Warriors

Chapter 10

"Bring her in." The King ordered with a limp wave at the guards. The guards tugged open the vast, ocean blue marble doors. Large, argent pillars formed towering arches over a little child with cobalt skin and teal curls timidly wandered into the throne room. The metallic pillars were so tall and so intimidating to the little one who hadn't seen much of the world yet. It felt like they were about to fall and crash onto everyone.

The small child bowed once at the back of the room, in front of the very regally dressed King and Queen. The King wore an expression that could only be described as uninterested, this was simply going through the motions like every other day. The Queen may or may not have felt the same but she concealed her true emotions with a phoney smile. A mask only a Queen knew how to wear.

"Your governess said you had something to announce to us." The child shuffled a little, fixing a gaze onto a fine, velvet carpet. "Well?" The King snapped not out of anger, but out of irritance. "Out with it."

"I- I'm a boy." He proclaimed at last. The next few minutes, or maybe seconds, or hours. He couldn't tell how much time passed in the fearful silence that made his heart beat so fast he could barely register anything else. A thousand thoughts filled with only his deepest worries and insecurities flooded all rationality. His mother tutted and let out a sigh. The previous quiet suddenly felt like a happy, distant memory. There was no going back.

"It would have been convenient if we'd known before painting the royal portrait. I suppose you'll want your hair cut, and new clothes more suitable for a prince since you clearly can't wear gowns if you're not a princess anymore." The Queen wasn't angry, or sad, she was vaguely inconvenienced and now she'd have to organise all the essential changes. Actually, the servants would be doing all the real work but a woman of her status didn't give a second glance to those so beneath her.

"Your name?" The King boomed at the cowering Prince who blinked back blankly. "Your new name? I assume you have one. Unless you prefer your mother and I rename you." The Prince shook his a little too vigourously. "No, that won't be necessary. I'm called Peekablue now."

The King hadn't looked at his son once. The monarch was more engrossed in some papers, he shooed the prince. "You may leave now." He stated dismissively with another limp wave. Peekablue promptly nodded and rapidly walked out the room, stumbling a little as he left. A girl with the very same deep blue locks and cobalt skin was waiting outside with a withering glare.

"What is wrong with you?"

"Hello sister." Peekablue replied. Speaking to his sister was never pleasant.

"I'm going to have sit through another royal painting for hours because Mr Heir to the throne couldn't man up and tell the King and Queen before it. Of course we're changing everything for you. Everything is always changed to fit you." She spat her final words out, drenched in venomous envy.

"I don't need to have this conversation with you." The Prince told her before turning to leave. It really was never pleasant.

"Okay then! Just leave! Because you're so much better than me and so above me because you're the great Lapis seer of our generation and future King to our wonderful kingdom." She mocked him. Each thing that came out of her mouth was filled with only sarcasm and the intent to hurt. It stopped hurting a while ago. She never had anything nice to say to him.

"Peekablue? You okay?" Micah asked, his eyes were kind, so kind. The world didn't deserve some of the people in it. Peekablue snapped out of his nostalgic daze.

"I'm just thinking about life. Before running away."

"We're nearly there."

"I know."

"Oh right. Farsight. It's easy to forget that you see everything sometimes."

"I wish I could forget. It gives me a headache."