So yes, I do have this much time on my hands. I don't know how though, I think it's because I can write on my phone and save it to my computer.

The inspiration I have for this comes from a mixture of my favorite authors and movies whilst battling anger I get from the cliches of reading. I try and throw in humor and every facet of human emotion in the form of a great story.

I haven't decided if I am super eager to publish this book or not, for me its about enjoying the process and letting my imagination truly run wild.

This is an intricate and complex story, but I love it. I would like honest open feedback, so please please please leave a comment below to tell me your thoughts!

*as of January 17, 2016 I have made changes and added some parts.*

Chapter 1

“Boys, have I ever told you the story of the beginning of the world?” Mortimer Deacair V asked his young sons Logen, Nikolas and Stephen. His dark hair fell in a wild mess and

“No” the young boys said eagerly, sitting up in bed to look at their father who was sitting on the foot of the bed six year old Logen and eight year old Nikolas shared.

The young boys loved when their father would stop by the nursery to tell bedtime stories to them as he was always so detailed and animated with his stories.

“Ok boys, pay close attention because this is history and someday you will need to know this.”

They all agreed, fell completely silent in anticipation of a great story.

“Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful goddess of love named Gaia. But Gaia was very sad with her lavish life in the heavens. Day by day she would watch as humans fell in love, had children, and fought for their beliefs while the gods were none romantic and always fighting, she longed for the human life. Overcome with emotion, Gaia believed she could be happy if she was allowed to take a lover and have a family, so she and her love Balor god of the battle field came to build a new world and created their own family, giving up mortality to accomplish this goal.

In the new land, vast and beautifully crafted in the image of Gaia and Balor, the land thrived, was full and bountiful of natural wonders, but she still felt partially empty inside, and she knew her new world was incomplete.

One day, Gaia became ill and she knew, she had succeed in the task of becoming mortal and had created life, which made her giddy with joy, and for Balor, he knew this was the start of life he’d always wanted, but until Gaia was not strong enough to admit.

With a troublesome and tortuous birth, Gaia named her first son Deacair, for the trouble he caused coming into this world, but this was only because he was a large, stubborn and strong baby who grew up into a warrior minded likeness of his father while processing the gentle loving nature from his mother.

When Deacair had reached a great height, Gaia became ill again and was pleased when Trean was born, large and strong. Trean was a very plump baby and made his parents proud with his ability to learn quickly and prefect skills much sooner than his brother Deacair had before him. He processed more patients and kindness than Deacair, but was no match with a sword.

The Third son Eisteoir was a gentle and calm child, great at listening and moving slowly. He was much like a stream and had a patience for life, and this pleased Gaia and Balor, as they had son’s who were all different from each other, yet similar in looks and brawn.

Not waiting for Eisteoir to grow large before Gaia became ill and birthed her last son Fiáin whom was the only child of hers to have wild uncontrollable red hair, he grew to be un tame and nature bound. His mother Gaia was pleased, she had created four beautiful son’s, and had four daughters to match who would go on to create more life in the world she was building.

When she had reached a great age, and her children’s children had grandchildren, Gaia called her beloved son’s around the bed she and Balor had shared, and explained she was ready to go back to the heavens to be with her father again. Her final act of earth was to create four large lands separated by water, one for each son to share with his own family, and an island would be situated in between the lands to allow the brothers to visit each other once each year.

Deacair, the eldest was granted the first choice, and his character made him choose the largest land, with a river flowing into a large lake in the middle of his land, and Deacair was pleased.

Trean was given second choice and decided the North Eastern land protected by cliffs was idyllically suited for himself, and this pleased him.

Eisteoir was next, but choose to give his option to his brother Fianin whom he felt was unfortunate to be the youngest born. Fianin chose the South east land full of mountains, deserts, and other strange lands, and this please Eisteoir who was granted the north western lands that were full of plenty.

Over time, each brother forgot to meet once a year, the brothers all began fighting with each other long distance. Eisteoir was angry because his land was full of storms, Trean was angry about the ridged cliffs that created a divide between its people and Deacair was unhappy with his brother Fiáin who’s lands were directly across the sea from his own, had done something un-thinkable, he’d created magic, and given it to his people. The fear and panic it caused within his boarders soon streatched beyond and Deacair closed itself off, casting out all magic that had made its way into the land.

And thats the story of how we were created.” King Mortimer V said as he was closing the book of ancient histories he made sure to take the time to read to his children every night. The story of Gaia and Balor being his personal favorite.

   “Pappy, is that why we don’t have outside contact?” Logen Deacair, middle son of reigning king Mortimer asked in his sweet voice of a six year old.

   “Yes my son, Deacair is a strong peaceful family nation that has sworn to never deal with the treasonous Fiáin’s again.”

   “Where is Fiáin located, I don’t remember it on any maps?” Nik asked, who was barely two years older than Logen.

   “Fiáin named his lands after his first born son Saol whom he described as the light of his life.”

The boys nodded and drifted off to sleep.

Sixteen Years and one Day Later

Everything stopped, the only sound that could be heard in the crowded coliseum was the sound of every heart beat pounding in anticipation of the announcement that was to unfold. This wasn’t supposed to happen, the games were done more than forty years ago when the then young newly crowned king opposed the idea of the games all together. History was about to repeat itself and the only thing the crowd could wish it that the gathering would not find what was supposed to happen.

With swift and sudden movement Captain Gerard Lord Vinete walked on stage with the recently widowed Dowager Queen Mary and waited for a moment. The people began cheering, some for who they wanted to win, others for the cancellation of this travesty. But every single person knew that no matter what was said, life, every man, woman, and child would have a very different life.

The large and noble country of Deacair was rich with tradition, and this ceremony, this change, this decision, was anything but traditional. It was earth shattering and nerve wracking.

Nine royal brothers stood tall, straight and as hard as statues. While each was different, the common trait each brother shared was the holding of the hilt of the sword tight, ready to draw if need be. They all shared the same hard, deadly expression, trying to be emotionless was more difficult than accepting the inevitable.

Logen, the middle brother felt as if reality was coming in and out. The haze was causing him to become confused and weary, his only hope was to keep breathing, deeply in, deeply out.

Nik, the fourth son of the King could feel his palms sweating and hear his blood pumping extra into his tired and scared heart. He hadn’t sleep much the night before, and this ceremony wasn’t like it should be. It shouldn’t be at all.

Logen and Nik exchanged a sideways glance and became extremely concerned with the way life was about to be handled by their eldest brother Alfred, by the guard, by the people. What would become of the people with this change of events?

This couldn’t be reality Logen said to himself, it’s not real, and it’s all a dream, of course, their father couldn’t have wanted this. Then of course he probably never knew.

The kind and gentle king who excelled in military might loved each of his nine sons equally and always wanted them to have full happy lives. Their King Mortimer had always been a big supporter of tradition, and though he sometimes found them crazy, he did agree with his children that having tradition was a major part of being a good king and keeping a vast country such as Deacair together as a whole.

Deep breathing was no use, Logen blacked out exactly at the moment his father’s advisor Captain Gerard Lord Vinete stood up to speak. Just as he raised his hand and the large crowd was silent, he made the life changing announcement that each prince but one was shocked to hear.

Chapter 2 “Logen, our father has called all of us to his chambers.” Logen Deacair’s oldest brother Alfred said softly as he stuck his head into Logen’s chamber. Logen knew full well that his father had been of failing health for a very long time, and this visit could be the end of a thirty five year era of peace.

Logen was one of the nine son’s born to King Mortimer V and his wife Queen Mary. Right in the middle of his siblings in age made Logen rather happy; he was in no danger of inheriting the throne, he felt was just an ancient ruse for power designed by greedy men who wanted to have the status of God’s but knew mortality prevented them.

Logen stood up from his desk where he was studying the most current maps of the world, his favourite pass time, and left his work and walked swiftly with his eldest brother to the other side of the castle. The journey consisted mostly of the many corridors and walls set up in defence of Pirate attacks that were common when Deacair stopped selling merchandise to the pirates; of course if you did sell to them, they would attack. It was a common circle game Logen was happy he would not inherit.

The boy’s father, King Mortimer V had celebrated his sixty-second birthday last month as from there, has been losing his battle with some hidden ailment the physicians and healers were unsure of, even the medicine man who was suspected to be a man of magic, something illegal in Deacair, had no cure to the ailment of the long beloved King. Logen knew it was only a matter of time before Alfred took the thrown and gave his brothers the secondary titles they would carry.

The Deacair royal family has always been deeply set in tradition, something every prince had mixed emotions about. Every King had many children, though Logen never understood the point of that, and for the last two-hundred years those were only sons. With the passing of the old king and the succession of the new, the new king would give each of his siblings a secondary title and land for their lives. For Logen, he was looking for the title of Earl of New Caledonia, a large port city where he would be free to travel to all the lands in the known world.

Because of his father’s fascination with the entire country of Deacair, the family name of the royal family. Logen caught and kept the travelling bug inside him. Though as a prince he did have to live by strict rules, he never felt more at home than in the private cottage his father built for his mother in New Caledonia, named after a place long forgotten, New Caledonia held a sort of old world charm that appealed to Logen. Though apart of Deacair, New Caledonia wasn’t on the stops of many officers of the court, and whenever the family was there Logen could sneak away without the people of the town recognizing him.

The small beach side cottage was filled with unique trinkets his parents picked up on the years they travelled between the births of Alfred the oldest, whom was five years elder than his next brother. During this time, Mortimer and Mary were able to spend the honeymoon period of their relationship, it may have been a ruse, but it worked well for the people of Deacair, and for that matter, the bluff Mary told to each of her son’s when they asked questions.

The family was currently living in the capital city of Ailpien, the Deacair family was ultimately waiting for their father’s death, and for Logen, this both meant sadness, and possible freedom from living the life as a Deacairian prince.

Though Logen was born to privilege, he loved his lessons of gardening, hunting, and survival most of all. If Logen could, he would live in a house he built, hunt, fish, and farm his own food and live more simply than he currently was able. He never felt more at home than when he was out walking through the villages, or on a hunting excursion with his brothers.

Walking down the corridors, they were already in mourning of the impending death, the windows were lined with black velvet, blocking out the rich sunrises and glistening sunny days that the castle views boasted. The candles were burning low hiding the many portraits that lined the walls of the many male ancestors of the Deacair family tree.

The king’s bedroom doors were shut, and for some reason, Logen took a breath before opening the door, fearing the worst. He pushed through the massive carved cedar doors and slowly looked inside the chambers whose windows were wide open, illuminating the crimson family crest that lined the dark wood walls, this was probably upon the request of his father who had always been an advocate of light and beauty. Once inside his father’s chambers, seven of his brothers were already sitting around their father’s bed.

“Ah my boy,” King Mortimer croaked in a dry and desperate voice, reaching his hand towards Logen the son who looked most like him, both with dark blue-green eyes that shone like the Milore Sea that separated them from the rest of the world, the shared wavy dark brown hair that they let grow out a bit longer than their shoulders, even the king’s whose hair was now silver, still hung in a wild and lose way.

In age Logen was right in the middle of his brothers at twenty two years old. His similarities with his father were easy to spot for he had the same mannerisms, love of the outdoors, and passion for tradition that was passed down to Logen, who often spent time with his father, learning to navigate with the stars, read maps, and even sword fight. Though every brother learned those skills too, none took the time to develop them like Logen.

“How do you feel sir?” Logen asked, walking towards his father’s outstretched hand and allowing him to feel the warmth of his body. Kneeling next to the bed and looking into the pain in his father’s face.

“I feel -great son,” the king strained through coughing into a handkerchief his wife made for him, “we should hold a feast in the coming days in honour of my health returning.”

“Of course sir,” Alfred said from the back of the room “I will see to it personally.”

Alfred was so different from his father, out of nine sons, he was the only one to inherit red blond hair that nobody realized was in the gene pool, his brown eyes were the same as his mothers, and he was short but strong.

“No Alfred, I will arrange it myself,” the king stated firmly, but still weak, “I can still preform my duties.”

Alfred stepped back from the bed, he loved his father, and didn’t want him to pass, but in his mind, he was already thirty-three years old, he wanted so bad to marry his sweetheart Evelyn Delphi, a maid in his mother Mary’s house, the pair have been together for nearly ten years. Though Alfred wants to be with her forever, he cannot do anything until his father passes. This being extra hard on Alfred as eldest at thirty five years, he also holds the record for being the eldest prince awaiting to be crowned King, or a secondary title. Alfred who always talks about wanting to start a family, but having to wait for his right to marry and its long quest.

In the Deacair culture, the sons of the king could not marry until their father had passed, and they were granted their new titles. This was done so succession couldn’t be questioned, and there was not possibility for uprising of some offspring who wanted claim to the throne.

“Where is Morti?” asked the king. His youngest son was named after himself, and in his affection towards him for this reason, he nicknamed him Morti.

“I don’t know sir, he has been missing for a while.” Logen said, looking around the room at his brothers and noticing that his youngest brother was indeed missing. It couldn’t be a surprise, Mortimer Jr was only fourteen years old and managed to spend most of his time not in the castle.

In order of birth, there was Alfred, the odd ball of the family, and yet still the future King. Alfred was the only of his brother to have fiery red hair, a trait dear Mary claimed was from her brother Alfred who died at a young age, but whom she was fond. Our prince Alfred was very keen on being a leader, and unlike some of his brothers, the trait did not come naturally to him, he always struggled with rights and wrongs, but managed to have things work out in his favour in the end.

