The smell of the blooming flowers, the fresh-baked bread of the square, the roasted meats, and the sweet, herbal aromas of newly-harvested fruit and vegetables welcomed Prince Rudolf home from a month-long voyage. His muscles ached at the thought of returning to his own bed that awaited him in the castle. The jostling of his carriage didn't help matters.
Booing and jeers off to the side met his ears.
Rudolf's eyes started to veer to the direction of the commotion, but he refrained once the corner of his vision caught a glimpse of chained wrists and his nose whiffed the odor of rotting food.
Citizens bowed in greeting to him as he passed, and he exchanged pleasantries with those not too in a hurry with their business. The sounds of a man being punished with public humiliation continued to drone in his ears as he continued on his way back to the castle.
Rudolf choked back a sigh.
The good and bad of the Southern Isles certainly made a point to welcome him.
Carriage wheels clattered against masoned roads. Scratches of broom bristles from the street-sweepers. More smiling faces greeted him. The insults of the rowdy crowd faded away as he was brought to the gates of the castle. He smiled when he saw familiar faces greeting him.
"Rudy!" Prince Gabriel welcomed as he unlatched the door to the carriage. He regarded him, eyes flickering up and down. "Oh my, you've gotten fat."
"Is that so?" Prince Rudolf chuckled and pounded a fist into Prince Gabriel's shoulder before stepping off. "Your manners haven't improved since I've left, Gabe."
Gabriel snorted and rubbed at his shoulder. "Sorry to disappoint, but the Southern Isles' hospitality doesn't involve food."
"No, it involves annoying little brothers."
"Payback for not letting me join you this time."
Rudolf yanked his brother into an embrace and tousled his hair. "Yeah, yeah, you'll get your turn if you ever figure out how to be more diplomatic." He looked to the side and saw his youngest brother, Prince Hans, rigid and eyes averted to the floor. Rudolf kneeled and placed both of his hands on the child's shoulders.
"Hi, Hans," he said.
"Hi, Rudy," Hans said. His feet shuffled as he continued to stare at his boots. "I heard you were coming back."
Rudolf frowned.
It had only been a month. It was obvious that the wound of losing Søren was still fresh and aching. He wouldn't be surprised if Hans hadn't smiled in weeks.
And to think, it wasn't even that long ago where he and Søren were trying to outdo one another with how many languages they would be able to speak for their ambassadorial trips, or who had the largest coin collection of currency from around the world. Søren was his confidante for complaining about being forced to find wife by now; and in kind, Søren would gush about one of the princesses he somehow didn't manage to scare away.
Søren would've been an amazing father with how much he did to watch over the younger princes. The sacrifices he made to ensure they were given as much care and attention as the elder prince received when growing up. It was obvious that Søren found it hard and difficult considering he tended to shy from human interaction, but the past few years since Hans had been born...
He knew he couldn't speak for him, but Rudolf knew that his brother was finally starting to come into his own. Hans had made Søren so happy for some reason, though Rudolf suspected it was due to knowing that his time was coming soon and that Hans was possibly the closest thing to having his own son.
Now that Søren was gone, Rudolf felt so guilty. He could never live up to the expectations or the legacy that the public looked forward to once Prince Søren became king. Instead, he died before father did at twenty-three, and Rudolf had to reconfigure his life at twenty-two.
His jaw clenched.
Magic was evil. Something like this was never to happen to them again.
"I brought some material our archives," Rudolf said to Hans, remembering to keep his voice soft after reminiscing, hoping the grit of grief was well hidden. "I wrote down a few stories I've heard about magic while abroad."
"Really?" Hans said, looking up. "Did you find a cure yet?"
Rudolf shook his head. "Sadly, not yet. But I feel like I'm getting somewhere."
He grabbed the five-year-old by the waist and swung him around before settling him to sit on his shoulders. Hans squealed with glee, but was cut short. Rudolf felt Hans' arms cross on top of his head. He didn't need to look at his face to know that Hans was pouting.
Strange child had been adamant to keep anyone from knowing he was happy.
"You're rubbing off on Hans."
"At least it's me and not you."
Laughter.
He shook off the memory.
Rudolf turned to Gabriel. "You don't mind taking my suitcase, do you?"
He turned to the coachmen, asked them to take the rest of his belongings, and thanked them.
"Sure," the third-born said. He reached into the carriage and lugged out the case with a heave. "Man, I think this thing weighs as much as you, and that's saying something."
"Oh, come now. You're just jealous that adolescence was kinder to me and gave me a more muscular frame than yours."
"Hah..."
"Besides, I think men keep growing until they're twenty-one, right?"
Gabriel shoved him to the side. Rudolf snorted and responded with a bump of his hip.
"Quit that, I'm holding precious cargo," Rudolf said as he made his way to the library in the castle.
"Yeah, yeah," Gabriel said. He turned his face up to look at Hans. "Sorry about that, but don't you think Rudolf needs to be taken down a few pegs?"
