Cassian was eleven years old and Ethan sixteen when their father died.After the doctor announced Ezra's death to everyone present, and after all those in the room bowed before the children, Cassian was immediately taken to the Council chamber to begin the official succession process. Ethan remained standing in that same room. People had bowed to him as well, but now it seemed they had forgotten his existence. Cassian was lost in a tumult of voices and movement.Ethan stayed there, outside the room where his father's body lay. He didn't want to see his face again; he already had a good idea of what it must look like. A sense of unreality took hold of him, as if everything happening was happening to someone else.A thin man, wearing glasses and formally dressed, approached him somewhat timidly.— If I may have a moment, Your Majesty.Ethan was quite familiar with the faces of the people who served in the castle, but he had never seen this man before.— Your father drafted a royal decree naming the official heir. Following the law, I must read it to you. I thought you would like to hear it in private. Please, follow me.They arrived at his father's study, a place crowded with history books, chronicles, and family records. There were also maps and mineral samples, which now seemed more like a reminder of a bygone era than a comfort.Ethan sat down in front of the large, empty desk, as if his father were still there. The scribe stood beside him, avoiding the chair that had belonged to the king.The man cleared his throat and began to read:— I, Ezra Blake, Lord of Atlantis, Disciple of the Ancients, Sovereign of Naësu and Omega, on this date and in full possession of my mental faculties, declare the following:We are aware that, in the event of our death, the kingdom will need an heir. Ethan Blake is our son with Zuri, a woman with whom the king never married. Cassian Blake is our son with Dianthe, a woman from Alexandria and our last wife.We have been unable to overlook that Ethan's impulsive, violent, and irrational temperament does not make him an ideal candidate for our succession. Ethan, though older than Cassian, neither reflects nor measures the weight of his actions, an unacceptable trait for a monarch.Ethan's inflexibility would make him unfit for diplomacy. We have observed that once he has an idea, it must be carried out without modification. This characteristic, unfortunately shared with his mother, Zuri, is compounded by the blood he carries, which, though nyasuk, is not fully known to us. Ethan's blood is a burden, a curse this crown is unwilling to bear.Therefore, I resolve to declare Cassian Blake the legitimate heir to the crown of Naësu, Omega, and others; successor to the titles of this monarch; and receiver of the tributes that other nations see fit to offer. However, this right is conditional upon Cassian marrying a person of status worthy of the crown before he turns thirty years old. Should he fail to meet this condition, the crown must be claimed by the Council, who will determine a new successor.
Thus, our decision is made official.
At this point, Ethan already knew from the doctor's announcement that Cassian would be king. But hearing those words from his father through this frail and insignificant man felt even more insulting than being in the public square.— Read it again — he ordered, his eyes burning with anger.— Pardon, Your Majesty? — replied the poor man, confused and genuinely frightened.— I told you to read it again.The scribe, trembling slightly, looked at the prince. Ethan, still sitting in front of the empty desk, seemed larger and more threatening than ever. The man felt a shiver run down his spine. He couldn't tell if the young man was joking or truly deranged, but whatever was happening, it was terrifying. He cleared his throat once more and began to read again.— Again — demanded Ethan, relentless.The scribe, visibly trembling, repeated the words, trying to keep his voice steady despite his growing fatigue. Ethan, unmoving, absorbed every word with an intensity that seemed to consume him.As he listened, Ethan felt trapped in an endless nightmare. It was true that his father had never treated him with the same regard as Cassian: all the good and the best had always been for his brother, and Ezra had often belittled him. But he never imagined that his father would use his mother Zuri's blood to discredit him. It was a betrayal that Ethan considered particularly low and repulsive.— Until I say so.Ethan could admit that his impulsiveness was a flaw, but wasn't that common in adolescence? Would his legitimacy be denied over a few bold words? Cassian, on the other hand, was an idealistic child, disconnected from the world, and five years younger. To Ethan, his brother seemed the product of Ezra's favoritism, a spoiled brat destined to crash into harsh reality. And Ethan was determined to be the one to ensure that.Time seemed to stand still as Ethan remained motionless in his seat. Footsteps outside the study tried to go unnoticed. The air particles hung in suspension. The scribe, exhausted and almost breathless from the repeated reading, coughed intensely. Seizing the distraction, Ethan snatched the edict from his hands.— Leave — he ordered coldly.The scribe hurried out, almost running, leaving Ethan alone in the room, with the edict in hand and a fury burning in his chest.