It was the queen that noticed his eyes first!
What was she seeing? Was that a snake's eye in the place where a normal left eye was supposed to be?
He wore a short-sleeved shirt so she also noticed some very strange tattoos on his arms running from his wrists all the way into the sleeve of his shirt. She wondered where it stopped.
He looked like Zain when he was younger, this one resembled her husband more than her own son did. Sek looked more like her. His hair was long as if he had never shaved before in his life. But, he kept it well knotted behind him with the end, falling over his right shoulder.
[was that a sword he was holding so preciously?]
[why did he have a sword, as she saw in her dreams?]
She was so uncomfortable...her insides were shouting and she didn't know why. All she knew was she had seen a sign in her dreams and there were similarities.
She looked at the eye again as he walked closer to them and looked at her husband, then, her son.
Why the hell was Sek smiling? This boy wasn't normal. Was she the only one seeing the eye?
* * *
King Zain had gotten up and thrown his arms open for his son to walk into his embrace. Yes, he regretted falling for the seduction of his mother but far be it from him to reject a product of his loins. He had already accepted his child long ago but needed to keep him far away for him to have balanced training. He wondered if he'd made the right choice. Anyway, let's see about that, shall we?
He had told Ling that he chose the name 'Seth' for him when he was being taken to the cottage with his tutor, the cook, and a wet nurse at that time.
"Seth", King Zain called out with a wide smile on his face.
Suddenly, the smile fell and his face aged 35 years on the spot.
[what was wrong with his eyes?]
The King's sight had dimmed a few years ago, so, he actually thought there was no eye in that socket.
He turned to his wife and whispered; "Is he missing an eye?"
She didn't answer him. He didn't understand the look on her face. her face was like she was shocked and wanted to cry at the same time.
[what was wrong here?], King Zain hadn't been more confused in his life.
By this time, Seth had almost reached where they were standing. Just a flight of stairs leading to the throne separated them.
* * *
WOW!
His half-brother was a chic magnet!
He was good-looking!
Sek saw the odd eye but what did they expect? He was conceived by a witch but that aside, he still shared his blood and that was what he cared about.
Sek left the elevated ground where they were, almost running down the stairs, and grabbed Seth into a bear hug.
"You really have the Red blood in you", Prince Sek said to him patting his back as he held him tight to himself.
Seth was taken aback by this but he had heard about Sek and they were all nice things. He heard the prince was calm, generous, level-headed, and above all, he liked fashion. The latter was very obvious to Seth and a small smile actually came to his face.
So this was his 'big brother'. What a turn of things.
Releasing him from the choking but welcoming hug, Sek ushered him towards the old man and woman who were still near their chairs as if coming down the stairs would be tedious for them.
So, both princes walked up the stairs and Seth took a bow, firstly, before his father, the king, and then to the woman, who they told him was his stepmother, the queen.
He didn't like the look on her face. He had seen that look on his cook and sometimes, on Ling's face too. He couldn't care less.
* * *
He had come closer into the proximity that his sight could catch.
A snake's eye?
What was the meaning of this?
The room spun and he had to take a long, deep breath to steady himself. He sat down on his chair and he heard his wife ask if he was okay. No response.
This didn't bother Seth one bit, but he wondered why he had this particular effect on the man that was his father. Why did they have to wait this long to see him? It was their fault whatever fear or caution they were feeling.
At this point, Seth had to accept that he wasn't like everyone else. He had looked into the glass when they arrived in the palace and saw that his eyes were different. He was sure that was what made his father almost faint. Poor man! Seth smiled in his mind.
What confused him was why the prince didn't react as everyone else did. He even hugged him. That surprised Seth big time. Maybe the man didn't see it? Could that be the case?
"Father", Seth said at last with concern in his voice.
[Such a hard exterior. Why is Sek holding him like that? Is he blind?], Zyne said in her mind.
All her thoughts could be read on her face. If she was trying to hide how she was feeling, she was doing a very poor job.
Sek noticed how his mother's countenance was but ignore her.
[She is worried for nothing.], he thought.
Seth continued; "Father, are you okay? I'm glad I've finally come to see you, to be united with my family. Father... can you hear me?".
King Zain's eyes were still closed with his right head cradling his head. He had almost fainted. This old age embarrassing him at such a time he needed his strength to appear strong.
His son's appearance had shaken him to the core but if he were younger, it wouldn't have looked like he was a sissy. Hell! His wife didn't even shout talk more of getting dizzy.
Oh well... he opened his eyes, cleared his throat, and stood up.
"My son. Seth Red, you are welcome to the palace. This is your home now and yes, I am okay. I am just very old, that is all. Come here and greet me properly"
Seth went closer still and knelt before the king showing the utmost respect. He had heard how great The Red King was and he felt it at that moment.
The King placed his scepter on both of Seth's shoulders and told him to stand up.
He did just that. Then, he walked over to the queen's side and repeated the same gesture. She didn't touch him, not like he expected her to. He didn't hear anything from her and didn't know she only nodded because his head was bent as he was bowing as well.
Sek touched his back signaling him to stand up. He got up and walked down the stairs back to meet Ling where the warlock stood.
Queen Zyne shot Ling a look that would've killed him on the spot if looks could kill. She had asked him several times to tell her about what she was seeing now and he had lied through his teeth to her face. He was going to pay for that. he had made her look like a fool. How dare he?
"I heard you are brilliant with the sword, Seth", the king said to him proudly.
"I try, Your majesty".
"Oh... hahaha. Would you look at that? Are you trying to be modest, Seth?", Sek asked laughing out loud.
"Ling kept us updated about everything you were doing", he finished.
[Except how he really looked. The wizard never included that. I'll show him], the queen said in her mind.
"I had something made for you as a welcome present", Seth''s father began..." it was designed after the swords called katana that ancient samurai wielded. Made from special steel, the Tamahagane, carefully crafted for closeup combat and well-known for its deadly cutting edge..."
As he explained why this sword was special, he clapped his hand as a signal to one of the attendants standing by in the throne room, to fetch the sword from one of the rooms behind.
Prince Sek was radiating with happiness and his mother, quiet all this time, was confused as to why her son was so ecstatic. Maybe it was because he never had a sibling. She felt like slapping the smile off his face, and why had her husband gone through the trouble of getting this boy a gift.
This feeling was alien to her. She was normally receptive and kind to people. She even went out of her way most times to listen to the plea of the needy in her kingdom. But this boy, this Seth boy brought out another side she wasn't used to. She just didn't like him, and no one would change her mind about that. They could shower him with gifts all they liked, Sek could smile till his face tore... she didn't care. Seth had better stay far away from her, that would be better for both of them.
The attendant brought the sword into the room, handed it to Prince Sek who in turn handed it to his father. It was nicely wrapped and had a beautiful, red scabbard. The handle was so intricately designed and Seth was so impressed. It was probably the best thing anyone could give him. It was the best thing anyone had given him in his life.
As the king presented it to him, he knelt down again and said gratefully; "May you live long, Father. Thank you!".
"Oh stand up. You are a prince. Sek, show your brother to his room. My wife and I must retire now. I feel tired, pardon me, son. Ling...". King Zain took his wife's hand and walked out of the throne room. The events and discoveries of the day had taken their toll on him and he could feel that they had done the same to his awfully quiet wife.
"Follow me, younger brother"
Seth caught up to Prince Sek, not saying a word to Ling. He was happy to have left where the man was.
Ling turned on his heel and left the throne room too deeply disturbed about facing the king and queen...oh, especially the queen. He had avoided her eyes but could feel the flames on his skin coming from her direction earlier on.
He dreaded when he'd be summoned.