The second son, Jamieson who at twenty-eight years of age was tall, dark skinned, dark haired like most of his brothers, he shared the same brown eyes as his mother and eldest brother. The only brother who had little to no patience in certain aspects of life, he really acted as if he was the eldest child, but with Alfred five years older, he wasn’t around to play big brother. Jamieson was shy and very studious at the best of times, he loved to study, and experiment to discover more about subjects, if he had it his way, he would be a healer, a profession only available to women at this time.

A bit on the slow side was Axel, twenty-six years old and unfortunately, more like sixteen in his mind, his only redeeming quality was his military strategy. Axel worked with the military to plan strategic movements, he was brilliant at finding a way to take over a land, to conduct fear, but as for math, science and diplomacy, he could care less. Far from the characteristics of nearly all his siblings.

Known as the sexiest royal, Nikolas was a pretty party boy. He loved the tavern, balls, and even just entertaining in his chambers. Only two years older than Logen, he was his closest brother and generally offered him to come spend time with him at these parties he loved to throw. It all came so easy to Nik, who was very proud of his chest, and wore his cotton shirts loose around the neck as to give the ladies a peak of his well-defined muscles Nik took a little too much pride in.

Logen, sitting pretty in the middle didn’t feel he was anything special. His best quality was research and study, he liked to be by himself and seldom found comfort the same way Nik did. A quick learner and gentle as a lamb, but strong because of the workouts Nik implored him to join. He felt the most average of all his brothers.

After Logen, we have his younger brother Stephen, who spent all his time writing, and giving no time for his brothers to get to know him. He was good at being invisible, and was smart about it too, however if you did get him out in life, he was rather outgoing, but at the same time it was easy for him to retreat into himself. Stephen was twenty, two years younger than Logen, and looked like Logen’s twin.

Hairey was known as the womanizer - not to be confused with Nik the flirt- and was not ashamed by this at all by his sexuality, though not as attractive as Nik, he was still a good looking eighteen year old with his brilliant green eyes, dark hair and his 5 o’clock shadow extenuated the symmetry of his jaw line. Due to his goals of being with multiple woman, Hairey was talented at lifting weights and had strong definition to his arms and chest. To show this off, like Nik, Hairey was good at forgetting to wear a shirt, instead opting for a vest. He, of course, always could remember his shirt in front of his parents.

Sixteen year old Karter was a silent dictator, he had this way of making people do things even if they knew to be a bad idea or dangerous. Being the shortest of his siblings he had to compensate for his vertical challenge by having an even bigger use of his words and actions.

The youngest son was Mortimer Junior, or as his father affectionally named him Morti, at fourteen he was very much a child, but his brain, while a bit eccentric, was brilliant. He too was curious about the world and scholarly like Jamieson and Logen, however, Mortimer was by no means good at executing his work, or at least it was never read to show people, that created the mystery that was Mortimer.

“Mortimer is probably off catching up on the trouble he has been neglecting lately.” Axel said coolly about his youngest brother, as the only member of the royal family in the National Guard. Axel was particularly adept at keeping with the firestorm that at times was his youngest brothers. The brothers did truly love one another, the age difference between some of them made it hard to really know each other, Especially for Alfred as he was five years old than twenty-eight year old Jamieson. Mortimer, who annoyed all his brothers equally was almost exactly twenty years younger.

“Well, I will tell you all and you may pass it off to your brother later.” The King said looking from each of his boy’s one at a time, realizing that waiting for Morti was an infinite quest and one best not ventured on one’s death bed.

“Tomorrow is to be a ceremony and banquet. I hope to join you in the great announcement, but if I am unable, in my stead will be.” Alfred puffed up his chest determined to look ready for the task he assumed he would be presented with. “Gerard, the captain of the guard.” The king paused to look around the room and take a long deep breath. “I know you will all do me proud.”

“Father, may we..?” Jamieson began, only to be cut off by his father.

“It will be announced at a ceremony tomorrow morning, do not fear, for this will be good for the kingdom. Sleep well my princes.”

Their fathers best way of saying I love you was to call them “my princes” though it wasn’t the same as “I love you”, it was the best he could muster, and his boys never questioned it.

All of a sudden, there was a loud bang and little Mortimer walked through the door striding with an air of pure sophistication. All eight of his elder brothers turned sharply to look at him, short black hair, and dark brown eyes screaming trouble. It was apparent he was in trouble.

“Ah my son, so happy you could spare a moment of your day for your dear old dying father.” The king said sharply, angry with his youngest son’s obvious lack of respect for anyone and anything but himself.

“I was out on an expedition to find all those not loyal to our family.” Mortimer replied quickly and positively as he walked passed his brothers all kneeling around the kings bed and Mortimer sat firmly on the end of the bed.

Something that sounded like a normal prince duty, but as the Princes were never to actually leave the castle or the guard if they were lucky enough to leave it was with an escort and that wasn’t a top priority with the king’s health status.

“Well thank you my son, but as you know that is not your job and we welcome diversity here in Deacair.” The king said, giving his son a cold look. Mortimer’s brothers all looked so nervous at the relationship happening between their father and youngest and began to back away from the bed in fear of their father suddenly finding all the energy he had been missing and would go after Mortimer.

“We certainly do not welcome diversity father, we don’t even allow immigrants from any of the other land in the world unless there is written consent from a man in Deacair who has sent away for a wife and she has been thoroughly vetted by our match makers in other lands.” Alfred stated from the corner where he was still standing.

“See sir, we do in fact not like outsiders and traitors must be punished.” Mortimer’s face said he was serious. Not many fourteen year olds could be as smart as he was and at the same time as naive.

“Morti, you know absolutely nothing about punishment and if you were older I am sure you would say nothing of the sort.”

Mortimer looked horrified that his father wasn’t sharing in the same dark thoughts that usually ran through his mind. Logen was so astonished at his youngest brother that he thought of possibly walking out and back to his room to finish contemplating where in the world he could move to without the long arm reach of his father, and for that matter Alfred and the army that Deacair was so famous for.

“All of you will leave me now. Remember the ceremony tomorrow and to wear your own colours. Sleep well my Princes.” The king said waving all of his children from the room.

Upon the walk back to his chambers Logen was continuously shaking his head in disbelief at his youngest Mortimer, however he was being taken care of as Jamieson carried Mortimer on his shoulder like the deer’s they hunted and disappeared with Mortimer. Nik and Axel were not far behind and that was good news for Logen as he wasn’t being forced to parent one of his younger brothers.

Parenting wasn’t the correct term, for he knew that Jamieson was going to carry Mortimer to the tallest wall that overlooked the Milore Sea and dangle him over the side while Nik and Axel watched both to laugh and to make sure they were not going to need to save him from dropping. They only dropped him once, and that was when he was a small child of four and a half. It didn’t kill him, but it did straiten Mortimer and Jamieson out for a while.

Logen remembers that day well, it was a warm fall day and little Mortimer was trying to go on a hunt with his older brothers. It was Logen’s first hunt, the excitement was mounting when they saddled up their horses, Mortimer tried to stow away in the call man’s saddle bag. Axel found him that time and wasn’t happy. Instead of telling their parents, Jamieson came over and picked up Mortimer by his britches and carried him back to the nursery. It was on the way along the east wall when Mortimer kept pleading his case on why he should be allowed to go, and Jamieson, who already doesn’t have a very patient nature, got mad at his kid brother and grabbed his feet and hung him upside down from the east wall of the autumn castle of Fhómhair.

Naturally this meant that Axel and Nik were to come up behind Jamieson and try and scare him like any good self-respecting little brother would, having no knowledge that Mortimer was hanging over the wall, they were unprepared for him to be dropped off the wall and fifty feet below to the sea.

Axel, mustering up his bravery jumped from the wall after Mortimer in order to save him, while Jamieson and Nik ran down to the beach to collect him. They got him back to the nursery without having to inform their parents, and though they never told them, they boys have a good idea a guard or other staff saw them and informed the king and queen, as they were extra devoted to their young son and even less to the older boys.

Back in his bedroom, Logen settled back into his map study, looking directly for the best way to escape his family. He dreamed of seeing Saol, the kingdom across the sea and North. Their mountains were described in numerous folk lore and seemed so enchanting, Crescent City, which was more of a large country for some reason called a city. The best goods came from there, Logen always thought it would be great to go and bring back the technology they processed. Barach to the south of Crescent City and Saol was a large clouded mystery. It looked as if nobody had explored into the country for the map just turned white after the border. Knowing the world didn’t turn white in real life, Logen was determined to discover what really was there.

Logen was interrupted by the screams of Mortimer, he tried to drown them out by staring out his window towards the large village of Daonra bellow. Daonra was small, and stood apart of the capital city of Ailpien where the castle was. Logen was staring at a small wooden house that was unlike all the other houses, it wasn’t burning a fire. Nobody was home cooking and somehow this made Logen feel sad. Sad for the people who used to live there, sad for the neighbours and especially sad for the house.

The sun was setting, low on the horizon the sky was pink and orange with the last cheer of day before night fell. Nik, Logen’s favourite brother walked into the room and sat next to him. “What is so fascinating?”

“Oh Nik,” Logen exclaimed breathlessly, he wasn’t prepared for Nik to be there and especially not to say anything. “I keep wondering about this house down there in Daonra; it’s the only one without a fire.”

“Wow, you’ve been staring at this house for almost an hour because they don’t have a fire? Are you alright?”

“I want to go see?”

“See what exactly? See that nobody is home, see that they cooked outside, and see that you are crazy?”

“Nik! You don’t…” Logen began before he was cut off by the hand of Nik wrapped around his face.

Nik pulled his hand away and Logen just gave him a dirty scowl, it wasn’t often that Nik, no it was often that Nik used his full body to get in between different arguments and mess with his brothers, but when it was just Nik and Logen, he wasn’t like that, the pair were good at balancing each other out. They stared at each other’s eyes for a moment, looking for deception but none surfaced. Only the sound of Mortimer storming away from the castle and Jamieson yelling towards him.

“I’ll see you in an hour?” Logen says to Nik suspiciously, still searching Nik’s hazel eyes for the answer. But Nik stands up, nods, and walk out of the room assumingly towards his own. When the door opens, Nik catches a glimpse of the young servant girl Lyestra walking into Hairey’s room across the hall.

For a brief moment, her brilliant blue eyes meet with Logen’s sea green eyes and exchanged the look of confusion, understanding, and desperation on her part. While most of the servants in the palace worked there of their own free accord. Lyestra was not such a case, she was captured after the older brothers Jamieson and Axel decided to board the flag ship the Delahunt, expecting to find Captain Krunch.

Captain Krunch was known for being a ruthless and fearless leader who was keen on pillaging the capital city of Ailpien whenever he felt. No matter how much warning the Guard and Navy were able to give, there was always casualties and captures. Krunch spent much of his time calling orders from atop his special deck on the Delahunt. When Jamieson and Axel made way onto the ship, they didn’t find Krunch, they found a beautiful girl giving the shots to the Pirates.

Lyestra still has not told anyone why she was on that ship, what her role is, and if anything she ever did was a part of a greater scheme. But, she will be held as a captive and forced into service until she does. A fate Logen believes she achieved purely because of her gender and because her origins are not so far away, as her family is from Deacair.

While she was free to move about the castle, if she wished to visit her family in town, she had an armed escort and someone to watch her every move whilst there, even though her parents have always served the royal family, they decided to find a new line of work after she was discovered in a place of honour aboard the Delahunt. Logen really knew her from her tending the morning fire on cold days, she was dedicated and would get up before the sun to come make sure his bedchamber was warm, Logen appreciated this and would always offer her some of his breakfast. At this time of night, Lyestra should be off work firmly installed in her quarters, better yet, she should be in bed, but not Hairey’s bed. In the back of Logen’s mind, all he could think was how it wouldn’t be so bad if she were to lay in bed with him, but he knew it couldn’t be.

He rolled his eyes, stood straight up and marched to Axel’s room two doors down from his own, where luckily Jamieson was with Alfred talking about a hunting excursion for Alfred’s coordination. The light and bright white washed walls were a strange thing to behold next to all the weapons he had amassed on his walls. Axel's walls where he was particularly happy to show off his cross bow he carved from the cernuous tree’s the king cut down to make way for hunting stables.

Logen looked at his brothers for only a moment, then whispered Hairey’s name and walked out. The older three brothers knew this meant Hairey, an extremely precocious lad who had a knack for women, and that meant he was entertaining a young serving girl, and most likely he was forcing her in some way.

Watching girls sneak into Hairey’s room was a common occurrence, and sadly this was only the beginning. Logen remembers about six months ago when Hairey tricked another local girl, Deirdre into sharing his company by getting her father arrested for treason on the high seas, and if she performed well, Hairey would make sure to let him go free.

Deirdre’s father was released, and after her many nights with Hairey, Deirdre a girl of seventeen found herself to be with child. Logen felt so bad about this, he has been sending the girl a portion of his allowance to help her care for the child that has yet to be born.

Thankfully, because Hairey and she were unmarried, this child will have no claim what so ever to the throne and will not cause any more headache for the family. But for the girl’s family, Deirdre and her child will be a burden until she is able to marry, and in Deacair, women don’t reach marriage maturity until the age of twenty-five, at which time the girl’s father may choose the man she shall marry unless she has chosen for herself.

