SETH'S POV (point of view)
Strolling into the parliament for the first time in forever wasn't as exhausting as I'd thought it'd be. I haven't been involved in any physical gatherings with other high officials and aristocrats like this one before.
To be precise, the magenta hall wasn't packed with snooty Ministers and what you'd call 'important people'.
But the five men scrutinizing me like I was something unsightly didn't fail in hiding both their curiosities and displeasure.
"Your Majesty, who is this young boy?"
A bald-haired one with an oaken jaw decided to question me first.
"He's my son, Seth."
My dad's voice echoed through the walls of the semi-empty room. He was seated on the throne to my left, the despondent social butterflies to my right.
"So this is the long-rumoured Crown prince. He appears at debutante balls but never bothers to introduce himself."
Probably because I'm afraid of what I might do to them if they irritate me. My gaze dropped to the ground, I nervously rubbed my sweaty palms together.
"And why hadn't he been present in any holdings or court cases? It's paramount he learns how to be a good King from the foundation."
Another spat out. He talked fast, almost like he was trying to hold sulphuric acid in his mouth. I laughed quietly at my own joke, head still down, I didn't want to appear disrespectful to them.
"Young boy."
I lifted my head to the one with braided grey hair. He looked funny, and his huge spectacles made it even more bone-tickling. But it also made it easier to look him in the eye without flinching. Sigh, I didn't like being around adults at all, just one look and you can tell that they expect too much from you.
"Seth, right?"
I nodded, still trying to avoid the other men who anticipated hearing me speak.
"Your highness."
I didn't expect what he did next at all. He walked up to me and took a curt bow. I know this is what they're supposed to do but it still felt wrong to me that someone who's about five times my age would dip their head low to acknowledge my presence. Make that approximately fifty to thirty times my age, that is, if he's an immortal.
"Do you know anything about how to lead a nation?"
"I do... a-a lot. One of the eighteen monuments has been t-teaching me."
Why was I stuttering? Dad had told me they'll ask questions like this, I had been preparing myself all night, so why...?
"Okay. Tell me something about Asgard's heritage and how His Majesty, the King subdued the turbulent war in Beerus's borders."
His face had scrunched up in disdain at my stammering earlier. I could feel my heart pounding audibly against my ribcage. I swallowed hard, pressing my eyes and opening them almost at once.
"King Killian the first, filled the east camp with morale and... and..."
Why was he looking at me like that? Like I could have done better than that. My hands were shaking. No, Seth... breathe... you can do this... you know what to say... just do it as Mom taught you... like, Mom.
My gaze moved to the other four men. Maybe only the funny-looking man's facial expression was stormy. But I was wrong. Waves of frustration filled their dispositions. The one who'd addressed me earlier glared so viciously at me and the rest were completely burning in resentment.
No... I c-can do better g-give me another chance. S-stop looking at me like that... I'm...
A shrilly cough erupted from the voice box of the elderly man in front of me. Sticky blood followed as he hacked out dryly like a bug had crawled up his throat and died there.
No, I... I didn't even do any—
His eyes widened, and his hands flew to his chest, clutching tightly. He dropped to his knees, the crimson liquid oozing out of his eyes, nose and ears. Drenching his expensive suit and necktie. The other men hurried down from the pews, all astounded. He coughed with much difficulty, turning the white tiles surrounding him into a crimson pool.
I could hear footsteps to my left, my Dad scurried but... the man tumbled backwards, his face shrivelling up like a balloon that had just been popped.
No, I... it wasn't... I didn't mean to.
"Seth, go back to Tiger at once!"
"B-but..."
My voice faltered when I met his face tightened in anger. I dashed outside, bolting passed the huge doors. It happened again? But I thought it only took anger to hurt someone, even when I'm nervous too. Am I even qualified to live as a normal kid?
I suppose not. My Dad turned to the other four men. His hissing curled through their minds like tendrils of smoke. The King's domination was nothing short of murderous and blood-curdling. All four, dropped to one knee as if under some strange spell.
Eyes pulling in one direction despite the restrictions of their sockets. They started wheezing but their hands failed to move to support them. An intense feeling of pain tore through their skulls, dull and inevitable.
"You will speak nothing of this, lest you've gotten tired of the fact that your heads are still attached to your necks, understood?"
He released them from the invisible dark bands of superiority. The gruelling power finally gave them the luxury of breathing once more. It felt like they'd been hauled into the fiery engine of a hot air balloon for about three hours.
With much difficulty, they dipped their heads forward at his feet.
"Yes, your Majesty."
***
At breakfast, everyone was at the table, my parents and sisters. I don't know why that memory from when I was thirteen kept resurfacing in my mind these days.
"Honey, I've been looking through a lot of books in the royal archives and your destructive touch is reversible," Mom informed me.
"Wow, that's great mum."
It would be nice to stop wearing gloves every time. My sisters don't say anything but there are times when I'd catch them staring. Sympathy clouded their eyes, I really hated this power inside me.
"Your majesties."
Tiger my personal bodyguard bowed.
"Prince Eon and his family are here, they'd like to join you for breakfast."
"Please, let them in."
My dad said. Shortly after, in walked uncle Eon and his wife Calliope, she had five months old Archie in her arms and walking behind her was Luke; my eldest cousin.
Eldest? of course. I've got a lot of cousins from aunt Jackie, Twyla and Ava but Luke's the eldest, he's twenty. My Dad hugged my uncle while my mom hugged my aunt.
