Sunlight of Eternity

All across Aetheria there is a shift felt. The wind slightly changes direction, the soaring birds begin to sing an altered tune, and even the flowers blossom before their time. The very magic that is deep within the soil of the lands, that is tied to every living thing, stirs. A new source is awakening. Untapped and plentiful. The strongest to ever be glimpsed since the last of the Gods and Goddesses still walked among the common folk. If traced to its pinpoint location, nary a soul would believe that source to truly exist.

The Sunspire Citadel is a large kingdom that boasts giant walls made from beautiful sunstone. Those walls encircle what was once a small burgh with a lonesome little castle overlooking it, but has now become one of the largest bustling cities in all of Aetheria. That lonesome little castle has become an ever-growing palace, which has sprouted several spires over the last several decades. Decorated with gold and glittering gems alike, that palace has become a gleaming centerpiece of the province. This kingdom is nestled right in the heart of rolling, open plains.

Inside of Sunspire, the people are diverse. Despite being kept guarded by those walls, and intimidating gates which almost never open, there are people from all walks of life inside the kingdom. This kingdom is where the surge of new magical power is awakening from.

“Soleil!” A soft voice calls out. “Soleil, where are you hiding at now?!” There’s laughter behind the words, but it is concealed and feigned worry is atop it. “Could my darling little prince be… over here?” There’s shuffling as the voice grows closer to the one it is searching for. “Or maybe… he’s here!”

Finally, flaming red hair comes into view. A dainty circlet of gold sits atop the head of the most powerful woman in the entire kingdom. She slides a few things around, disturbing dust as she lets out an exasperated sigh. “No, he’s not there either. I wonder where ever my son could be?” She calls out. A golden fingernail reaches up to tap at her chin. “I suppose I will just have to go and tell his father that he couldn’t be found!”

A boy sitting in the rafters couldn’t contain his laughter any longer. Erupting with it, he let himself fall backwards and hang from the wooden beam by his legs. Golden curls are level with the fiery haired woman’s eyes, and she lets out a loud gasp. Covering her mouth with a hand as she haphazardly hides the large grin stretching at her lips. “Here I am, mama!” The boy exclaims. His shirt slipped over his face, and he tried to push it back up to continue to see his mother’s growing smile.

She looked genuinely surprised, even though this was a game that the two had been playing since Soleil was a very small child. He would always run off and hide somewhere within the palace, leaving his mother to go searching for him. He’d always loved the spires, but the ones still under construction were the best places to climb and hide in.

“What in the plains do you think you’re doing?” She reached out and yanked his shirt from his hand, pulling it back down to pat at his flat stomach as she scolded him. “Trying to take your mother to an early grave with your acrobatics?” He swatted her hands away, grinning as he pulled his shirt back up to peek at her again. “Really, boy, do you have any idea what time it is?”

“Sun’s out time…?” He gave her a sheepish smile, trying and failing to make a joke. She arched a sharp brow up and gave him a disapproving look that only a mother could muster. He swallowed harshly, glancing behind her the best he could to see out the tiny window. “It’s mid-day?”

“Oh, Soleil…” She let out a sigh. “It’s closer to sundown than that!” Her bright, emerald green eyes pierced right into her son’s matching ones. “I was told you missed your lesson again today.” She clicked her tongue disapprovingly, but her smile never fully faded from her face. “Your name day grows ever closer, and you’re nowhere near ready for the ascension process.”

Soleil was still hanging upside down, but he went entirely rigid. Just the thought of his ascension day petrified him. He was going to be king one day, that much everyone knew, and yet the very thought terrified him. How could he be a leader? Each day that grew closer to his ascension and coronation was another day that he showed no signs of being blessed. His mother bore the markings of their Goddess, just as her mother before her. Each generation of the royal bloodline there was a child blessed with magic, and each generation up until Soleil’s had shown clear signs before their sixteenth name day which child was going to be blessed.