After the scandal with Deirdre and Hairey, that’s when the older boy’s first began to monitor the actions of their younger brother Hairey. After they discovered what and where everything was happening, they began to barge in, and disrupt Hairey’s play time.

This new string of problems only made the older boys mad and the brothers marched back down the hall towards Logen’s room only to turn into Hairey’s, swinging the door wide open and letting what little light was in the hall flood into Hairey’s richly coloured room. Alfred walked straight up to the windows and threw open the curtains letting the sunset illuminate the scene.

Hairey lay in bed, almost completely exposed, and next to him lay two large lumps under his blankets. He attempted to act all cool and calm. Easy going, but his brothers could see right through that. Axel, the strongest and largest brother in size went up and grabbed eighteen year old Hairey by his feet and dragged him to the ground.

Hairey’s bum landed with a loud thump of the wooden floor, given a few splinters to the bare bottom Hairey was sporting, this didn’t stop Axel from then placed his thick leather boot on Hairey’s neck, pinning him from moving on pain of suffocation. Alfred rushed to the bed and threw back the fir pelt blankets to see the face of Lyestra, looking genuinely frightened and scared about what might happen next, what had happened, and the horrified look of seeing a naked Hairey was strewn across her face.

Logen and Jamieson grabbed some of Hairey’s robes and placed them around Lyestra, attempting to give her as much privacy as they could. Meanwhile, Hairey is on the ground flailing and trying to get free of the pressure of Axels foot was putting on his neck.

As Alfred went to discover the second lump in Hairey’s bed, Lyestra tried to move and guard it, knocking Logen to the ground with her.

Quickly Lyestra jumped up, leaving Logen on the ground.

“Lyestra, you are not in trouble, we want to help.” Alfred said in a reassuring voice, placing his hand gently on her shoulder and looking into her eyes to show his respect. Lyestra hung her head in shame and tried to hold back tears. With all the strength she had she said she was sorry and slid back off the bed slowly, falling to the ground again when Jamieson tried to catch her. This allowed Alfred the chance to find out the other lump.

With one swift motion, Alfred threw all the covers off the bed and revealed the second girl to be with Hairey in one night. Her body was curled up in a sort of ball, crying her eyes out. Her golden curls fell all around her body and shielded her from prying eyes.

The girls face still hidden, Alfred turned her over, thinking he didn’t recognize this girl, he went to comfort her as best he could, when he saw those royal blue eyes, her perfectly red lips and exclaimed “Evelyn!” he began to cry, and all of his brothers looked solemn, as if someone had just died. “Evelyn, Evie, how could you?” Alfred cried, holding a crying Evelyn close to his body.

“I’m so sorry, Alfie.” Evelyn began, sobbing harder as she tried to talk. Both she and Alfred knew full well that she wasn’t hear of her own accord. Hairey was a proficient manipulator and caused great angst in his conquests.

Axel reached down to a trembling Hairey and grabbed his by the neck, stood him up and threw him against the wardrobe, causing Jamieson and Lyestra to jump and Logen to freeze. In all of his life, Logen wasn’t prepared to watch the showdown that he knew was about to ensue.

With the force of Hairey’s body against the wardrobe the loud noises and shirks of Hairey in pain made Nik came running in, completely surprised to find Alfred holding Evelyn on the bed crying, Logen sprawled on the floor in disbelief while Jamieson held a hysterical Lyestra wrapped in one of Hairey’s robes as Axel was busy choking his younger brother.

Nik ran up and threw Axel off of a very naked and sweaty Hairey who was now gasping for air on the floor just next to the brawl of Nik and Axel, who were debating on if killing Hairey was a suited choice for his actions. But that didn’t last long for Alfred was quickly up and back on Hairey’s throat, this time throwing him against the wood floor, releasing Hairey’s nose blood.

Without thinking, Logen grabbed Hairey’s slimy body and protected him from Alfred who was being held back by Nik. Axel stood up and shouted at Logen saying how Hairey spent too long preying on the serving girls and needed to be punished in military style fashion.

The boys got into a huge argument until the poetic brother Stephen came into the room, calmly and rationally. He took a moment just observing the unusual event that was unfolding in his midst.

“Why are we all fighting?” Stephen asked calmly, walking towards Hairey sill gasping for air on the floor by his wardrobe. Stephen placed his hand on his shoulder to show some compassion for the brother they all knew slept around and deserved every bit of the torture his brothers were concocting in their heads.

The question Stephen asked only lingered for a moment when the entire room of boys began at each other’s throats again, some more literally than others.

He raised his hand up and waited for silence. Then Stephen looked around the room and calmly walked up to Evelyn and Lyestra, who were now cowering on the bed together wrapped in fir pelt blankets. Stephen held out his hand to the girls and told them they were free to leave and were each granted a week off from duty, and whatever was promised by Hairey, would be granted.

Alfred snapped back into reality and realized his younger brother Stephen was right, Hairey would suffer a long enduring punishment, but his priority right now needed to be on Evelyn, his future wife if his father would only pass. He was of course mad at his girl, but remembering to all the other girls found in Hairey’s bed against their will, Alfred was assured in the feeling that Evelyn was not purposely trying to hurt him.

Alfred had been in love with Evelyn for as long as he could remember. She was, and had always been a smart cunning beauty who treated Alfred as an equal instead of a god like most people the princes encountered.

Because of the laws preventing any prince from marrying before the death of their father, the thirty three year old Alfred couldn’t marry his twenty year old sweetheart he’d been pining over for years.

Alfred, trying to be a gentleman, never order her to his chambers though it was fully within his right as prince to do so, he never requested her into a situation that may compromise her.

Though he was a gentleman, it didn’t stop him from keeping a close eye on her, and going out of his way to run into her, especially at night in the gardens.

As the girls walked out, Alfred ran up and grabbed Evelyn and pulled her into a long tender embrace, in which she reciprocated and just melted into the arms of the strawberry blonde prince’s arms. The moment seemed to last a while, and though Alfred’s brothers were very much aware of the situation between the couple, none of them knew where to direct their eye line, and eventually agreed that the ground and ceiling were much more interesting that Alfred and Evelyn locking lips.

Once the girls had left, Alfred turned sharply towards his brothers and found Hairey who seemed to have recovered in strength. Alfred began to run after Hairey who was still very much in trouble, only to be stopped by the hands of Axel and Jamieson. The adrenaline running through Alfred was almost going to allow him to overpower his brothers. Jamieson was using every single bit of energy to hold back Alfred while Logen threw a blanket around Hairey in pity.

“Excuse me” said a soft familiar voice from the doorway. The brothers all turned around to see their mother Queen Mary standing in the door.

She was tall, with chocolate coloured hair, thick strong eyebrows that magnified her chocolate brown eyes. Her lips were always the colour of red roses gave her complexion the allusion of glowing. She was fourteen years younger than their father, yet still looked as if she was thirty. The only hint of age on her face was the wrinkles on her eyes and lips from so much laughter with her son’s over the years.

With a quick swift rehearsed motion, seven of her nine son’s dropped down to their right knee and lowered their heads, placed there left arm upon their hearts and promptly address their mother as “lady mother”. A customary greeting for both the boy’s parents, however as of late, the bowing to their father has been suspended.

“Stand up, all of you.” The queen said with an air of annoyance on her face. “Would someone care to tell me what’s going on?”

All at once, as if rehearsed, Alfred, Jamieson, Axel, Nik, Logen, Stephen all exclaimed “Hairey” and stepped away from him as if to escape the flames that were sure to ensue.

Their mother, was a kind gentle woman, who also was no stranger to being tough. As a young teenager, before she was married at sixteen, Mary was a lady with a secret, she would sneak out of her father’s house and go run with the pirates, she was like Lyestra and was accustomed to the Delahunt, and the mystery of Captain Krunch. She was especially close with some future pirate named Tyler Beaumont, and just before he was killed, her father, Duke Harrold Stanwyck of Saol who was second cousin to the current King of Saol caught her, she was all but married that day and forced out of the adventurous pirate life she had been so careless to join. This extraordinary circumstance led to Mary being married before coming of age at twenty five.

The marriage was a bit rough at first, for both Mary and Mortimer. The night of the wedding, Mary got pregnant. Six months later, after a long and stressful labour, she gave birth to a very large red haired boy whom she called Alfred. The week after Alfred’s birth, she was told of the death of Tyler Beaumont and his crew aboard the second largest pirate vessel in the Milore Sea, known as the Dark Horse.

The Dark Horse was the second flag ship of Captain Krunch’s fleet, and was known for its impressive prisoner capture and from the few survivor tales, torture. The young and dashing Tyler Beaumont was an Auburn haired lad from the same kingdom of Saol as the Lady Mary. They hadn’t first meet until Tyler’s father Grigori had introduced him a court as a possible replacement for the President of the largest district in the country of Saol.

Saol, across the Milore Sea, was a long-time rival and ally of Deacair. Set up and run completely different from Deacair, nobody from Deacair was ever allowed to travel to and visit Saol for some irrational reason. It was a popular place for unromantic royal family members to find wives, and King Mortimer was no exception to the notion. He set eyes upon thousands of painting of wealthy women from Saol, and settled on the Lady Mary for her youthful beauty and as the king described it, her playful eyes.

King Mortimer knew full well that his wife was so fond of Tyler Beaumont that he allowed to grieve after his death. She spent near five years morning, weeping, and attempting to work through her pain. However it’s the pain of this that made her an interesting mother. Most of the previous queens through history were good at nurturing, and protecting their son’s from the wrath of their fathers, however Mary differed in this as she was the parent the boys didn’t want to be punished by. Her beliefs were ultimately changed by the death of Beaumont.

“Who was she? How old is she? And Hairey, you know the rules. Who am I supposed to keep you a pure and responsible human being when you are only soiling your good name and the reputations of the girls around you?” Mary walked through her boys towards Hairey and spun around just in front of him while she awaited the answer.

“Lyestra Rayner and Evelyn Delphi ma’am. He was with them both.” Nik said quickly, turning slightly for fear of being scolded for talking.

The queen turned towards Hairey and attempting to show little of the rage and disappointment she was feeling for her son, she simply asked why.

“I am eighteen. I am allowed to have some fun, and these serving girls are just all too willing with a little motivation.” Hairey said in his sly, untouchable manner. He just looked at his mother’s eyes, in a taunting manner.

“Hairey, it is forbidden! You and your brothers all know the rules. It’s the price and burden of the life you were born into.” Queen Mary said firmly. Her tone was growing increasingly dark and she addressed one of her younger sons.

“What if I don’t want this life?” A very bruised, unashamed and naked Hairey yelled in anger. While a part of him did truly mean he didn’t want the life. Another part of him was aware of the privilege that was being born with the Deacair name. While Hairey had a life goal to be the fun, easy going, lovable royal. He was aware that

“I love Evelyn!” Alfred shouted, jumping across the bed towards his mother, passing to strangle his brother. “I cannot marry her, do you even understand how hard it is to wait?” Alfred now had Hairey in a choke hold and was screaming at him how to be a prince and gentleman you had to be patient. Alfred was also yelling some profanity, but that was not surprising.

“Guards!” the queen yelled, and within seconds, four soldiers in full armour ran into the room swords drawn, ready for a problem of sorts.

“Guards, please escort Prince Hairey to the stalks for the night, and place two round the clock guards on him all night.”

Logen looked quickly to see Hairey’s face. He knew that this was extreme punishment, but he was also partially glad because if he was repeated placed in them, maybe his behaviour would change. The only expression on Hairey’s face was fear. All the colour had drained from his entire body and he looked like a ghost.

“Your Majesty,” one of the guards asked. “Should we allow him clothing?”

The queen looked back at her son, took maybe half a second before responding with “No.” The fear on Hairey’s face was growing. “He is so proud of himself in this state, why ruin that for him.” His mother the queen said mockingly.

Within moments, two of the guards grabbed Hairey and began to drag him from the room. The sight was nearly unbearable to the brothers, who though did have a feeling of hatred towards their brother at the moment, still felt bad their brother was about to experience a punishment only criminals were sentenced to.

After the room cleared, Alfred ran out, presumably to find Evelyn and see her home safely. Stephen and Axel left too, Stephen probably off to write a parody of the nights events while Axel would look into military laws allowing the justified punishment he could inflict on his brother.

Jamieson walked to the bed, threw all the blankets that had be strewed around the floor on it and walked out the back doors of Hairey’s room into the courtyard behind, angry and ill-tempered Nik and Logen knew not to mess with him, and so Nik spun around, winked to Logen and walked out.

Logen knew exactly what this meant, it meant, they would still go to the cabin tonight. This made him happy, at least his idiot brother could not spoil things for him.

Feeling drained after the adrenaline from the fight with Hairey wore off, Logen lay on his bed, intending to only close his eyes for a moment. But the soft warm bed invited him in, and without realizing it, Logen drifted off into a dream state.

Chapter 3 Logen woke up standing upon a rocky cliff, somewhere he’d never been, and Logen looked into the distance only to see foggy lights. He couldn’t tell if they were stationary or moving, but the seemed to have an iridescent quality to them.

He called out “Hello” but the only response was a faint whispering of his own echo. The clouds, a wide variety of whites, crèmes, beige and what appeared to be pink began to clear, and when Logen blinked, there stood the cottage with no smoke, and it grew into a magnificent city, unlike anything he’d ever scene.

