The Ten Kingdoms

The Ten Kingdoms - Chapter 10

(Three Months Later)

It's been three months since we welcomed Kain and Lincoln into the palace, I've seen them quite a lot. Jade did exactly what she told my father, Emma would come with me in her arms down to the training grounds, and I would watch them spar. It was always something I enjoyed doing, watching mages fight, especially powerful mages.

I could say that since I am around powerful mages all the time, I was now used to sensing the movement of mana. I could see it a lot more often now, but I still couldn't control it, of course, I tried to control it all the time, but it never seemed to work. I knew it was any day now that I would be able to control mana, it had to be, I always wore this necklace, and my connection with mana has increased.

I was currently with Emma, I was in my playpen, in the living room, she was with me, sitting down on the ground. She was just watching me as I sat there, looking up at the ceiling, but I was looking at the mana. I could sense it at that moment, a lot of it, just around me, floating, moving amongst the air.

"Liam, what are you doing?" She asked, placing her hand on my stomach as I ignored her and continued staring up. I turned my head slightly, chuckling a little as she tickled my stomach to get my attention. "There's that smile."

When she stopped tickling me, I went back to it, concentrating on the mana particles above me, they were white, all of them, I didn't know what I had to do to control them, but I figured concentrating on them was the best way to connect with them.

I could sense Jade in the hallway, the mana was somewhat flushing to her, telling me where she was. I couldn't sense it with Emma, I didn't know if it was because she was a weak mage, or if she wasn't a mage, I didn't know, I've read a couple of mana books with her, but they didn't answer those questions.

"Come here." Emma reached down and grabbed me, placing me in her lap. "What are you staring at?" She asked, looking up, then looking down at me. I stopped looking at the mana and turned to her, leaning back and resting my head on her chest. "You've been looking up at the ceiling for the last couple weeks, I still can't figure it out."

I couldn't tell her that I was sensing mana, I didn't know how to speak, I kind of did, I was scared it was a little too early for me to speak. I think I would startle these people I consider family now, a baby this young shouldn't talk, I think, I didn't know.

I merely made a giggling noise as my answer, and she seemed to understand. "Oh, is Prince Liam finally at the point where he can sense the mana particles in the air?" She asked, playing with my cheeks. "That is remarkable! Jade!"

Jade came walking into the room, the Royal Guard looked at us with confusion, she was in a black and purple armor set, one that she wore on special occasions, but there was nothing special going on today.

"What is it?" Jade asked, looking at my caretaker who seemed to be extremely proud, even though there was no way for her to know if what she is saying is true or not. "Emma, if you called me in here to talk, please, I'm a little cranky right now and would like to just sit in the hallway."

Emma turned to her, looking somewhat stunned by the honesty of Jade, then spoke when she could find the correct words. "It's Prince Liam, he, I think he is sensing the mana, or either seeing it, which I know sounds impossible, but the past couple of days he's been looking up at the ceiling, like he was interested by something."

"Are you sure he isn't just interested in the ceiling?" Jade asked, looking at Emma with a smirk on her face. Emma started to pout at the comment, then Jade went on. "Emma, he is too young for that, even with the mana necklace, he can't sense mana."