"Aww, Archie is so cute."
Mom pulled his pulpy cheeks and as expected all my sister's stood up to play with him. Luke sat down beside me, and we fist-bumped.
"So dude, are you still homeschooling?"
He asked reaching for a scone.
Seriously? I get that he and I aren't close at all even though we're cousins but still, can't he ask about my well-being? It sucks being stuck in the palace every time and he knows that. He used to keep me company when we were little, I was older but it was still fun having a boy around my age range I could talk to. I sighed.
Well, people change. Either for better or worse. It's one of the many other things that are beyond our control.
"Yeah."
"That's messed up, but hey you're a goody two shoes so I'm sure you're fine with your life right now."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Goody two shoes? really? I can't be free like him, hitting on girls every time. He just shrugs off the responsibility that comes with being a Prince and pretty much does whatever he likes.
"Seth, if you wanted to go to a normal school, you would have done so by now."
"How?"
"Duh! sneak off to an actual school and pay someone to fill in for you here, a shapeshifter or something."
"Are you serious?"
I knew his idea would require breaking a few rules and getting chewed out by my parents. Always the one with the bad ideas.
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
He snorted reaching for another one, the scones were really good.
***
Skipper and Sage were picking out a few things from the library.
"Um, do you think I should sneak out and come check out your university?"
I raked my left hand through my hair. A habit I mostly portray when I'm nervous or confused.
"No, that's a bad idea," Sage criticized reading the topics in one's table of contents.
"No, it's not. Seth don't listen to her. she hates fun,"
Skipper chipped in stuffing two spellbooks in her bag and swinging it over her shoulders.
"I don't hate fun. I just don't think sneaking out and having our parents worried is described as fun."
Sage pointed out giving me a quick and tight hug.
"Bye."
She ambled out the large doors.
"Don't you wanna have your first girlfriend, break someone's heart or get your heart broken itself," Skipper began inclining an eyebrow at me.
"Go to your first pool party, not those boring balls father makes compulsory and right now is your final year in your major, it's now or never."
She sighed with heavy sarcasm, tapping my back lightly. She scurried off in Sage's direction.
I walked to my room, should I go or should I not go?
I mean, I should at least try it out so I don't regret it later, right? Yeah, I'll just check it out and come right back. I texted Tiger to come to my room.
"Hey, dude, what's up?"
He was chewing on another protein bar, isn't that like the fourth one this morning? The guy had no other friends than me and his barbells.
"I wanna go check out my sister's university."
"Cool. So am I coming along or?"
My eyes grew wide in shock.
"You're actually in support of this?"
"I don't see any problem."
He shrugged. Did he really not see a problem in all this?
"But what about my professor?"
Tiger smiled mischievously after my question, wiggling his eyebrows like he usually did whenever he had crazy ideas.
"Don't worry, I'll handle it."
Think Green, was a really large institute, and also the university my sisters went to. Watching from my car, I could see the gates and the fence seemed to go on and on for miles.
The school was founded by the oldest and wisest nature fairy in Asgard and she handed it's management over to her student before becoming a monument.
It was built on her hopes for a brighter future based on eco-friendly sources of power. Not long afterwards, the Starks family invented the theory of magical technology.
Where vehicles and other machineries were powdered by mana; the basic building block for all types of magic. Within a decade, fossil fuels was wiped off from the face of the planet.
***
MELODY'S Point of view
"Yona, I had the same dream again about that totally cute guy," I said using my fingerprint to lock my locker.
"Whatever."
Yona hissed angrily at her phone, shoving it into her locker. It was easy to guess what was bothering her.
"let me guess Aaron hasn't called since yesterday," I smiled affectionately at her, she was getting fed up right now.
"I hate long-distance relationships."
Yona sighed, snapping her locker shut. The hallway became awfully quiet, I bet you'd hear if a pin drops. Yona and I swirled to see what could tune down the volume in one of the noisiest places we knew. Just to see some tall handsome guy and a big muscly bodyguard behind him. Wait...I know that guy.
"No way, Yona that's the guy from my dream."
I turned to look at him again, he was actually right there in front of me.
The white rose in my hair bleached to a mercury-red colour. I don't know what came over me, it's like I couldn't think about anything else in that split second like my feet had melted to the floor or something.
Slowly, his head turned towards my direction, our eyes meeting immediately. Like feathers, the red rose petals on my hairband scattered and slowly migrated to the floor.
I couldn't steady the beating of my heart in time, he glanced over at us once more, before taking a left turn down the hall.
"Whoa! violet! Your eyes are violet."
Yona gaped at me, sputtering.
"Huh?"
Yona's sharp voice woke me up from my daydream.
"You know I don't like you messing with my middle name, Yona."
"No seriously. Here, look at them."
She handed me a mirror. The almond-shaped sapphires now look more purple, they're really violet?
"This is strange," I held my lips in a tight pout.
"It's not. Aren't you a passion fairy?"
She snapped her mirror shut, slipping it into her tote bag.
"Yeah, I know my eyes change colour based on my emotion, another colour is always added to my natural blue eyes to express my emotions and...but my eyes have never been violet before, not even around Luke."
My eyes trailed the now interesting lockers, they were transparent enough for me to make out a faint outline of the violet hue.
"Well, maybe you weren't IN love with Luke when you two started dating, because the only thing that can turn blue eyes violet is red and red is the colour of love."
She shot her two fingers up and down, to emphasize the word in.