There were buildings, taller than the castles he’d grown up in, it was so bright, as if everything was on fire, without actually burning. People were moving about, and it was loud. As if the entire place was a party. Maybe it was a party, there are people dancing, and the music, unlike anything Logen had heard before.

Logen noticed something in the distance, it was, it was an army, larger than the city it seemed, and they had the place surrounded. Logen screamed again and nothing came out, he tried over and over but couldn’t make a sound. It was like his body was out of air.

With a swift motion Logen tried to run, but his legs were stuck to the ground, he wanted to help, to tell the people of the city there was trouble. That the army was right outside and they needed to be warned.

He tried screaming again but again, nothing came from his mouth. The army was closer and Logen felt more and more powerless. A feeling he wasn’t used to with the status given to him from birth.

Logen sunk to the ground in anguish. He wasn’t able to move, talk, the worst part was the destruction of this glorious town, the town he so wanted to explore was not filled with real fire, destruction, people were screaming and running frantically and he couldn’t do anything.

Looking from side to side there was nothing but destruction, except for a small opening in the front line, it was along what he figured was the south wall, but for all he knew he could be standing on the south side.

The ash was beginning to billow up from the city, the cries of the helpless were not lost on Logen who was now thrashing around trying to get up from his stationary tortured state, he realized the city was at the point of no return and just sunk down to cry. He could care less about the voice of his father entering his head yelling at him to never cry because he was a man.

Feeling his emotions build up inside of him, there was no other option but to cry and for the first time in his life, Logen didn’t care that he was crying, he just wanted to be down there with the people, he knew it wasn’t right for him to be apart from the people.

Finally, words came out of his mouth and they felt so freeing “We are all the same!”

Logen opened his eyes and was back lying on his bed, the room was dark with the setting of the sun and he realized, what a horrible dream he had just had. A moment later, Nik opened the door and the light from his candle illuminated the room in a dark and warm way.

“Ready?” Nik whispered just loud enough to be heard by Logen, but quiet enough to make sure nobody heard anything they said.

Logen was still shook up by his nightmare, remembering the cottage growing into a happy city that just erupted in violence from an outside force.

“Uh, yeah I am.” Logen made the sounds of words, not truly feeling like they were words. Grabbing his leather satchel and water horn, favourite sword and boots slowly, given him time to contemplate his dream.

Was that going to happen? Was he getting his brother and himself into more trouble than anticipated?”

Nik was getting impatient at the lack of motivation by his brother. He has spent his time after Hairey’s exploding arrest in his chambers drinking some mead and working on his swordsmanship skills. He felt like he was invincible, and in many ways Nik was invincible, he was never going to have the same strenuous life as the criminals, he would never be in trouble so long as his family was in power.

“Logen, let’s go before we lose the moon!” Nik yelled in his loudest whisper.

Logen spun around while trying to pull his boots on and looked deep into Nik’s brilliant chocolate brown eyes, his shoulder length hair fell in perfect dark waves with chocolate coloured streaks running through his hair. He was tanner than Logen for spending more time in the sun for the pure reason of being darker, tanner, and more exotic for the ladies. While he wasn’t about to force women to his bed, he did enjoy spending his time at the tavern with the ladies, and if ever there was a ball, he was sure to spend his time with every lady, not wanting to show favouritism.

Logen stumbled to his feel and meet Nik in the corridor. “Let’s go.” He said calmly.

Nik just laughed at his brothers clumsy actions, and they ran quietly towards the south wall, where the guard change would happen in three minutes. They just had to wait for them to turn their eyes and repel down the wall to the ground. Unfortunately, thanks to Hairey being in the stocks all night, there were more guards than usual.

“Logen, we might need a new plan. Any ideas?” Nik whispered from the corner they were ducking behind.

If you listened closely, you could hear the whimpering sounds of Hairey in the stocks, most likely trying not to cry. Each boy had spent time at one point or another in the stocks, it was their mother’s favourite form of punishment. Thankfully, and oddly enough, their father was a bit more lenient and merciful to his son’s.

Logen remembers the first time he spent in the stocks. He was tired of his forced and regulated life, and all he wanted to do was leave. At six years of age he believed he was strong enough to make his life on his own, and snuck out of the castle in the middle of the night.

Of course a guard saw him, and he didn’t get more than a yard past the grounds before he was taken back to his parents, who were angrier with the fact they were being woken up than about the fact their son was working on leaving.

The whimpers of Hairey, while warranted, did fall hard on Logen’s heart, but he then remembered the look of horror and helplessness on the faces of Evelyn and Lyestra and knew that Hairey deserved everything he was getting currently, and more.

“Nik, we got to go back, there isn’t a way to get out here.”

“Can we get out of your room?” Nik asked carefully, turning his mouth, not face to look at Logen, still fixating on the guards and trying to find a rhythm.

“Cliff, you?”

“Cliff, hmm.”

The pair sat for a moment longer, trying to think of all the ways out of the castle, but unfortunately, the family hardly spent time in Ailpien and the boys were not as familiar with this castle as they were with others. This hindered them a little.

“I got an idea Nik, follow me.” Logen said running off down the corridor, down the stairs to the servant level and off to the armoury that also housed the uniforms for the guard.

Nik figured out the plan while he was running after his younger brother and found the plan brilliant. Sneak out of the castle dressed as the guard, with a helmet on, they would blend in and the real guard would be none the wiser and also not have to worry about a random town person to recognize them.

The boys quickly pulled the elaborate robes and chainmail on that they wore in battle, however the guard wore this daily, as long as the noble knights who guarded the king and castle. The sheer weight was bad for a short time, but for a long time it was unbearable.

“Logen, this stuff is horrible. I have only worn chainmail for fittings, never in battle, its heavy.” Nik said, trying to clasp the hood at the nape of his neck.

“Just pretend it’s a very gentle bear hug.” Logen said, struggling to pull his boots on over the padded robes on his legs.

“WAIT!” Nik shouts in his loudest whisper, and Logen froze in his tracks. “Doesn’t the guard have colour codes?”

Logen looked around and nodded, remembering what he sees every day and doesn’t think about. The guard does colour code the ranks of men. The guards outside of the Kings door are the highest on the chain of command, along with the men at the gate, they wear purple, and the other colours included gold, royal blue and white.

“Purple? I think that’s the highest. We should get past the guard just fine with that colour.” Logen replied carefully

“Positive?”

“Always.”

The boys quickly pulled off the chainmail, well as fast as you can remove large amounts of heavy chain from your body. Within five minutes however they were dressed in dark purple robes with gold accents, covered in chainmail and hidden beneath a large metal helmet that had a cross across the nose for protection.

The protection part of this was a joke to the boys, in all their years alive, never once had anyone tried to storm the castle, hurt anyone. It was a wonderful era of peace. The only time they did have to worry was when the Pirates would begin to attack one of the sea forts.

Logen was four the first time he remembers an attack. The evil pirate Captain Krunch whom is rumoured to have been alive for near two hundred years got mad about the usual quarrel, trade, and fought an attack against the king and by extension his family.

But with the attacks by the pirates, it was never direct combat, and they would fire upon the castle a few times, do some damage and leave. At this stage in life, the attacks are almost expected, however, at the tender age of four year old, the attacks were extremely scary.

“Ready?” Logen asked, as he placed a sword in its hilt on his waist.

“Yes.” Nik replied quickly as he placed he grabbed a sword from the rack and fastened it to himself.

Chapter 4 The Princes Nikolas and Logen Deacair dressed as soldiers of the royal guard walked down from the Capital Castle of Ailpien to the village of Daonra, the trek was unfamiliar to them. Being dressed like a solider, they were not permitted to walk down the familiar family driveway, they were subject to the back trails they never walked.

            The pair got out of the castle, and were walking through the capital city of Ailpien when Nik saw a beautiful girl and tried to wander off, letting his mind escape him when Logen grabbed onto the hood of Nik’s chainmail and yanked him back fiercely.

            “Just one night, can you not be lured by a pretty face?” Logen said in anguish.

            Nik was all too fond of finding girls, but he wasn’t like Hairey in his quest to discover all the girls’ secrets, on the contrary, Nik felt the best when girls were speculating about his secrets, making him a topic of discussion and looks by all the beautiful courtier girls. His favourite way to attract a girl is during the ball’s his father would throw and allow him the pleasure of dancing with women, moving in an alluring and allusive way.

            Nik shot Logen a smug grin and they kept walking, Nik adverting his eyes from the sidewalks where he was tempted by the women of Ailpien. It was much harder than he realized, and part of him began to feel envious, the town’s folk had the freedom to be themselves, roam wherever and interact with whomever. Nik and all his brothers were forced to work within the cast system.

After leaving the outskirts of the city, it was a ten minute walk to the extremely small village of Daonra. It was originally going to be the capital city, but the woods that it backs up are too dangerous for man and was abandoned in favour of living closer to the Milore Sea, in consequence, closer to Pirate Attacks as well.

            The boys spent the entire walk speculating about the use of the log cabin, Nik was still thinking Logen was losing his mind for being so intrigued by an empty house on the edge of the wood, but then again Logen had grown up hyper observant and that both helped him and hindered him.

            Nik remembers many times when Logen got himself into the trouble through noticing the unnoticeable. Nik’s favourite memory was when he was seven years old, Logen found the hidden door to the passages above the government rooms that also had small holes that allowed for the boys to make noises of ghosts and scare their father’s council. It worked too, and Lord Caoulhouver, whom is responsible for the Deacair’ military movement, still will not set foot inside the winter castle for fear of the ghost legends.

            “Logen, what do you think we will find?”

            “An empty cabin full of memories.” Logen said plainly and positively. Nik just stopped in his tracks. The lack of chainmail sound caused Logen to turn around and look at his brother who was giving him a dark stare.

            “Why did we just break from the castle then?” Nik said furious.

            “Would you rather have stayed?”

            “You just wanted to get out?”

            “Yes, and no.” Logen said confused as to what he really was feeling. He had spent the better part of his father’s long battle with illness feeling stuck, and having no real way to voice his insecurities as his brothers would find him weak. He loved his family, and never wanted to lose anyone, but he also didn’t feel he belongs. His brothers were much more suited to the life he was told multiple times he was fortunate enough to be born into, but still found it to be a bothersome burden.

            Often finding himself sitting at his desk by the window searching the maps of the world, marking marks on locations he wanted to explore, and day dreaming about being in the woods again. His favourite memories of childhood were of his day’s training in the woods with his father and brothers. Hunting, without the use of dogs and horses, and the survival training the King insisted each of his son’s learn.

            Nik sighed, he loved his brother, he may never have said as much, but he did. “Well then, let’s go see what we have.”

            Logen was eager to approach the cabin, while Nik was more guarded and keep a firm grip on the hilt of his sword. The loud knock on the door make Nik flinch, but as he expected, no movement from within.

            It didn’t take him but a moment to start picking the locks of the door, only to realize it wouldn’t open, the door was fake, a cleverly painted wall with the correct shadowing to give the allusion of being an abandoned cabin. Logen began to question the meaning behind this, while he took the time to inspect the entire wall for space enough for a door to be hidden with no luck. Logen then turned around to look for Nik, calling for him to look at the extremely well painted door.

            The boys looked at each other fascinated, there had to be another way in, and thus the search began. Each taking a side, they examined each window, all fake. The windows also seemed to be treated with some sort of filament that didn’t allow the observer to see within.

            “Logen, this may not have been such a weird request.” Nik said, trying to use the sword to pry open the window, but to no avail.

            “I have a great idea!” Logen shouted to Nik from the other side of the house. Within moments Nik was there holding the mouth of his brother and pinning him against the wall.

            “What is wrong with you? Trying to get us killed!” Nik whispered to the shocked Logen. “You may be twenty two, but you sure have a lot to learn.”

            Logen broke free from Nik and shoved him off, “So you don’t want to find out what’s in here?”

            Nik shot a mixed emotion glance at Logen, as soon as Logen said this wasn’t worthwhile, he had let his hopes down, until the door was fake, the windows were treated and locked, he’d never seen anything like it. He hated to admit it, but he had become super interested in what was inside this crazy solid log cabin.

            “Let’s go through the chimney” Logen said, calmly and sternly. The strong idea of going through the chimney was one he had both been thinking about, and at the same time, been working with in his mind as a possibility of death. But the intrigue was getting to him. Logen has never been one for surprises.

            “Are you? Yes you are. You’re mad.” Nik yelled in a whisper. “What makes you think that will work?”

            “Call it a hunch.” Logen stated, still relevantly calm.

            A hunch, the worst words that could come out of Logen’s mouth. The hunch’s Logen seemed to get always made matters worse before better. But nearly every time they worked. Sighing heavily, Nik realized he needed to help his brother, or he would try shimming down the chimney all on his own. A fate he would wish on nobody, ever.

            “Too bad we don’t have rope.” Logen said, as he was examining the logs trying to find a way up to the roof.

            “I’ll get a rope, you find a way onto the roof.” Nik whispered, pointing fiercely to the roof and then disappearing into the distance in search of rope. There was a farm not too far away that may be able to lend a rope to a solider of the guard.

            The farmhouse was lit by a single candle in the main window, it gave hope that they were home and even awake. Nik, tried to act perfectly calm and as if he’d done this thousands of times as a soldier. But he still found himself holding onto the hilt of this sword, something that was now becoming a comfort blanket.

            He walked up to the front porch of the white farm house, knocked firmly on the dark red door and took a deep breath. A moment later an elderly man with skin dark as night, wearing nothing but his night clothes and cap answered the door and looked grim.

