"I'm going to win the tournament and the throne of Pheliosta."
"Why the sudden change of heart? I thought you weren't interested in the throne here, or anywhere else."
"If I win....I'll see to it that you and Murra can live together."
It was those words that kept ringing through his mind as he found himself fighting against his precious Seiliez. Of course he didn't want to do anything to harm his brother, but he was in quite the dilemma. If he lost to Seiliez, it would mean that he couldn't live with his real mother Murra, leaving the older to be hurt emotionally. At the same time if he won against him in this match then he would have to physically hurt him. That was something that Laphiji had never even thought about before this moment. Choosing which one to do was a lot more difficult for him than it would ever seem. His inner turmoil was undetectable on the outside has he defended himself against the set of attacks Seiliez was throwing his way. In all honesty, it surprised Laphiji that Seiliez was actually doing quite well in their match against each other. This was the first time that the older prince had even made it this far into the tournament.
In the crowd, he could hear his mother yelling at him to win, of course, that was simply because she had a strong dislike for the eldest prince, and clearly favored the youngest prince, Vord. Laphiji on the other hand was stuck in the middle of the two, both literally and figuratively, it was surprising he did not develop a middle child complex. Instead he had chosen to take care of Seiliez when he was feeling poorly emotionally, something he had done since both were small children. Soon he would have to come to a decision on what he was going to do, lose to Seiliez, or win to follow through with what he said he would do. He knew everyone in the crowd could tell he was dragging out the fight, after all Seiliez wasn't a fighter in the least. Laphiji glanced towards the crowd which left him open to being struck in the arm with the sword his older brother wielded. This caused him to wince a little.
"Laphiji!" came his mother's worried voice.
Laphiji was uncertain of how Seiliez suddenly got such great skills in fighting. Wherever these skills came from simply meant that the decision would have to be made soon; before Seiliez could actually hurt him worse. With a sigh Laphiji thought over his choices once more, it was after all, the hardest decision he placed upon himself. Their mother would be thrilled that he won against him; Vord would be both shocked and glad for it since he had always wanted to fight against him. Seiliez, on the other hand was hard to decipher how he would feel, would he be happy to live with Murra or did he really want to be with Princess Ishtar? It was obvious the older prince had an attachment to the princess, but again, he had an attachment to Murra as well. Again Seiliez thrust his swords towards him, only to have Laphiji block the attack with his own sword. For a moment it seemed that Seiliez was determined to beat him, causing a slight falter in Laphiji's concentration. As he faltered a little he was cut once again with the sword this time on his other arm.
"How wonderfully ironic," Seiliez said with a light chuckle, "You always pitied me brother. How does it feel to need my pity?"
The way Seiliez spoke was very much unlike himself, which shocked Laphiji greatly, leaving an opening for Seiliez to strike at him again. Fortunately he managed to dodge the attack as Seiliez prepared for another. It was obvious there was something off about his brother, something that was not normally present within him. Just as Seiliez's sword was brought his way again Laphiji blocked it again and this time pushed Seiliez backwards. Shock registered on the blond's face for a moment, when was replaced with one of anger. The group of next attacks came far more violent than any that had come before. Most of which Laphiji had managed to block, and even return. Even with Seiliez's desperation to beat Laphiji, the younger couldn't help but still think of his dilemma, and it seemed that Seiliez wanted to win to be happy but would he really be? It's not like their mother would think any differently of the blond. Laphiji could easily lose right at this moment to make him happy for a short time. Or he could win against his brother to ensure his happiness in the long run. Then again, his brother's current actions have been quite strange for the normally gentleman, something had to be wrong with or someone controlling him. Just as Seiliez swung his sword at Laphiji, the dark haired male finally decided that winning would be for the best, stopping whatever had its hold on Seiliez and also to insure his happiness later on.
"I'm gonna kill you, you son of a bitch!" Seiliez yelled as he brought his sword down once again to slice Laphiji.
Again Laphiji found himself getting his skin cut by his brother, which cause the crowd to roar with excitement. A point was given to Seiliez by the announcer, meaning if there were a few more points Laphiji would lose and he wouldn't be able to make sure Seiliez and Murra could live together. He had to get serious before his plan ruined itself. So he now had to go on the offensive rather than staying purely defensive. Before Seiliez's next attack could get too close to him Laphiji swung his blade and struck Seiliez's side. This caused a gasp from the older male, as well as a point given to him by the announcer. Of course, this only seemed to upset his older brother, as he attempted to attack more erratic. Laphiji, being the true best swordsman in the Kingdom of La Naan, had no problem defending while making his own attacks against Seiliez. Whatever had been possessing his brother seemed to be fading from the blond as Laphiji kept on attacking him back.
