For My Brother

Chapter I: Bloodline

Chapter I: Bloodline

    "Aither? What are you doing here at this hour?"

    The last thing that Aither would want to do is to take the life of the one who is a part of him. He looked down at the bump on his wife's belly, all that Isabela could see in those emerald orbs was nothing but sorrow. She did not understand at all of what was going on in Aither's mind. Only that look on his face was left for her as a mystery.

    "I need to work a little more. I will meet you in the chamber when I am done," Aither turned away from her. He looked down to a large book in his hands, seeming to become a little calmer as he read, Isabela was not pleased with that attention that Aither gave to his studies. He would always say that he was seeking for the sake of his empire. King Aither of the Ocean Realm, the 563rd ruler, the wise king who was loved for his knowledge and how he would always find a way to help his people in many ways. Isabela let out a sigh before leaving her beloved husband to continue his studies. He was alone in a small library with only a single candle as a light source. There were no windows, making it as dark as a basement. All of the books on the shelves were so old that they might crumble if treated without care. Many books on the ground as well. At the center of the room, a working desk covered with scrolls and papers. Aither put all of his effort on his researches for decades. Only after a little while more of reading, the wrinkles appeared again on his temple and the bridge of his nose. He wished he had realised sooner how close he was...

    Time only passed quicker; fear only grew stronger. He knew it was too late, that the time is getting close. Somehow, time passed by so quickly that he could not track, until one day when time suddenly stopped.

    "It's a boy, my lord!" Aither could only smile slightly as the maester handed a tiny little boy wrapped in white cloth to him. He looked down to the infant, a part of him. It had been a long day. Isabela already fell asleep after she had seen her son that she just pushed from her womb. Aither slowly walked around the throne room. Each step he took on the marble floor echoed the large room. It was peaceful when he was by himself. He looked down at the infant in his arms. A new feeling came into him as he stared at that little face.

    "My son.." That feeling became stronger as he said those words for the first time. It hurts him. It hurts more when he knew of the future.

    "Diego, I hope that you will understand me one day," he whispered to his son in a sorrowful tone.

    Aiter walked along the halls in of his castle. With the infant in his arms. He looked to the window on his left, below was a courtyard. Surrounded by cold, high walls of the castle. Only big enough for an archery lessons and combat lessons for children, which would be what Aither will do to that area when Diego was old enough to learn. To the right were nothing but banners on the cold stone wall and torches that would light up the pathway when the sun is down.

    Aither stopped at an old, dark wooden heavy door. He took a deep breath, looking down at the sleeping Diego wrapped in white cloth. Then he pushed the heavy door open. Inside the room was a dark study, a place where he would be himself and a place where he would have to make decisions, where he spends the most time, a place where all the knowledge and tools to help his people in the empire lies within. These heavy and old books. On the floor, on the tables and on the old bookshelves that were near collapsing from age and weights. Centuries long of studies.

    Without a needing of a lightsource, Aither walked into the study room. Slowly. He let himself down slowly on a dusty, old chair.

    "Whatever that I am about to decide, Diego," he said softly, "will only be for the sake of the empire, for the people." he looked down again at the boy.