Potions, Power and Pain

Chapter 13

Rowan Nightshade knew he was an asshole. He had always known it, and it was not something he was necessarily proud of.

However he also knew that no matter how much of an asshole he was, he would never be able to be as much of one as his brother and certainly not as much of one as his father.

Kallik, his brother, and Berono, his father, were cut from the same cloth. If there was one thing in the world that they loved to do, it was remind Rowan of how useless he was.

While his father would outright say it, his brother did not even need to, because he would simply reinforce it with everything he did. Kallik was the golden the child, the Crown Prince of the Earthly Kingdom, he had always had perfect grades, perfect behaviour, perfect everything. When Rowan was younger he had tried to compete. However it did not take him long to realise that the only thing as useless as trying to compete with Kallik, was himself.

Therefore after his week at camp and what had happened the day before with Reena, the last thing Rowan wanted to do was return home. His friends had never understood why he didn't like inviting them over, but that was because they all assumed his life was perfect, and had no idea about his parents loveless and arranged marriage, his father the King's countless affairs and incessant nasty remarks directed at Rowan, his mother the Queen's complete disregard for him or his strained relationship with his older brother.

However once his carriage ground to a halt and one of the palace's valets opened the door for him, Rowan and no choice but to walk into the hell he called home.

From the outside, the Palace of the Earthly Kingdom was beautiful, magnificent even. Amidst a lush forest of ancient and towering trees, an extravagant yet elegant castle erected from the ground, dominating the landscape with its awe-striking presence. Its grandeur was enhanced by delicate vines, all winding their way up the palace's various walls and towers, adorned with vibrant blooms in every shade of nature's palette. The castle itself built with ethereal materials, its walls resembling intricate tree bark, but embedded with gemstones which shimmered and glittered in the light, cast a mesmerising glow. Even the air was perfumed thanks to the sheer quantity of growing wildflowers in the surrounding areas.

From the inside, the palace was just as luxurious, with high ceilings adorned with intricate, hand-painted frescoes depicting mythical creatures and historical events. Chandeliers hung in every room, illuminating the space and reflecting light onto the marble encrusted with gemstones of the inside walls and floors, and graceful archways led you from one room to the next.

Overall the Palace of the Earthly Kingdom was nothing short of enchanting. Yet it was the last place Rowan Nightshade wished to be.

Just as he had expected, the second he walked inside, he was met with the familiar bustle of the staff. It had only gotten worse with the approach of the Royal Wedding, the one between his brother Kallik Nightshade, Crown Prince of the Earthly Kingdom and Princesse Zielle Alya, Crown Princess of the Celestial Kingdom. Both kingdoms had been planning the wedding since Zielle had been born a few years after Kallik, but with the wedding only being a few months away the frenzy had only gotten worse.

Thanks to years of practice, Rowan was able to make his way all the way up to his personal chambers which were in a tower on the far end of the palace, virtually undetected.

His bags had already been brought up to his room, therefore all he needed to do was bathe in his own large tub, put on his favourite sleepwear and slide between the fresh clean sheets that had been put on his bed over the course of his absence.

No matter how hard he tried, he found himself utterly unable to sleep. His thoughts kept veering back to Reena and what he had done to her. He had meant it as a joke, but Reena had certainly not taken it as one and he could only blame himself for that. He would have to find a way to apologise to her.

After what felt like an eternity of rolling around in bed and incessantly thinking about the hurt he had seen in Reena's eyes when he had spun her around to face him, and how red her cheeks had gotten out of sheer embarrassment. Rowan got up out of bed, drew the curtains open, opened the door and stepped out onto the balcony of his tower.

For the second time that week, he gazed up at the night sky, his thoughts drifting back to Reena. It was infuriating, she was all he could ever think about. He didn't even want to think about her, he kept on trying to expel her from his thoughts, but it was impossible, maddening even. As he looked up at the night sky, he could not help but wonder if she too was staring up at it, soaking in its beauty. He could not help but wonder if she too was thinking about him, the way he was thinking about her.