Prince Kieth stood at the arched windows of the grand royal library, looking out over the courtyard below, which was surrounded by thousands of people- knights, ladies, even nobles and travelers. He is the fourth of seven children to King Regan and Queen Elara. His brothers and sisters all received gifts of magical ability and marvelous physical strength; however, Kieth's gift was barely a flicker compared with their roaring flames. His magic was supposed to be of little consequence, negligible, because he was weakly considered; however, he compensated for this lacking sense of magical power with his brains. He was a strategist, outwitting and outmaneuvering his opponent, he won through wit rather than brute force.
Even at twenty-one years old, Kieth had already gained a notorious status within the royal courts for the acuteness of his mind, especially while he was studying at Mystic Academy, where he had been praised for having a sharp insight to know the outcome of battles and situations long before someone else could see it. His tactical mind saved the kingdom of Elora thousands of times, but praise usually went to his more "deserving" siblings.
But Kieth was not a spotlight chaser. He liked to stay behind the scenes and just observe and plan. All his inner feelings he disclosed only to Madison, his fiancée.
Madison was pretty, with bright orange locks that perfectly tamed waves down her shoulders and also red lips like on freshly ignited embers.
She was poised, elegant, and magic at a time when this came out perfectly to everyone in court as the match for Kieth. But to Kieth, she was more than that: the future queen. She was his anchor; she had stood by him through ridicule and had believed in him when no one else did.
Or so he thought.
Weeks gone by
There, at the annual Grand Gala of Mystic Academy, had come the most promising students of the kingdom where their magical abilities were unveiled to the noble families. The great hall of the Academy was bright with lights and colors. The sound of laughter and chatter filled the air as students mixed with royalty, showing off his and her respective skills.
Kieth always followed these events but found himself being overshadowed by his many older brothers and sisters. Still, the occasion was good for him to sit back and observe as he always did. His thoughts were full of plans for the future, for the kingdom, and for Madison. He plans to announce their engagement, something he had been working years in advance.
But something felt off tonight. Madison, the woman he could and normally did make time for, kept her distance. She was whispering to his second eldest brother, Mike, far too much. There was a strange tension in the air. Kieth shrugged it off at first, thought that probably it was just part of the usual court dynamics, but some nagging feeling tugged at him.
Mike, unlike Kieth, was mighty in both magic and charm. He was known to be terribly flamboyant with women, taking advantage of his looks and power to manipulate people to his will. Still, Kieth never imagined that Mike would do anything against him personally.
Just as the lights were going to be dimmed for the big spectacle, Kieth felt that things were shifting. The grand hall was focused toward the stage where huge demonstrations of magic would take place. Among them was Madison and Mike. The whispers showed that the crowd was really excited to witness a spectacular show by two of the biggest talents in the kingdom.
Kieth's heart pounded as he saw them approach together. To his knowledge, they had never prepared a magical show together. Something was off. He sneaked closer so he could hear what happened. Then, like that, Madison unleashed a brilliant burst of fire into the air: a demonstration of her unparalleled mastery over fire magic. The crowd cheered, but what happened afterward froze Kieth in his tracks.
Mike stepped forward, raising his arm for Madison, and in a dramatic over-the-top display of affection, they hugged. Their lips met in a kiss that was akin to a dagger to Kieth's chest. The crowd gave an applauding cheer, even as they were oblivious to the betrayal unfolding before them.
The warmth seemed to leave his body, and he started to feel cold and numb. How could this be? Madison was his. She had promised herself to him. She had vowed to stand by his side. And Mike-his own brother-standing there, basking in the attention, as if nothing was wrong.
Kieth's legs wobbled, but he managed to take a few steps forward. Then before he could approach the stage, Madison turned to the crowd and spoke in a clear, confident voice.
This was her declaration: "I am honored to declare that Prince Mike and I will be in marriage.".
Kieth froze. He didn't realize his fists were balled up at the truth he saw it all stated to. Madison hadn't betrayed him; she'd planned all this with his brother. This wasn't just an affair-it was a coup against him. His heart shattered, and the room closed in on him.
He could not stand the situation anymore and take the humiliation. He turned around, leaving the gala before any body noticed the wreckage on his face.
Days went by but Kieth did not come out from the back halls of the palace since he had deeply been in pain with betrayal. Then, there was a summons from his father, King Regan, to the courtroom. For several days, it had been going wild about a rumored engagement of Madison and it seems like his father had something to say over the issue.
Mumbling filled the royal court's halls as the nobles and courtiers walked. Down to the great throne hall, Kieth traversed these. Inside sat his siblings waiting for him there, their faces a mixture of pity and mockery. Mike stood beside his father, a smug grin plastered on his face, making Kieth's blood boil.
King Regan stood tall, with silver hair and a stern face. Around him were kept advisors and guards as he sat on his throne. His eyes were hard, without one glimmer of warmth to his face as Kieth approached.
"Prince Kieth," the king's voice boomed through the hall, silencing the crowd. "You stand here today not just as my son but as a failure to this kingdom."
These were words that shook Kieth as if a punch to the belly. He looked up toward his father, his mouth dry with desperation to understand what was going on.
"Father," Keith said, his voice almost a whisper, "I don't know. Why—
"Always the weakling of my children," he cut in, his voice sharp as a blade. "You have no power-will, and that's an embarrassment to our blood. And now you're just a stain on the royals because of this very public betrayal."
A murmur ran through the crowd; people looked at one another, but nobody dared to speak. Kieth gritted his jaws, trying to defend himself. "I may not be as strong a warrior as Mike, but I have served this kingdom with my mind, with my strategy. I— "
The king sprang up from his throne and roared, "Enough!" "Your so-called strategies have been nothing but keeping you in the shadows, where your weakness lay. Not fit to stand beside your brothers and sisters. You are hereby exiled from the kingdom of Elora."
The court gasped as Kieth realized he was to be exiled--that his father was casting him from the only life that Kieth had ever known.
"Father, please!" Kieth pleaded stepping forward. "I have never failed you. Always loyal I have been to Elora—" "Loyalty means nothing if you don't have power," he sneered. "Leave now, and never come back to this kingdom again. You are no longer a prince of Elora." Those were the words spoken in the air, heavy and final. Kieth's vision blurred, the world around him crumbling. He glanced sideways to Mike, whose smirk only grew wider. It had all been part of the plan for this man. Everything: Madison, status, place in the kingdom—Kieth had lost on account of this man. The men drew one step closer, and Kieth could see the pity in their faces as they dragged him out of the throne room. Whispers and stares had lined up to follow him, as if the crowd was opening up around him, and his broken heart moved with each step. He lost family, future, and home. And now that his palace gates stood behind him, the chill of exile wind seemed to go sharper than any words could tell. Kieth was no longer a prince; he was no more part of the kingdom in which he so desperately tried to serve. He was alone.