            “Not more taxes, we already paid today. I don’t have any more to give.” The elderly man said, now shivering from the cool night air.

            “I’m not here for taxes sir.” Nik said trying to disguise his voice. “It’s not the tax week anyways.”

            “Are you new? We pay taxes twice a week, sometimes more if the Pirates attack.” And within that moment, the wife of the old man came to the door, she looked so sad and scared.

            “Please soldier, we have no more money.” She said quietly, trying to keep her head down out of respect and fear.

            “Ma’am, I do not want any money, I simply wish to borrow a rope.” Nik said, still confused as to why this family was so concerned with paying taxes that shouldn’t be due for another three weeks.

            “All you officers are the same, you just walk in and expect to be handed whatever you want because you wear the crest of Deacair on your chest, but those of us who work for ourselves don’t see the reward you reap from us.”

            Nik was floored. He wasn’t used to people talking to him in this manner, of course he couldn’t correct them without revealing who he was, and that wasn’t a safe option. They could actually turn him in to a real member of the guard for a reward. That was curiously enough a result of something the dying King Mortimer did as a child. A story that never managed to be repeated in the castle while Nik grew up.

            Nik had taken too much time to speak when the old man did that for him “What would you need rope for anyway officer? Tying up some towns people who didn’t pay taxes.”

            “No sir. I am charged with checking on all dwellings abandoned in the Kingdom, the King wants to make sure they are taken down, or repaired so families can live within.” Nik knew he was lying through his teeth, but he faked the best strong sincere face with just a hint of his signature smug smile.

            “That dying old man? He hasn’t done anything useful since he fell ill and none of his useless sons give a damn, or care about the people that pay for their banquets and parties. I bet they don’t even know about the true conditions of the town and its people. But now you want me to believe that a dying old man wishes to spruce up Deacair before he croaks, I am sorry soldier. I cannot help you.” The old man began to slam the door only to find it blocked by the quick reflexes of Nik whose arm, now bruised, was in the way.

            “Sir,” Nik lowered his voice and quickly scanned behind him, careful not to move his arm from the doorway. “Sir, my name is Prince Nikoli Deacair, I am looking into the abandoned house down the road with my brother Prince Logen Deacair, we are seriously intrigued about its purpose and are aware of our faults, and we had to sneak out of the castle as we have never been permitted to leave.” Nik removed the helmet from his face revealing his face that thanks to the girls of the kingdom who poster his face as if he were a god so that every person could recognize.

            The old man shot up and his wife disappeared towards the kitchen. The old man was trying to decide what the proper manners towards royalty were in this situation. His biggest fear was the prince being angry with him for complaining and take his revenge out on him, or worse his wife. Trying to contain his emotions and keep calm was harder than he ever remember with all his days in the Deacair army.

            “Sir, I am asking to borrow rope and I will replace it.” Nik said calmly and quietly

            “The old house at the end of the way just before the wood?”

            “Yes,” Nik was curious as to how rope lead to the idea of the house, but he knew Logen would be relentless until he discovered its secrets.

            “Find your brother, don’t doddle. You pair need a history lesson, then ye shall have rope.” The old man’s voice was dark serious, and even to a degree tender. Nik looked into the man’s cool grey eyes and found the warmth and knew he wasn’t going to turn him in for money, he genuinely want to help.

Nik ran off to find Logen, who was thankfully, easy to find. Logen had found himself up a tree and stuck hanging upside down. Nik stopped just before the tree to watch the glorious sight of Logen trying to keep the blood from rushing to his head by doing what appear to be crunches in air.

“Want some help?” Nik said sneaking up on Logen, purposely trying to scare him.

Logen jumped and twisted awkwardly, the chain mail making enough noise to alert the army.

“Don’t move,” Nik said looking around, listening and waiting for a sound to indicate they were about to be discovered.

Nik climbed into the tree and un-wedged Logen’s leg out and allowed him to fall to the ground ‘idiot’ Nik whispered under his breath.

“Help me.”

“Logen, no, no time to explain, but come with me. Silently.” Nik said grabbing Logen’s hood and holding him close. Their eyes meet and Logen didn’t question his brother, though he did want too.

It didn’t take too long for them to get back to the old man’s house and find everything boarded up.

“Nik, why are we at an abandoned farm house? Did you want to get in here first?”

Nik just shot a dark glance back at Logen. He walked to the door and knocked lightly three times, and within a moment, the old lady returned to the door, wearing her night dress and apron and ushered them inside.

Logen began to look worried, one minute they were looking into the cabin he’d notice wasn’t occupied, and then Nik drags him to this farm house that looks like it was recently abandoned, only to find an elderly couple within.

Quietly she showed them to a sitting room. It wasn’t like what the palace looked like. The walls were covered in a brown floral wallpaper that was chipped and pealing along its seams. The couch was made of wood and was stuffed with a mixture of hay and cotton, there was a nice wooden bench directly across from the couch of sorts. The old man must have been a carpenter or a wood worker along with farming.

The hearth lighting up the room was large and looked as if it had been well used over many years, remnants of children echo in the house with a child’s wooden toys upon the mantle of the hearth. A doll made of dried corn and hand sewn clothing lay untouched for years. Logen and Nik both felt an overwhelming amount of sadness.

The elderly man appeared, now wearing trousers and a shirt and ushered the two princes to sit down. He acted nervous as to whether or not he could sit in their presence, if he was required to act in a certain way, say something, address them. It was unusual for anyone to meet the royal family as they were sequestered to the castle.

“Sir, forget we are princes, please, talk to us as equals.” Logen said quite diplomatically.

Nik agreed completely with Logen, but was surprised to hear such wisdom from his lips, as many times Logen was too care free to be politically involved or correct.

The man sat down and took a deep breath, he leaned in towards the princes whom shared the bench he had made for his wife as a wedding present so long ago. Feeling awkward and unsure of how to talk to the men sitting in his living room.

“Alright look boys,” the old man pauses and winces “Your highnesses, I’m sorry.” He paused again, “How much does your father tell you about history?”

The brothers looked at each other searching for an answer, they were taught by tutors, and didn’t see their father for things like school and manners. The tutors taught them all about the history of Deacair, and about the previous kings, all of whom have been family. They learned about the war torn countries that surrounded them and how they broke away from the torture nearly two hundred years ago. The question of what do you know about history implies they didn’t know something, or something specific but with a world as old as their, the brothers eyes locked and showed the same questioning look.

“Basically, everything you think you know is a lie. Ever wonder why you have never meet any of the siblings of your father?”

Nik responded without hesitation, “They all live in different parts of the kingdom, with new titles such as lord or duke and such.” it was one of the questions he’d asked many time growing up, asking about the cousins he wished he could know.

“No, here is the ugly truth always kept from the princes and not for near 100 years, princesses. You are pitted against each other to the death.”

Nik and Logen froze, how this man dare declare they would be fighting one another was beyond them, it’s not natural and inhumane.

“I know it’s hard to swallow,” follows the old man, “But it only happens after the current King dies, that day, the captain of the guard gathers up all of the Kings heir’s.”

The brothers were enthralled, because the thought of Captain Gerard and his top commanders coming into the picture after the death of their father doesn’t sound too unheard of.

“After they have each of you sequestered, they will take a week to train you, get a feel for who you are as a person. I don’t know all of what goes on behind the scenes, but out here in the villages, we hear propaganda about who should win, and we all take bets. Or at least those of us who actually subscribe to the violence.”

“Wait a minute, I am confused, what happens?” Logen said, again using the serious voice Nik never realized he had. “Do we just, fight?”

The old man swallowed and leaned in closer, “In a way, each of you will be put in an arena to fight until the death, and the worst part is, they don’t let anyone emerge from the arena until they have completed the challenge and one of you survives.” The old man shuttered.

He could remember the last King’s Games, as they were called, because he was seventeen years old at the time, and the Current King Mortimer and his five brothers were placed in an arena. Though he was not the eldest, he had brute strength on his side, and when it came down to the last two brothers. Mortimer and his brother Kailorn, eight years his junior. He couldn’t do it. Mortimer looked at his brother and dropped his sword, covered in the blood of his other brothers. But Kailorn was always the valour and looked at his brother, walked forward slowly, gave him a hug. The old man blinked and froze, the sight of Kailorn, his head rolling away from Mortimer was horrible. The entire stadium was quiet. It was unheard of for the prince to commit suicide, it was even more unheard of for them to do it in a sacrifice for a sibling.

The old man explained all of this to the princes, pausing every few moments from the pain of the memory. While he did not directly know Prince Kailorn, no commoner did, but every person in the kingdom knew of his sacrifice and admired him that much more.

“I cannot believe he killed himself.” Nik said, shaking his head, knowing in his stomach that his fate may not be too different if their father does indeed die in the next few days.

“I don’t know Nik,” Logen said slowly, really contemplating how he would act in such a situation, but from everything his mother taught him about love, and living life to the fullest, he knew that he could never kill one of his brothers unprovoked. Alfred and Morti maybe, but more from annoyance than anything else. “I couldn’t kill you.”

Logen’s tone changed to read dread as he uttered the words kill you. How this barbaric game a traditional aspect of life in Deacair, and why it is that he as a Prince was never told. He’d been invited to sit in council meetings with his father, take part in traditional ceremonies. But that was it, a part of the façade.

“You boys need to get out of Deacair.”

“But sir,” Nik and Logen said together, still sober, “we came to explore the abandoned cabin.”

The old man looked down, trying to figure out how to talk to them about the worst part of life, something few knew and he was one who shouldn’t.

The old wife walked in, dressed still in her nightdress and cap, she’d upgraded to an apron, obviously worn often and possibly my many generations from the amount of patchwork on it. But no matter how disgusting the apron looked, she was by no means ashamed of it, and Logen felt proud of her for it.

            “You must tell them Mikhail” the wife said to her husband. You can tell she was nervous.

            The old man, who they boys realized they never bothered to ask the name of. He was being so helpful and possibly saving their lives and they repay him by simply treating him as he is, that is the biggest insult the boys ever learned not to do.

            “Mikhail sir, please.” Logen said, inching closer, Nik had stood up to offer his seat to the wife, who promptly refused and made her way to share the small bench with her husband.

            “I don’t even know where to start,” Mikhail said looking at his wife, she too had an expression that showed uncertainty.

            But with that, there was a knock at the door loudly. Two actual soldiers were standing upon the door and looking fierce. The wife without hesitation took of her apron and threw it in the corner and walked to the door while her husband ushered the boys into the door they had not realized was in the dark corner of the sitting room.

            Once inside they couldn’t only faintly hear the wife talking to two very brutal soldiers. They were discussing taxes, and how she refused to pay because they already had this week. They claimed that the taxes were going towards finding their daughter who was abducted by Pirates on a raid.

            Nik had to hold his breath from screaming out when he heard the clank of chain mail and the soldiers grabbed the old woman and began to take her from the house she’d obviously lived for so long.

            Logen held back Mikhail, if one was to be arrested, he knew it should only be one. As a prince, he could get her out later.

            As soon as all the noise had gone, and it seemed like forever, the boys dare move from the back room they had been in, trying to keep their own chainmail silent just in case.

            “Mikhail, was your daughter really taken?” Nik asked, as soon as Logen had given the all clear sign from the window.

            “We gave her to Captain Krunch, but if anyone asks, she was kidnapped.” Nik wanted to ask more, but he could see from the look on Mikhail’s face that it was not an issue he should trespass on.

            “We will get your wife back.”

            “Boys, we are but old people with no children to pass our lives onto after we are gone, don’t fret about us. I and I know Chrondey would be too. She is stronger than you know.” Mikhail was shaking as he said the words, knowing that he may never see his wife again.

            The air was quiet, silence filled the room, but all three men could feel the exact same emotions, even if they couldn’t voice them together. It seemed like forever that they stood in the darkly lit parlour silent.

            It was ages before Nik moved towards the window with Logen. Apart of Nik was wishing that Logen had forgotten about the cabin.

            “Sir,” Nik knew from Logen’s tone that he was going to be as persistent as ever. “I must ask about the cabin before I leave.”

            “Have you too ever heard of magic?” Mikhail replied quickly and strongly.

            “Of course, it was banished in this country near two hundred years ago when the borders closed after the Queen of Saol killed the only daughter of King Tyfus. He was so outraged he banished all magic in the kingdom, killing half the army to rid the country of the magic and closed off trade to the countries who still openly supported the evil sorcery.” Logen was stunned, he’d never ranted like that, he felt ashamed, of course this man knew the same thing. It was common knowledge. There was even a festival every year in honour of the dead Princess, and the curse that was placed upon the kingdom so that no royal would ever bear a daughter. Something that had come to pass.

            “Wow that is some terrible brain washing, I feel sorry for you, though that is what the schools here are forced to teach as well.” Mikhail could see from the faces of the princes that they knew not of what he spoke. “It’s a tale passed down from father to son in the country. We all know how the daughter of King Tyfus, the Princess Jael, she was in fact a sorcerer herself. He killed her in retaliation when his cousin the Queen of Saol offered to allow her to live with her and give her lessons on how to control the magic. He blamed the Queen of Saol for her death.”

