where do you think you''re going, you owe me," he yelled.


    "Your right and I''ll pay you by not having this place shut down for the many violations of Fae law that it seems to break daily," I countered.


    "Fuck you," he said.


    "Fuck you, Frank."

 13 Chapter 13: Children

    If royal guards took Louis, there would only be three places to find him. The castle dungeons, the torture pit, or if I was lucky, his bedroom. Unfortunately, he was not held in his quarters.


    The castle dungeons were a murky place. The smell of mildew and blood was ever-present in the long corridor of metal and brick cells. With only one way in or out, and no windows, prisoners knew they stood little chance of escaping. I walked the corridor, passing open cells of dead rotting corpses, chamber pots filled to the brim with entrails and blood. There was no step taken that allowed the absence of muck under my boots.


    I found my brother.


    He was stripped of his royal robes and stood before me in rags that looked to be handed down by the deceased.


    "Par?" He called out as he approached the bars between us.


    "Louis, I''m going to get you out of here," I declared.


    "What have you done," he said with vitriol.


    "I''ve done nothing, I told you to wait to leave the castle," I argued.


    "You sentenced our sister to death," he said.


    "You don''t understand."


    "She was here. They took her."


    "Took her where?"


    "To be tortured and interrogated. They want to know who she conspired with," my brother informed me.


    "I didn''t mean for this to happen I swear to you."


    "What did you think would happen? She told me you searched her room and found her secret. You said love was a good thing, why would you doom her to death for loving a castle guard?"


    "What?!" I exclaimed, dumbfounded by such a revelation.


    "Her secret! Hidden behind the wall was a sword given to her by a castle guard, the castle guard she confided in when father was poisoned, the castle guard that almost died protecting her when we were almost murdered in the night," Louis continued.


    Was my sister in love? Sky was in Love?


    "I didn''t know, how could I have known?"


    "Are you the only one allowed to have secrets? Because of your unwillingness to leave hers out of the light, she will pay with her life itself."


    "I''ll stop this."


    I called out for a guard, but they stayed at their post.


    "It''s too late, the only person who can free us is Mother," Louis told me before leaving the bars to take a seat on the ground.


    "I''ll find her. I''ll make this nightmare end," I promised.


    He wouldn''t look at me. He sank to the floor, and not even the drip of murky water on his head made him alert. As I left the hole that was the dungeons, I could hear the screams of what could only be Sky in agony.


    I ran through the castle, calling for Mother. I searched everywhere to no avail. But I knew where to find her, in the castle gardens. It seemed darker than usual on that night. Perhaps the pain in my heart was seeping out into the air. I used my light given to me by Santo as I tired of stumbling over rose bushes in the dark.


    "Mother!" I called out again and again, seemingly to no avail.


    I called out again, and the wind gave chill.


    There was nowhere else in the castle for her to be. I felt she was around me, avoiding me, staying out of my strange light. That''s when I saw it. Her blue roses, they glowed bright green. It was the same color as the poison Teco extracted from the cake. Could it be a coincidence? It couldn''t be. It all began to make sense.


    She worked with the cook to make the perfect cake that turned out to be poisoned. While Father was unable to rule, she sat on the throne. When the assassins came for us, she and Father were never attacked. She told Louise she was done hunting his people, but it seemed the second that he was outside of the castle she cracked down on the investigation, an investigation she knew was pointless. And she let me hammer the final nail by giving her a reason to take away Sky.


    But why?


    "I see you''ve put it together."


    Her voice echoed behind my ears, and as I turned around, the green glow of the roses and poison radiated from her hands as she stepped out of the shadows.


    "It was you?" I said.


    "Of course it was me, Par," she said with no denial remorse or guilt.


    "But why, how could you?"


    "How could I not," she said, laughing at my insinuating that she cared.


    "We were your family," I said.


    "You were never my family; none of you were born of my skin and done."


    She knew.


    "You know?"


    "Yes, I know. I know what King Teco told you, but I knew long before then. I knew that he was your father, and I knew Sky was not my daughter."


    "That''s what this is about," I questioned with open eyes and strong disbelief.


    "Your King, my husband, he thought I would never know, but a mother knows when something is wrong with her children. How could I not know I gave birth to the dead? They wanted me to love not one but three children born not of my flesh but the wombs of mothers unknown," she raved.


    "Why would you stay, why would you pretend to love us for so long?"


    "I had no choice; as a queen, I could never leave, marriage to the throne only ends with death."


    She came closer and stood under the shadow of a tree as if to hide her face.


    "I won''t let you get away with this," I declared.


    "How can you stop me? What army do you have at your back? What crown do you wear?" She taunted me with a grin too big to hide.


    "Father will stop you. You can''t kill all of us without the kingdom knowing it was your hands responsible."


    She laughed, and that was perhaps the most terrifying moment of my existence.


    "Your father is never going to leave his chambers again," she confessed.


    "You killed him?"


    "No, Your Father was never going to die. I simply needed him incapacitated, and now that he is, I am free to rule without question. He will stay my key to the throne. All that is left to be done is strike down the kingdoms responsible for the heirs of Fae and the heirs themselves


    "The people won''t accept that we have simply disappeared or died all at once," I debated her madness.


    I''ll kill your father, the king of Catalina, for interfering with my affairs. Louis will die a death like that of his long-dead father and leader of Mar. I''ll have you flogged for conspiring to commit treason with Catalina, and you''ve already sealed your sister''s fate for me


    "I will stop you," I repeated.


    "So you say, but I don''t believe you," she laughed to no end.


    "Why admit all of this to me, why be so open now?"


    "Because I know you don''t long for the throne, you never did. I''m giving you a choice. Leave now, run away and go find the ordinary life you long for or die like your adopted siblings in a dungeon screaming for an end that will be drawn out for ages," she said.


