Zedekiel and Ludiciel froze while Mariel's heart started to beat faster. Before Mariel could answer, Ron sighed and dropped her arm. "Forget it. I'm sorry. I can't do it""What?!" Both brothers shouted. Mariel felt wronged. She wanted to cry."I'm sorry Mariel" Ron apologized again. "I just wanted to prove something to your brother""You!" Zedekiel shouted, jacking Ron up by the collar. "It hurts, doesn't it?" Ron sneered and Zedekiel's hold loosened, gazing at Ron in disbelief. "You don't like seeing your sister hurt just as I don't like seeing mine hurt. Be lucky I didn't go through with the act. I'm not like you. I can't bear to hurt your own sister because she's innocent in all this"Ludiciel let out a tiny smile. So that was Ron's plan. He had also tried to convince Zedekiel not to call it off but he didn't listen. Maybe Ron could make him see reason. Ron placed his palm over Zedekiel's hand. He lightly shivered for the hand was cold. The touch seemed to awaken Zedekiel so he
Prince Ron was running as fast as his legs could carry him, heart thrashing against his rib cage. Why why why why why?! Why did he chose to go snooping around the huge castle? Now he was being chased by so many guards in the middle of the night. If he were caught, Zedekiel would think he came to the North to spy. Ron had never ran so much in his life. He is the lazy type. Always lounging about, eating and reading books. If he ever had the energy to do anything, then it was to prank people or sneak out of the castle.Hearing the thundering footsteps growing louder and louder, Ron increased his speed and took a swift left turn into God knows where.The guards knew the castle like the back of their hands. If he didn't find a place to hide soon, he'd be done for. With this thought in mind, he saw a door that was slightly ajar so he dashed in without a second thought and stealthily pushed it shut. Poor Ron didn't even get a chance to breath when he was suddenly slammed against the door.
Ron looked offended and sad. After everything he went through. Now, if Zedekiel decides to let this get out, he'd be known as the prince who stole berries in the middle of the night. "Look future brother in law, let's keep this between us yeah? No one else needs to know. This will be our very own secret. I won't tell anyone about how you nearly killed me either"Zedekiel scoffed. "I think you've forgotten who's the King here. Who would believe such an accusation? That I, the King of Netheridge, nearly killed a mere prince?""A mere prince?" Ron said, offended. "I'm the future of Ashenmore. If I die, be rest assured that my father will crush Netheridge to the ground""Believe me, that's the only reason I haven't killed you. I won't endanger the lives of my people"Ron wanted to slap this King silly. "Why do you hate me? As far as I recall, we've never met until today. I never even knew a place like this existed. What is it that I've done to you? You know what, whatever it is, I'm sorr
A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Ron went to open the door and was greeted by a brooding Ludiciel. His long silver hair was packed into a low bun and he was wearing a black and white again. Ron wondered why they all liked wearing such boring colours. As if there weren't any other type of clothing. Look at him for example. He was wearing deep red clothes, studded with shiny blue jewels. Red! The colour of love. Ron looked dashing. Zedekiel definitely has to be affected.Rose was no different. Her yellow gown was form fitting and it cascaded down her body in froths of white and pale blue. Her aurburn curls were packed and decorated with white flowers. Ron's confidence was actually shaky."Time for breakfast" Ludiciel said. The siblings followed Ludiciel to the dining hall. Ron was excited to see King Zedekiel again. After admitting he was lost last night, Zedekiel personally took him to his room. On the way, he had chatted about so many things but Zedekiel only gave
Queen mother just nodded. She was enjoying the little drama. King Zedekiel also watched with great interest. This was the guy that convinced him to court his sister, stole berries, got chased by guards, sought refuge in his room, and then got lost. What else was he going to do now?"You see, I told you I'm a prince," Ron said but when he saw the two boys looking conflicted, he sighed and swallowed his food. "Still, don't go around using your title as the prince to bully people. If you had spoken to me nicely, I would have left the seat so you can stay next to mother but since you didn't, you'll have to sit somewhere else today"The one who shouted first pouted slightly. The chair has always been his own. He sits next to his mother every single day and now, this guy just came from nowhere and took it but seeing as no one in the family supported him, he didn't know what to do. "But..." Ron continued. "If you apologize to me, I might reconsider..." Everyone waited to see what the twins
Prince Ron was restless all day. After breakfast, Tariel, Sariel and Princess Mariel went for their daily studies while Ludiciel went with King Zedekiel to attend to court matters. Queen mother went back to her room. So did Rose while Ron decided to take a stroll with Leo.As he walked, he kept wondering what to do about the berry stealing situation. If any of the guards that saw him could describe him enough, then he would be done for. He needed to do something. And that King! Instead of covering up for him, he added fuel to the fire. Ron felt like strangling him. After walking for about half an hour, he decided to rest and think of something later. While sitting in the courtyard, Ron was unusually quiet which made Leo worry. The prince normally likes to talk even if it was about utter rubbish so seeing him so silent was quite scary. He endured and endured and when he couldn't endure any longer, he asked; "Prince Ron? Is something the matter?"Ron just sighed but didn't answer. L
