The Rebel (#Wattys2016)

39. Kyanite

A gasp woke Skander up. He immediately sat up, hands going up to his chest, where he had just felt flames consume him. His forehead was damp and strands of his hair fell into his eyes, slightly humid. He could remember his father's voice, inhale and exhale, Skander. It's not that hard, even somebody as useless as you can do it. He shook his head at the memory and looked around him. Jasper stared at him, and behind him, June and Chraisten and the rest of the Selected. The King stood behind all of them, looking at his feet, the light not reaching his eyes and making him look more like a skull than a King.

"It's okay, Skander. We got the bullet out, we cleaned your wounds."

"Although, I would argue that cleaning wounds is useless if you have nothing to cover them in." A familiar voice said from behind Skander. Skander tensed and looked behind him, to Adeen. "I may hate you, Prince, but you're too valuable to us to die right now."

She tossed some bandages to Jasper through the bars, her eyes bored. Jasper stared at them.

"Good to know you care enough to cover the wounds you gave him, Adeen. So you do have a heart, somewhere."

For a moment, Skander was afraid Adeen could have melted the bars with her stare alone. After a few seconds of uncontrolled anger, she smiled, but the smile did nothing to conceal her violent nature.

"You're wrong about that, Prince." She smiled as she walked to the bars. "I don't have a heart. Guess that's why I blended in with royalty so well."

She unlocked the door and pointed at Jasper.

"Your turn, Prince. I'm looking forward to a long and deep talk."

Jasper, unflinching, gave Chraisten the bandages and stood up. It wasn't until then that Skander noticed Adeen was holding something in her left hand.

The familiar glint of his Kyanite necklace met his eyes.

"I have a pretty gift for you, Skander." The Queen said a cloudy afternoon in the Palace's balcony to the gardens.

"What is it, Ma?" It had been the day Jasper had gone to train for the army and nine-year-old Skander was heartbroken.

Queen Lydia smiled mischievously and placed the necklace in Skander's small hands. It had a big square blue rock supported by a metal ring painted with black fire.

"This is Kyanite. It is very rare to find one this big naturally, it is really hard and it's quite unique." The Queen smiled.

"But mom!" Skander protested. "It's a necklace! Girls wear necklaces, boys don't!"

Queen Lydia smiled, amused at him.

"Don't be silly, Skander. Ever seen your father wear necklaces?"

Skander thought about it. His entire life he'd been the public Prince, attending balls and ceremonies and whatnot. And when the occasion was especially outstanding, his father would wear a necklace with a red and gold stone, the colors of Illea. Skander nodded.

"Yes." Queen Lydia closed Skander's palm around the necklace. "When it's an important event, he wears the Royal Necklace, signifying his enrollment with his country. Every King wears one, and someday you will." She smiled. "But, Skander, it's easy for a King to get lost. So, before you wear the Royal Necklace, I want you to wear this one. I want it to remember you who you are, and who you ought to be."

Skander turned the necklace around, behind, in the metal ring, was a strange writing. He frowned.

"Frigus calidum ignis et de igne permanere." He pondered on the words for a moment and then remembered his classes. "It's Latin."