The bright confidence that had been in the violet eyes of his beloved brother, had begun to fade and Laphiji had not even begun to start really fighting him. Over the roars of the crowd their mother could be heard cheering on Laphiji, now that he had actually begun to fight back. Which didn't surprise him in the least. He then looked to his brother once again, quite sad he had decided to beat him, but it proved to be necessary. True he had no real interest in taking the throne of Pheliosta, or any kingdom for that matter, but if he had to do it for his older brother he would. Now if it was Vord rather than Seiliez, Laphiji wouldn't have cared too much either way. His younger brother could easily take care of himself. A sigh left his lips as he planned his next move against Seiliez, the next move could stop the match without harming his brother too much though he would feel bad about it. Adjusting his feet, he positioned himself into the right stance, waiting for the blond to make his move so he could initiate the attack. He could see Seiliez's eyes narrow as he rushed forward to strike the dark haired man with his sword. Narrowly dodging the swinging sword Laphiji quickly forced the hilt of his sword against Seiliez's chest in an attempt to knock the wind out of his brother. It seemed to work as Seiliez fell to his knees clutching his chest.
"Point Laphiji!" called the announcer; the crowd roared behind him, "Prince Laphiji has won!"
Laphiji ignored the announcer and the crowd to bend down to Seiliez's level. The blond prince looked upset that he had lost, not to mention miserable while he tried to catch his breath. The two brothers looked over each other for a few moments before the younger offered his hand to the older as an offer to help him up. When the blond put his hand in Laphiji's the taller male stood up straight bringing Seiliez with him. Once standing Laphiji let go of his brother's hand and headed out of the Coliseum, while his brother walked slowly behind him, head hung in defeat. As he walked out of the coliseum Laphiji was feeling very guilty for have even thought about doing what he had done to his brother, he'd have to apologize to him later. As the two exited the Coliseum they were approached by their younger brother Vord, who looked quite shocked by the outcome of the match.
"I would have never guessed that you would actually beat Seiliez," he said walking up and putting his arm on one of Laphiji's shoulders, "And I had just been telling Ishtar that you wouldn't beat Seiliez."
"I told Seiliez I was going to win the tournament," he said as he shrugged his younger brother's arm off of him.
"It's true, he told me he would," Seiliez's meek voice said from the other side of him.
Vord's eyes widened a little at the confirmation of Laphiji's statement, "Since when are you interested in the throne of Pheliosta?"
Instead of answering Laphiji headed off towards the palace, with Seiliez with him. From the sound of the way he had seconded Laphiji's statement, it seemed Seiliez didn't hold anything against him for defeating him. Glancing towards the blond he was rubbing at his chest where Laphiji had struck him. Perhaps he had hit him a little harder than he should have, he knew he should have been more careful. He felt a twinge of guilt as his brother looked at him with a small smile, at least if he could win the tournament he could make it up to his brother easily. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Vord following not far behind him talking with a few of the soldiers. Plenty of people were walking around since the matches for the day were over, most were probably going back to their homes and jobs to do work, while the three princes were simply heading home to relax. Just as they had approached the palace their mother came into view causing both boys to stop walking, she had a smile on her face as she walked up to Laphiji.
"You did a great job, Laphiji," she said while her smile widened, "And to think that horrid vampire said you wouldn't be able to beat Seiliez, but I knew better than that. Seiliez could never hope to beat you or Vord at anything."
It was no secret that their mother didn't care too much for Seiliez, seeing as she had treated him poorly since childhood. Laphiji didn't respond to her other than a slight nod, not that he agreed with her at all. Looking to Seiliez, Laphiji could see a frown settling on his older brother's doll like face. He never did like it when his brother frowned. Shortly after the frown appeared Seiliez continued on to the palace, most likely towards his room. Laphiji would go find him later, after their mother stopped talking to him. Vord came up behind him and placed an arm on his shoulder once again talking to their mom how he was surprised at how long Laphiji drew the match on, even though not even a few minutes ago he admitted to not thinking Laphiji would win. While his mother and younger brother were chatting about the match he simply stood there with his eyes closed, not really up to talking about it.
"...Yes, well both of you should rest up before dinner comes around," their mother, Lady Ramia said, "I've arranged for a little celebration. After all one of you will win the tournament and marry Ishtar."
Laphiji nodded and shrugged his brother off of his shoulder before heading in the palace. He knew well it was Vord that she wanted to marry Ishtar, he was after all her favorite. When it came to their mother's love, it was clear, Vord, then Laphiji, and maybe Seiliez on a good day. Instead of heading off towards his own room, he walked down the halls to get to Seiliez's room. The shorter blond was probably feeling down after the comment their mother had made about him. Though it was a normal reaction for Seiliez to be depressed after wards, it didn't make Laphiji feel any less responsible to take care of him. After a few minutes of walking through the corridors Laphiji made it to his brother's room. Without knocking, he opened the door, knowing that Seiliez wouldn't mind since he did it often. Upon entering he found Seiliez sitting on the windowsill of his room with his face up against a pillow pressed against the wall. The blond looked his way when he closed the door behind him.
"I still don't understand, why she doesn't like me," Seiliez said patting the spot next to him on the sill for Laphiji to join him. "And to say that in front of me.."