To his knowledge, there had never been a case where the child that was blessed with the Goddess’ magic didn’t go on to take the throne and rule Sunspire. If Soleil wasn’t blessed, then he would be the first of the royal bloodline to take the throne without magic. They didn’t have a choice, as his parents didn’t have another child. At least not another living one. His mother had been the one to gain the magic, and as such was allowed to choose whomever she wanted to lead the kingdom with her. Her brother, Soleil’s uncle, went on to become the knight commander. Leading their military force and being sure that all of Sunspire is protected from the outside world.

It was a lot of pressure, but it was only amplified by knowing that due to him the royal bloodline’s magic could die. In recent times, his mother’s blessed markings had begun fading. To everyone that meant the magic of Sunspire, the very magic that helped to keep them all safe, was waning. It would frighten anyone, to know that the thing which connects all living beings was suddenly starting to disappear from their little slice of the world. There was no other explanation for why his mother was growing weaker as the weeks stretched on. Soleil often felt like a failure, but this would be a catastrophic let down. There would be no coming back from it if it turned out he wasn’t blessed. He couldn’t handle letting his people, his kingdom, or his family down like that.

“It’s okay, my child,” his mother shushed him. She could see the doubt and gloom-ridden thoughts taking him over. “It will be okay.” Her hands gently cupped his cheeks, and her smile felt like the sun warming his skin. So soft and serene… until a hint of something mischievous flashed across her features. She gripped her son’s face and gave him a little tug, causing him to slip from the beam he’d been hanging from.

He crashed down and landed on his back with a loud “oof”, before looking up at his cackling mother. Her belly laughter was contagious. Soleil couldn’t help it as he began laughing as well, staring up at his mother. She extended a hand to her son, with her golden fingernails gleaming in the light. “Come, now, you must go get dressed before the travelers arrive. Remember, we’re supposed to be welcoming them as our esteemed guests.”

Soleil had almost forgotten about the travelers arriving that night. He knew they were coming, but he’d lost track of what day they were supposed to finally make it to the kingdom. It had been so long since they’d last opened their gates and allowed anyone inside of their walls. In fact, the young prince almost couldn’t remember the last time it’d happened as he’d been such a small child. He wanted to know what the world was like outside of the walls.

With a ruffle of his golden curls, his mother sent him on his way to his room. The walk back was rather short, but the hallways were filled with people rushing about to prepare for the arrival of their traveling guests. Some of the ladies in waiting had already prepared his outfit for him. New robes were laying on his bed, glittering in the light. Pastel pinks and soft blues were embroidered with intricate gold detailing. It matched the sheer face veil that had been gifted to him on his last birthday, and he recognized the stitching almost immediately. It was clearly Petris’ handiwork. That man took great pride in his clothing. Everything had been delicately curated for him, all the way down to the jewelry he’d wear.

Normally, he would slip something extra on. A golden anklet, or a tiny charm clipped to one of the bracelets. Something extra, something that made it entirely his own, but he didn’t get the chance to do that this time. Just as he finished affixing his sheer veil to his face, he felt a small object hit the back of his head. It stung, and he turned to look back at his cracked door to see a hand motioning for him to follow. For most people, following a seemingly disembodied hand that was luring one to an unknown fate would be a stupid idea — but dear Soleil had never claimed to be smart. In fact, many people may even say he was a bit dumb at the worst possible times. This was exactly why he took off after that hand.

He went sprinting out into the hallway. Looking both ways to try and determine where the culprit had gone. There was a flash of red just as someone quickly turned a corner at the end of the hallway to the right. It sparkled in the sunlight, and that was his sign to keep following. Each time he cut a corner, he’d see the person running just around the next one. Soft brown strands of hair pulled messily into an updo, and matching red shoes to that glittering dress. They weaved between people rushing about, trying to get the palace ready for all the guests that would soon be arriving. Just as Soleil came to the stairs which led down into the great hall, he came to a skidding halt. There were so many already pouring in and mulling about. People he knew, and some he didn’t, but he hadn’t realized that it was already so close to starting.

