EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO.
Twelve year old Kal ran as fast as his legs could carry him, he took a left turn to Zander's chamber. He barged inside, breathing heavily.
"How do I look in this -" the words of twelve year old Zander was cut off, when he turned only to see his brother breathing heavily.
"Is something amiss?" He asked, worried as he came closer to him.
Kal nodded, "Aye, I'm afraid so. At the throne room, I heard father talking with this...men."
"About what?"
Kal looked at him, "They were talking about taking you away" he said.
Zander's eyes widened, as he staggered back a bit. "Away?" He asked barely in a whisper.
"Aye. I didn't wait to hear anything else. But you don't have to worry, I wouldn't let them take you away" Kal assured as he hugged him tightly.
Just then Red Draconian guards matched into the chamber, with the queen.
"Mother," Kal said as he ran to the queen. "Father and some men were talking about taking Zander away, you won't let them, right?"
Katherine looked down at his son, and then to the king's bastard. Then she said, "It's for the best."
"What? No, Zander is my brother!" Kal cried out, as he moved back and held Zander's hand.
Katherine sighed, "Take the Third Prince to his chamber" he told one of the soldiers.
Kal screamed out his brother's name as the guard took him away. Their was absolutely nothing that the twelve year old lad could do, his strength was nothing compared to the soldier's .
"Kal!" Zander yelled amist of tears.
Katherine walked closer to the lad, and slapped him hard across his face.
Zander froze, as hot tears stream down his little face.
Katherine stooped down to meet his height, "You are not one of us, and you will never be. You are a mistake, a plague." she told him, before she pushed him to one of the soldiers. "Bind his hands." she ordered.
Zander watched in tears as the soldier bound his hands together. There was so many reasons to why he was crying - but the one reason that made him cry the most was that today was his birthday.
PRESENT TIME
Kal knocked at the door, before he opened the door a little. He brought his head inside, "Can I come in?" He asked Zander who said, "Should you be asking"
"Of course," Kal said with a smile as he walked into the chamber. Zander's enormous war beast came to the Third prince, who ran his hands over his fur.
"Good morning, Armstrong" Kal said.
" You're lucky he's gotten used to you" the lord impaler said. "If not, you would have been missing a hand"
"He wouldn't dare" Kal said.
Zander grinned before he whistled, and immediately Armstrong came to his master. "Inside." Zander said to the war beast and it went further into the chamber.
A certain book that was on top of the queen sized bed caught Kal's attention, he picked it up, before he settled at a certain chair.
"Why do you have this?" Kal asked.
Zander sat at a chair opposite to Kal's. "My alkarite, she's eager to learn" he said.
Kal smiled, as he continued to stare at the book. The book in his hand was a reference book containing words, different kinds of words, both easy and the difficult ones. The gods call it the lexicon of all words.
"When I was twelve, I was obsessed with this book."
"You took it around everywhere, I still remember" Zander said. "And, you made me memorize all those fancy and mundane words"
"How can I ever forget" Kal said, Zander could see that the smile on his face was slightly disappearing.
"I shouldn't have let them take you away" Kal said in a whisper, but Zander heard it.
"What would you have done?"
Kal shrugged, " I don't know", then added immediately, "I should have done better."
"You did, Kal. But that's all in the past now" Zander remained.
Kal exhaled, "You are right. So, you want your alkarite to have this? She's very lucky" Kal told his brother with a smile.
"To have me, or to have the book?" Zander asked playfully.
"Both." Kal replied, "You have never shown this kind of attention to anyone, so if you ask me this Aurora, is the luckiest female to ever live."
"Are you sure?" Zander asked sarcastically.
"Absolutely. But I'm wondering about what you said about her the other day. Her last name it sounds too familiar"
"Ashtin?" Zander asked.
Kal nodded.
"Her father, he's the last messager of the gods" Zander reminded.
"Ah, yes. That's where I remember it. But he went mad, tragic." Kal said and continued, "But, am still confused as to why she can see us"
"You are not the only one" Zander added.
"Perhaps, something hit her across the head when she was an infant" Kal suddenly suggested, causing a rare dimpled smile on the lord impaler's face.
"Very funny," Zander said. "If you keep pondering about it, you will have a headache. Trust me I've tried."
"So, you'll just let it be?" Kal asked.
"Exactly."
"I still think she was hit in the head." Kal said again, before grinning at his words. The great impaler smiled widely also - Kal had an unusual sense of humor.