Prince Ron, think. What can you do best?"The Prince went silent for a while, thinking seriously then he said; "My mother always tells me that I eat fast..."Ludiciel chuckled and said; "Prince Ron, you do not have to participate. It's not like there's anyone you need to impress. The person that should do all the work is your sister. Besides, she said she's going to sing"Ron gasped. His sister knew about it before him?! Unacceptable! She already has the upper hand!!And nobody to impress? What about that insufferable king who saved his life and stole his heart? His beloved King who nearly choked him to death? The King with the heart that's as cold as ice.He has to impress him and find a way to get rid of those terrible mood swings he gets. They were getting in the way of him stealing his beloved's heart! "Rose is going to sing? What song?" he asked. Ludiciel shrugged. "How would I know? She just told me to provide her with a lot of things that improves the voice, like honey and ra
The great hall was packed full with people. It was decorated beautifully with more than a hundred candles and ribbons of different colors. It was filled with aroma of food and wine and wonderful slow music flowed in the air, creating a serene and cheerful atmosphere.Ron has never seen anything so magical. The candle lights made the ice blue walls glow, increasing the beauty of the hall. The thick curtains seemed to have been spun from gold. It made him really excited.He was sitting at the high table together with Ludiciel, Mariel, Tariel and Sariel who were all looking radiant. The Queen mother, Princess Rose and the King weren't present yet. They were the only ones left. As soon as they arrive, the feast would begin.The Prince couldn't wait. He was practically vibrating on his seat as his eyes swept over the large long table piled with different kinds of food."Prince Ron, calm down. The food won't run away" Leo, who was standing behind him said, placing a hand on his shoulder.Ro
Frustrated, Prince Kayziel grabbed one of them. "You're just a bunch of cowards! The boy is not even a 100 years old! If you do not fight-" he directly slit the throat of the soldier he grabbed. "You die!"Upon witnessing the scene, the soldiers pivoted their attention to Zedekiel, brandishing their swords. Knowing Prince Kayziel's prowess as a fighter far exceeded Zedekiel's, they speculated that confronting the boy might afford them a chance of survival, albeit slim. However, facing Prince Kayziel spelled certain death for all. Besides, Zedekiel was injured and had lost a significant amount of blood. Putting him down should not be difficult. And so, they collectively surged toward him.Young Zedekiel strived. He fought with all his might, killing some soldiers while fatally injuring some. He fought like a mad man, swinging his sword with reckless abandon yet maintaining an unparalleled level of precision at the same time for he drew blood with each swing. The vale was quickly litter
He sighed, placing on a hand on Zedekiel's cheek, stroking the cold skin gently. "You know, I wanted to spare your life but when I saw the way you took hold of everything in the castle, I just couldn’t. You're still so young, yet you were already ruling the Kingdom like a proper King. When your Father died, I thought the entire Kingdom would be in a state of disarray and I would return and take charge like a grand hero but I was surprised to find that everything was under control. Even when I commanded the Officials to do something, they would say that they had to run it through you first so I knew that I had to get rid of you.""If you desired the throne, you could have just said so." Young Zedekiel gritted. "I haven't even been crowned King yet. I could have willingly abdicated in your favour.""Yes, you could have." Prince Kayziel nodded. "But would you have let me marry your Mother?"Young Zedekiel fell silent but the answer was evident in the intense glare that emanated from his
He had tried to go beyond the garden but he found that he couldn't. He was bound to his younger self and could only go where his younger self went or the places he had been to before. Which meant that if Ron didn't go back to the garden, he wouldn't be able to see him again. He just hoped that Ron would not give up on his stupid self and come back or is stupid self would stop being so stupid and go find Ron.Prince Kayziel had gone to his younger self in the middle of the night and convinced him to join them in their journey to Ashenmore so they could start their revenge. At first, Young Zedekiel didn’t want to go for he had already agreed to wait as his mother had instructed but Prince Kayziel managed to convince him by reminding him of the things the humans had done to his father and brother. He then told him that if they waited too long, the humans might fully prepare themselves for what was to come and they would lose the element of surprise.Hearing this, Young Zedekiel put on hi
