Dark Prince Rising

Six

Cira woke early the next morning to the deep sound of Cyran Wynver's voice. She leapt out of bed, glad that she had gone to sleep at a reasonable hour for once. Cyran was a busy man, and he rarely had time to visit his children. But when he did, he brought light and joy with him.

She quickly dressed in a simple tunic and boy's pants, then burst out of her room to the commons. The four younger children were gathered on the different couches and chairs, and Aelon sat in a chair across from his father.

"If it isn't Cira," Cyran's eyes crinkled at the edges as he smiled, his dark brown hair tossing in the breeze that followed Cira wherever she went. "I'd recognize that wind even if I was blind."

Cira laughed, running to embrace him. When he was being Royal Advisor Cyran, they weren't allowed to display affection or talk comfortably with him. But when he came to visit, it was like he was a different man.

"You looked lovely at the ball," he said. "Every man in the room was watching you."

Cira smiled. "Thank you, Uncle."

Ky climbed down from his chair and ran to Cira, tugging at her hand. "Come sit with me, Cici. I saved a chair for you!"

Cyran laughed as his youngest boy pulled Cira over to her favorite cushioned chair. "He's been waiting for you to wake up. He wouldn't get out of that chair."

Aelon nodded. "He kept saying that it was your favorite, and you'd want to sit there when you woke up." He studied his smallest brother for a moment. "I'm not sure how he knew it was your favorite spot. I never told him."

"We were just talking about when Axl and I used to switch places for a day," Izzy said. "We just had to trade clothes, and nobody knew any better."

Axl laughed. "I used to steal sweets from the bakery when we switched. All the kitchen ladies swore that Izzy would grow up to be a fat cow."

Kyren climbed up into Cira's lap, nestling his head in the crook of her arm. She stroked his hair, continually amazed at the silky texture. She couldn't help but feel a bit out of place here. Her pale hair that never seemed to lay down right and strange, golden eyes made her feel like an outsider among the Wynvers. They all shared the same dark brown curls and blue-green eyes.

"Now that Cira is here, can you tell us why you've come?" Thirion spoke up from his spot a bit away from the rest of his family. At the young age of thirteen, Theo was easily recognized as a genius. He analyzed every situation and every person, quickly finding hidden motives and rooting out inconsistencies and lies. He was almost constantly lost in his head, but when he paid attention, he never failed to shock people. It was his gift to never forget anything at all. Everything he'd experienced since the day his gift emerged was stored away in his mind, saved for future use. And one learns from experience, so he was maybe even smarter than the great historians and generals themselves.

Cyran sighed, a faint, fatherly smile lighting his blue eyes. "I should've known that I couldn't put it off long with you here."

The room fell silent, six pairs of eyes on Cyran. "Sadly, today's visit isn't just for leisure. There have been some... changes, and I have permission to inform you and ask your opinions."

"Our opinions?" Izzy repeated. "We get to help with a decision?"

"Not exactly. The decision has already been made, but I can try and fight it if you don't agree." He turned to Aelon. "The King requests that you stay here at the palace. He wants you to continue your training in a more formal setting, and to begin sitting in on his council meetings and learning first-hand."

Aelon's face paled, and he glanced at Cira. His eyes were filled with worry and fright, but also a deep resignation to do his duty as the future King. Cira knew that he didn't think himself worthy, but everyone knew that he was. If anyone should be King, it should be him.