At first he wanted to retract back to his bedroom, to hide away until it was time for everything to start. He had no idea where the person he’d been following had gone, as the crowd was surging. He could feel the prickle of doubt and maybe a touch of panic starting at the back of his neck, but then he heard a whistle. It cut through the chatter of everyone else, though it didn’t seem to disturb them. His head snapped over towards the archways that led out into the gardens and that was where he saw her. Brown waves bundle up atop her head and big brown eyes that were shining in the sunlight. She grinned from ear to ear, covering her mouth shortly after because she was self conscious of the gap in her front teeth, and then she disappeared once again from his view. It didn’t take long for him to bound down the stairs and weave his way through all the people. Keeping his head down so he wouldn’t be noticed as easily.

Just as Soleil stepped outside he had to pause. There she stood, his best friend, under the great tree and surrounded by the flame bugs. Her dress was glittering in the sun, the golden warmth beginning to dip behind the horizon. She looked up at the sprawling branches that reached towards the heavens with pure admiration, taking in the view. As she spun around to look at him, it was as if her entire being caused the very light to shift. She sparkled, and that was before she smiled. For a second, he forgot how to breathe.

“Sasa?” Soleil almost whispered her name. As if it wasn’t truly her standing before him. She did another spin, causing her dress to flow out from her as she twisted, and stopped with a curtsey. “What are you doing here? I thought we weren’t allowed—”

“Did you forget that we’re allowed to see each other again after today?” She grinned and covered her mouth to hide the gap between her front teeth, tilting her head to the side. “Four months exactly, that was the punishment this time. I’ve been counting the days.”

“But, that’s tomorrow.” Soleil frowned. “Does that mean your father is here to welcome the travelers?” She reached out and snatched his hand, pulling him closer and allowing him to be surrounded by the flame bugs as well. “If we get seen together now, they could ban us from seeing each other even longer—”

Sasa held a finger up to her lips, shushing Soleil as she did so. “Then we must be sure to not be seen together.” She pouted slightly, but her eyes were still so bright. They were large and round, making her look like a deer as she blinked the pout away and reached up to feel the fabric of the face veil. “We don’t have long, I’m sure father will come looking for me soon. I just had to see you! I knew you’d look good in these robes. I picked the colors out when the ladies came to our shop.” She beamed.

“You always know what suits me best,” Soleil chuckled. “And what about you? This is a new outfit, isn’t it?” He raised his hand while holding her hand, giving her a little twirl so she would spin around again. Taking in the glittering red fabric as it caught in the sunlight. “Did you make it yourself?”

“I did!” She exclaimed, nearly shouting the words from how excited she was. The echo of her words in the courtyard caused her to clap a hand over her own mouth, giving Soleil a sorrowful look before she carefully moved her hand away. “Father said that since my sixteenth name day is in a few months, it’s time for me to start learning the family trade officially. He’s letting me design my own robes and clothes.” Sasa squeezed his hand, and then let go to reach up and fix his robes. Making sure they were laying exactly the right way, she smoothed them down afterwards. Soleil had always been so impressed by her, and her imagination when it came to clothes. She was insatiably creative, so the prospect of her designing her own patterns wasn’t a foreign idea. “Maybe one day you’ll be only wearing my robes as the king.”

She gleamed with pride, but Soleil wasn’t as sure of himself as his friend was. The quiet scoff came out before he could silence it, and he looked away from Sasa. He was unable to meet her eyes and keep smiling when he wasn’t sure he’d be the best ruler for their kingdom. Not when there was a chance that when his ascension day came, it could be proved that he wasn’t one who was blessed. “I don’t know, what if it wasn’t ever meant to be me to lead, but my brother…” Soleil mumbled the words. “What if—” Sasa let out a gasp, cutting him off as she reached up and cupped his cheeks between her hands.

