Prince Ron gasped. "So great great great uncle Kaiden is the Shadow Master? I thought he died in war!""That's what he made everyone believe." Hilda said. "Only few of The Shadows know that he is still alive. I know because my father was one of his trusted aids.""So why can't Prince Kaiden expose himself to the Queen of Ashenmore?" Zedekiel asked. "Why does he fear her?""Because she has the power to kill him." Hilda answered."I do not understand." Prince Ron said. "How?""I'll explain, Your Highness." Hilda assured. "Even though King Rapheal had banned dark magic, Prince Kaiden still went ahead and practiced it, saying that Shadow Magic was not enough to defeat the Elves. With time, Prince Kaiden grew stronger and stronger. Fearing that Prince Kaiden would try to rebel and take over the Kingdom, King Rapheal tricked him into taking a heart-binding centipede."Zedekiel thought about it and chuckled. "The old man was wise.""Indeed, he was." Hilda agreed.Prince Ron, who didn't know
Still, he wondered; "Why did you suddenly choose to swear loyalty to me? What about my sister? Why did you serve her if you hated her? If I recall correctly, when my father was assigning my sister and I servants, you were given the opportunity to decide who you wanted to follow. Why did you choose my sister?""Your Highness, I didn't know how cruel your sister was back then." she answered. "And I will not hide anything from you, Your Highness. I deemed you unworthy of my services because you had no interest in the throne and would play and laze about all day. I wanted to work for someone that had goals and ambitions. Although Princess Rose has them, she is too cruel and ruthless."She raised herself to her feet with much difficulty and turned around. "This is proof of your sister's tyranny, Your Highness." She turned her back to them and lowered her robes, exposing her back. "I have long since hated her and wanted to leave her side but has been unable to."Prince Ron put his hand to h
"The Mother Tree has informed me that the King's memories will return very soon for Prince Ron is now in his life again and as we all know, the Mother Tree is getting weaker everyday so she won't be able to keep his memories at bay. Those memories were so painful that he had to erase them. If they come back now, I'm afraid they will jeopardize the love our King has struggled to find. Fortunately, I have a plan and that's where you all come in."She tapped the board with her cane and different images appeared on it. "This is the plan I've come up with for them to bond. The Mother Tree said that if our King bonds with Prince Ron, the memories will have less bad effects on him and he'll be able to overcome them. We have to make this happen as soon as possible.""Mother, is that the Snowy Mountain?" Prince Ludiciel asked, pointing at a segment of the drawing.The Queen Mother smiled smugly. "Yes. You have a good eye, my son. Our plan will take place on the Snowy Mountain." With a snap of
"Well, Princess Mariel is quite nice." Prince Ron mumbled, swallowing the food in his mouth. "As you said, she'll surely make a good wife to any man of her choice. The man will be lucky to have her.""Then, don't you want to be the lucky man?" Princess Rose inquired.Prince Ron almost choked on his saliva. He coughed slightly and quickly drank some water. "Um, sister, I don't think Princess Mariel and I will be a good fit. My heart already belongs to someone else."Cordin and the Fox nodded. Yes! The King!"I know. I know." Princess Rose said with a sigh. "That girl you told me about when we were traveling here right?" She knew it couldn't be the King. Her brother was not gay. He was just being used. She had to save him!It was almost hard for Cordin and the Fox to keep a straight face at that moment. They looked at each other. A girl???? W-What about the King???"Well, you can forget about her. Princess Mariel is a much better and more suitable candidate. She's even a Princess of suc
A few feet away, behind a pillar, stood Princess Mariel with her hand over her heart and tears in her eyes. She had been listening to their conversation. So the human Prince didn't have any feelings for her. Tears ran down her cheeks and she wiped them with a handkerchief, trying to keep the rest at bay. It was all her brother's fault! If he hadn't claimed the human Prince, he would be all hers by now.Well, it wasn't too late. They still had their plan. No one could take Prince Ron away from her. He was the first man she had fallen in love with and she would be damned if she didn't get him.At the same time, on the other side of the building, the King and a few officials were walking while discussing matters of the Kingdom when a few sentences filtered into the King's mind and he paused."....Princess Mariel is a lovely girl but I hold no feelings for her like that in my heart. It would be cruel of me to accept her love knowing I will never be able to love her back so stop this. I wi
Although annoyed, he let her sit beside him, wondering if she was the one who proposed the idea of marriage to his sister. He wasn't dumb. He had suspected that Princess Mariel had feelings for him but she never said anything so he didn't take it seriously. He'd have to find time and confront her so he could clear things up.Prince Ludiciel had told him that Elves were possessive creatures and they easily get jealous. He didn't want his beloved getting jealous over his own sister. It would be weird.With that thought, he scooted a bit, putting a small distance between he and Princess Mariel.Princess Mariel who noticed this, shifted, closing the gap. She was already aware that the human Prince had no romantic feelings for her but she refused to believe he couldn't develop them. All she had to do was be good to him and make him see that she's much better than her cold hearted brother who just wanted to use him.'What are you doing?' She heard her brother growl telepathically.She met h
Quietly, Zedekiel joined him in bed, the warmth of his body intertwining with Prince Ron's as he enveloped the him in a tender embrace. He snaked an arm around Prince Ron's waist, drawing him close until their bodies touched. He breathed in the intoxicating mix of roses and wine that clung to Ron's skin, a scent that stirred emotions deep within him."You're back." Prince Ron said, turning to look at his beloved. He had been waiting for him for a long time. He tried to play games with Cordin but he couldn't concentrate. He tried to play with his Fox but only ended up pulling her fur too hard so she whisked him on the nose with her tail and ran away. He didn't know what he did for his beloved to leave him alone for such a long time so he was worried and distracted.Zedekiel was surprised. "I thought you were sleeping." He said, rubbing his lover's waist gently."Did you want me to be?" Prince Ron asked, frowning. "Is that why you came back so late? Because you didn't want to talk to me
Prince Ron hugged his beloved, gently comforting him by slowly patting him on the back. "It's okay. You don't have to talk about it now." He whispered. "We can just go to sleep."Zedekiel shook his head. "No. I want to tell you. I've held it in for so long. I want to tell you everything and... maybe it won't hurt so much anymore.""Okay." Prince Ron said. He planted a kiss on his beloved's forehead and prepared to listen attentively. Time to be a supportive wife!"It happened when I was very young." Zedekiel began. "The war between Elves and humans was brutal. There was no respect, no honour, no kindness. Whenever the humans captured Elves alive, they would cut off their ears and pin them to the gates. Back then, the gates and walls of Ashenmore were decorated with the ears of my kind.""Ouch." Prince Ron winced, imagining the pain the Elves had gone through. His beloved had said that their ears were very sensitive. It must have been excruciating for the Elves to have their ears cut o
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