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
Zedekiel sat in the biggest tallest chair. As he took his seat, everyone else also sat down. The chair by his right was meant for the Queen mother but she quickly pushed Ron in that direction."Sit there for tonight my dear. I want to sit next to my darling Ludiciel"Ron paled. Sitting next to the King?! If Zedekiel hadn't blatantly displayed his hatred for him, he would have been happy to sit there but... he peeked at the King to find him already glaring.He gulped. "Uh...m-mother...I uh, I don't think it's a really good idea. Th-""Nonsense! I order you to sit there!" She said. "Or do you want to deprive me of sitting with my second son?"The poor prince paled even more. "N-No Mother. That's not what I meant..."Good" she huffed then plopped on Ron's former seat, leaving the prince to sit next to the King.What the hell was wrong with the Queen mother?!Ron reluctantly plopped his ass in the chair. He could feel the King's heated gaze on him and he tried his best not to be affected.
Ron stood up immediately and dragged Leo down to taste all the sweet delicacies.Normally, when they have feasts in Ashenmore, Ron usually mingles with their subjects. He eats, laughs and plays with them just like his grandfather. Ron is the kind of outgoing person who finds even the littlest things fascinating. Imagine that kind of person in a foreign land. He'd want to explore!Rose facepalmed as she watched her dearest brother drag Leo through the crowd to the long tables full of food. Why does he embarrass her so?The Queen mother had a smile on her face as she stared at Ron conversing with some people as he tasted the dishes. He's such a pure soul.King Zedekiel on the other hand, felt that this human was very cunning. He must be up to no good. Every royal figure waits for food to be served on the table but he goes around on the pretext of tasting food to get information about the North. How cunning indeed. Well, he trusted his people to not reveal a single thing.Ron didn't know
"Wipe that stupid smile off your face"The Prince's smile froze. His ears twitched. Did he hear wrong?"You think you can fool me, Prince Ron?" Zedekiel continued, his voice low enough for only Ron to hear. "I am the King of this Kingdom. My people might fall for your dirty tricks but I won't. I won't let you succeed in whatever you're planning so you better stay in line. I'm watching you"Ron was stunned. All this while, he thought the King had finally noticed him. It turned out that he was suspecting him of something. The Prince's appetite was now non existent. The King had ruined it all for him.Ron wondered just what the Ashenmores did to make the King hate them so much. It couldn't be mood swings as Prince Ludiciel had said. No. It had to be something greater and he was determined to find out.With that in mind, Ron faced the king with an even brighter smile. "It's a joyous occasion, Your Majesty. How can I not smile?"He then turned his attention to his food and continued to eat
The talent show started with a few subjects. Prince Ron was delighted and amazed to see such beautiful people showcasing extraordinary talents.Some could breathe fire, walk and swing on ropes, swallow sharp swords, and break bricks on their bare chests. Some could even make snakes dance!Others, mostly females and little girls, could sing and dance or play a musical instrument very well.Ron clapped and cheered for each contestant wholeheartedly.Netheridge was a place he would love to live in forever. Feasts back in Ashenmore weren't even half as entertaining as this. The people put their all into it and he was even thinking he might not win the talent show after all.The prize is one wish which would be granted by the King. He turned slightly to his right to find his silver haired beloved watching the show with a bored expression. He sighed. The King should show a bit more enthusiasm to inspirit his own people.But it didn't matter anyway. His people didn't seem to care.What the l
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