“Don’t speak like that, Soli.” She tried her hardest to meet his eyes, but he kept looking everywhere but at her. “Even should he have been the one to be blessed, you’re still going to be our king one day. It can only be you, now.” She let go of his face after she stared at him for another moment, and then she let out an exasperated sigh. “You didn’t miss out on another lesson, did you?” The question was more accusatory than truly questioning. “You know you can’t make any progress if you don’t actually try.” She huffed out, but then held both of her hands out to him. “C’mon, let’s try it right now. Just like Master Esau taught you. Center yourself, first.”

Soleil let out a sigh, but eventually he did take her hands. Sasa had been his only friend for so long, and they had been forbidden to see each other months ago. Even prior to that, they weren’t allowed to see each other unsupervised. Her father believed that the two were distracting each other, and perhaps he’d been right. Sasa had fallen behind in her studies of tailoring and dye making, and Soleil had been avoiding his studies into their history and practicing for his ascension day. All because the two of them had rather spent time together, exploring the highest places of their kingdom, and hiding from the rest of their little section of the world. It hadn’t stopped them from sneaking off, and that was what led to the ban by Soleil’s mother and father of him seeing Sasa. Her father, Petris, had caught them one night watching the moon together. For the last two months, Soleil had been locked inside the palace entirely and disallowed to leave.

Sasa knew how to ground the boy. Her smaller hands squeezed his, obviously seeing that his mind was racing and drifting away. She closed her eyes and then peeked one open to look at him, furrowing her brows when she saw that he hadn’t followed her example. Soleil quickly snapped his eyes closed, fighting to stifle a smile that the girl’s annoyance towards him had caused. “Now, let everything else flow out of you. Be still, be quiet, and be patient. Listen to what’s around you, listen to the way nature calls and focus on that.” She repeated Master Esau’s teachings back to him perfectly. He followed what she said and tried to let his mind go blank…

That was really difficult, however, as Soleil was still worried what it would mean for their people if he failed. It terrified him, so he tried to focus on his surroundings. He could hear birds as they called out from the great tree, singing sweet melodies. The gentle breeze caught his robes and caused them to lightly sway. Then, his mind slipped back to how disappointed his mother and father would be to know that the royal bloodline could die because of him. There had been no signs, unlike everyone before. Even his mother had presented early on that she was the blessed one. Soleil hadn’t been an only child, but his brother had passed young. What if it was supposed to be him?

Sasa’s hands felt so soft in his, but there were a few rough spots from where she’d been working with needle and thread. His were so callused from scaling up the rough stone walls of the palace all the time. He was fearful of losing her, and if the protection magic within the walls fell then her father had already admitted that he would pack everything up and leave Sunspire for good. It was what was best for them, and Soleil couldn’t argue. Just like he couldn’t argue with the fact that Petris didn’t like him. Each time he would come around, something bad would always happen. Just like the time that Soleil accidentally knocked over black dye into what was supposed to be an order of fresh, white linens for a powerful family. Sasa’s family lost out on money that they needed to buy more materials to make dyes, and due to that they lost customers who wanted their more intricate and rich designs. Sasa’s father refused to accept any compensation from Soleil’s mother because of his pride.

That black dye was like a metaphor for Soleil’s existence, in his own eyes. A black stain for many, seeping into every crevice and ruining everything he touched. No matter how hard he tried he always made mistakes. He was too clumsy, too loud, too adventurous, too soft, and too much… Yet, somehow, at the same time he wasn’t enough. This line of thinking definitely wasn’t what Master Esau had meant when he said Soleil needed to empty his mind of everything. Right, he just needed to focus — but Sasa’s hair must have caught in the breeze, because all he could focus on was the smell of sweet vanilla and sandalwood, with a hint of spices that her family must have used in their latest batch of dyes.

