Prince of Stars

Chapter One: The Beginning of Calamity

    "Good Morning, Rosas!" The King had an unusual optimism to him that possessed him to get out of bed as soon as the orange, pink, and yellow sun hit his eyes, open the curtain wide, and nearly awaken his wife. "Brushed back hair. Check. Fresh shave. Check. Handsome face? Check." He also had a bit of an ego. "You're doing great, Magnifico,"
    "You're smart, and bold, and brave. And shall I mention an amazing husband?" He was so caught up in his self-affirmations that he didn't notice his wife coming behind him and wrapping her arms around his waist. "Sometimes." She joked, planting a kiss on the back of his neck. Magnifico rolled his eyes and cracked a smile. "Oh please, you love me." He replied in a flirty manner, turning around to face her. "Eso es cierto."

    The young Prince always hated seeing his parents in love, but he also hated when they didn't to a certain degree. For Raimundo, it was way too early to walk in on his mother and father kissing. He gagged to himself but apparently, it was loud enough to hear. Magnifico stepped back and sighed at his son. "Will you be as disgusted when you're married?" Amaya asked laughing to herself. "I dunno. Maybe I will." as much as he hated it, Magnifico had to leave Amaya to continue Raimundo's studies that had been going on since he could read. "Excuse us, my love."

    Raimundo prayed that he would earn his father's approval, that he would learn how to harness the power of granting wishes just like him so he could have something to be proud of, but as the years passed, that never happened. He kept failing. Magnifico never praised him, whenever he had lessons, they always ended in Raimundo crying or frantically apologizing, and Magnifico either physically or emotionally hurting his own son. Of course, Amaya had no idea of this, she would kill her husband for doing such a thing, so, Magnifico had no intention of letting that secret get out. Magnifico led his son to his room of wishes, a room filled with magical orbs waiting to be granted. "Pick one," Magnifico ordered. Raimundo quickly searched the room and gently grabbed a random wish. "Grant it," Magnifico demanded as Raimundo approached his alchemy desk. "Right this time." Raimundo made the wish float between his hands and he prayed to himself. "God. If you can hear me. Send me Augustine so Papa won't get too upset." Raimundo's veins in his hands protruded as a slight turquoise glow surrounded them. The light circled the wish and Raimundo opened one eye, marveling at the fact that he was succeeding. But suddenly, the wish died out and disappeared.

Raimundo turned to his father, but instead of directing his anger to him, Magnifico turned to a separate desk, screamed in frustration, and shoved everything on the desk to the floor. "While the people blame me for their troubles, they have no clue of my bastard daughter and my powerless son!" even though Magnifico was directly talking about his son, he wouldn't turn to look at him. "I'm sorry," he chuckled to himself and turned to Raimundo. "Don't apologize to me, apologize to your poor mother," he said approaching Raimundo as he stepped back. "You're the one who poisoned her womb," he said with venom in his voice. "Who disgraced her with your existence!" Magnifico grabbed his son by the lapels and pulled him close. "Tell me, boy," he said. "How long until I stop regretting your existence?" Raimundo stared at his father with tears in his eyes. As upset as he was, he wasn't at all surprised. No matter how hard he tried how much he bled, Magnifico was never satisfied. But Raimundo thought of a solution, in the back of his mind, where it lingered and itched. When he was a small child he remembered his elder sister Asha had gotten hurt, though he couldn't remember why. King Magnifico had healed her wound with a simple spell yet impressive. But something like that would never work, Raimundo never got hurt. Not voluntarily anyway.

Later in the day when Magnifico was averting his attention to Asha, Raimundo hid one of his father's blades behind his back and snuck into his bedroom. The young prince held his breath and slowly dug the sharpest point of the knife into the vein in his wrist, when he went deep enough for blood to pool from his arm, he dragged the knife horizontally across his wrist until the pain was too much to barely. Holding his scream down with all of his might, Raimundo quickly shoved the knife from his wrist, causing more blood to flow. Raimundo dropped the knife to the ground and held his hand above his bloody wrist. "Vamos, vamos, vamos," he whispered to himself. "Please." suddenly, his hands shined the same teal that usually happens, but instead of failure, he succeeded. Glowing teal threads wrapped around the cut and closed it tight, stopping the bleeding. Raimundo didn't believe it. He had accomplished something. He couldn't wait to tell his father. But something clicked. It wasn't enough. One simple healing spell wouldn't satisfy the great king. But what would?