The letter burned in his pocket as he sat upon his throne, waiting for the magic connection to stabilize and get through to the other.
His first actual contact with Asani, one that wasn't through shemes and such.
He had already turned eighteen, so it wouldn't take long before the other would make his move, the letter all but confirmed that.
Air shimmered as the connection was succesfull, streams of red could be seen circling together and later on formed a screen.
Asani's voice boomed through the room in a calm matter and his face followed as the sentence ended.
''Hello, dear uncle.''
"Are you mocking me?!" He hadn't lost his ability to spit out venomous words but Asani didn't react at all. Looking at him after years, Acacius could just see how much the other had grown.
Short black ebony hair and the most unique eyes, the outer ring the darkest of black wich smoothly turned onto a shiny green.
Acacius slightly hoped that was the only thing that he recieved from his mother and he couldn't help but voice his thoughts outloud. After all it could only help him.
''I hope your eyes are the only thing you have in common with your mother.''
A flash of something, he couldn't identify what exactly and before he even could Asani disrupted the silence.
"Talking about mother how is she?"
Shifting away from his relaxed stance, head lazely on his hand, he straightenend entirely and carefully weighted his words.
''Well taken care of, I assure you.
Now if you would just give up your right to the throne, this whole thing wouldn't be necessarry.''
''You and I both know I won't do that, in fact as mentioned in the letter I plan to take my kingdom back and fix it.''
''By starting a rebellion? How is that fixing.''
''As far as I recall _uncle_ it was you that took my crown with force.
I am only getting it back as it rightfully belongs to me.
You can either give it to me or watch me trample and kill all of your men.''
Hoo? Seems he didn't plan to kill him.
"If you don't want to die than you better stay away." Signaling his men to cut the connection he removed himself from his throne and spaced around in front of it.
\--
Seeing his uncle after so many years was different, he was fueled with hatred but his head was filled with what was real and what wasn't.
He looked tired, his sunken eyes revealing just how much, it didn't help that the other started spacing as soon as he thought the connection got severed.
''Are you sure the person controling the connection is on our side.'' He couldn't help but ask, wanting to be cautious. If he could play his uncle than so could his uncle him.
But from the moment he started observing things the only thing that he thought of was how pitiful and fragile his uncle looked. No matter how lean and rigid his muscles were ,that his mother had taken a liking too, there was a certain tiredness and weariness in the other.
He was spacing....he had never known his uncle to space.
There were so many things he didn't remember but his uncle had always towered over him like a neverending nightmare. Crushing his hopes and dreams with his mother detained right in the middle of his palms.
With his power building he had hoped to rescue his mother within a certain time period and yet it was him that was now failing at finding the truth.
It would have been easier if he had never found out the gaps, after having killed his uncle his birth right would be his again and all would be normal.
Distracted, he was pulled back by the sound of heavy doors opening and the voice that he heard in his dreams sounded.
''Did you speak with my son?''
It was the first time he could hear her, he had seen her carve the skin from a human, explore the pale skin of his uncle and more. As crown prince and more importantly son he hadn't been capable of accepting the things he saw.
It must have been an illusion!
There was no way his mother would ever do that.... especially on his birthday, it has to be....and yet those were his cameras, recordings made alive by his magic. Unchangeble by all.
He was aware of his friend watching him intently but he could only stare in shock at the unfoldings.
As soon as his mother had come forward, uncle had stopped. His eyes turning rigid as he kept a weary gaze on her, who had only now come fully into view.
''What in the world....?''
Even his companion couldn't hide her shock. ''I know, let's....just listen.''
It was the only thing he could say as his mother showed herself in her fullest glory.
Multiple times she had reached out, had told him of her awful treatment in rushed letters. Of clothes that barely fit her, food that would never be worthy for even slaves and so on.
He had been worried, extremely so, his mother wouldn't lie right? The letters, they had to be the truth, what he saw could be fake. There must have been some malfunctions on the cameras, all of them!
But this---but this, this was hard to deny, he had been planning a rebellion for her and yet here she was completely fine and wrapped in the finest silks , adnoured with the richerst jewels.
Not only that, there were even ten attendents following her, their own might obvious as their weapons sparkled and muscle glistenend heavily. Even uncle had to do a second take.
"Well, answer me."
''Yes, I spoke your son." Restrained, reserved and atleast somewhat formal. It was unlike the voice that had spoken to him before, a strain of anger was present. Unlike the strain of frustration just moments before.
"How was he?" Gathering himself, forcing away the hope that she asked the question out of concern, he saw her pass his uncle and sit down on the throne.
The throne his uncle had just sat in minutes ago.
''Why don't you ask him in another letter?!"
A chuckle left her, one that left his blood burning. ''You must be saddened, only seeing your nephew like that after all you've done for him.''
''Do not speak like it isn't all because of you.'' His mother sat graceful, relaxed with the necesarry grace, it was only her face that smirked in an evil manner that he had never been aware of. With a slight twinge of her finger, two of her attendents sprung forward and without wasting any movements forced him on his knees right in front of the throne.
In front of mother.
''How did it feel sitting on a throne not yours, it still feels warm.''
Even with his head barely refrained from touching his mother's legs, he still spit out words like a venomous snake. ''To what do I owe your precense?''
''I asked a question first, Acacius."
Right, he had forgotten that was his uncle's name. Literal not evil, named after the three saints but after all he thought the man did, Asani hadn't been able to call him by his name.
''It felt nauseating.''
''As always sentimental,dear brother in law.
Then again there is not really a need for that title anymore, is there?''
Mom was enjoying it. ''He is planning a rebellion.'' His uncle wasn't, as the words rushed out in such a hurry, it was clear he didn't want to hear whatever she wanted to say.
''How unsurprising, did you really think I didn't know? It's just adding on your failures, you know that right?-'' Uncle ignored it, his smile stretched taunt.''What am I gonna do with you I wonder?''
His own eyes widenend in shock as his mother's lips landed on his uncle's, unrelenting hands fisted themselves in his hair, keeping him rooted in place.
A pained moan echoed around the room, a blood trail appeared on his uncle's chin as he gasped for air. The moment mother let go, was the moment his features shifted in disgust and he spitted on the ground.
''Careful Acacius, before I feel offended.''
It took a few seconds before the gagging stilled, his voice hoarsely asking what to do next.
But mother was all but helpfull, merely signing in annoyance.
''Thank goodness you aren't this naive in bed, if you had I would have killed you years ago in pure frustration.''
His uncle pulled into himself, shame evident, a fact mother found only to humorous.
''My dear, your reaction is too funny. It's not like you had a choice--'' With taps on the throne she continued. "-What was it I threatened you with back then?"
His uncle shifted in sursprise at the question but it was him who faced an undeniable nightmare at the answer.
"The...death of the young prince."
Conversation went on but it was all just static to his ears, his mother...did not intend to save him.
Her questions had never been out of concern.