A loud clang caused the pair to jolt. The large bell that’s used to signify different things rang out, calling to everyone that the travelers had successfully made it within their kingdom. Except, it wasn’t a single ring. The large bell echoed across the kingdom as it clanged once — twice — three times. Something felt… off. It was like all at once, everything around them shifted. The breeze came in one solid gust, and then halted completely. The birds and insects ceased their chattering, and even the people inside the palace had gone silent. It felt as if, for a moment, all life had drained away from their home. The sun flickered down beyond the horizon entirely, as Sasa took a step closer to him. He could see it in her eyes, she could feel it too.

It was almost indescribable. Like something was scratching at the back of his skull. As if he were an animal backed into a corner, hackles raising from the unseen danger. He had never felt wickedness before, but in that moment Soleil would have said that was exactly what it was. Something that was wrapped around their beautiful home had constricted itself, making everything feel suffocating all at once. As he looked down at Sasa, and their eyes met, he knew at that moment that he had to protect her. From what, he wasn’t sure. But how could he protect anyone? He had no magic and he didn’t even know how to hold a sword. Every ‘fight’ he’d been in, he’d sorely lost. The way she looked at him, though, it made him feel like he could protect her.

They could hear marching all around them, signifying that the knights were assembling for the travelers arrival. That meant they were on their way to the palace, or perhaps even already inside. Soleil looked back just in time to see one of the knights marching straight towards him. The large man reached down and grabbed his arm tightly, yanking him away from Sasa. It hurt, just how rough the knight was. His grip felt like it could crush his bones, snap them with just a little more pressure. He’d never had any of the knights be so rough with him.

“There you are, you little shit,” the knight’s gruff voice barked out. “You’re supposed to be in the throne room with your parents, not out here kissing your girlfriend.”

“Ouch, you’re hurting me!” Soleil gripped the knight’s arm himself, attempting to push the large man away from him.

“Oh no, you’re not wiggling outta this and getting away from me. Just wait until the king hears that you’ve gone against his orders!” The knight leaned down and glared at Soleil. It caused him to go pin-straight. He stilled instantly, seeing the look of pure detestment on that man’s face. The knights had always been so kind to him, so protective, but this one seemed like he wanted to harm him. Soleil instantly felt like he was more than just a nuisance to the men and women that were supposed to keep him safe. He could both see and feel this man’s hatred.

Suddenly, just as the knight started to drag Soleil away, he was hit in the head with a rock. It staggered him, as it hit his helmet and the sound rang out. He loosened his grip just slightly on the prince’s arm, which allowed him to yank his arm free. As he looked back, he saw Sasa standing there clutching her slingshot. She was breathing heavily, with her big eyes wide and terrified as she trembled with fear.

“Run, Soleil!” She shouted, and he turned back to the knight to put all of his measly weight into a shove. It was just enough to cause the man to trip over some stone of the pathway, and he clattered to the ground as Soleil turned back around and grabbed Sasa’s arm.

The two took off in a sprint, ducking and dodging from the grasps and swipes of the other knights. They jumped over the short, stone wall that separated the courtyard from the great hall, weaving between people who all seemed to be murmuring to each other now and watching as the commotion took place. Soleil looked back for just a second, trying to see if the knights were still following them, and as he looked forward again he slammed into someone. A tall, hooded figure in dark robes. He nearly fell over from hitting them, as they felt stout like a wall. The person reached out and caught him, steadying him. Soleil only caught their eyes for a moment, as the person glared down from the concealment of the hood.

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” Soleil gasped out.

“Watch where you’re going.” The person’s deep voice rumbled out with annoyance, but it was their accent that caught his ears the most. It sounded foreign. Their words came out harsh, and their tongue rolled over letters that it shouldn’t have. Soleil was dazed for a moment, staring up at this strange person, until he heard the clanking of metal armor close behind.

“Get back here, you two!” One of the knights shouted out from the crowd. People began parting to allow them through, and Soleil looked forward again to shove his way out of the line that had formed to get into the throne room.

