The humans have been at war with Elves for thousands of years. The hatred they had for each other runs deep into the depths of their souls, buried right into their bone marrows, to the extent that no human could stand the sight of an Elf and if one is caught, the worst kinds of torture were implemented.Their favourite was cutting off the long pointy ears and nailing them to the walls of their borders. Some even competed on how many ears they’ve nailed.On the other hand, no Elf wanted to hear the word 'human'. In fact, if an Elf should mistakenly pronounce the word 'human', he is immediately executed and if a human is caught, he is turned into a slave and treated like a dog till he dies from exhaustion. The Elves weren't normally this brutal. In fact, they are naturally peaceful creatures and had proposed peace to the humans which was accepted but the human King breached the treaty. He lured the Elf King into his castle under the guise of a feast to celebrate six months of peace th
As they approached the throne room, the guards standing on either side of the large golden double doors pushed them open for the siblings and they they bowed. The siblings found their parents sitting on their thrones. They were the spitting image of their mother while the only thing they got from their dad was their eyes. A few other people Ron recognized were there. Like the Royal Advisor, Physician, members of the royal court and so many others.King Cain was dressed in a golden and maroon attire. He was holding the royal golden scepter which was passed down from generation to generation. He will also pass it down to Ron when it was time. His dark hair was streaked with silvery grey hair which was covered a bit by the golden crown on his head.One look at King Cain would tell anyone he wasn't to be messed with. He had a stoic expression and the hard look in his eyes commanded respect. Ron was most especially afraid of him. Queen Lilian was the epitome of elegance. She was dressed
Ron sneaked out of the castle through his secret route. It was a dark murky pathway underneath his grandfather’s bedroom which led to a cave at a riverside not far from town.His grandfather had showed it to him before he passed away. They used to go on so many escapades together. Witness festivals, celebrations, annual games and competitions and so much more. But after his grandfather died, his father became more strict on him which left barely any time for him to go out and have fun. He didn't like to be indoors all the time like some housewife. He preferred to go out, interact and see what the world was like. Reading from novels wasn't enough. This time, he took one of his grandfather's disguises. It was a black wig and crappy mustache. After he reached the cave, he took off his royal clothes, folded them neatly then stuffed them in a bag. He then put on the wig and mustache, coupled with a dirty brown robe. He looked like a beggar. Exactly what he was going for. As long as he mi
Ron entered two more taverns and even an inn but the information they had wasn't even close to Old Jack's. He was already tired so he decided to go back. Besides, someone might notice he was missing which will raise a lot of trouble for him.When he was halfway out of town, a group of goons appeared on the road. They were big and burly, all holding sharp looking daggers.The leader stepped forward, holding a sword which he pointed at Ron. "Hand over your money. Every bit of it and I'll think about you letting you leave this place alive"Fear crept into Ron's heart. He had never been in this kind of situation before. Worst of all, he didn't carry any weapon. He didn't think there would be any reason to.Sweat dropped the side of his face. He decided to use flattery and some sweet words to see if he could escape with everything he had intact. "Good, kind, handsome man, you look very reasonable. Can't we talk about this?"The goons snickered. It seemed like this guy didn't get the severi
Fear made Ron nearly fall to his knees. Nearly, for the silver haired man caught him before his body made contact with the floor.Ron fell into a warm gentle embrace. He raised his head, parting his long lashes to look at the man holding him. Cold violet eyes stared straight at the running man. Ron felt that there such a huge contrast between being in his arms and those beautiful eyes. "Don't chase him" he said, making those plum coloured orbs stare down at him. "He has never killed a person. I could tell, believe me. If he had, he wouldn't have hesitated so much to kill me. I doubt he would even hurt a fly after what he has witnessed today so please, don't go after him"The fear he initially felt disappeared without a trace. Something told him that the man would not hurt him. The man nodded. "You're injured" he said, eyes sweeping down to look at the bleeding wound on Ron's neck. His voice was deep, alluring and magnetic, tugging at Ron's heartstrings. Perfect. Just perfect!Ron wa
Queen Lilian pulled Ron and squished his face into her bosom. Ron struggled and struggled, trying not to get suffocated by the large mounds on her chest but her hold only went tighter and tighter so he gave up and went limp like a wet noodle. "My baby is going so far away" she sobbed, completely shattering her elegance in the face of her family. Ron knew exactly where he got his personality from.His mother might be cool, calm and collected in front of outsiders but with her family, she was just an ordinary person. She behaved exactly the way she wanted to behave. Ron's only problem was that he couldn't act like that. To him, it was like splitting his personality. He'd rather just be himself.King Cain and Princess Rose stood at the side, watching the mother and son. "Mum come on, I'll be back in at least a week or two. You've seen me every single day since I was born. Don't you think you should take a break? Besides, I'm an adult now so stop treating me like a child" Ron complaine
