"Brother, you must do something" the twins vocalize, walking into Cameron's chambers, hand in hand.
"About?" He asks pacing across the space, his eyebrows knit together.
"The invasion of princess Olivia's kingdom," they both say, earning a side glance from the prince.
"Where did you hear that?" He asks, his pace not faltering.
"We were playing in our room when we heard screaming coming from brother's office, so we went to check what it was and we saw king Howard being dragged away, and you going in" they stop, as Cameron stops his pacing to look at the girls.
"Go on," He says, crossing his arms over his chest.
"But we missed you so much so we stayed put, just until you leave and we can say hi," they say, rocking from one foot to another.
"Okay," Cameron says while nodding his head, he slowly walks over to the two princesses, sporting a wide smile, kneeling in front of them he continues, "now I want the truth, were you eavesdropping on a private conversation?"
"No?" They say, turning to look at each other.
"Is that a question?" He asks, with a raised eyebrow.
"No?" They say, their shoulders raising to their ears.
"I'm not mad about the eavesdropping, But I will be mad about the lying," He says, patting their shoulders to their original positions, "Lying is bad"
"We're sorry," they say, their chin meeting their chest.
"I forgive you," He says bringing them in for a hug.
"But you really must do something. Protect her" they whine, pulling back from the hug to look at the mirroring green emerald eyes.
Cameron nods in response, gently brushing the pale cheeks of the girl on his right, earning another hug from his sisters. "Now, go. I'm sure Mrs. Gibson is looking for you" He says, patting their silky black hair.
"Okay," they say, running out of the room, waving to their brother on the way.
Cameron stays there, kneeling on the floor, his gaze positioned on the landscape across his balcony window to his right. He stands up walking to the small table by the window but freezes when he sees the figure standing by his door frame.
"Mrs. Caballero," He says, feeling out of breath like he ran a marathon.
The woman stands there, silent tears streaming down her face, wetting her dry lips. She gives him a sinister smile, not reaching her sky-blue eyes, almost as pale as her dark skin.
"Are you here alone?" He asks, slowly stepping closer to the woman, "Is someone with you?" He asks again, stretching his neck to look out the corridor.
"You took my Jeremiah," she says, her voice strained to show the years of silence.
"Excuse me?" He says, distracted by his search for a familiar figure with bright blue eyes.
"My Jeremiah. You took him away from me!" She almost screams, her sudden change in tone on her dry throat sending her into fits of cough.
"Are you okay?" Cameron asks, stepping towards the woman, with his arms outstretched.
She quickly steps back, bringing her trembling arms out, "Don't come any closer" she says, causing the prince to take a long step backward. "You took my blood, my soul, and my heart from me. You took my Jeremy" she whimpers, her hands clasping on her heart, "Jeremy" she cries.
"Mrs. Caballero, let me get you, someone," He says, walking towards the hunched trembling woman.
"NO!" She screams, stepping back to the wall, "NO!"
"MOTHER!" A voice calls out from the right side of the corridor, turning the prince's attention to him.
"Andreas" Cameron breathes a sigh of relief, at the sight of the young man with gleaming blue eyes and dancing brown curls.
"I'm so sorry prince Cameron," He says with a bow, before going over to his mother.
Andreas walks over to the hysterical woman, soft words leaving his lips in a whisper. "It's okay mom, in here now," he says picking her up in bridal style, her small figure resting between his arms. She rests her head between his neck, soft murmurs leaving her lips.
"I hope we didn't offend you, I left her alone with my younger siblings for a minute, for a bathroom break, and all of a sudden she has disappeared" He explains, with a head bow.
"It's fine. I just hope she's okay" Cameron says, trying to catch a glimpse of the woman's face, buried in her rustled curly hair. "But she was accusing me of taking.."
"Jeremiah away from her?" He says with a sad smile, "she says that to everybody. Jeremiah was her firstborn and he, unfortunately, died when he was just 3 years old"
"How long ago?"
"15 or 16 years now, but she still calls his name every day," he says, directing his smile towards the woman tucked under his neck, "She hasn't been the same since"
"I'm sorry," Cameron says, looking at the woman. He looks up to see the young man suddenly, meeting with a stony face, quickly masked with a wide smile.
