Kings in Hiding

Prologue

"Your Highness, your father has requested to meet you in the throne room."
A young man, about the age of twenty-one, turns around from his desk and looks at the guard standing at his door. "What does he want this time?"
"I'm... not sure. But, by the tone of his voice, what he called you for must be urgent."
He pulled back his ginger hair and winced, scrunching up his freckled nose. "Alright, I'll go..."

The throne room, massively empty, stood in complete silence. Not a single sound was made, excluding the rushed clunking of this man's boots. He sped walked down the red carpets towards another man, somewhat older than him, who sat in a giant chair in the front center of the room.
"Father," he said, bowing slightly.
"There's no need for you to bow. You're a prince. You and I are of almost equal royalty," he said in a smooth, deep voice.
The ginger looked up. He stared at the man at the throne, pink hair and all. Today really must be special, he thought. His father never dressed in full, unless something big was happening. And, as he thought, he was right.
"Son, it's time we talk." He stood from the throne and slowly approached him. "You're the first born to this family. You are of age. You have all the power any villager, noble, or warlock could imagine, and it's all because you are of royal blood."
"Yes, Father, I'm very much aware of this."
"I want you to take the throne. You are the heir, and it's time I retire from the title as 'King Ika of the Avira Empire'."
The ginger gulped. "M-me..? But..."
Ika circled around his son, draping him in his robes. "There will be no hesitation. Your training as king will be finally put to use. Tomorrow, my world becomes yours. Isn't that exciting, Kirk?"
"I, um... I-I guess.." Kirk stuttered.
"Wonderful! That's all I needed to go over with you. Now, would you mind fetching your brother for me? I need to talk to him about..."
The final words of that sentence trailed off in Kirk's mind. He nodded, proceeded to march down these large, empty corridors, finding his brother alone in his chambers.

That night, Kirk fled. He believed that he wasn't fit for the role as king. He also knew what it meant to be someone who became corrupt by the royal title, as he grew up watching his father grow worse and worse every day he abused his magical powers.
He did not want to become his father.
From that day on, Kirk swore to himself that he would never use the power given to him through his ancestors for any reason. He wanted to live a simple life by himself, in a little town in the country, as far away from his homeland as possible.
Little did he know, his escape brought forth Leo's, Kirk's younger brother, plan to follow him wherever he went.
Leo relied on Kirk for many things back home and refused to be left alone in the castle with his father. So, naturally, he fled too. He found Kirk and decided to stay with him to rely on him and stay by his side for the rest of his life.
Or, so many thought.
By the time a year passed, Kirk had fallen in love with a maiden, who's heart was kind and generous. Her name was Mal. After a few dates, they got hitched and moved in together. Kirk loved Mal with all his heart and soul, and she loved him as equally. Leo teased him for finding a wife and claimed that "romance was disgusting", but Kirk would always make the comeback that "he was just jealous because he didn't have a lover of his own".
The happy couple lived in peace for a while, but one day this dynamic duo of lovers soon became parents to a beautiful child that came to named Greg. Things became hectic for a while, with the screaming baby, managing a plot of land they had used to farm their own goods, and sustaining the brothers' business of selling quality foods. But, nonetheless, everyone was happy. They didn't have a serious care in the world, living in this tiny town alone, together.

Well, all was this way until one fateful day...