Ron talked and talked. He talked about the novels he read and the wonderful creatures within. He talked about how the brain works and how fun it is to imagine so many things. How amazing it is to just conjure stuff up and make it real in fiction. Everyone felt bored and wished they could just shut him up. It didn't matter if they didn't reply to what he was saying. Prince Ron was very skilled in the arts of talking to oneself. He cracked bad jokes and laughed at them himself. When he felt laughing alone was too boring, he forced the servants to laugh by threatening to punish them by packing horse shit when they return to Ashenmore. Next, he forced them to sing.Poor servants. After two hours, the prince still wasn't done so Leo thought of the only thing that would make him shut up. To put him in the carriage with the princess. If everyone cooperated, the King would not even know. "Prince Ron" he called. "I think you can enter the carriage now. I'll let you come out after a few hour
After a week's journey, Princess Rose, Prince Ron, the guards and the servants that went with them, arrived at the North's main gate. It was very cold so the siblings remained hidden in the carriage while the rest had thick coats on. Their faces were pale. They never knew the North was so cold. How could people survive in such a place?To get to the castle, they had to go through the town. The townspeople all came out to see their soon to be queen but all they saw where half frozen faces and one exquisitely handsome face. It was that of a young man, peeking out of the carriage window. He had soft looking russet curls, brilliant green eyes and a radiant smile. The women who saw this face were swooning. Some men were jealous while others felt it would be nice to have such a beauty to themselves. Prince Ron smiled at every person he made eye contact with. He even winked at some of the women. He felt that Netheridge was full of pretty faces. He hasn't seen a single ugly one. Even the men
The urgency in the guard's voice echoed through the halls as they burst into the room, their breaths heavy with adrenaline. As the guard's words pierced the air, the throne room was engulfed in a sudden eruption of emotion. Gasps and murmurs swept through the gathered courtiers like a gust of wind. The Officials rose from their seats, their voices overlapping in a cacophony of concern and urgency. Servants scurried to relay the news throughout the castle.Zedekiel’s younger self, seated upon the throne, stood swiftly, a mixture of emotions flickering across his face: worry, relief and determination. “Is he alive?” he asked as the guards gently laid Prince Kayziel’s body on the floor. The body was motionless, skin wet, matted with blood and dirt.The current Zedekiel watched quietly for he could remember everything that had happened concerning his betrayer of an uncle. If he had known everything his uncle had planned, he would have made sure he died right on the floor.The air hummed w
In the end, he sighed and stood up. “Fine. You’re right. You’re your own person. I have no right to dictate what you should and not do. I don’t want you to ever feel like that’s what I’m doing. You’re my baby brother Ral, and you mean the world to me so I’m just trying to protect you. I’m sorry if I came off as a dictator. You don’t have to come back with me. You can stay here and wait for him. I’ll figure out what to tell mum and dad.” Not expecting his headstrong brother to agree with him and even apologise, Ron was stunned. He stood up and gazed at his brother with a kind of look that was a mixture of shock and joy. “Really? You mean that?” “Of course.” Alaric nodded, smiling. “Would I ever lie to you?” Ron knew his brother always meant what he says and always kept his word so he broke into a large grin and engulfed his brother in a big hug. “Thank you thank you thank you thank you! Gosh brother you’re the best!” Zedekiel couldn’t help but smile at the entire scene. He was g
Older brother? Zedekiel was stunned. Alaric was Ron's older brother?Ron pouted cutely and turned his back to Alaric. "Go away. I don't want to talk to you.""Oh I'm not here to talk." Alaric said. He stomped forward and grabbed Ron by the back of his collar and yanked. "I'm here to drag your naughty ass back home."Alarmed, Ron scurried to his knees and stretched out his hands. "Maelda!"Maelda immediately responded, sending her vines out to Ron. He grabbed them and pulled himself back. "I'm not going home! Not now!"Alaric groaned still tugging on his collar. "Ugh, why do you have to be so stubborn?""Let go!" Ron shouted, holding on to the vines of the Mother Tree. "I'm not going home! Not until I see him!"Alaric huffed angrily; "Come on, Ral. We have to go back! Mum and dad are worried sick. You've been here since yesterday.""Go back and tell them to not worry." Ron said, hugging the tree tighter. "I'm fine, Alaric. I just need to see him."Zedekiel watched the entire exchange,
He gazed down at himself and realized he was in a ghost-like form, ethereal and weightless, allowing him to glide silently through the dimly lit space. It was at that moment his memories flooded back to him—Ron being taken, him trespassing into the Witches Coven and drinking Alaric's potion, a concoction meant to unveil his forgotten past. He gazed around once more, wondering, was this his past? When did this happen? Why was his room in such a mess?His ears caught a faint sound of crying. He immediately followed the sorrowful echoes and found himself floating before his bathroom. He raised a hand to turn the handle but his ghostlike form went through it. He then realised that he could not touch anything in his past. He was just meant to see what he had begged the Mother Tree to erase.On one hand, he was dreading what he would find in the bathroom and on the other, he was curious to know. He could rememberbhis Mother begging him to leave his past in the past and not try to remember.
