Soul Ringer BoyxBoy

-1- Storm

Outside the storm howled murderously, raging across the city below. Its dark clouds veiled the sky, sharp drops pelting the houses and empty streets. Lightning flashed from somewhere overhead illuminating everything with blinding light for only a frantic heartbeat. Then the thunder rolled across the clouds furiously as it always did; always would. Even the worst things have a pattern; a law they have to follow. Unfortunately, good and evil didn’t have the pattern they always did in the movies, plays and books.

                I sat there watching helplessly from my window as the storm battered the city. Up here the air spirits surrounding the palace blew the clouds away. Not a single drop of rain would touch these grounds; watering the gardens was the work of the water spirits. To perfect; too much routine… Was there such a thing as too much paradise?

                I sighed dramatically, pushing my chair away from the window and wheeling back to my desk. Fickin’ homework.

                “My lord,” Simon’s whispery voice beside my ear made me jump and fall off my chair. He tried to smother the laugh that escaped his invisible mouth. I stared daggers at him; at least I think I did. He was nothing more than part of the air, making him impossible to see unless he wanted to be seen.

                “What do you want, Simon?” I asked irritably.

                Simon decided to reappear in solid form. “Your father requests an audience with you, My Lord.” His formality annoyed me to no end. He had been like my father until about a year ago when my real dad decided to suddenly take interest in his heir. Still, Simon had no reason to talk to me like I was my father.

                “Right now, servant?” I could see the challenge spark to life in his eyes.

                “Yes, Your Highness.” Before I could come up with a good response he lunged at me. I was taken by surprise with the sudden hug. “Brace yourself Raymm,” he whispered, turning back into just a gust of warm wind, which promptly blew through the spaces around my door.

                I groaned in frustration and stomped out the door a second after him. Talks with dad were never the highlight of my day. I marched down the grand staircase and out to the enormous garden. Like I had suspected, mom and dad sat on the bench in the gazebo. They were hugging and smiling happily; a perfect picture I’d never been part of.

                I cleared my throat once I was within ear shot. Their gazes snapped towards me and I watched suspiciously as dad withdrew his hand from mom’s belly.

                “Raymm, sweetie come here,” my mom called over excitedly, like I wasn’t already on my way. “Your father and I have a surprise for you.”

                ‘Oh goody’, I thought to myself as I started up the steps and into the gazebo. My mom patted the seat next to her, opposite dad and I sat down obediently. “So what’s the big surprise,” I asked with a smile painted on my face.

                “Your father and I…” she paused to glance with gooey eyes, then turned back and grabbed dad and I’s hands with each of hers, “are having a baby.”

                My world just shattered around me. My breath caught in my throat, my heart skipping a panicked beat.  To most this would probably be an overreaction, but to the royal family it was the same as a death sentence to all but one of their children.

                I risked a glance to dad. He met my gaze with a steady, powerful one. Fear fingered its way up my spine, forcing me to look away and force a smile at mom. It wasn’t her fault she was from Cresence, not Reim; therefore she had no idea that she was about to cost me my life.