            “That cannot be correct sir, no King of Deacair would harm a women, let alone family. That must be a crackpot tale to tarnish the name of the Deacair family.” Nik was furious, Mikhail in one night had told them that they all would die soon thanks to some games in which they all kill each other and now that the murders started long ago in their family. This was not the way their mother raised them. She always told them that ‘Courage and Kindness are the strongest weapons against any enemy.’ Now that seemed false.

            “Look I know it’s hard to take,” Mikhail said, walking closer to the boys who were back to holding the hilt of their swords for safety. “The commoners don’t talk about it because we know it’s forbidden. But you must understand that life is not as rosy as you’d think. The taxes we pay to unknown causes, they cripple the town.” Logen and Nik began to soften and the forceful words of Mikhail “I have three children, all born with a rare condition that is not permitted in Deacair.”

            Both Logen and Nik began to make a sprinkle look with their hands and Mikhail nodded. “Yes,” he said loudly, before whispering magic to them ever so quietly.

            He was about to go on when the loud castle bells warned the entire nation of danger. “Boys, your world is about to change and I cannot help you. Trust me, forget about the cabin. What’s in there will only kill you. Now get back to the castle, keep your mouths shut and listen to your mother.”

            “We will get…”

            “Don’t you dare try and liberate my wife, she is protecting you as I would myself. Don’t let her sacrifice be in vain. Now leave.” Mikhail pushed the princes through the door, and in the dead of night they began to run. The castle was a good five leagues from their location and it would take them a bit to get there, especially with the heavy chainmail weighing them down.

Chapter 5                 Neither Logen nor Nik could remember a time when running hurt so bad. Their chests were on fire from their lungs trying to get in enough air to keep them alive, the chainmail was weighing them down and causing every muscle in their bodies to scream. Both boys knew very well that those bells that were waking up the entire country most likely signalled the death of their beloved father and in extension, their own lives.

            Nik wanted to ask Logen a stupid question but knew that whatever the ceremony the king had planned for his sons was by no means important at this very moment. Their only goal was to get back to the castle and get out of the chainmail, something that was causing Logen to doubt, it caused them great difficulty to get the stuff on, how on earth would they to get it off.

            Five leagues began to feel more like twenty and Logen knew the only reason his body was still moving towards the castle he’d grown up in was thanks to a lot of adrenaline and the love and respect he had and will always have for his father.

            No sooner than Logen feared he’d drop to the ground and die of fire lungs did the Castle come in to sight, and with a heavy heart he realized the flags had already been lowered and they raised the black flag, marking the death of a family member. The only time in his life had Logen seen that flag was when his youngest brother, Sertuvious was born and died in the same day. Had he lived, Sertuvious would have been twelve years old. While Logen never actually met his youngest brother, part of him every single day wondered what Sertuvious would have been like had he’d lived. The only memory of him is the black flag being raised above the castle and towns.

            Now they marked the death of King Mortimer, and Logen and Nik both knew that in that moment, their lives changed forever, and if the old man Mikhail was correct, forever was going to be a really short amount of time.

            They didn’t believe their father would die, a part of them knew it was a possibility but they firmly believed he would one day get better, and be sitting down at the dinner table on Thursday nights when everyone in the family would gather around a great feast they shared and enjoy each other’s company.

            Logen was never so happy to get back to the caste, but as they ran up the stairs to the corridor that housed all of the brothers rooms. There were guards there, holding Jamieson, Stephen and Karter. Hairey must have still been on the stalks and Jamieson was attempting to persuade the guard to unhand him.

            Logen and Nik just stopped and realized quickly that they needed to continue to blend in. He and Nik were doing their best to breath as if they hadn’t just ran across the city and farms in the dead of night.

“Sir, let them go, there is no reason to hold a prince of the realm hostage after the death of his father.”

“Orders.”

“Who’s Orders?” Jamieson demanded, Nik and Logen knew full well from the tone of his voice that he was about to unleash the evil temper he was readily adept and keeping dormant within him.

“Queen Evelyn.” the guard said simply and promptly, as if it wasn’t even a question. Her name rolled off the tongue too easy, this alarmed all the brothers. Queen Evelyn shouldn’t be a thing. Their father isn’t even cold, he wasn’t even in his grave. How could she be queen, and what did that mean Alfred was off doing, or who he was pressuring to get the title and name of Evelyn put together.

            Jamieson started to turn red in the face, nearly as red as Alfred’s hair. Logen and Nik were screaming vindictive thoughts in their heads whilst showing a calm and cool demeanour on the outside. Logen wanted to say something, then again both Nik and Logen wanted to cry out in anguish at Alfred, who conveniently wasn’t around. But something in the sideways glance Jamieson casually shot in their direction made them realize, he knew more than he would say, and who the two frozen soldiers standing before him were.

            “Queen Evelyn, has a nice ring to it.” Jamieson said slyly and the guard began to hall him, Stephen and Karter off towards the prison cells. Without hesitation, the head guard stopped, looked back at the still masterfully disguised princes and commanded his men to go and search for the missing princes, Axel, Nik, Logen, and Mortimer and bring them before the new Queen as soon as they are found.

            Nodding, Nik and Logen began to walk away from the ever screaming Stephen and Karter, using ever muscle in their body to disregard their brothers yelps of pain. They walked to the stalks, figuring they would find Hairey, still naked, still tired, and most likely cold from the night air. But he was nowhere to be found.

            “Do you think he is?” Logen began

            “He is already in the custody of Evelyn, he didn’t stand a chance.” Nik said solemnly, “Beside, we weren’t sent to look for him, so he is already captured.”

            While walking towards the corridor of bedrooms both Nik and Logen stopped at the same exact time and looked hard at each other. “Lady Mother?” They shouted in the loudest whisper they could muster.

            Sneaking around a busy castle in chainmail was harder than they thought, Logen was giving every single guard huge credit for wearing this all day without falling over.

            “Where will she be?” Nik asked slowly, scanning the area for anything unusual and for sign of his missing brothers, which he was sure he wouldn’t find. Nik Stopped, it only took a moment to realize his mother would be hiding in her cave.

            Her cave had no name, and it was not known because she created it long ago. Queen Mary became increasingly depressed after the murder of Tyler Beaumont and her grief was tragic, the king knew he couldn’t force her to do anything if he wanted a life of at least a little happiness, and after all she was only sixteen when she married the king and bore his first child.

            During her grief period she would take her anger out by hollowing out a small and abandoned mine the castle was built on top of, thus creating a cave of her own. She kept it well guarded and didn’t even tell her son’s until it reached a good and decent age where she believe she could trust them.

            Getting closer to the cliff wall, Logen and Nik began to swallow hard in anticipation, the wind from the sea was becoming ever more violent as they approached and wearing such heavy chainmail was going to prevent them from getting into the entrance.

            The walk to the closest entrance of the cave consisted of steep sharp steps down the side of the rocky cliff that separated the castle, high above the Milore Sea. When Logen looked over the edge of the cliff he swallowed hard, how was he going to climb down the cliff without falling wearing all this chainmail, that question was causing him to be real concerned.

            Nik too had the same fears as he looked over the side of the cliff, it wasn’t just that it was hard to access. A feature that was extremely attractive to their lady mother, but also meant that getting into the cave would be dangerous.

            Normally, they would use the cave entrance that lie within the castle walls. The entrance was inside their lady mother’s chamber, hidden in a stairwell that descended from her privy, it was a ghastly yet remarkably well concealed entrance.

            “The wind is too strong, we will fall.” Nik began to yell at Logen, whom was thinking the exact same thing as his brother. But Logen could feel something, he didn’t know what, so he looked around and sees the biggest problem in the world. He was looking at some guards rushing towards the courtyard, and while they looked like guards, that didn’t mean they wouldn’t be caught for deserting, and then they would be in bigger trouble when the helmets were removed.

            His heart began to race faster and faster, Logen recognized the sweaty palms, fast heart beat and shortness of breath as fear. A word he dare never use for the thought of being a coward was not an option in his life.

            “Logen, we don’t have time, there is no way to get down the wind is too strong,” Nik said, looking gingerly over the side of the cliff. “Besides, if Alfred is King, where would he be?”

            Both boys took another look over the wall and the icy forceful wind make them rethink the decision to get into the cave. If their mother was down there, who knows how long she would have before she starved to death. The energy of the day, and young but long night was beginning to catch up with them.

            “What do you say, we jump?” Logen shot a look at Nik, appalled at his cowardly thought of suicide. “If I am going to die, can’t I at least do it in style?” Logen had to admit to himself that Nik may be on to something. Their own futures appeared to be extremely short and possibly non-existent. A jump into the sea would be a cold, but refreshing way to go. The Chainmail would surely sink them and they wouldn’t be forced to kill their brothers, though this didn’t seem so correct if Alfred has already taken over.

            Everything was spinning in Logen’s mind and he wasn’t sure how to process. This had to be a nightmare that he would wake up from and be safe in his warm bed, Nik snoring next door and his father down the hall.

            Never was he more grateful for the helmet was when the tears began to run down his face. Logen had never lost control of his emotions before, and crying wasn’t something a strong prince should do. But every single tear had a story behind it, his father, his way of life, his brothers, family secrets. Everything he’d ever known and loved, Logen was going to have to mourn. Trying to shield his face from Nik, whom now sat against the wall, Logen caught a glimpse of Nik also trying to hold back tears. He began to feel a connection for his brother stronger than ever before.

            The life of privilege they were born into in one night has turned into the curse. Logen didn’t know what to do until four soldiers walked up to Nik and Logen, whom had already taken the helmets off, allowing their well-known faces to be seen.

            Captain Gerard Lord Vinete knelt down next to the emotionally strained Logen and said the most earth shattering words any person could tell another person. “I am sorry.”

            Captain Gerard and all the princes have a rich history. Gerard grew up in a family near the badlands, or at least that’s what Gerard referred to them, none of the brothers had ever been allowed to venture that far inland, leaving the badlands up to the imagination. Gerard became influential in the capital when he rode in on his horse at seventeen years old and was determined to be a part of the guard. King Mortimer’s Father King Dagda was a calm and peaceful leader who refused to take part in the military aspects of Deacair, leaving it up to his elected leaders.

            Gerard came to Ailpien only to discover mini civil wars raging all over Deacair, and no leader to take charge. Legend has it that Gerard teamed up with the then twenty three year old Prince Mortimer and his brothers Prince Cian and Prince Eugene to battle evil in the four corners of the Kingdom. The story probably had more to it, but this is all Logen and Nik had ever heard as children. Gerard may be highly respected and feared, but Logen knew him as almost a father figure.

            “Boys, I have to take you in for the night.” Logen couldn’t make eye contact, he couldn’t think of anything but how dying was going to feel, wondering if the sacrifice his previously unknown uncle Kailorn had made wasn’t such a bad idea.

            All of a sudden, there were arms of the guards holding onto him tightly, forcing both Nik and Logen towards the dungeon. Nik, putting up a huge fight was screaming hysterically while, Logen, calmer than his normal self was obedient in the order to the dungeon.

            The boys were thrown into the largest of the cold and dark cells. Shaped like a large hallway with a single window. Stone walls of a multitude of greys stood tall and strong around them, with only the surface cracking to show their true age. There was no shelter from the cold in winter leaving Nik grateful for the warm spring evening, and the chainmail that was keeping him nice and warm. Looking across the cell he could make out Hairey in the dark, a ball in the corner was not in for the same pleasant evening.

Inside the cell reserved for ‘esteemed guests’ as quoted by the late King Mortimer, Logen buried his head in his hands, hardly moving, while Nik took the time to look around and realize, almost of his brothers were already in the cell, the only remaining straggler to be dragged in, Karter, who was good at being invisible until he wanted to be found.

            “Jamieson, what’s going on?” Nik asked with heist. His heart was still beating with adrenaline and was causing his voice to crack like a teenage boy. Jamieson, tall and calm relaxed on a straw bed on the floor near the window throwing lose pebbles against the wall near Logen’s head. Jamieson was remarkably calm for the events of the day that refuses to end.

            “I have no idea. It happened so fast.” Jamieson started to say, trailing off trying to figure out the words to explain his feelings. “One moment I am in the courtyard sword training with Morti…”

            “I was winning,” croaks a voice from the opposite wall as Jamieson

            “When all of a sudden there was a loud and crazy sound and it was as if my life ended right there, I could hear mother screaming.”

            “Is she alright?” Logen asked, with a voice of anguish and disbelief.

            “I don’t know,” Jamieson responded “I still haven’t seen her. But I knew what the scream meant.” His speech was slow and his words were all given with careful delivery allowing you to feel the unexplainable emotions running high throughout the cell. “Morti and I ran as fast as we could towards the castle when soldiers grabbed us. Evelyn, or as I apparently should say Queen Evelyn” he hesitated long enough to shake his head and have Stephen respond from the cheap seats next to Morti with a quick and silently audible ‘bitch’ causing a great smile to cross his otherwise dirty and melancholy face. “She screamed at the guards to grab us to await sentencing.”

            “Sentencing?” Nik nearly screamed, as Axel kicked the wall near Jamison’s head out of frustration towards life, not his brother who didn’t even flinch.

            “Oh I don’t know what we are being sentenced for but I am quite curious.”

            “I’m not.” Axel said assuredly as he placed his head firmly on the wall he’d just kicked. Stephen out of nowhere was there to place a hand on his shoulder and lean against the wall nearest him.

            “Why not Axel?” Jamieson asked smoothly

            “What do you know?” Morti said from the shadows that blanketed most of the long and ugly cell the boys were so generously trapped in.