To say Zedekiel was shocked from the information was an understatement. He was completely flabbergasted. He couldn't even bear to see Ron hurt in any way. How could he kill him with his own hands? What the hell was Alaric talking about?"You coward." Alaric grumbled, adding a few more ingredients to his pot. "I've been so mad about it for years now. I even had half the mind to curse you in an endless limbo of emotional torture. For you to find true love but never have it but then, you helped me with Talon so I decided not to interfere with your fate. Besides, cursing you would be like cursing Ron since his fate is intertwined with yours and I can't do that to him.""You talk like you knew him." Zedekiel said, still confused. He didn't understand a single thing. "What exactly are you trying to tell me? I can never hurt Ron. I love him.""Yet you ended his life with your own hands." Alaric said, adding his final ingredient to the pot. A drop of water from the lake of memories. The green
In the middle of the room sat a large black pot with thin white smoke emanating from it. The crow on Alaric's shoulder flew to it's small black cage while Alaric went to the pot, adding a few sprinkles of what seemed to be seeds. "So, how exactly am I supposed to help you?" He asked."I want you to find him." Zedekiel stated. "We have a feeling he might be at the Echoing Isle but we need you to confirm it."Alaric hummed, thinking about Zedekiel's request as he stirred the bubbling liquid in the pot. "By him, you mean your human lover right?" He didn't wait for Zedekiel to answer and continued; "I don't know why you're going through all this trouble for one tiny powerless human. I mean, you're the King of the Elves. An extremely powerful creature. Why not be with someone on your level? Someone worthy of you."Zedekiel's eyes blazed with fury especially after hearing the last sentence. The intensity of his anger seemed to fill the room with an electric charge. His jaw clenched tightly,
As Zedekiel dared to step further into the village, a booming voice reverberated through the forest, causing the very trees to tremble."Who dares to trespass into the witches' coven?"In response to the commanding voice, the witches emerged one by one, encircling the Elf Brothers with an ominous presence that sent chills down Ludiciel's spine.Zedekiel on the other hand, kept walking. As if he didn't see or hear anything."Hey! I'm talking to you!" The witch who had spoken earlier shouted at Zedekiel. "Stop! Come back here!""Brother don't leave me!" Prince Ludiciel exclaimed, running after Zedekiel."I said stop!" The witch shouted once more but it fell on deaf ears for Zedekiel just kept on walking. Furious, she commanded her fellow witches. "Stop him!"They sprung to action, wands in hands as they all moved to attack Zedekiel at the same time.Zedekiel, already seething with pent-up anger, unleashed a torrent of raw power that surged forth like a tidal wave, crashing into the witc
"Haven't you noticed? She's in love with him." Zedekiel said. "I think it all started the day he saved her during the feast but let's talk about this some other time. We have to find Ron."He was going crazy just by not having Ron by his side. In a way, he felt Mariel was right. It was due to his incompetence that Prince Ron was taken by Fredrick. He didn't protect him like he promised to. His heart hurt at the thought of what Prince Ron might be going through. Especially after the things Fredrick said to him the first time. If Frederick dared to hurt Ron in any way, he would give him the worst kind of death imaginable."What are we going to do?" Prince Ludiciel asked. "I have men combing through every inch of this Kingdom and the neighbouring ones. Should we wait for their feedback?"Zedekiel shook his head immediately. He was restless. "I can't wait that long. It has already been a day. If he was anywhere close, we would have found him by now. Fredrick knows that so he wouldn't keep
Memories flooded his mind like a torrential downpour, each one a bittersweet reminder of the happiness he had once known. He missed their conversations, filled with laughter and whispered confessions. He missed their kisses and intimate moments and he longed to see Zedekiel's smile, a radiant beacon of joy that never failed to brighten his darkest days. He missed Zedekiel with an ache that seemed to penetrate his very soul. Being away from him hurt so much that he wanted to cry. Tears brimmed in his eyes, threatening to fall but he bit his lip, sniffling, trying to hold them back. With each passing moment, the ache of separation grew more unbearable, and Prince Ron found himself yearning with every fiber of his being to be reunited with his beloved who had captured his heart completely. He never knew he could miss Zedekiel so much. It was at that moment that he realised the depth of his feelings for Zedekiel. He wished he had answered quickly back at the bridge. He wished he had po