The Sole Prince

You're an exception, of course. [part 1]

"What?" James asks, letting the sentence Sage uttered linger in his mind, only beginning to process its consequences. His single word pierces the deafening silence, like a blade to a taught ribbon.

"It feels like forever ago," Sage says softly, a light smile etched into the lines of his face.

"You were a prince?"

Sage just nods. "You ever wonder why I don't travel to Roriark?"

"Oh." The word travels like a gust of wind out of James' mouth, disbelief, shock and—he would hate to admit—fear finding shelter in the response. "Oh." It's the only thing he can manage to say, processing and deconstructing.

"Yep," Sage says, pushing out a laugh. A linger of silence drifts by as Sage formulates the words in his mind. "Who would have thought that the two princes of Roriark would ever find a way to unite?"

"I hadn't." James bites the inside of his lip with his teeth. "I hadn't even known there were two." His words are soft. "You're telling the truth?"

Sage smiles. "I swear it." He adjusts his position on the bed the best he can, trying to move farther to the side, as far as the aches of his wounds will allow him. "Here," he pats weakly on the area of bed next to him, inviting James. It's really only muscle memory that guides James to the seat. "Let me tell you a story this time."

"From the beginning?" James asks, finding a comfortable spot against Sage's shoulder.

"Why not?" Sage sighs, before beginning to allow his life to flow from his lips. "A tad over twenty-eight years ago, I was born to the King and Queen of Roriark. I was their first child, their only son. My mom and dad couldn't be happier. They finally had an heir to the throne." Sage closes his eyes, just for a moment, and smiles in the warm afterglow of memories. "My life growing up was fantastic, to say the least. Just my parents and I as happy as we could be. My dad and mom were good rulers, too. The kingdom liked us. They did, I swear they did." A deep breathe escapes Sage's mouth.

"Everything turned to shit when I turned eighteen. It turned out an overthrow was brewing within the government staff. They wanted power." Sage pauses. "I still remember that day. My dad, my mom, and I were all in my dad's office—the King's office. They were telling me about how we might need to take a..." He shakes his head. "'Family vacation' was the term they used. When I heard that, I was nothing but excited. But then there were knocks on the door, which wasn't anything out of the usual, but it felt different this time. My parents looked at each other like they never had before, you know. And, at that point, I knew something was up. I tried to say something, but my dad turned to me, and the bangs on the door kept on getting louder. Before that, I didn't even know the door was locked. That door was never locked. But my dad." Sage puts on one of those bittersweet smiles. "My dad turned to me, and he told me to run. Run out the back door of the room, and as far away as I could get. I told him no. Asked him why. He just told me to trust him. I told him I wasn't just going to run away. But the door kept on getting louder and louder, the sound filling the whole room. My mom then turned to me and told me that I had to go. And I had to go now. And they both told me how proud they were of me and that they'd always be with me. And I wanted to ask why. Why they were telling me to go? Why they were getting sentimental? All of that stuff. But the people outside the door were getting louder and more aggressive and my dad said there was no time. I had to go now." Sage turns to look at James' face. "I was still a kid, you know? You think you're all grown up at 18, but you're not. Oh, you're not. And then my mom hugged me. Then my dad. Then a simple whispered 'go' from the both of them. Another thud. And I wanted to stay with them, but I couldn't just not listen to my parents, right? So, I went through the back door. And right when I got it closed, I heard the front door splinter open. I left the door I went through open, just a crack, so I could see what was happening. Which is when I saw a group of men storm inside the office. I was so confused. The man leading the group. I recognized him. He was my father's most-valued assistant, his right-hand man. And he was holding a sword. They had some conversation. I forget what it was exactly at this point. Even then, it was blurry. But I know that the man was yelling about wanting power. My dad was saying he could have whatever he wanted. The man said that wasn't enough."