Allegiance of the Forbidden

Chapter One

Sunlight streamed into his bedroom, his personal servant having just opened the curtains. The sudden brightness that filled his room woke him from his deep slumber. He was wide awake, instantly. This, however, did not mean he wanted to be awake. Elias groaned loudly and rolled over, pulling the thick comforter over his head.

"Your majesty, it's time to wake up now." The servant, Benedict, apologized.

"No." Elias complained, stretching out the 'o' sound, making him sound like a whining child. Benedict chuckled, gently pulling the covers away from Elias.

"Do you want to be late for your magic lesson again?" He questioned.

"Yes."

Benedict raised an eyebrow. "You do remember what happened last time, don't you?"

'Last time...'

Elias jumped up, running to get changed. Last time he was late for his magic lesson; his mentor had turned him into a frog. It took only an hour for people to notice that he was missing, but it took nearly the rest of the day for them to figure out how to turn him back. It took him another week to get over his insatiable cravings for insects.

Benedict handed him a bar of goats milk soap, ushering him to the large tub full of hot water. Elias scrubbed his arms with the sweet-smelling soap, washing away all the filth from the day before.

"Do you ever think of cutting your hair shorter, Elias?" Benedict asked after Elias had gotten dressed, and he had started combing the prince's shoulder-length blonde hair. Elias winced when Benedict came across a large tangle.

"Never. Why?"

"Because all the rest of the princes I know of have shorter hair than you do. It's more the...style, these times."

Elias chuckled. "Whenever have I followed everyone else's 'style'?"

"When your mother picked out all of your clothes."

"That's right." Elias picked up a small leather cord from his bed-side table, shoving it into one of the many pockets on his tunic. Benedict helped him put on his worn leather boots. Benedict bowed and held open the heavy wooden door.

Elias confidently strolled down the hallway of the castle. Two servant-girls walked past him, and he winked and grinned in their direction, causing them both to blush and giggle. He frequently flirted like this, but for some reason never felt any real feelings toward other people other than friendship.

His steps echoed in the nearly empty hallways, making his way to the room where his magic lessons took place. He heard a faint explosion from behind the last door in the hallway

Gathering up his courage, he opened the door.

The old magician whirled at Elias, shooting a ball of flame at his chest. Thinking quickly, Elias summoned a shield of ice and held it suspended midair in front of him. The fire sizzled out when it hit the ice, only melting a small hole in the shield. Becoming especially brave; Elias melted the ice shield into merely cold water, and threw it at his mentor.

He simply waved his hand, and the water dissipated into steam.

"Could you possibly start my lessons without nearly killing me?" Elias was calm when he asked this.

His mentor laughed.

"The best lesson is learned staring in the face of danger, don't you know that?"

Elias sighed. "Yes, Mentor."

"Good." He threw another fire ball.

The lessons usually went like this; the old magician without a name throwing various attacks at Elias, and Elias deflects them with his own magic. The mentor was the only magician that anyone knew about that could control more than one element, and more than one type of magic. That's what qualified him to teach the people of Jeravia how to control their own powers.

Was he a good teacher? Yes.

Were his teaching methods entirely safe? Its impossible for you to die, if that's what you mean.

Elias had gotten many bruises and minor cuts from his lessons, but every time he messed up and was in actual danger, mentor called back the magic.

Elias's own magic was specialized in the element of water, especially ice-related substances, so mentor usually focused on fire and heat magic. Pulling the moisture from the humid and hot room, Elias created himself a spherical ice bubble. Mentor shouted, saying something about him "cheating". Elias ignored him, using the short amount of time he had before his bubble melted under mentor's attacks to tie up his hair.

With his hair now out of his face, in a small ponytail, he completely melted the sphere, and threw the water at his mentor.

Completely soaked through, mentor could no longer produce any fire.

He stood up and walked towards Elias, holding out a bony hand for him to shake. Elias took the old man's hand.

Big mistake.

Mentor grabbed Elias's arm with both hands, and flipped him over his shoulder. Elias hit the ground hard on his back, all air leaving his lungs. The door opened as Elias lie there, gasping.

He stretched his neck, looking up at a regal skirt and corset clad woman. A sparkling tiara of silver sat on top of her hair.

"Hello, mother." Elias smiled from where he was on the floor.