A Dance with Darkness and Light: Re-Origination

9: Dining with Brothers

Bazuul and Bram reached the door of Kuzan's chamber. The guards then made way and opened to the doors.

He walked in, alongside him was his servant.

The darkness still loomed wildly inside of him and although both had different expressions, it was clear upon seeing their faces that something was off. Kuzan's expression also darkened as he wondered what this oppressive feeling was that exuded from his youngest brothers' eyes.

He greeted his brothers and sat on his seat to the east of the round-table. Silent jeers could be heard from some servants to the west and south. Bazuul couldn't care less.

Kuzan stood up and everyone turned toward him as he began his opening speech, decorated with little stories of his expedition to the north. He showed the eloquence of the oldest prince in the way he expressed himself both in speech and how he carried his princely being.

Bazuul, on the other hand, could feel gazes boring into him right ahead but he couldn't care less.

They ate a seven-course meal deserving to be served at the royal table of princes, all the while he thought about other things. Kuzan could tell that he wasn't really here at the moment and that his mind was preoccupied. He could also tell that the second and third prince seemed to have some animosity toward their youngest brother.

"Interesting," he thought.

Bazuul still didn't seem to care at all, but Bram, on the other hand, was having trouble to contain the twitching on the corner of his lips.

Kuzan decided to once again turn the attention to him and started talking about his expedition before he mentioned the hidden dragon trials and the royal tournament.

Once again jeers turned toward Bazuul, mixed with a vicious kind of light in their eyes.

This year, he would be old enough to participate and apparently, they had something planned for him. Bazuul yawned with his mouth wide open. What on the surface seemed to be the action of an unknowing fool that lacked vision was, in fact, the effect of a tiring task to contain the darkness from boiling over.

Toward the end, Kuzan reminded. "As you know the hidden dragon trial will start in a month's time, and the royal tournament a week after the trial."

The latter was a contest where all the younger generations from the Seven Kingdoms would partake in. The oldest princes would automatically qualify and would not need to go through the hidden dragon trials. This was a trial in where all youngsters from twelve to eighteen could take part in and qualify for the royal tournament. Which of course, was an honor for the common folk to manage and would also inadvertently help their families rise to prominence in the future.

Without even winning.

For the nobles, on the other hand, it was a true battle on a political and economic scale, and also for the honor of their kingdom and their families.

One could imagine what it meant for the princes of the Seven Kingdoms.

"I hope you will all prepare yourself accordingly to represent our kingdom. This year we also need to take extra care since this will be little Zuul's first time participating."

Along the jeers, someone wasn't able to contain his laughter this time.

Bazuul turned to the servant - apparently, one of the second prince's - with the darkness finally leaking out of its containment.

As the anger once more twisted his face his vision swept to his second oldest brother. For a second Aurelius' heart stopped beating as he was not prepared for this sharp gaze of his formerly timid little brother.

"You really lack the ability to select good dogs, Aurelius. With all your scheming you dare bring a dog here that unveils all your emotions and plans just by the way he carries himself. Disgraceful!

You want to become king but you are already a slave to the throne. You grew up in this environment yet lack the vision to see that the one sitting on the throne serves the nation, bound by that throne! Bound, to laugh and smile at those that disgust you! Throwing away your own dignity for political measures."

Bazuul's facial expression carried so much disdain and disgust for this brother of his that the room fell so silent, the only thing one could hear was his speech and the dark chuckling that followed.

The servant's face already darkened, but the second prince's face was black, his teeth gnashing. Kuzan, on the other hand, was shocked, but not at the way his little brother was talking but by the way he viewed the throne and subsequently the title as King.

After thinking for a bit, he thought that even he may lack some vision in contrast to him.

Aurelius was just about to retaliate when a fist slammed onto the table.

"BAZUUL!! HOW DARE YOU TALK TO SECOND ELDEST BROTHER LIKE THAT. APOLOGIZE IMMEDIATELY OR ELSE..." The one screaming was the third prince Karon, prince of the south. He was so enraged that his throat and belly were having a shaking contest. He was just about to warn him what would happen if he wouldn't sincerely apologize, but Bazuul simply jeered at him.

"Shut up! You are nothing more than those servants behind him, a dog and that's it.

I've noticed your petty little gazes and jeers. You think they give you power, but in fact, they reveal how weak you truly are! Let me tell you, any one person that crosses my path at the trials will squeal like a pig until only silence remains!"

Bazuul stood from his seat, put his fist into his hand and said.

"Now then...brothers, see you soon!"

One could hear the disgust in his voice as he pronounced the word brothers. He cast the last gaze at Kuzan and left the chamber with Bram.

Inside a loud laughter echoed through the chamber and also slightly reached the hall only to be answered by a freezing chuckle in the hall that crept its way back into the chamber.

Where Karon simply turned red and almost threw up blood due to the anger, Aurelius froze with the chuckle and remained silent, analyzing, thinking and re-evaluating his coming schemes.