Jotham, Silveran capital.
2030
Sitting on the roof of the palace was the second prince of Silvera, Yuka. The sun was just starting to sink below the horizon with a mixture of violet, pink and orange beautifying the evening sky. The cool breeze ruffled the prince's unbound hair. His violet eyes were almost hidden by the silky curtain of black and red strands of his shoulder-length hair. He gazed at the evening sky, a certain air of serenity resting on him. All of a sudden, the quietness of the environment was disrupted by the heavy thud of boots coming in contact with the rooftop. Yuka didn't need to turn around to know who the intruder was. He could already feel the intruder's magic. It was very familiar to him because he had been threatened by it, several times. Closing his eyes, he clenched his fist.
"Why are you here?" He asked, without looking at the intruder who was no other person than prince Caden, the crown prince of Silvera. Dressed in a silver tunic and black boots, Caden's expression was nothing short of stoic.
"The last time I came to the East wing we had a conversation that we didn't finish" he began, gazing at the evening sky.
Yuka snorted.
"You don't give up, do you?"
"This is not funny, Yuka"
"I didn't say it is"
"Cut the crap and tell me where the sceptre is" Caden said and Yuka rose to his feet, his eyes heavy lidded.
"Right now, I'm not in the mood for all that. This conversation is over"
Caden was seething at this point and was almost trembling with rage.
"It is not over until I say it is! Tell me where the bloody scepter is!"
"I don't know"
"You can fool everyone else, probably even the council members. But, you can't fool me" the second prince spat.
Yuka rolled his eyes and jumped down from the rooftop, his movements sleekly feline as he landed several feets below, gracefully.
"Get back here! We're not done yet!" Caden yelled as he started to make his way down the rooftop. Yuka rose to his feet, sauntering towards the hallways. Caden on the other hand, soon caught up with him in a flash and drove him to the wall, his fingers wrapped around his throat. Yuka smirked, his eyes dancing with amusement.
"My, my, you just can't keep your hands off me, can you?" Yuka taunted him, earning himself, a punch in the face that left a bruise on his cheek. "I'm not playing this game with you. Now, tell me where the Sceptre is"
Glaring at his brother, Yuka uncoiled Caden's fingers from around his neck and pushed him away.
"You really are so stupid and I wonder where you got it from. Your mother perhaps?" Yuka said and this irked Caden even more. As his hands started to glow silver, he channeled it towards Yuka who immediately set up a magical shield around himself.
"You are so selfish, Caden. Did you ever ask Hazel if she even likes you? Did you ever ask her if she truly wants to spend the rest of her life with you? All you ever see is yourself and how to make sure your selfish desires come true"
Caden's expression darkened further and he started to loose it.
"What? Can't handle the truth?" Yuka stated, mockery evident in his tone.
"Stop trying to get into my head!" Caden said through gritted teeth as he grew even more violent, the presence of Yuka's dark shield frustrating him even more.
"Uh-oh. I think you've just pissed your fiancee off" Yuka whistled when he noticed Hazel watching them from afar, her eyes burning with fury. Caden's eyes widened and he instantly pulled away. "This is not over yet" he said to Yuka and vanished from sight. Then, he appeared beside Hazel, startling her.
"Stop following me" she muttered.
"Why are you upset?" Caden asked and she angrily turned around to face him.
"Why do you keep fighting with Yuka?" She demanded and he blinked.
"You're mad at me for-"
"That's right, you idiot!" She hissed. "I can't stand it! You keep fighting because of me and it makes me so upset!"
"Hazel, you have nothing to do with-"
"I don't? So, tell me. Why were you attacking him?"
Caden frowned.
"He has the sceptre and he won't tell me where it is"
"You can't be so sure that he has it"
"You're not concerned about the fact that the sceptre is missing, are you?"
Hazel's expression faltered for a second and it was enough for prince Caden to start having doubts about his relationship with Hazel. Was Yuka right?
Did Hazel really not like the idea of spending the rest of her life with him?
Had she hidden the sceptre herself?
She couldn't have, right?
She couldn't have stolen the sceptre because she'd had no knowledge of it before.
These thoughts plagued Caden's mind and made him feel very uneasy.
"Hazel, I want you to be honest with me. Do you...feel uncomfortable around me? Does the thought of getting married to me scare you?" he asked, gazing into her eyes.