"Well, thank you for understanding," He says bowing his head, "now we should be going to our chambers," He says, walking away from the prince, the stony face returning as he leaves his sight.
Cameron waits by the door for a moment, unknowing of what he could do. He pulls in a deep breath, and walks over to his ajar door, closing it as he releases his breath, unbeknownst of his visitors' smirk as he leaves.
**********
"Why do you only remember that?" Craig screams out, his voice only traveling in a faint note to the top of Zuba's head.
"I'm not sure, but I suspect I, well the old me, did something before my memories were taken so I can remember this one single detail," the woman says, standing atop the creature's head with her arms stretched out, her feathery pink gown dancing with the wind.
"Why did you choose that specific information?" The little prince asks, screaming like his friend.
"I don't know. But maybe something might spark if I see her in person, my goddaughter" she says, turning to look at the two boys with a smile.
"Well, try to thread it gently. They had a rough couple of days and..." The tall boy stops suddenly, as the girl suddenly appears before him, clasping his mouth with one hand, her forefinger placed on her lips with her other hand, shushing him.
The air falls silent, only the flap of the creatures' wings heard. "What's wrong?" The prince says, pulling out his dagger.
"We're not alone," she says, appearing on top of Zuba's head, "Let's land"
"Land?" The little prince asks, looking around the wafting clouds suddenly around them.
"We are more vulnerable on air," she says, her bright attire the only visible thing in the white mist.
"I agree with her, Arthur" the tall boy speaks out from behind him, his burning red hair masked by the sudden mist.
The little prince clicks his tongue, instructing the creature to land. They drop to the ground, diving through a mist of white clouds. They squeeze their eyes shut, with the wind blasting on their sight.
Zuba lands with a thud, and the little prince drops down from the creature's back, squeezing the wind out of his eyes.
"You mind telling us what happened?" He says, rubbing at his eyes.
He waits for a beat longer, anticipating her answer, before he asks again, "Eirene?" He asks opening his eyes to look around him. He squirts his eyes trying to look past the cloud wall.
"Craig?" He calls out, walking slowly forwards with his arms stretched out, "Where are you guys?" He stops, feeling the rough texture of a tree branch meeting the tips of his fingers, "this isn't funny okay? Will you please just answer"
He walks to his left, arms outstretched before him, feeling with his hands for his sight. "We are wasting time playing this...whatever this is" He stops feeling another tree branch in his way, "can someone..." he freezes in his place, hearing the sudden roar sounding from the cloud of mist.
"Hello?" He says, pulling his dagger out from his side. The roar breaks out again, this time followed by a human shriek. "CRAIG!" he screams out, feeling his heart in his mouth.
The cloud grows heavier, as he struggles to breathe and see his surroundings. He only hears the distant creature roar followed by a human shriek, this time his friend calls out for his name.
"ARTHUR!" he hears in a distance, before he sees the distant dark figure growing in size.
"WHAT ARE YOU?!" He screams out, to the figure running at full speed towards him, "WHERE IS CRAIG?" He calls out, pulling out his dagger while running for the dark figure.
As he advances he notes the black cloak wafting like smoke, the pointy fingers extending beyond like knives, his bony figure, and his thousand smiles.
The eclair slashes at the boy with its right hand. Arthur ducks away rolling forward. The boy throws the dagger at the eclair. The dagger hits its shoulder blade. The eclair grabs for the dagger pulling it out without any pain.
"You are going to have to try better than that boy?" Arthur hears an unfamiliar voice say, if they had arrived at the lake house an hour before at that faithful day, he would have noticed the voice of John escaping the void mouth of the eclair.
The eclair throws the blade at the boy's head. Arthur throws his head back avoiding the blade. He lands on his arms flipping back to his feet. The eclair jumps on him as he lands, they fall back with a thud the eclair driving its blade arms into the boys' side. Arthur's screams are masked by the creature's sudden roar.
"LEAVE THE BOY ALONE!" Eirene screams out, as she sprints towards the eclair driving him away from the little prince.
