Kaden | ✓

part one ♚ archaic

Being better educated than the queen of Illéa is not something many can boast about, and Eadlyn hated it when I constantly reminded her of it. My older sister, the loving and generous queen, could not speak as many languages or do so much math so easily like I could. At fourteen, I was learning the things she was at nineteen. At nearly twenty, I'd learned more languages than her--a lot more--and I'd become the person she discussed all of the things she has to do with.

However, despite how smart I was, Eadlyn was a lot more cunning.

The people had not been very happy recently, and we all knew it--Osten and Eadlyn and my parents and I. Ahren, in his letters from France, had said that even he had heard of the rioting, and it needed to be stopped.

I should have known when I came into her office that she would have a plan to stop it, and her smirk told me that it wasn't something I'd enjoy. The fact that my parents, Ahren, and Osten were all there, as well as the Woodworks and Legers, didn't help.

"Here we go," I sighed, flopping into a chair. "What do you want?"

Eadlyn grinned. "Well, Kaden. This won't be much of a surprise to you, since you're considered the most eligible bachelor in Illéa--" Osten snorted at this, his fifteen-year-old brain probably coming up with some awful jokes about it, "--but I have something I need to ask you to do."

"To appease the people." I said flatly.

"Yes." She smiled. "This usually isn't done, but we need you to host a Selection." We. She had said it so easily, as if my entire family depended on it.

Of course, I had seen this coming, in a sense. I'd always been horribly dedicated to my studies and athletics, and I think my family had been secretly happy that I wasn't the first born. Could you imagine? The king being introverted? No, that simply would not do.

"All right. When do we start?"

Everyone was obviously taken aback by this. "You're...you're agreeing?" My mother looked just as shocked.

Ahren just smiled. "Of course he's agreeing. Little Kaden's always wanted to fall in love."

My face burned. "Shut it, Ahren."

My older brother just laughed.

"Well," Eadlyn said, clearing her throat. "Some preparations will have to be made, of course. I'll have to call some friends and get a few favors pulled, and we'll have to make up the sheets and requirements."

"Background checks," My father added. "We'll have to find someone to go over the Selected before the announcement, check the contestants, reseal the envelopes, and have Kaden draw another contestant if one has any crimes listed that we deem too dangerous."

"Sounds fair enough." Ahren said, and they launched into a discussion about it. I leaned back in the chair, knowing that I should pay attention but not really caring. My father would repeat it all a dozen times after anyway.

"Can I be excused?" I didn't care about interrupting their conversation. "James and Dustan will be here soon. We're going out today."

My mother sighed. "Do you have to?"

"I'm a nineteen-year-old that's been cooped up in a palace his entire life, Mother." I reminded her. "And I'm about to have to find a wife at nineteen. I'd like to have a little freedom. I'll carry a gun, if you want."

"Kaden!" She hated it when I suggested resorting to firearms--my mother didn't trust me with weapons farther than she could throw me, and she didn't trust Osten if he wasn't in her sight and under close surveillance. "No weapons!"

I grinned. "I'm joking. James is well-armed."

Officer Leger chuckled. "The exact reason why I'm so shocked your mother allows you around him."

Honestly, I had never figured out why Mother let me be around James--before becoming my best friend, he'd been a notorious criminal, stealing and breaking and entering and assault and battery and a million other minor crimes besides. I'd always assumed it was the fierce loyalty he'd developed towards me after I found him nearly dead and brought him back to have him fixed.

I shrugged. "It's safe with criminals." My mother looked about ready to faint, and I grinned. "Ex-criminals, Mom. Calm down." I pushed myself out of my chair. "I'm going to see if they're here yet. See you all later."

My mother rushed forward and hugged me like it was the last time she would be seeing me. "I love you, sweetheart."

I smiled and patted her head. It's strange, being taller than my mother, but I kind of enjoy it. It's hard for her to yell at me when she has to look up at me. "I love you too, Mom. Don't worry too much, okay? I'll be fine. Worst case scenario, Eadlyn has to clear James and Dustan of murder charges, right?"

She laughed, and Eadlyn looked irritated. "As if I would do that." Which meant that if it came down to it, she would.

"I'm going now." I said, letting go of my mother. "Love you all." I waved at them over my shoulder as I left the room, shutting the door.

James and Dustan were in the hall by my room. James had a black duffle bag slung over his shoulder, and he threw it at me. I scrambled to catch it, managing to somehow hook my hands in a strap before it hit the floor. "What the hell?"

James laughed, golden eyes gleaming. "Clothes. We're going out, and you're not wearing a suit and crown around Angeles, Highness." James could have been my brother. His hair was jet black, darker than mine but close enough in color, and his skin was the same pale-ish color as mine--but mine came from having a redheaded mother, and his came from...honestly, I don't know. He was just pale as shit. But where my eyes were an icy blue, inherited from my mother, his were a startling gold color. Gold gold. The color of sunlight and fire and...gold? I don't know. My point was that they were gold to the point that nobody believed they were natural, and that was James--seemingly unnatural and weird, but really cool and nice to talk to and look at.

I looked through the bag. It was simple enough--jeans, a white t-shirt, and a gray hoodie. "Hoodie's mine," Dustan said, deep blue eyes glinting. "James is too much of a bitch to give up one of his hoodies for a few hours." Most of Dustan's marbled skin--a deep brown in some places, startlingly pale in others--was covered by the jeans and hoodie, but half of his face was the pale color too. His hair, like James's, hangs in his face normally, but he'd tied it back and tucked it under his hood. James's was too short for that, but the black curls were constantly in his eyes.

"They're perfectly worn, and I'll be damned if he ruins them."

I dragged them into my room, rolling my eyes and grinning at their arguing, and shut the door. I changed while they bickered, and pulled on a pair of boots that I usually reserved for running around, since I didn't have sneakers. I rinsed out my hair in the sink to remove the gel, and Dustan grinned. "You look almost normal."

"Screw you." I laughed. "Are we going?"

James shook his head. "Royalty. Always rushing about. Can't you just relax and enjoy yourself? Live in the moment? No?"

I shook my head back. "Not when I have to be back by dinner."

Dustan checked his watch. "That complicates things. Are we getting food first?"

"Only if it isn't here." I laughed. "Get me out."