Onyx Eyes

Kaden

It had been a year and a half since I had last seen my home, on the day my brother Raphael was exiled I fled with my closest friend and didn't look back.Kaden, the crown prince, had left his kingdom in the hands of his two younger brothers, I had a desperate hope that they would be able to fix the wrongs that I had inflicted not only on the kingdom but my family as well.

I didn't deserve to return to this place, but with the two shadow kings breathing down the back of our necks the selfish desire I had to stay hidden must be put aside. Bad memories flooded that castle and I knew as soon as I set foot inside they would swallow me into their depth where I would suffer never being able to swim out.

A hand reached out and graced my cheek with a feather light touch, the runaway lady of mine gave me a kind smile, her pale golden eyes meeting the steel grey of my own. "Kaden, breath" and like that my worries completely melted away, almost, "we'll be back out traveling again soon, just us two, together." I gave a sharp nod, looking forward to when that day would come.

Nym had been my best friend ever since I could remember, we had always been side by side and stuck by each other through thick and thin. Returning here was as much of a challenge for her as it was for me. I knew she held doubts about how the court would welcome her back in after how she helped Raphael escape unharmed, and how she left alongside me on a journey which they had no clue in which we would return from ever again.

If we stuck together like we always have then there was nothing to be afraid of.

Riding side my side on horseback we approached the city gates, large iron bars that reminded me of a prison we had visited earlier in our journey. Two guards were stationed by the gates. I could smell alcohol.

"Halt' one of them spoke, placing a firm hand on a sword strapped to his side, as I studied him it occurred to me that he was a mere apprentice, maybe even first day on gate duty.

I could almost smile at the mundaneness of it.

The fellow guard sat upon the dirt, he looked drunk and smelt of it too, a pitiful excuse as a mentor and a guard into the city. "Remove your hoods at once!" the boy commanded trying to pull of a deep voice to try earn respect.

"Easy there kitty cat" Nym laughed and pulled down her hood, her short pale white hair coming free. I did likewise. The boy didn't seem to recognize us and I didn't hold anything against him for that. I hadn't looked in a mirror for twelve months and if I was to suddenly my reflection it would be a stranger. Would my brothers even recognize me?

The drunk man gave a booming laugh and slapped his thigh, "morning your majesty! Fancy seeing you here after the speech you gave about never returning."He gestured to the ground beside him upon where he sat,"sit down and share a drink with me, you of all people will need it."

"An offer I'm afraid I must turn down kind sir, I wish you two the best." Sitting down with a drunk isn't what I had come back to this city to do. The man gave me a large toothy grin before standing up and barking orders at the boy to open the gate which he quickly obliged in doing.

As we trotted into the city I glanced back at the young boy, the older man was yelling at him for not showing respect, something that wasn't the boys fault.I moved my hand up and made a small cutting gesture through the air, at once the drunk was blown over by the wind and on to his lazy fat behind. The man swore and quickly got up shouting curses at the sky, the boy was smiling and a gave a small chuckle of amusement.

"He's a good boy" Nym spoke when I looked back at her.

I didn't reply, but she was true in her words.

The bustling city was that of a wonder and I was taken back by how much it had grown since the last time I was here. Stalls smelling of all sorts of exotic spices and food lined the main street, merchants shouted over the laughter of the people as they advertised their products at the lowest price. Children ran between the bustling crowds giggling and begging their parents for one silver piece to buy the sugar covered treats from the stores that smelt like heaven.