            “There was a moment when father got worse, mother came to get those of us she could find, you were already gone,” Axel said, motioning towards Nik and the still solemn Logen, “we rushed to see him, only to have Alfred walk out of the room with his head down, I knew exactly what that meant and even with the death of our father, the only thing I kept and keep seeing is the vision of Alfred smiling as he put his head down allowing that red hair of his to ‘cover’ his face. He without hesitation announced the death of father and that he was now uncontested King, and would be marrying Evelyn before midnight. It was maybe a half a second later that mother screamed and collapsed into a ball on the ground.” Axel had never been as good with words as Jamieson, but in this speech, there wasn’t a dry eye, of course each of the seven brothers currently locked up were dealing with emotions most people never experience at once.

            “I still don’t believe your father gave the title to him, without the traditional formal ceremony.” Captain Gerard said from a random place within the dark corners of the cell block. Jamieson, Axel and Nik all jumped in reaction to the voice they were not expecting and crowded the little window on the door to see out for the owner of the voice.

            From across the cell block, Captain Gerard walked forward into what little light was being let in from the one candle lighting the hall, its small amount of yellow bronze light eliminated the grey stone enough to give one hope of seeing the sun again, something being inside the cell ever allowed. “Did your father tell you about a ceremony happening in the morning?”

            “He did” Nik responded quickly, with high anticipation, hoping there was a difference between what Mikhail told them about the traditions and what King Mortimer had planned for his own children. “It’s a horrible ceremony I had to witness when I first joined the guard. I can’t tell you much more except that Alfred is actually committing treason. Then as quickly as he showed up, Captain Gerard walked away and faded into the grey black abyss. The boys called out and received no response. Giving up hope they all returned to their positions on the floor near the window.

            “Well that wasn’t at all cryptic, if I were writing a novel that would be a great plot twist, or a good suspending cliff hanger, but in real life it’s one step below torture.” The ever quiet and studious Stephen said calmly.

            Forcefully Logen lifted his head and responded with “What are you the comic relief?” Logen who knows the same as Nik was still processing his thoughts. He wasn’t even sure where to begin or if he would have to explain the situation how he could go about doing so without causing his brothers emotional pain, something his kind soul could never do. Instead he decided to be silent and listen for the birds to wake up, signalling that morning was here. It may be useless to think now, but Logen always tried to look on the bright side, and from his current position, just seeing another sunrise was accomplishment enough.

Chapter 6 The darkness just seemed to get darker, as if the light from the world was being extinguished all around them. The earth, today, was not friends to the Deacairian people, as the night only brought the heat, suffocating, and still the air just hung all around them, feeling heavier with each breath. Each boy had begun to realize that all those years of living in a castle, being sheltered by their father was a terrible mistake, this dark oppression was slowly suffocating them.

The relief came as the last brother joined the cellblock. “Ah Karter, welcome to the party, as you can see its really hopping, on our right we have the piss bucket, please stand back in case of splashback, to our left we have straw presumably for beds, though none of us can sleep. And scattered between the middle of the cell are your brothers, who all are a bit irritable and anxious, enjoy.” The newly crowned King Alfred said as he threw his little brother into the cell by the collar of his shirt.

As soon as Alfred was gone Jamieson and Stephen rushed to help Karter.

“Are you alright? Where were you?” Morti asked as he came up from behind Jamieson to help.

“Alfred put mother and I into his bedroom and locked the door. He said he needed us out of the way while he address the public as the new King.” Karter was about to cry, something you’d never see in public, he had mastered the art of the soldiers face that had been instilled into each boy from the time of their birth and beyond.

“Is she?”

“Yes, yes she is alright. Remarkably sad, But mother is ready to leave.” Karter said, sitting back down on the ground and curling up into a ball, holding his knees tightly to his chest. Gently his older brothers Jamieson and Nik surrounded him on either side, placing a loving guiding hand on him, asking for details.

“I don’t know too much, other than she says right after tomorrow all of us need to just go, get away and never come back.”

“We cannot just leave Deacair!” Axel the patriot shouted loudly jumping to his feet causing the dirt beneath him to be kicked up and cause Logen and Stephen to cough. “We are princes of Deacair are we not? We cannot abandon our people.”

“She didn’t say that!” countered Karter who now had tears streaming down his face. “Mother was quite clear,” Karter said relatively more calm, “I will never forget her words either ‘to save all that we hold dear, you and your brothers will all have to leave, in order to have a chance at coming back someday.’

“Awesome, our family drama comes with its own secrets, intrigues and plot twists and I don’t even get the pleasure of reading the end first.” Stephen said quickly, the response stunned all his brothers whom turned towards him and just stared.

“You are no longer allowed to speak writer” Logen said sharply, his emotions were getting the best of him.

Chapter 7 The only sound anyone could hear was the pounding of the hearts of every single person sitting in the coliseum. The entire town of Ailpien and the surround villages were all gathered around the great stage in the center of town. The Silence was killing the people, and the players, but nobody was able to move, or even understand exactly what was about to unfold.

All of a sudden, Captain Gerard Lord Vinete walked on stage and sat down by the Queen Mary, who just last night had lost her husband and was carrying herself with grace and elegance as always, Captain Gerard waited for a moment. The people began cheering for who they wanted to win. But every single person knew that no matter what was said, life, every man, woman, and child would have a very different life.

The large and noble country of Deacair was rich with tradition, and this ceremony, this change, this decision, was anything but traditional, or so the nine health and young princes standing on the stage awaiting their fate thought. It was earth shattering and nerve wracking.

Each brother shared was the holding of the hilt of the sword tight, ready to draw if need be. They all shared the same hard, deadly expression, trying to be emotionless was more difficult than accepting the inevitable.

Logen, the middle brother felt as if reality was coming in and out. The haze was causing him to become confused and weary, his only hope was to keep breathing, deeply in, deeply out.

Nik, the fourth son of the King could feel his palms sweating and hear his blood pumping extra into his tired and scared heart. He hadn’t sleep much the night before, and this ceremony wasn’t like it should be. It shouldn’t be at all.

Logen and Nik exchanged a sideways glance and became extremely concerned with the way life was about to be handled by their eldest brother Alfred, by the guard, by the people. What about all the friends of them?

This couldn’t be reality Logen said to himself, it’s not real, and it’s all a dream, of course, their father couldn’t have wanted this. Their father knew too well the outcome of such an event and the sacrifices made for him to ascend to the throne. Then of course he probably never really knew his father, and felt more distant from him with each passing second.

The kind and gentle king who excelled in military might, he loved each of his nine sons equally and always wanted them to have full happy lives. Their King Mortimer had always been a big supporter of tradition, and though he sometimes found them crazy, he did agree with his children that having tradition was a major part of being a good king and keeping a vast country such as Deacair together as a whole.

Deep breathing was no use, Logen blacked out exactly at the moment his father’s advisor Captain Gerard Lord Vinete stood up to speak. Just as he raised his hand and the large crowd was silent, even the wind stopped blowing and waited to listen. Captain Gerard made the life changing announcement that each prince was both shocked to hear, and at the same time, no surprised.

“As per the wishes of the late King Mortimer, his son’s Jamieson, Axel, Nikolas, Logen, Stephen, Hairey, Karter and Mortimer Junior will all compete in a battle, to fight to the death with the lone victor taking over as King.” Captain Gerard stopped and looked back at Alfred who had now walked up to him, pulling his sword from its holster and drawing it closer to him, ready to strike.

“My father’s last wish to me was, I ascend the throne, and my brothers bow to me and live, or die at the point of a sword.” Alfred said calmly

“You are not an heir…” Captain Gerard’s last words as Alfred’s quick clean blow struck the poor captain into pieces. There was a brief moment of sheer angst at what would happen next, it wasn’t helped by the sight of Captain Gerard’s body in two pieces, with blood dripping off the stage.

The reaction time was so slow, nobody, not even a prince had dare fight with a guard before. That was sure suicide. Now Alfred, stood over the man whom was like a second father to him and was telling everyone about his plans for the kingdom, and the idea of bringing back the task force to expel anyone from within the boarders who is or has a child of magical ability.

All of Alfred’s brothers were frozen on stage. This was not how this was supposed to end. This isn’t real Logen continuously repeated to himself in his head. As chaos ensued the town’s people began to rush the stage, and Alfred was fighting back, and worst part of all, so were members of the guard. Alfred must have gained followers in the night while his brothers were all locked up in a cell.

Logen and Nik grabbed each other and ran across the stage to their mother. She hugged each one quickly, gave them her love and then shouted “You need to leave Deacair now!” Queen Mary handed Logen a letter and then pushed her son’s off the stage and towards the docks of Ailpien. Nik and Logen didn’t waste time, they grabbed their swords, and ran off through the busy crowd towards the docks.

Leaving the place they’d grown up was rather hard

Most of the local’s saw them coming and knew immediately that they were running for their lives and did whatever they could to help the young princes whom they felt sorry for get away from the chaos that was surrounding the stage.

A few older men tried to catch them and force them to stay and fight in the show they believed to be so important. the divided crowed was causing the boys tremendous pressure, on one hand they are trained and skilled with a sword, and could just beat down the villagers, but that would only cause them and possibly their mother more harm.

Just as Nik turned the corner towards the harbor, his path was blocked by the guards, and out of nowhere, Alfred, now King Alfred, pulled up on a Chariot, with Evelyn on his shoulder wearing a dress Nik new full well was his mother Queen Mary’s, as he, Logen, Stephen, Karter and Mortimer all designed the dress for her as a mothers appreciation day gift.

Not even a moment later Logen rounded the corner, plowing into Nik and knocking them both to the dusty road that lead straight to the harbor. Nik could feel his blood boiling and the moment, his mother told him to ‘get out’, and coming from his mother, this was a warning, not a suggestion. The relationship between mother and son had always been distantly close, as expected from his royal status.

Logen spit the dust from his mouth, pushed himself onto his feet, not bothering to look at his torn and dirty dress clothes because he was too busy staring at the sight of the new and by no means rightful Queen Evelyn. Logen’s blood was so hot, he could cause a volcanic explosion from Mount Storgnier. Part of Logen wanted that reaction, it would end this misery, but nobody deserved to die, and that simple thought saved him from going all crazy about things, even if every fiber of his being was inching to pull his sword and rip the dress right off Evelyn.

Nik and Logen were surrounded. Guard’s men were everywhere and Alfred went the extra mile to ensure that archers were placed on all roofs within reason.

“What do you want Alfred, we are leaving, you don’t have to deal with us.” Nik said strongly.

“I can’t have you around trying to make a mess of things. Father gave me clear instructions, and sadly they were to eliminate each of my brothers. I am the sole king and there cannot be any dispute.” Alfred’s tone suggested he was angry with having to kill his brothers, but angrier with his father more.

“Alfred, we don’t want the throne! Why would we get in your way?”

“Because I am changing Deacair! I have magic, I was born with it and have always had to suppress it, and father said it was a mark of the devil, but I know it to be untrue. I am a sorcerer and so is Evelyn. Together we want to bring back Magic to the land, and not only that, but return the glory of dominancy, the class system based on your abilities should be reinstated.”

Logen was shocked, in the history of Deacair, not one person had magic, or nobody had ever claimed to have magic. He quickly scanned the guard, who also seemed genuinely surprised at the announcement made by the King. For as long as anyone could remember, Magic had been outlawed, ever since the time of Deacair and his brother Fiáin who tore the world apart over the issue of magic. Most of the legends about Deacair are based in the great purge, wiping out magic in the land nearly a century.

Chapter 8             “What is happening to us right now?” Logen said to Nik after they were re thrown into the cell they’d spent the night in.

            “I think our lives just ended.” Nik said quietly, placing his dirty and bloody hands around the bars of the small window to the outside and hung his head onto the cold grey stone wall, pausing to reflect on his twenty four years of life.

            Nik has always been sentimental and keeps fond memories in his head. Today, after everything that has happened, all he could do was to keep replaying his favorite memory. Every week his mother queen Mary and himself would find themselves walking through the streets of Ailpien when he was a young child. Mary was particularly fond the local bazaar, and made sure to stop at every little vender hut and sample the food being cooked while telling stories of her family and childhood when she lived across the Milore sea in the country Saol, something no other royal family member has seen.

            The memory of a simpler quiet life was the entire reason Nik had the strength to keep going, and to be a good brother to Logen who he felt he needed to protect, even though Logen was slightly bigger than Nik and could take him evenly matched in a fight if required.

            “There is no escape.” Logen mumbled as he leaned into the stone wall and sunk down, scraping the chainmail he was still wearing, however the sound hardly seem to effect either brother as they both contemplated the doom they most surely faced.

            As night fell, the angry crowd had quieted down slowly, until the only sound that remained was that of the rough sea hitting the walls of the castle and the clank of keys and chainmail from guards walking about outside the cell.

            After what seemed like days, the moon finally arose outside and began to shine its light into the cell, yet somehow the nearly full moon seemed darker than it did a couple of days ago, as if all the happiness had left Deacair and the moon found it obligated to shine on Deacair.

            “Is it true?” asked Logen to his brother who were now both laying on the straw floor side by side.

            “Yes, we truly are going to die.”

            “No about the legend?”

            “Log, do you know how many legends we have learned in our lifetimes? Since our time is limited, get directly to the point.”

            “The moon Balor?”

