Running Thorns

Chapter 1: The Prince

As a young prince he didn't care much for other people, even isolated himself from his other brothers. As the oldest of five it was obvious that he would be the next emperor and from a young age he trained. Lodi's mind was as quick and intelligent as some of the greatest minds to ever exist and his body honed like death to kill his enemies. He had trained in poisons taking small amounts and more and more each time to earn a tolerance should the occasion ever arrive. He had awaited many years full of learning and fighting the wars for his kingdom as the greatest general to ever live.

His eyes burned a golden color circled in the lightest of browns. His hair of the brightest blonde went shaggy to his ears. Built like a god he towered over his shorter peers and every woman wanted him. The only thing was he was the most rude and arrogant person to converse with, not even giving most people the time of day to say hello. It wasn't that he was an evil person he just didn't believe anyone was to be trusted. Mistaken though for being mean and cruel yet burning brightly like a light the gods graced upon us, he had earned the title 'The Darkened Light."

It wasn't that he didn't find the beautiful females of his court pretty or even some of them he thought were kind and smart. He just couldn't get over his mother's death and no female would ever have any love from him except for her alone. He had some friends two to be exact, his two youngest brothers who were twins. He loved his other two brothers but the youngest ones were his favorites as they grew up full of love and joy and pranked everyone around the house. Full of jokes and happiness they were always keeping things interesting and always happy.

John and Kyle were their names, since Lodi was now 22 and Jasper 21 and Misk was 18, they were both 17. Not even adults yet but he feared they'd never grow up but also hoped that they wouldn't either. He would be lost without his favorite brothers to lighten his mood. He trusted them so completely like that he would never trust anyone. With their strawberry blonde shaggy hair to their ears and their bright light blue eyes and skinny yet on the tall side bodies they were very identical. Ladies loved them and their charm, yet all they ever did was mess with them pranking them and joking with them, many had fallen in love with the two yet the boys only ever showed love to eachother and me and father.

It's not that I didn't love Jasper, he was just always jealous of me and always tried to outdo me I'd even let him win a couple of times just for him to throw it in my face. I was hard but on the inside I only ever had my kingdom in my mind and wanted what was best for all my people, where as Jasper was fake kind and always hurt people intentionally, I feared he'd be the type to start a war over the throne, the one that I did not want that much but trained hard for . Jasper was a bit shorter than me and muscular like me but his hair was black like the night and his eyes even blacker his fake charm enthralled woman in which he'd take them to his bed and never speak to them again leading to many crying broken hearted women. I for one had never slept with a girl never even kissed one.

Then finally Misk who I loved as well and we'd be closer I'm sure if it wasn't for the fact he was married and in another country leading it as the king with his beautiful queen I didn't know much about him. He'd lived his life there engaged at a young age to train to be king, whenever he came by he was always kind and showed me a great deal of compassion and love but I just didn't know him. He looked an awful like me but shorter and skinnier with light blue eyes. He was a true light not me. I always regretted never trying to get to know him when we were younger and at 18 he was barely even an adult with so much on his plate ruling a whole smaller country.

My mother was beautiful her name was Serena and she had golden long wavy blonde hair that swung down to her waist and a body like an elegant queen should look like and her eyes were golden like mine she also was more a true light than I'll ever be. She died when I was 12 she always had a weak immune system and she was a healer and how healers work is they gain the sickness of which they healed others but of course they heal faster than normal people themselves but there is only so much one can take and when we got into a terrible war she used every once she could give to heal our warriors on the battlefield and it took her life.