Hans didn't respond. Gabriel sighed.
The rest of the walk to the library went with silence, save for a few greetings of the servants they passed by. Rudolf set Hans down once they reached the library and took the suitcase from Gabriel.
"Father and Mother told me to tell you that they're going to be expecting you at dinner tonight," Gabriel said. "Don't be late again."
Rudolf waved him off. "Unless you want to watch me do nothing but read for a few hours, I suggest you find something better to do."
"Hey, I meant it."
"Shoo."
"Fine, fine. I'll go check on August and the triplets. Can you believe I found Einar trying to teach Jørgen how to make a rope ladder out of bedsheets?"
"And who was the one who taught Einar how to do that? Now go."
Gabriel gave him a mock salute before running off down the hallway. Rudolf sighed and turned to Hans, pointing a thumb at Gabriel's direction.
"He's a bad example," Rudolf said. "Tell me he's straightened up some since I've been gone."
Hans nodded.
"That's good." Rudolf sighed. He offered his free hand. "Want me to tell you a story I heard?"
Hans' eyes lit up, the first real sign of interest Rudolf saw in his baby brother upon returning home. Hans took his hand and followed him into the library. Rudolf greeted the librarian dusting the bookshelves as he made a beeline to a chair beside a table. He set the suitcase on top before hoisting Hans to sit on the chair. Rudolf unlatched the suitcase and pulled out the first book.
"This one's a good one," Rudolf said. "It's perhaps a little too advanced for you right now, but when you're older, you can read it for yourself."
"What's it called?" Hans asked.
"'Magic and Humanity: A Comprehensive Guide,'" he responded, turning the book's title for Hans to see. "It was suggested to me by numerous researchers I've come across. It's a really old one, over a hundred years old in fact, but all modern researches and experiments use this as the basis for all their knowledge."
"So you think the answer might be in there?"
"Possibly, but considering its age, I doubt it."
A crestfallen look overcame the youngest. "Oh."
"Hey, you want to hear that story I heard?"
Disappointment apparently forgotten, Hans nodded.
"It's not in the book and the origins of this tale are unknown," Rudolf started. "I don't believe it particularly myself, but I find it interesting. It says that magic was created by this wicked demon in the form of an evil mirror. Once upon a time, it was intended to turn everything that was seen in it to something hideous and distorted, no matter how beautiful and good it was. But then the demon tried to use it on the angels in heaven and dropped it when he was flying. It shattered into many pieces and scattered around the world, corrupting people."
"So the magicians are... evil?" Hans asked.
"Oh, no, no, no, not at all." Rudolf shook his head vehemently. "Søren was certainly not evil, and all those people Father had to place in the asylum... Definitely not. Just unfortunate."
"But the mirror was evil?"
"That's what the story said."
"Oh." Hans focused on a spot on the floor, deep in thought.
"What are you thinking about?"
Hans scraped his front teeth along his bottom lip, turning it white then pink again with the pressure. "Is the story true?"
"It's a story, Hans. I don't think it is."
"But what if it is?"
Rudolf ruffled Hans' hair. "Then that means that magic is evil. C'mon now, you don't think that's right, do you?"
The young boy pulled his legs onto the seat, improper sitting for a prince but Rudolf didn't mind much due to his age.
"It took Søren from me," Hans whispered. "It's more than evil and I want it gone."
He'd come to the same conclusion himself. An unpopular opinion in the kingdom, especially with the rest of the royal family's sentiments, the majority viewed magic as misunderstood. While it was still rather rare, Rudolf couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't simply something to understand or ignore.
Even though Hans was still too young, at least Rudolf finally found someone who shared the same opinion.
Rudolf sighed. He scooped Hans up into his arms. "Then you'll help me get rid of magic, won't you, Hans? No one should have to lose people they love the way we did."
Hans rested his head against Rudolf's chest. "How do we get rid of it?"
"Father and I disagree, but if I were in charge, I believe any signs of it should be eradicated as soon as possible until a better solution is found. Those people shouldn't have to suffer for so long."
While the Southern Isles tended to hide away the afflicted, his travels told him that it was atypical to keep these people alive for so long. And it was increasingly more apparent why. King Sigurd wanted to exercise mercy as much as it was appropriate, but Rudolf didn't believe — couldn't believe — that the lives these people lived in the asylums was merciful at all. Not after all he'd seen.
He almost didn't hear Hans' voice when his little brother asked, "Can we go get dinner now?"
"Sure."
Author's Note: I appreciate all the reviews I've been getting on this fic, despite the M rating. Thank you so much guys!
For those unaware, there is a poll on my profile regarding the main fic to this series that I'm still drafing for on whether or not it should be split up into five posts or kept in it's one-fic-five-acts thing it's in right now. The results of it will be shown once the first chapter is ready (or close to being ready) to be posted.