            “Yeah Logen I suppose so, the Logen of Balor and Gaia dying and staying with their children as sun and moon has some truth. Tonight the moon just seems sad, it’s like its dying inside, dying like we are about too.”

            “Well thank you big brother, you have always been good at putting a positive spin on things.” Logen said, turning his head to give Nik and sarcastic glance only to be looking back into Nik’s half whited smile and begin laughing.

            The next few hours passed with lighter moods between the brothers as they exchanged fond memories of childhood, making jokes along the way as the sky began to lighten in the anticipation of the arrival of the sun.

            While still laying on the stone floor trying to catch their breath from laughing so hard, the brothers hear a sound and shot up, turning to look directly at the door, anticipating Alfred or a guard to come through the door, both of them wished they had some form of weapon on them. Hand to hand combat wasn’t something either Logen or Nik had good skills in.

            “You know there is another way out right?” A voice said from behind Logen and Nik startling them, Nik threw himself against the wall causing a great clank from his armour being scrapped against the stone while Logen jumped by losing his footing and landed himself, fifty pounds heavier than normal on the ground. Both the suits of armour and chainmail created an echoing sound that was only enhanced by the acoustics of the large stone tunnel they found themselves trapped in.

            “Would you be quiet you nit whit’s!” the voice shouted in the loudest whisper, audible enough for Logen and Nik to hear without alerting the guards to the possible jail break.

            Without hesitation, both boys stopped moving and looked at the window to see, a rather old man looking back at them, since they knew the ground to be a good thirty feet from the window the vision of Mikhail, the farmer they meet in the village became quite a surprise to them.

            “Mikhail, how are you here?” Logen asked carefully and quietly as he tried to slowly remove his sore body from the floor without making too much noise, a task much harder than he anticipated and both Nik and Mikhail took a minute to watch Logen struggle silently before Nik offered him a hand.

            When finally standing on his feet, Logen looked into the dark eyes of Mikhail and could see his annoyance and at the same time pity. “If you want to leave, we have to hurry, and you have to lose the suits” Mikhail said promptly and quietly, he had already began working on sawing through the two bars on the window.

            After a moment of realization, Nik and Logen began to quietly get out of the armour, a task not taken lightly as to do it quietly and quickly was one of the hardest things either boy had faced.

            “I’d rather be fighting in one of fathers circuits than this” Nikolas said, referring to his father’s love of sports and the grand tournaments he would throw just for the chance at the glory of being admired by his people.

            “Nope, Jamieson and Alfred always won, I’ll take this” Logen whispered back to his crazy brother as he put it.

            A good while later, Logen and Nik had successfully taken off the armour, stuffed it with the hay and laid them down near the door, leaving them to wear nothing but the damp wool tights and sweat stained cotton shirt they’d had underneath.

            “Alright, I am tying this rope to the bar I didn’t cut, shimmy your way out and climb down carefully.” Mikhail mouthed to each brother.

            About halfway down the wall, Logen couldn’t shake the feeling from his head that something wasn’t right, something didn’t sit right in his gut, but he couldn’t figure out what.

            Once on the ground, the scenery and surroundings came into view, the sun had moved up further, still below horizon but just barely about to kiss the sky. Mikhail grabbed the sleeves of the boys and pushed them towards some bushes, running ahead of them, glancing back only briefly to insure they were following him.

            The difficulty of sneaking through the town quickly made Logen and Nik remember all too well why they wished they included more Cardio into their daily lives, Logen had a gut feeling that he was not headed for Mikhail’s house, but instead headed straight towards the curious cabin he admittedly knew he had forgotten all about thanks to recent events.

            Upon reaching the cabin, Logen and Nik collapsed on the group gasping profusely for air as they rubbed their sore legs. “Get up boys! You need to climb down the chimney.” Mikhail yelled from the back of the cabin where he was putting a ladder up to the thatch roof.

            “Do you think he is trying to kill us?” Nik said rolling onto his stomach in hopes of slowly pushing his aching body into a standing position.

            “I’m not convinced we aren’t already.” Logen struggled to say as he was attempting to use a bush near him to try and pull himself up.

            “You boys need to be quicker if you want to survive.” Mikhail yelled again from up top the roof.

            “How old do you think he is?” Logen asked Nik as he finally got himself to his feet.

            “Too old to be doing any of this!”

            “I am too old for this.”

            “Agreed.” Said Nik calmly as he stood at the base of the ladder and pondered if he would survive the trip through, and it was only a guess, but through the chimney seemed the only way off the roof.

            The roof was more unstable than the boy’s had thought, with each step they could feel the thatch straining with their weights.

            “Take a good look boys, this might very well be the last glimpse of Deacair you’ll ever see.” Mikhail said as Logen and Nik exchanged glances, trying to decide what the next course of action could possibly be if there was any hopes of saving their lives.

            Logen took the advice and looked around, the sun was still just barely below the horizon, but the glow of it was warming up the landscape. From the roof of this short cabin he could see the vast woods that surrounded the farms of Ailpien, the town looked warm and inviting as villagers were all getting up to start their lives. The castle way in the distance overlooking the sea looked even grander than he’d ever remembered, walls upon walls, and towers overlooking the entire world it seemed; however Logen clearly remembered how impossible the outside world seemed from those high castle windows.

            Logen could see the sun about to reach its hand over the horizon and spread the first few rays of light on the world, he motioned for Nik to look to also noted in the beauty of the surroundings, taking extra note of the quiet that had become over the world, not even a bird in the distance made a sound.

            The brothers looked at each other, as if to ask about the silence only to find the entire world had gone black.

Chapter 9             “Do you think we should tell them?” said a girl who’s skin was the colour of chocolate, her hair was frizzy and eyes had a different and unexplainable curiosity to them.

            “I don’t think we can, they won’t understand they are not ready.” Replied the man with grey in his beard and hair.

            “It’s not like they are children.” A second girl, with bright frizzy red hair said forcefully.

            “Oh yes they are.” Replied the man “I need you to imagine growing up in a world where you have no knowledge of the outside world, you are told everything is fantastic and your biggest concern is nothing in the world. From a land you can never fathom comes these two, they haven’t had the same type of experiences so they haven’t grown up the same as you.”

            “I still think we should tell them.” Chocolate girl said with a lot of sass under her breath.

            Logen lay extremely still as he listened to the three people leave the dark room in which he was being held. He could hear sounds coming from outside but they were not comprehensible to his ear. It took hardly a moment for him to realize he was lying in a bed, and Nik was next to him.

            “Nik,” Logen said quietly shaking his brother gently “Nik” again, this time louder. “Nikolas, Nik, come on Nikolas wake up.” But again he wouldn’t move. Logen quickly sprung up in the bed, causing a loud creak, but he didn’t care. All he was concerned with at the moment was checking to see if Nik was breathing, he found his pulse and took a deep breath, while he wasn’t responding, Nik was alive and so was his heart.

            Logen lay back down on the bed and began to wonder where he was, and who these people were, what happened to Mikhail, and most importantly the question to how he and Nik ended up in this bed together surrounded by strangers. But none of those questions could be answered by staying in bed.

            He looked around gingerly and decided that moving might be okay as long as he was really quiet. He swung his feet off the side of the bed and lowered his body, still sore, onto the ground. Made of wood, maybe I’m in the cabin Logen thought to himself. But as he took another small step, he heard his worst fear, the floor was hollow, there was another room underneath him and there is no way that cabin had a basement.

            How do I get out of here? Logen kept repeating over and over in his head, still unsure of what direction he would want to take at the present time. His eyes took longer than usual to adjust and when they finally did, he found himself crawling slowly away from the bed towards the black. He narrowly avoided knocking a table over before deciding to turn directions and head towards what the black made seem like a door. But when he reached his hand out to feel for it, a soft velvety feeling ran shivers up his spine. This wasn’t a door, but it could possibly be a window.

            Standing slowly, he kept a hand on the velvet at all times just to see how far up it went, but after standing to his normal 6 foot stature and reaching as high as he could, the velvet went higher still. Grabbing a handful and taking a deep breath he threw the extremely heavy velvet away from his body only to reveal a large bay window that let in a massive amount of bright sunlight into the room, filling up every corner for Logen to examine, after the initial shock of the light and being able to look out the window Logen’s worst fear was confirmed.

            I am on the ocean, how can this be? Logen said out loud to himself as he franticly made his way back to the bed to begin shaking Nik down even more, hoping to get information, or at very least a familiar voice to sooth the panic that was consuming his body. Without thinking he let out a scream and in came the chocolate girl and greying man.

            “Prince Logen, calm down, we are here to help” said the girl who’s skin looked like perfect chocolate and eyes as dark as coffee but friendlier than he’d expected. She stood before Logen with both her hands in the air while the man was behind her guarding the door Logen had previously overlooked.

            Without having anything to defend himself Logen found that words might be the best course of action in this case. “Where am I, who are you and what is wrong with Nik?” Logen demanded, still trying to catch his breath from the excitement.

            “My name is Sera, you are aboard the Pirate ship Delahunt, you are safe and both you and Nik were given knock out gas to keep you sedated while we smuggled you from Deacair. You must have not gotten as much as we’d estimated as you woke up sooner than expected.”

            “Look son, I know this is disconcerting, but your mother sent us.” The greying man said from behind the Chocolate girl Sera.

            “How could my mother have sent you, I am pretty sure she is dead.” Logen cried out in anger, remembering all that had happened to him before he blacked out.

            Sera with her arms still out took a step forward towards Logen as to show comfort, not aggression. She was wearing a long dress, Logen wasn’t sure as she had one leg forward and the sides of the skirt were cut bearing her leg, but she was wearing tights of sort, they seemed to be leather but then again Logen was no expert of women’s fashion or the textiles ladies choose to use on garments.

            “I have no news about her currently, but her last correspondence said she’d given you a letter and you would be aware of what was about to happen to you.” The greying man said, stepping further into the room and laying his weapons on the table to show is peacefulness. For a man of possibly forty or more, he was sure able to carry a lot of weapons. From his eyes Logen knew right away that he wasn’t from Deacair in anyway, he’d never seen anyone so dirty and yet at the same time well dressed. In his mind, Logen figured the greying man was a relic, he’d lived an amazing life with high class and never changed his clothing since.

            The letter, I completely forgot about the letter. Logen quickly went to search his clothing only to learn he wasn’t wearing his underclothing anymore, his shirt was new, and different, the normal tight sleeves were exchanged for long billowy sleeves, his neck didn’t button, it had a string tie and his pants were, awkward. There was a hole on either side that he could stick his hand into but not touch his skin, it was as if his pants had pouches. “What am I wearing?” he asked sharply.

            “We had to change your clothing son, don’t fret it be laid here in safe keeping for you” said the grey man as he opened a trunk across the room from Logen and revealed both his and Nik’s clothing. Dirtier than Logen remembered and covered in blood.

            “Who died?” Logen yelled rushing over to the clothing to look for the letter.

            “Nobody died, you both got some scrapes on you as you were shoved into barrels and carried out of the city.” The chocolate girl Sera said, setting down onto the bed next to Nik, still unconscious and this infuriated Logen.

            Without thinking Logen began screaming at her and trying to rush across the room in an attempt to save Nik, but the greying man grabbed him with firm coarse hands and looked directly at the girl and with a stern voice told her to leave the room, in which with a heavy sigh and some sideways glances she got up from the bed and walked out of the room into the light.

            “Sit boy” the man said as he released Logen firmly allowing him to fall to the ground.

            “Who are you, why are we here and where are we?” Logen yelled as if he was yelling as a prince with subjects about to tell him anything he wanted.

            “Settle down son,” the man said calmly as he motioned to a chair across from him. “Jack!” he yelled loudly as Logen took a deep breath questioned the chair but ultimately decided it was worthwhile to settle down into the chair.

            Barely a moment later a young girl who looked to be about the same age as Logen, possibly younger walked through the door, she was the girl from before with bright red hair and eyes the colour of the sea. She was wearing the same strange dress as the chocolate girl but in a dark green colour that suited her eyes.

            “You called?” she said plainly, obviously not amused to being summoned.

            “Jack, isn’t that a boy’s name?” Logen said, questioning her as if she was the enemy

            With a wiry chuckle and scoff her paused to look deeply into Logen’s eyes. “What makes it a boy’s name?” she asked back.

            “No name is specific to gender and I’m sorry if it displeases you your highness.” Jack said with extreme sauce and a bitter smile across her face. A slight bow and she turned hastily left the room.

            “Jack I needed you too…” the man started to yell after her

            “Get it yourself Captain.” She replied back with a wave of her hand and without skipping a beat.

            Captain? Logen wondered to himself, was this a ship?

            “Silly girl.” The man said getting up and pouring a glass of water for Logen and grabbing an apple from a basket hanging in the corner. “eat.” The man said as he pushed the glass and apple towards Logen.

            Logen didn’t realize how famished he was until he took a bit of the apple and it felt as if it was the best food he’d ever had.

Elizabeth A. Scott

Thursday, June 2, 2016

Cheerleader by Omi

Cheerleader by Omi Ft. Felix Jaehn

Monday, March 21, 2016

Shut up and Dance Arrangement for Band

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Adventure Map

Monday, February 8, 2016

Marching Band Tunes

Dance Dance

Fall Out Boy

Sunday, February 7, 2016

Music for Marching Band

Dance With Me Tonight

Olly Murs

Timber

Pitbull Ft. Ke$ha

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

My First Novel

Chapter 1

Sixteen Years and one Day Later

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9