Arthur rises from his neck, grabbing his injured side. He sees the commencing battle of black with pink, the clash of both figures, and he sees the girl as she blasts the creature with a white ball of light. He sees the creature dodge the first light only to be hit with a second one right at its chest. The eclair bowels out a painful shrill before disappearing into the mist.
"Arthur!" Eirene calls out, kneeling beside the boy. "Stay still, I can help," she says, her hands hovering above his bloody shirt.
"Where is Craig?" He asks, looking at the gleaming light leaving her hands and hitting him with a sudden heat that throws him in another shrill.
"Just hang on," she says, her eyes gleaming with sudden light.
Arthur screams out, fire burning the side of his chest. Tears squeezed out of his eyes.
"ARTHUR!" He hears a faint voice of his friend call out, increasing the level of his screams in response.
"Okay, this should do it," Eirene says, slowly pulling the sweat-streaked boy by his neck, "how are you doing now?" She says, gently brushing his hair, stuck to his forehead, out of his face.
"Like I just gave birth to the sun," He says groaning in pain.
"It will stop in a minute. The eclair is not dead yet, I have to go look for him" she says in a rush pulling the boy up to his feet, "look for Craig, he was hurt, the better option we have here is to split and look for him, we'll cover more ground with that"
"Okay. Where is my dagger?" He says looking around the ground, waving his hands to create a gap between the heavy cloud wall, still a little wobbly from the previous impact.
"Your dagger won't help," she says pulling him up by his shoulders, "but the eclair, I think it is linked with a crab, I saw its figure attached to the eclairs chest"
"What. What do you mean? The boy says rubbing at the non-existent wound on his side.
"I will explain later, now we have to find Craig. I think there may be two of them, one is linked with a crow, and it's on its head. The other is linked with a crab, it's attached to its chest. Aim for the animals, you kill the animals you kill the eclair" she says, conjuring up a white bright blade sword, and handing it to the prince, "remember, head and chest, crow and crab" she says baking away, and sprinting away, disappearing with every second.
"ARTHUR!" he hears his friend scream, causing him to bolt in the direction, the light ray blade extended in front of him.
"ARTHUR!" he hears again, closer this time.
"Arthur!" He hears his legs pushing him further and further, almost jumping all the way.
"Arthur" he hears it, The notion suddenly hits him, his friend's voice is getting lower.
"Arthur" He pushes forward, his eyes gleaming with red, searching with his mind.
"Arthur" the voice lower, he is knocked down with a tree branch landing on his chest, and he picks himself up. Flinching as his feet land on the floor. He looks down seeing the slash on his right foot and he screams out, to the sky, in frustration.
Arthur freezes at the quiet forest, he looks down and around him, he reaches for the hearing aid in his ears, pulls them out and he sees the small blinking light, red.
"No No No No," He says the horror suddenly in front of him, his friend was not getting quieter, he was. His world was getting quieter, the battery on his hearing-aid was dying.
"CRAIG!" he screams out, plunking the small white box in his ear. He hears the faint call of his friend, sending him limping to the sound.
He follows the distant sound, breaking and glitching. He limps forward silent tears streaming down his face. He pushes himself further before he hears the last sound, before the final red light blinks, and before he falls to his knees, screaming out to his friend.
Arthur sobs on the ground, not hearing his shilling cries, not hearing the roar of his winged friend. He glances up feeling the sudden waft of air, to see Zuba flying above him, stretching out its jaws to him, he imagined he released a heavy roar.
Arthur stands up limping towards the creature, as it lands on its stomach, bending down to the little prince's level, lifting the boy, "find Craig" He feels his lips say, as Zuba wafts forward.
Arthur grabs the creature's fur, burying his head in its head of hair. "Please please please" He pleads, only feeling the breeze hit his face and dance with his hair.
Arthur looks up as Zuba dives down landing on the floor, he looks around them seeing only the white. "Did you find him?" He feels his lips move, as Zuba lands on his stomach. Arthur's eyes gleam red, as the voice of the creature rings in his head, "get down, he is here"
Arthur climbs down the creature's back, pointing the light blade around him, searching for his friend. He limps forward, his eyes squinting with the heavy cloud mist. He stops turning on his feet, as he feels a sudden hand grab his ankle. He looks down to see the pale face of his friend mouthing his name.