    "You think I would turn on my family; you think I would be so disloyal?"


    "What is loyalty Par.  People like us don''t get to have what we want. We don''t even get the chance to know what it is. We give ourselves because of morality and code too strong to break. We are shackled to responsibilities that we grow into," he spoke with earnest tone.


    She started to come closer, and I backed away.


    "We can not be weak for others, but we lack strength for ourselves, life offers so many doors, but we choose the one that lets us keep safe the people we are to never give up on. We do this despite the opportunity of new connections that could make us better and make us whole. How much will we sacrifice? It''s a slope that we slip down until there is no bottom, humble as we are, humble as I tried to be, I knew what I was doing, but I did it," she continued.


    She made small advances into my space until I felt her looming over me. She carried a dagger in her hand. I couldn''t strike her down. I couldn''t draw my blade on the queen and walk away with my head.


    "Sad as we may be, we continue to march on, soldiers of a cause unknown, Loyalty that is a weakness, our crutch, never a joy," she said.


    I stumbled backward, falling to the ground as she engulfed my space. I tried to run, but still, I could hear her voice like a whisper in the air around me.


    "And we pray for salvation because no one will release us. Loyalty is forever holding us in place until we become what we swore never to happen on our watch. Loyalty is the last breath taken as every fleeting moment passes like a flicker of light on what could have been, Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty, to hell with it," she mocked.


    I turned out my light and tried to hide. The shadows were both my enemy and friend as she could not see me, and I could not see her.


    "It doesn''t have to be this way," I said.


    "It can only be this way Par, there are no compromises In the war for freedom," she answered.


    "You can leave; now more than ever, while you hold the cards, no one would stop you," I said.


    She lunged at me from the shadows of trees in my path, and I quickly retreated into the cover of low bushes.


    "No one can stop me. I''m offering you a choice, a chance to have what I never could," she argued.


    Killing her would have been too easy. My sword had better reach, and my arms more strength, but if she fell by my distinct hands, it would seal fates more than my own.


    "You''re offering a life of dishonor and betrayal."


    "But it would be your life and yours alone," she said.


    She ripped the bush from the earth, revealing my hiding spot, and I tripped her as I got to my feet.


    "Maybe you''re right. This can only end one way."


    As she got to her feet, I unsheathed my sword, the blade of The Last Dragon Kingdom.


    "You think you can kill me," she mocked me.


    She laughed again. My blade was sharp, but I couldn''t use it without consequences.


    "Even if you could, you would only put yourself in a position to take the blame for all that has happened to our happy family," she added.


    "I never wanted a crown, but when I am king, I will make sure this part of history never repeats its self."


    She slashed at my side, and I moved to dodge. She aimed for my chest and ripped my shirt to shredded nothing rather than my flesh. For all the speed I had, I couldn''t use it without hesitation. For every reflex I used, she knew I would not strike back. But I had hope that I was smarter. She thought she had me beat. I lead her to believe she was pushing me back, but I was guiding her.


    Those blue roses were never roses.


    As she slashed at my body, I blocked as well as one could, but I took blood dripping wound after wound until I had her where I needed. She lunged once more, and with a swift kick, I threw her into the patch of deadly flora. Before she could stand, I pressed my foot on her chest and pushed her body into the thorns. At first, it seemed my plan hadn''t worked.  She gripped my leg and meant to get me off, but her eyes began to bulge, and from her mouth foam ran. She clutched at me for a while as I held her pinned to the sharp ground until life faded from her eyes. I stepped off of her corps, and the deed was done. If anyone questioned how the queen died, they wouldn''t ask twice if told her exotic children were to blame.

 14 Chapter 14: Never End

    The queen was dead, and Father was a vegetable. I wished I could say I had my Brother and Sister. After what my missteps caused, we would never be the same. Sky survived torture, but not without gaining scars. She had a reason to wear her body armor. Louis remained the same as always, but before the Queen''s death, she revealed who his father was. The leader of a kingdom that rivaled Fae for decades was his Father, and I couldn''t decide on telling him or not. I pardoned my siblings, so they were free, but they could never take the throne.


    They understood why I did what I did, and they understood that Mother was the true adversary, but it didn''t stop us from becoming splinters of the same wood bleeding away from one another.


    But I had a new family. Teco was my Father, which made me the King of one land and the prince of another. It was an odd relationship that sprouted from our relation, but he was, if nothing else, an ally.


    The people were none the wiser about the events that took place behind castle walls. Their lives went on without any fires being seen. My life would forever be changed. To kill my Mother and know that your Father would never return, to hurt my sister and keep secrets from my brother, my rule began on crackled ground. I only wished that I had someone to share it with.


    Santo knew If I became king, our relationship would most likely end. I longed for our conversations in remembrance of his unfiltered truths. Jin had to leave Fae eventually. As a member of a family circus, her heart could not stay where her family did not run. I missed her inspiration and her untamed soul. I had much to learn as a new King. Too much to learn. I couldn''t stay joined with anyone for longer than fleeting moments while I tried to grow to be what Fae needed. I tried to keep them near. I worked to be someone they could be proud of, someone they might look to and know had their best interest at heart.


    But all were looking for the better. In a year, one might say I was beginning to fit into my role.


    It was our 18th birthday, a time when we were meant to travel the kingdom and gain experience so that we might one day be ready for the throne. The throne was already mine, so we celebrated a different way. I offered my sister a title of leadership in the royal guard, and my brother the chance to become a lead diplomat to act as the voice of the people. We discussed the proposals together, not with a party because we''d seen enough of those, but alone as a family. It was the start of our rebuilding of bonds lost. I could only hope that we could begin again. Taking the throne was not the end of our story, it was the beginning of many more to come, and I would need my family to be there with me if I meant to survive and thrive.