He still had hold of Sasa’s hand, pulling her up the large stairway until he saw more knights attempting to cut them off. He looked back at her, frantically, and then he smiled. Soleil knew what he needed to do. She was still in the crowd, and they were still ambling in the same direction. The knights weren’t after her, they were after him. She could hide in the crowd as he led them away, and her father would be none the wiser that they’d actually been caught together. So, he let her hand slip from him. She swiped at him, attempting to grab his hand again. He put a finger to his forehead and then pointed it at her, winking, before he turned on his heel and went sprinting towards the solar.

“Soleil, no, wait—!” Sasa shouted after him, watching as the knights went flying past her and were right behind him. She didn’t know what they would do if they caught him. She’d never seen them be so aggressive with him before, and she was afraid that they would actually hurt him. There was nothing she could do, however, as the crowd surged forward and took her along with it.

Soleil made his way into the long hallway with all of their bedchambers. He sprinted towards his mother’s, as it usually was unoccupied since she stayed in his father’s, and quickly opened the door. He slammed the door shut, before he ran to the other side of the room and climbed up to the smallest window the room offered. It took all of his strength, as it was nearly rusted shut from disuse, to open. It creaked loudly, but he managed to open it far enough that he could clamber out of it. Just in time, as one of the knights tried to stick their hand out and grab him. It was too small for them to fit through, and he was just light enough to stand on the ledge of a crumbling stone wall. It jutted out and went all the way around the palace. He tiptoed his way towards a corner, keeping his back pressed firmly against the rough stone as he looked down and saw just how high up he was. The people down below him looked like tiny little ants, commuting about. He knew one wrong step and it would mean the end of him.

He could almost see over the kingdom walls entirely. The tops of giant trees and large mountains in the distance loomed. Just another reminder of something he’d never seen, and may never get to see. His foot almost slipped out from under him, but he caught himself easily. Today wouldn’t be the day he went plummeting to his death. The wind picked up, whipping at his body and threatening to topple him. For a moment, he swore he could see flames flickering in the distance just beyond the kingdom’s wall. Each step was more tedious than the last as his mother’s voice played over and over in his head, asking him what foolish thing her son was doing this time. He had done this before, but never with such pressure of getting away from the knights.

Turning the corner was the hardest part, as he had to be sure he didn’t lose his balance. Once he did it, however, he was finally to one of the windows of the throne room. He carefully wiggled one of the panes of glass free, slipping into the rafters as he replaced the pane quietly. Down below he could see that the room was filled with common folk, knights, and advisors alike. Standing in front of his mother and father were cloaked people wearing hoods, all wearing similar cloaks to the person he’d ran into within the crowd earlier. His heart sank, as he realized those must have been the travelers. Upon further examination, he could see Sasa’s hair bobbing around the crowd as she attempted to get closer to the front.

Soleil slipped down from the rafters, landing gracefully in the shadows as he attempted to slip behind his mother and father’s thrones to stand at their sides. He stopped, however, when he saw another cloaked figure already standing just behind them both, between their seats. At first he thought it was one of the travelers, but then he realized the robes were different. They were tattered looking, and a dark gray. Clearly very old. It almost appeared as if the figure was hovering just off the ground, as well. As he stepped closer, he could hear it whispering to his father in harsh hisses.

“They are liars…” It whispered. “They come for your power, they come to deceive…” His father didn’t respond, but it was written all over his profile that he was listening to this thing. “You should make examples out of them all, and show your people why they should trust you to protect them…”

“Father—” Soleil stepped closer, watching as the hooded figure turned to look directly at him. There was no face to be seen, only a dark void where one should be. “I’m sorry I’m late.”

