~*~*~*~At the Palace in Tortall~*~*~*~
Prince Jarred, the last and youngest child to King Jonathan and Queen Thayet, stomped out of his father's office, his hot fury leaving black charred marks on the smooth wooden floors. Jarred had an odd Gift. His mood and physical condition reflected in everything he did and everyone who was around him. If he was happy, people he saw would too be happy, flowers would spring up at his feet and the deadliest of enemies would forget their fights and be best of friends. If he was angry though, you had better stay away from him, depending on the height of his anger. If people were to be around him now, there might be bodies falling to the ground. If he was tired, people would fall asleep at his feet. Most people didn't like to be around him for fear of taking on his mood or condition, which also made it hard for him to make friends. Though the two good friends he had had learned to cope with his powers and miraculously lived through all of their nineteen years together. He was allowed to attend public affairs and balls but he had learned early on how to control his feelings so no one would be effected by them.
"I hate him." Jarred fumed, "why can't I choose for myself who I want to marry? He let the last two choose, we need no more treaties with other empires, why is he forcing me to marry?!?!?" Jarred came to his room and with a burst of anger, the door flew open, one of the hinges coming off. He threw a shield of anger over the broken door and dropped on to his bed, his anger fading as he lay there. He was to marry a girl he had never even met before. How could he possible love her? She was probably some stuck-up little thing that only cared about money and pretty clothes, not him. "He can't make me," Jarred said stubbornly, "I won't. Princess All-I-Care-About-is-Clothes will just have to deal with it. And so can father!" There suddenly came a voice from the other side of his shield.
"Jarred? It's ma...can I come in?" Jarred sighed and waved a hand and the red anger shield disappeared and his beautiful mother stepped through the door. She smiled apologetically at him and sat next to him on the bed. "Jarred, you know, your father and I only want what's best for you-"
"What's best for me? If you really wanted what was best for me, you wouldn't be trying to make me marry Princess Stuck-Up!" He snapped at his mother. Thayet sighed.
"She isn't stuck up at all, Jarred-"
"I bet she is."
"You haven't even met her, how can you saw that?!?"
"Yeah ma, I haven't even met her, so why are you making me marry her?" Actually, Thayet didn't know why, but Jon was pushing it and she didn't want to fight with him, but, Jarred was her youngest child, her last, and she cherished him as her baby. She reached out a hand and stroked his cheek and he looked at her with big pleading sapphire eyes. She sighed again.
"I'll see what I can do." Jarred gave her a slow smile and hugged his mother around the waist. "I'm not promising anything," she said into his hair, "so don't get your hopes up."
"I know." She kissed his forehead and left, heading for Jon's office.
~*~*~*~The Next Day~*~*~*~
"I'm sorry Jarred, there is nothing I can do! I tried talking to him but
he won't have any of it. Your to be married in two weeks time and Princess Britton is due here in an hour." Thayet watched a bright red fire gather around Jarred's body. His hands trembled and he slowly turned and headed down the hall.
The door to his father's room burst open with a fire that made the heavey wood melt away.
"What are you doing?!?!" King Jonathan of Tortall cried, looking at his son in astonishment.
"I'm not marrying her." Jarred stated plainly.
"Oh yes you are." Jarred glared at his father, the ends of his hair turning red with his mood.
"I won't. You can't make me." Before his father could say another word, her turned and stormed out of the room.
Jonathan brought up a hand of blue fire and turned it into a ball.
"Make sure he doesn't leave," he spoke into it, "put up magical barriers if you have to, but, make sure you don't hurt him." The ball of light disappeared and Jomathan closed his hand, tears in his eyes.
Prince Jarred, the last and youngest child to King Jonathan and Queen Thayet, stomped out of his father's office, his hot fury leaving black charred marks on the smooth wooden floors. Jarred had an odd Gift. His mood and physical condition reflected in everything he did and everyone who was around him. If he was happy, people he saw would too be happy, flowers would spring up at his feet and the deadliest of enemies would forget their fights and be best of friends. If he was angry though, you had better stay away from him, depending on the height of his anger. If people were to be around him now, there might be bodies falling to the ground. If he was tired, people would fall asleep at his feet. Most people didn't like to be around him for fear of taking on his mood or condition, which also made it hard for him to make friends. Though the two good friends he had had learned to cope with his powers and miraculously lived through all of their nineteen years together. He was allowed to attend public affairs and balls but he had learned early on how to control his feelings so no one would be effected by them.
"I hate him." Jarred fumed, "why can't I choose for myself who I want to marry? He let the last two choose, we need no more treaties with other empires, why is he forcing me to marry?!?!?" Jarred came to his room and with a burst of anger, the door flew open, one of the hinges coming off. He threw a shield of anger over the broken door and dropped on to his bed, his anger fading as he lay there. He was to marry a girl he had never even met before. How could he possible love her? She was probably some stuck-up little thing that only cared about money and pretty clothes, not him. "He can't make me," Jarred said stubbornly, "I won't. Princess All-I-Care-About-is-Clothes will just have to deal with it. And so can father!" There suddenly came a voice from the other side of his shield.
"Jarred? It's ma...can I come in?" Jarred sighed and waved a hand and the red anger shield disappeared and his beautiful mother stepped through the door. She smiled apologetically at him and sat next to him on the bed. "Jarred, you know, your father and I only want what's best for you-"
"What's best for me? If you really wanted what was best for me, you wouldn't be trying to make me marry Princess Stuck-Up!" He snapped at his mother. Thayet sighed.
"She isn't stuck up at all, Jarred-"
"I bet she is."
"You haven't even met her, how can you saw that?!?"
"Yeah ma, I haven't even met her, so why are you making me marry her?" Actually, Thayet didn't know why, but Jon was pushing it and she didn't want to fight with him, but, Jarred was her youngest child, her last, and she cherished him as her baby. She reached out a hand and stroked his cheek and he looked at her with big pleading sapphire eyes. She sighed again.
"I'll see what I can do." Jarred gave her a slow smile and hugged his mother around the waist. "I'm not promising anything," she said into his hair, "so don't get your hopes up."
"I know." She kissed his forehead and left, heading for Jon's office.
~*~*~*~The Next Day~*~*~*~
"I'm sorry Jarred, there is nothing I can do! I tried talking to him but
he won't have any of it. Your to be married in two weeks time and Princess Britton is due here in an hour." Thayet watched a bright red fire gather around Jarred's body. His hands trembled and he slowly turned and headed down the hall.
The door to his father's room burst open with a fire that made the heavey wood melt away.
"What are you doing?!?!" King Jonathan of Tortall cried, looking at his son in astonishment.
"I'm not marrying her." Jarred stated plainly.
"Oh yes you are." Jarred glared at his father, the ends of his hair turning red with his mood.
"I won't. You can't make me." Before his father could say another word, her turned and stormed out of the room.
Jonathan brought up a hand of blue fire and turned it into a ball.
"Make sure he doesn't leave," he spoke into it, "put up magical barriers if you have to, but, make sure you don't hurt him." The ball of light disappeared and Jomathan closed his hand, tears in his eyes.
