15. Departure
Eryndor Sylvaren put on his finest coat, a thick white vest and cleaned up his hair. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, his cute chubby face, beautiful blue eyes, short white hair. He was charming in every aspect, to think this would be his last time in this room for a long time.
He paused and took a glance around his room, some of his father's servants had come to his room much earlier to take some of his belongings, his clothes, shoes and other necessities.
It was like a nightmare he desperately wanted to wake up from but he told himself time and time again that this was his fault, no one else was to blame.
"This is it." He said to himself as he raised his hand to touch the gem he had hanging on his neck.
The voice of his master spoke again.
["This will mark the beginning of your journey, the next time you return here you will not be the same degenerate you once were. Hopefully you'll be strong enough to free me."]
Eryndor did not let himself feel relieved just yet as he turned to leave. "That is if you deliver on your part, master!"
The voice chuckled before responding:
["You don't trust too easily, I like that. Let's leave already."]
Eryndor fought the urge to run back to his bed or hide himself in the closet, he opened his door and walked down the long halls. Down the carpeted floor and polished walls, the chandeliers gently clinking on the roof of the massive hall. His feet echoing like the rising drums to sound his fate.
"Why so pushy? Are you dying to see me get thrown out master?" Eryndor said in a distasteful manner.
His master laughed and responded.
["The earlier we leave the earlier we return to save me."]
Eryndor dropped his head and sighed. "And here I was thinking you actually cared about me. What did I expect from a thousand years old ghost?"
["What did you expect? Our condition is not a personal one but simply business, don't get too comfortable because I'm assisting you."]
Eryndor felt a little down but then raised his chin and said with a grim tone. "Thanks, now we know we're just using each other. Makes our relationship more relatable."
His master did not say a word more leaving them both in silence. After a while he was transversing into the throne room, the only people there were his parents, he looked around for his brother and sister but they were no where to be seen.
His father looked at him with a dark expression on his face but he could see faint traces of something like regret but he dismissed it and thought to himself: "If it hurts so badly then why don't you just call it off?"
His mother approached him her face filled with worry and her tone weak, her graceful form crossing the space between them. Her long white hair braided and flowing down to the ground. She wore a lovely light purple dress and white gloves reaching up to her elbows. On her head sat her beautiful golden crown. Her blue eyes shimmered in the light.
"If your are looking for Celyndor and Elantha they have just left for their royal trials and won't be back for a year in the least." She said in a comforting tone.
Eryndor felt his heart drop even more at the fact that they would not be here to see him off. The fact that the last memory he would have was that of disdain and shame. Now that he thought of it maybe there was more meaning to Elantha coming to see him earlier.
"Was she saying goodbye then?" He thought to himself. "What of Celyndor?"
Thinking back all these years the one person that seemed not to like him the most was Celyndor who was always the pride of the family, the crown prince. They never really saw eye to eye, it explained why he did not care to leave a parting word before he left. Eryndor believed his elder brother to be downright rotten.
But what if he was in Celyndor's shoes would he also want to see off his degenerate brother who was the shame of the family?
"Figures." He said in a hushed tone.
A moment later he felt his mother's hands on his face, pressing down on his cheeks gently. Her palms were cold causing him to feel alarmed.
"Mother, are you fine?" He asked in a worried tone as he held her hand.
She smiled, tears rolling down her eyes. "I'm fine my boy. I'm just sad that you won't get to spend your first birthday with us, you're almost eight and on your journey to become a fine young man."
"No don't. Don't you cry you idiot! You promised yourself no more crying, it'll make you look weak!" He screamed at himself in his head.
He opened his mouth to speak out loud with a smile to encourage his mother. As he was about to speak the smile faltered and he broke into tears. "Don't worry mother, I'll be one someone you can be proud of."
Her beautiful blue eyes welled with tears causing it to shine like light bouncing off glass. She bent down and pressed her lips on his forehead, a while later she pulled away and said. "I know you will my boy. Eryndor, prove your father wrong. Price them all wrong." Her voice carried a conviction that seemed almost primal.
He wanted to jump into her arms and cry and it took all his willpower to restrain himself. "Don't falter damnit! You're stronger than this, show them you're stronger." He screamed at himself.
He pulled back and wiped his tears with the back of his hands, giving his mother one final nod before turning to face his father. "I'm ready father."
The tone and seriousness of the degenerate prince surprised the king but he did not let it show. He could see a bright flame burning in his son's once playful eyes. He wondered if it was conviction or perhaps rage.
"I have notified my brother Thalvarin of your arrival, he is not as merciful as I am so try not provoke him." His father said in a stern tone.
Eryndor nodded and asked. "Any more advice?"
His father looked at him with a new sense of recognition for a moment before relaxing himself. "Don't lose."
Eryndor said with resolve. "I have no intention of losing."
This time his father simply nodded and said. "Thalor will guide you to your carriage and then you'll be off."
Thalor was the captain with which Eryndor had dueled once when he was younger, he still vaguely remembered him.
So this was it, the last time he would see his parents' faces in a long time. He turned and walked away with resolve, hearing his mother sobbing behind him, he also felt heavy leaving the cocoon of defense, leaving his wall of protection. But if he really wanted to become someone both he and his family could be proud of he had to leave and chase his future. The future he envisioned.