"Craig, are you okay?" He asks, bending beside his friend as the blade disappears, wrapping around his hand.
"I'm fine. The eclair went for my foot, so I can't move without falling on my ass" He hears his friend's voice joining him in his head, looking at the four deep gashes going along his left foot.
"Come on, let's get you on Zuba, and let's get out of here," He says picking the boy up and carrying him by the shoulders to the creature kneeling beside them.
Arthur pushes the boy on Zuba, positioning him right. He reaches for the creature's back sensing the sudden tension on the creature, when he is knocked down by a blow, sending him flying to the side. He groans slowly rising to his feet, he stands with the light ray blade upfront, suddenly in his hands, his eyes buried on the creature in front of him, and the crow on its head, with its wings, stretched out, its beak opening and closing.
The creature opens its mouth, its thousand teeth sending a chill down his back. It leaps forward, as Arthur dodges rolling to the left. Arthur lands on his knees, the blade stretched out above his head, his eyes on the black crow.
The creature starts forward and stops, turning to its left. Arthur turns to see his friend screaming at the creature, now on the ground holding onto Zuba for support.
The eclair sprints toward the tall boy, Arthur sees the sudden fear erupt on the boy's face before he throws the blade forward, aiming for the crow. The eclair jumps to the side avoiding the light ray blade, landing away from the tall boy. The creature jumps up now sprinting for the little prince, still kneeling on the floor, with his blade plunged into a tree branch in the woods.
Arthur closes his eyes kneeling on both sides, the world leaving him as he shuts his eyes. He takes a deep breath in, aware of the creature's sudden closeness, he breathes out opening his red gleaming eyes. He opens his eyes to see the tip of the creature's sharp fingers just centimeters away from his face, its thousand teeth gaping out, its bony figure frozen in place.
Arthur backs away, slowly standing to his feet. His red eyes burned through the cloudy white mist. He reaches out his hands, towards the light ray blade, sending it flying to his arms. He raises it, bringing it down the black crow atop the creature, the eclair turns to dark smoke, disappearing out of sight.
Arthur turns back to his friend, seeing his gaping mouth and wide eyes. "Remember that, the next time you eat from my plate" He feels the words leave his mouth, walking over to his friend. He lifts him gently placing him on the creature's back and climbs on himself.
Zuba flies forward, a few meters above the ground, searching for an explosion of pink in the white air. They fly for a while before they spot Eirene from a distance, they fly towards her as she plunges a light ray blade, like the one she gave the little prince, through the chest of the eclair lying on the ground, on its back. The eclair melts in the ground, leaving a trail of black mist.
Eirene turns to them, with a small smile. She walks two steps towards them before she falls to the soft mushy ground.
**********
The two royal brothers sat in the back seat of the white luxurious limousine, sent by the royals from the northern kingdom.
"Will you at least tell me of your plans?" Cameron asks, staring out the window, either avoiding his brother's gaze or engrossed in the new landscape, with new customs and life.
"First you must tell me where your loyalties lie" Theodore responds, his gaze trailing on the sight outside, "I tell you my plan, and what are you going to do?" He asks, this time looking at his brother.
Cameron falls quiet, a lump forming in his throat. He looks around them, his eyes darting around before it falls on the small backpack sitting parallel to the king on his right.
Theodore follows his brother's gaze, both sets of eyes of the royal stationed on the black bag. Then slowly the king's gaze sets on the prince, to his left. He says nothing for a while just looking at the man sitting beside him, his jaw clenching and unclenching, eyes studying every part of that small backpack.
Cameron finally turns to his brother, mirroring burning green eyes locked at each other. They stay like that, studying one another, they didn't realize the car stopped until the two guards opened their respective doors simultaneously.
"Your highness" they hear the guard say, not backing down from the stare-down. The guards' exchange confused looks above the limousine, about the state of the royals. The second guard decides on counting to twenty before he once again announces their arrival. He was at number twenty-three when they heard the castle doors open, followed by the clack of high heels on the ceramic floors.
Theodore winks at his brother, before breaking eye contact and sliding out of the limousine with a big grin plastered on his face.
"Clarissa!" he booms out, walking over to the three women standing at the top of the stairs, with his arms spread out in greeting.