“This should be the last time we meet.” Young Zedekiel said. “Normally I would kill you for being a witch and lying to me but since we have been together, I will spare your life. Never make the mistake of coming before me in the future because I will kill you.”With that, Young Zedekiel turned and continued on his way, leaving Ron kneeling there, completely and utterly heartbroken.**********Zedekiel wanted to stay and see what Ron would do but something told him to follow his younger self and so he did. He followed even as his younger self sprinted away from the garden, his movements a blur of speed, almost as if he were a shadow racing across the earth. The wind whipped around him, tousling his silver hair. His dark robes billowing behind him like the wings of a dark angel.He dashed past the castle, his supernatural speed carrying him effortlessly, propelling him forward with a sense of urgency that mirrored the turmoil within his heart.Finally, he arrived at the labyrinth, a pla
"I'm not deceiving you," he insisted, locking eyes with Zedekiel, “I swear it. My true identity is Raldore Nightshade, a witch—the youngest child of Malik and Yara Nightshade, leaders of the esteemed Nightshade Coven."Young Zedekiel's shock was palpable, his features frozen in disbelief as Ron's words washed over him like a tidal wave. He shook his head, taking a few steps backwards. “No. No you’re lying. You cannot be a witch. You smell different. You smell human.”“That’s because my magic is extremely weak.” Ron explained. “I am the weakest Nightshade to ever exist. Look, this is the only thing that I can do.”He crouched down on the grass, closed his eyes and muttered some words. Slowly a small plant germinated from the ground and gradually grew a single red juicy looking apple on its branch. But Ron already knew that the apples he grew were not tasty at all. He plucked the fruit, stood up and held it out to Zedekiel. “See, I’m a witch.”To say Young Zedekiel was shocked was an un
He ran and hugged Young Zedekiel tight from behind. “I’m sorry okay? Please talk to me. Tell me what I did wrong and I promise never to it again. I love you Zedekiel. I can’t live without you.”“Lies!” Young Zedekiel snarled, yanking Ron’s arms away from his body. He turned around, his eyes blazing with fury. “Lies lies lies! All you humans know are lies, deceit and betrayal. You do not love. You can never love. All of you are too selfish for that!”Ron stared at Zedekiel, unable to understand what he was talking about. “What are you saying?” he asked. “What do you mean?”“You know exactly what I mean.” Young Zedekiel replied. “Stop acting like you’re innocent. You humans are all the same.”“No we’re not.” Ron argued. “I don’t know what you’re talking about but we’re not. I have done none of what you mentioned. I love you wholeheartedly, Zedekiel. I have been waiting here for weeks, at this same spot where we both first met. I have been waiting for you like you asked me to but not onc
“Good. You will rest for two full weeks and heal properly. Only then will I allow you to take my children into war with the humans. I get that you’re all angry. I too am brimming with rage and there’s nothing I wish more than to see those humans dead but we all have to wait. We have to be patient and strike when they least expect it. We have to be at our best so we can avenge the lives they took from us. Understand?”Prince Kayziel nodded instantly.She turned to Young Zedekiel and although he didn’t want to agree, he could not go against her. Especially after his uncle had agreed. “Yes, Mother.”Zedekiel, who was watching, closed his eyes and sighed for he knew what came next and he wished he had listened to his Mother. His stubbornness and impatience had cost them the lives of more Elves and had nearly cost that of his Mother and siblings as well.********After listening to Prince Kayziel's side of the story, Young Zedekiel was walking back to his room when a guard frantically appr
Without hesitation, Alaric closed the distance between them, enfolding Ron in a gentle yet firm embrace. His arms wrapped around his younger brother, offering a comforting anchor amidst the storm of emotions. He pressed Ron close, as if trying to shield him from the pain and disappointment that threatened to overwhelm him.Zedekiel floated into the shadows, his heart hurting as he silently watched Ron cry. He couldn’t believe that in the past, he hurt Ron so much and made him cry. He felt like total jerk. A complete asshole. He was the one who had approached Ron first and declared him his wife but here he was, abandoning the person he claimed to love. This must be why Alaric had been so mad at him back in the coven.The Elf King had no idea that he had seen nothing yet.That night, Alaric succeeded in convincing Ron to go home, rest, and eat some good food then come back the next day and wait again. Zedekiel on the other hand, floated back to the castle. On getting there, he noticed t
“My brother is yours?” Alaric chuckled coldly. “What an introduction.”“Brother, he’s the one we saved some months ago.” Ron informed Alaric.“That drowning smelly Elf?” Alaric asked.Ron nodded. “He’s the one. I’ve told him many times that I cannot return his feelings for me but he just won’t leave me alone. He said he’d rather see me dead than with someone else.”Hearing that, Alaric's anger ignited like a roaring inferno. “You want to see my brother dead? My brother?" Alaric's queried, his voice rumbling like thunder, laced with a dangerous edge that sent chills down the spine of anyone who heard. Even the neighbouring leaves, bushes, flowers, and animals were not spared. They trembled at the sound of his voice and the intensity of his magic.His chest tightened, and muscles tensed as if coiling to strike. The mere thought of someone wishing harm upon his beloved sibling was enough to send his emotions spiraling out of control. He shielded Ron behind him and held out his hand as he