“Finally, we’ve been waiting on you.” The king looked slightly disappointed, but quickly fixed his face before he followed his son’s eyes. Glancing over his shoulder and looking directly at the cloaked figure. He shared a look with his wife, before he looked forward again to address the room. “I apologize deeply for keeping all of you waiting. It is time for us to make your acquaintance.” He stood, along with Soleil’s mother, and took a bow. “I am King Caelus of Sunspire Citadel,” he looked up from his bow at the group standing in front of them.

“I am Queen Adira of Sunspire Citadel.” Soleil’s mother inclined her head slightly, but then stood back up straight.

Both of them turned to look at their son, waiting for him to introduce himself. Soleil, however, was too busy staring at one of the people within the group that had arrived. All of them had begun to remove their hoods as the introductions were offered. They all looked similar, very tall people with long, dark hair. Their skin was almost deathly pale, and their eyes were a piercing pale gray. Soleil had never seen anyone that looked like them before, and Sunspire had many different people living within its walls. King Caelus cleared his throat, but it still didn’t break Soleil’s trance as he stared down the sole people who still hadn’t removed their hood. He was certain that it was the same one he’d run into, but he didn’t know how he knew.

“Really, boy?” King Caelus whispered harshly at his son, and then turned back to their visitors. “This is my son, Prince—”

Before his father could finish introducing him, Soleil looked away from the person he’d been staring at for only a moment. He glanced back to his parents, and then he heard the gasps from the rest of the crowd. Soleil looked back just in time to see that lone, still hooded figure lunging at him. His back hit the floor first as he was tackled down. He could feel a heavy weight straddling him and holding him down.

All he could see at first was a dagger held high between two hands, with the jagged blade pointed down at his chest. He followed the hands down to slender yet muscular arms, seeing scars and tattoos alike covering them. Long, wild, dark hair was strewn partially across a masculine face with sharp features that was now revealed from the hood falling off. The palest gray eyes he’d ever seen were wide and erratic, full of anger that was directed towards him. He watched as the sword came stabbing down towards him, and felt a sharp twinge right in the center of his chest. The dagger was stopped, however, before it did anything more than knick his skin.

He could feel the boy above him trembling. He looked so mature, but was clearly close in age to Soleil. He had to be, because there wasn’t a single wrinkle or blemish upon his face except for a single scar that cut through his left eyebrow. His face was so smooth and looked extremely soft, despite the sharp angles of it. Soleil blinked back tears, unaware that they’d even gathered in his eyes. They spilled over as he locked eyes with this boy. Why had he come after him? Why had he stopped?

“Why… why can’t I kill you?” The boy muttered, in that same deep voice that had told Soleil to watch where he was going before. He glared down, trying to put all of his weight into forcing the dagger down. Soleil had hoped that he couldn’t keep going simply because he’d decided not to go through with it, but he could see the faint golden glow at his wrists.

He looked past the boy, straining his neck to do so, to see his mother with her eyes closed and brows furrowed. Her hand was outstretched towards her son and his assailant, and her fading blessed markings were flickering as they attempted to glow. She’d managed to stop him with what little magic she had left, but just barely. Slowly, the boy was forced to pull the dagger away from the prince’s chest, fighting inch by inch against the magic bindings. Until she finally forced him to drop the dagger entirely with a loud clang.

He felt relief as he heard the clang echo in the silent room. That relief only lasted for a moment, though, as he looked up to see one of the knights with his sword drawn and swinging directly down at the back of the boy’s neck. It would kill him, Soleil knew, if it hit. He didn’t want him to die. He hadn’t killed Soleil, and he deserved a fair trial. Besides, the prince wanted to know why he’d been targeted by one of the travelers. He wanted to know who they were, and why they’d come to the kingdom. With little thought, Soleil reached up and wrapped his arms around the boy’s neck. Pulling him down then quickly rolling them, so that he was protecting the boy with his body.

“Soleil, no!” His father shouted, but the only thing he could do was tightly clamp his eyes shut and wait for the sword to strike him instead. Praying that the knight wouldn’t cut through his small body and still hit the boy he was now on top of.