"King Theodore" the queen responds with a curt nod, her grin mirroring the king.
"Thank you for having us" the king responds going for a full bow.
"Your welcome" the girl with brown Afro hair responds with a stony voice.
The king freezes in the bow, his smile dropping for a moment before he recovers. standing up, he walks over to the women. He gives a gentle peck on the queen's arm, followed by the blonde to her right then the brunette to her left.
"You look most exquisite," he says, gently kissing the black girl's hand, dressed in a silky maroon gown, taking longer than he had the two royals.
"Thank you" Mikayla responds, pulling her hand away from the king.
"Your welcome" He softly whispers, his hands meeting at the back.
"Where is the prince?" The queen asks, bringing the king's attention from the girl to her left.
"He is in the car," he says, turning all their gaze back to the white limousine at the bottom of the wide stairs, "I think he wanted to walk out alone," the king says, bending a little towards the queen, with his voice lowered he says, "you know how much he likes a dramatic entrance"
"And what about you? You don't like sharing his spotlight?" Mikayla speaks up, the glitters around her eyes giving her a mystical glow.
"No. Not me" He says fully facing the girl, "I am for dramatic exits," He says his green eyes almost digging through her hazel orbs. Seeing the girl's unchanged stoic gaze he continues, "Don't be so disappointed, my lady. I promise the next time we meet, my entrance will be a grand climax" He responds earning a small smile from the girl.
"With luck, let's hope we don't meet again," She says, earning a snicker from her friend and a smile from the queen.
"Prince Cameron" The queen calls out suddenly, with the prince slowly walking up the white ceramic steps draped fully in back attire.
The king's gaze lingers on Mikayla for a moment, before he turns meeting eyes with his brother, "Oh, finally. I was starting to get worried, you got cold feet"
"Why would he get cold feet?" The queen asks, extending her arm out for the prince.
"Oh, he is just nervous around beautiful women," He says, casually turning to the girl in red.
"My apologies, for keeping you waiting" Cameron responds, dropping the queen's arms and heading over to the blond girl, dressed in a short white silky dress.
"How are you doing, princess?" Cameron asks standing up to meet the girl's amber eyes, he notices the color change from before, indicating her power growth. The princess nods curtly, pulling her hands in from the prince.
"Shall we go in?" The queen says, clapping to gain their attention, noticing the stare-down between the two girls and the brothers.
The small crowd enters the castle, the three women up front followed by the royals of the dark kingdom. They first walk into the grand hall of royals and artifacts, fully lit by the arched skyline, glazing on the roof of the hallway. They slowly walk through the white walls, the two brothers' gaze jumping from one painting of a royal to the next, hanging on every 2 meters on both sides.
"I see it runs on the family" the king responds, his voice echoing through the vast hallway, breaking the silence.
"On what stand?" The queen responds, prompting the king to reply.
"White hair," He says, his gaze falling on the tied-up blonde hair of the princess, not missing the sudden strain on her back.
The north kingdom royals are known for their white hair and amber almost golden eyes, that both glow bright white when they are using their light powers. Every child born to the northern kingdom's royal blood has these distinctive features, and every kind that joins this royal family in any such way must complete the blood oath, joining the royal blood with the outsider blood, making them blood-related. This was how Olivia's and her brother's mother joined the court, resulting in her having the white hair and golden hair features, alongside the light gifts.
These features come from the result of the light power that exists within them, the constant use of their powers increases the quality of these features, where as age of the old royal progresses it goes to almost a shade of white, with their eyes being the only shade of color on their body, with a gleaming golden color until finally they die disintegrating to pure light.
Olivia lacks these features of the northern royal court, due to her not using her light as much. Mikayla gives a side glance over to her friend, noticing the shade of pink rising in her cheeks.
"Then tell me, your highness" Mikayla begins reaching for her friend's hand, stopping the girl from biting off her lip, "does that run in your family?"
"What, incredible handsomeness?" The king replies, smiling at the exposed back of melanin, "I'm afraid it's just me"
"No. That annoying squick in your voice" she replies, slowly meeting his eyes, looking him up and down, "but I guess your right, it might only be you" she says as they enter the dining room, earning a snicker from the queen and a grateful hand squeeze from her friend.