Hazel desperately wanted to be honest with him. But she knew that it wouldn't change anything. She would become his bride, no matter what.
"I don't feel uncomfortable around you, Caden and you don't have to worry about whether the thought of being your bride scares me or not, because it doesn't" she said, monotonously and started to walk away. He stopped her by grabbing her hand.
"You're not being honest with me, Hazel"
She let out a sigh and slowly turned to look at him.
"Yes, the thought of being your wife scares me. Your mother hates me and I'm not ready to be queen. I don't think your people will accept me either. So, yes, it scares me"
Caden embraced her and closed his eyes, feeling extremely guilty.
"I'm sorry" he muttered.
"I know I can't unchoose you as my bride, but I promise to pay more attention to you, from now on"
She smiled sadly.
"You should do just that"
....
Hazel sat alone in the east wing garden, her thoughts all over the place. She couldn't help but feel bad for Caden. He had chosen a bride who was so unsure of herself. Caden wasn't a bad person, but the more he tried to build a relationship with her, the more she felt guilty. No matter how hard she tried, she would always find herself imagining what it would have been like if Yuka had been the crown prince. Would she have been attracted to him even then? Hazel felt so conflicted and she didn't like it at all. She noticed the large cougar staring at her from the top of the statue of one of the past great kings of Silvera. It stared at her with piercing greenish yellow eyes. They both stared at each other quietly, but Hazel could already tell that it was Yuka. He curled up on the head of the statue and continued to gaze at her even when she wouldn't look away.
'You look sad' Yuka's voice startled her. She frowned when she realized that he had just spoken to her in a telepathic manner. She parted her lips to say something, but was silenced by his next statement.
'Don't say anything. You just have to think about what you want to say. Clarice has one of her men hiding by the corner. He's watching us right now'.
'Okay. Your cougar form is huge' she thought.
'Why, thank you. If you saw me as a panther, you would either pass out or run off'
'When you're in your animal form, are you in total control? '
'Why not? The fact remains that my animalistic senses become heightened'
'I find it fascinating'
'Not surprising. You're probably the only red blood who would find a black blood fascinating, That's how unique you are. That's a good thing. It shows how fearless and careless you can be'
'Is it weird that I actually like how we're communicating right now? '
'Good gracious, you're fascinating'
Hazel blushed, lowering her gaze.
A shadow fell over her and she looked up to see a silver eyed young man standing behind her with a smile on his handsome face. His hair was shaved on the sides with the middle long enough to be braided into a french plait. There was a scar on his right temple that ran down the side of his face and disappeared into the neckline of his black shirt.
"You must be Hazel" he stated and she nodded. He sat down beside her, his legs crossed in a lotus pose.
"My name is Kai, prince Yuka's best friend" he stated and Hazel nodded with a smile on her face.
He turned to look at Yuka and waved, a grin on his face.
"Enjoying the view?!" Kai asked and Yuka snorted.
"You find him fascinating, don't you?" Kai asked Hazel and she beamed.
"Yeah. But, you know what? I prefer Romeo to Skylar" Hazel said.
Kai laughed.
"Who the hell is Romeo?"
"You haven't met him? He's an adorable white cat with violet eyes. He stole my heart as soon as I saw him. Skylar is the alpha male cougar that is watching us right now"
Kai laughed harder.
"You hear that buddy?! She's given you two names already"
'Wow, I feel honoured' Yuka said telepathically. The trio conversed like they had been friends for years and for the first time, Hazel felt like she truly belonged.
A radiant smile seemed to have been permanently etched onto Hazel's beautiful face as she headed towards her chamber. Yuka and Kai had lifted her spirits and at the moment, she was buzzing with energy. She felt like she could take on the whole world if need be. Her smile didn't even falter when Nazi walked up to her, her eyes glinting with mischief.
"You must be feeling so proud of yourself" Nazi stated.
"If I am, so what?"
"You have no idea how quickly you've been digging you're own grave"
Hazel rolled her eyes and started to walk away.
"You have no idea what Yuka is capable of and I feel sorry for you!"
"I don't need your pity. Save it for yourself " Hazel responded.
"I'm sure you will like to know about the story of how Yuka murdered Lyraine Rossa, Caden's first bride" Nazi stated with a smirk on her face. Hazel came to a halt. She was frozen to the spot.