Laphiji walked a few strides before he sat down next to his brother, as soon as he sat the blond shifted so he was leaning up against him. Instinctively Laphiji's arm went around his brother and his brother seemed to push himself more against the younger of the two. The two sat in silence for a while, just enjoying each other's company, Seiliez out of comfort and Laphiji out of love for his brother. Soon his brother shifted so he could wrap his arms around Laphiji's torso, to which he shifted so he could secure his brother in his arms. Seiliez seemed content in Laphiji's arms for the longest time before lifting his head off of the younger's chest. A small smile graced the blond's lips before he placed a hand on Laphiji's cheek. The younger knew what this gesture meant, and he moved accordingly by bringing his lips to meet that of his older brother's. Seiliez let out a small noise as he pulled Laphiji with him so Seiliez was lying on his back with Laphiji over him.
A few hours later the ballroom was crowded as all three princes of La Naan entered it, no one paying them too much mind. Everyone seemed more interested in Princess Ishtar of Pheliosta, the one either Vord or Laphiji would marry after they won the tournament. She was talking with their mother holding her Kyawl, whom she named after the Vampire King Duzell. Her guards were not too far away from her keeping an eye on everyone and thing, specifically her main bodyguard Darres. Vord then waltzed over to the pair and stood behind their mother joining in the conversation. Apparently their conversation was a decent one as the entire group involved was animated to speak about it. Then again, it was hard to tell what it was they were talking about from the distance. Seiliez then stepped towards the group and Laphiji followed after him despite not being one for social interactions. When he got to the group with his brother it became clear they were talking about the match between himself and Seiliez, had it really been that exciting to them? Well Laphiji didn't think it was too exciting, but more of a moment he wished he could take back.
"Now Ishtar," His mother had began to say to the Princess getting Laphiji's attention, "Don't forget about our deal. You'll marry which ever one of my sons wins the tournament. Since Seiliez is out you'll now have a good chance to marrying a decent husband."
It was then that Ramia glanced towards Vord, he was her favorite after all, it was clear she figured Vord would win. Laphiji wasn't going to let that happen as long as he stayed focused on his plan to make it so Seiliez could live with Murra. Glancing to Ishtar Laphiji wondered which she would prefer, Vord or himself. Or perhaps she had entered herself and Darres in the tournament to stop the deal from going through. Tomorrow they would see who would win out of Vord the self-claimed best swordsman in La Naan, or Darres the best swordsman of Pheliosta. Whoever won was not important to him, he would fight either to reach his goal. A fight between him and Vord would certainly be the most interesting to the people of La Naan, after all a fight between the younger two princes might be the most entertaining. One being thought of as a great swordsman while the other a powerful magic user.
"Don't worry auntie, I haven't forgotten." Ishtar said with a smile before glancing to her Kyawl with a slight grin.
Laphiji watched her for a moment, trying to figure out just what that grin to her Kyawl meant. When nothing could be deciphered, he looked to Seiliez whom was now talking with Ishtar about the jewelry she had given to him. At least those two did get along well, maybe it had been a mistake to beat Seiliez since the two he was watching seemed to fit perfectly with each other. Well it was now too late to change his mind on becoming king for Seiliez, if he was to back down now Vord would win and well nothing would be done for their older brother. A tap on his shoulder made Laphiji break the stare he had gotten into towards his brother and cousin. Turning slightly, he saw it was Vord who motioned with his head for Laphiji to follow him. Odd, Vord rarely talked too much with him, it made him wonder what exactly the younger man wanted. Following his brother as he walked both males ended up in one of the empty corridors, ah he wanted to talk privately.
"What did you need?" Laphiji asked, not showing his surprise for the sudden need to communicate.
"How serious are you about winning the tournament?" Vord asked folding his arms over his chest.
Laphiji blinked for a moment, before regaining his composure, "Quite serious," he said, deciding Vord didn't need to know why.
"I see, well I'm serious about winning too." Vord said flashing one of his grins, "And I'm not going to go easy one you when we fight."
When? Laphiji thought. "So you think you're going to beat Darres?"
"No, Laphiji I am going to beat Darres," he laughed.
"Your overconfidence could be your downfall," the raven haired male said before turning to head back to the event their mother was hosting.
"H-hey!" Vord called when he noticed Laphiji was leaving.
With his brother trailing behind him Laphiji made his way back into the ballroom, looking around for Seiliez, not to stand with him necessarily but to know his general location. After a few minutes he spotted the short blond male off at the refreshment with a drink in his hand, talking with some of the nobles their mother invited. Looking around, he looked for Ishtar, who was at one of the tables feeding her Kyawl some of the pastries laid out on a plate for her. He was a little unsure of what he should do, socialize though he didn't like to or simply linger around. While deciding what to do he continued to look around, seeing his mother talking excitedly to some of the guests. She was undoubtedly telling them how Vord would be winning the tournament, her confidence in the youngest prince was astonishing. Darres, Ishtar's personal guard was standing with two other guards keeping an eye on the princess. Vord had also re-entered the ballroom and was staring at Laphiji while a few people were talking to him.
It actually didn't surprise Laphiji no one had approached him for idle chit chat, most people found him quite hard to talk to. Since he didn't like being social like his older and younger brothers. It simply wasn't in him to be so, Seiliez could talk for both of them and it's usually what happened. Through the noise of the party he heard his name being called, blinking he looked around and saw his mother, gesturing for him to approach her and the few people she was standing with. Without a gesture of any kind he silently walked over to his mother and whoever she was talking to.