"Oh yeah?" The king replies, leaning against the door frame with his hands crossed over his chest, a soft rumble in his voice.
"Yes, very irritating," the girl replies, walking along the circular table her eyes glancing at the king. The women take their seats at the big round table, positioned at the center of the dining room with a glorious chandelier directly above the table.
"Please, sit," the queen says, directing the brothers to the two chairs opposite the eight-person table with her hands.
"The castle seems quiet" the king notes taking his designated seat, one seat after Mikayla.
"Oh they're here," the queen says, her eyes darting around them, "the guards and servants are just giving us some privacy. For comfort"
"Of course," the king says leaning back in his chair, "then shall we begin?" He urges with his hands.
"What's the rush?" The Queen replies with a smile, looking over the prince seated between the king and the princess, one chair between both of them "Let's have supper first"
**********
"I have to say, your breasts are spectacular," the king says, stopping the clink clang of cutlery and wine glass.
"Seriously?" Mikayla speaks up, with a raised eyebrow.
"I meant the chicken" the king replies cheekily, taking another bite of the chicken breast.
"Did you have to say it like that? That stupid innuendo you just made is very insulting" she replies, setting her fork down and going for the wine glass.
"I'm sorry," He says his voice gentle, setting his fork down to look at her, he clears his throat before disappearing into thin air.
"Did he just.." Olivia begins, looking over to see the mirrored confused face of the two women.
"He's coming back" Cameron replies cutting into another piece of chicken.
"Cameron" The queen gently calls out to the prince, gaining his attention, "are you well? You seem so quiet," she says with gentle eyes and a voice barely above a whisper, almost afraid the king will hear.
"I'm okay" the prince replies with gentle eyes, earning a small nod from the queen, but the concerned look still there, "why are you so calm though?" He says.
"On what terms?" The queen replies, setting her fork down and crossing her arms over the table.
"My brother just disappeared into thin air, who knows where he could be" He replies with a small shrug, but darting eyes around the room.
"That's alright" she replies, shrugging herself, "I placed at least one guard on every room of this castle and the land ten km in the radius of the castle, if he is anywhere there, then my guards will notify me right away. In fact" she replies pulling out a phone from under the table, and showing the screen with the castle site plan to the prince, a small green blinking light is shown to what appears at the front driveway, "he went back outside to the limousine," she says before the king suddenly appears with the small black backpack in his one hand and 3 pieces of blue-black flowers, with smokey petals, wrapped in platinum black wrapping, in his other.
"This is for you," He says handing the bouquet to Mikayla, "it's the moonflower, keep it in a vase of water and a place where it will get moonlight, but no sunlight and it will live for a long time" He replies handing her the flowers with a trail of white mist behind them.
"Thanks," she says taking the flowers from him, "but why did you give me this?"
"Humans must take the moonflower every 30 days or they will grow weak, and fall into another deep slumber" He explains, earning a grateful smile from the girl.
"Thank you for your generosity, king Theodore" the queen replies with a head bow to the king.
"Of course. We're friends now" he replies, pulling open the zipper on the small backpack. He pulls out an equal-sized 3 black boxes, tied in a silver ribbon, setting each down in front of the 3 women.
"What is this?" Olivia asks when he makes his way to her, placing the box before her.
"A little gift from me to you" the replies making the circle back to his seat, "consider it a gift for new beginnings," He says waving his hand, as a gesture for them to open the gift boxes.
The three women exchange a wary look before all of them open the box one by one, slowly working on the wrapping. They all freeze in place seeing the gift in their respectable boxes, followed by all of them closing the lid, flustered by the sudden gift.
"Thank you for your..." The queen takes a deep breath, looking up at the king, "thoughtful gift" she says with a quick smile.
"I imagine all of you liked your gift?" He says his eyes darting to each of them, with a mirrored expression of shock.
Cameron silently watches the ordeal, unsure of what to make it. "So what are the gifts?" He finally asks, his curiosity getting the best of him. The three women turn to him then, before quickly looking at each other.
"Nothing" they all chant, almost simultaneously, their stomachs twisting with the others' reply.