Chapter 3; A Whole New World

(Shun's POV)

Algebra may have been my favorite class, yet since it was also the easiest for me, I began to sketch in my notebook a detailed picture of my father's crown; the one that I would be wearing in two months.

The circlet of gold was decorated in a many number of emeralds and diamonds, those of which I took careful consideration into drawing on the crown. I lowered my pencil back onto the drawing. And stabbed it. As I stabbed the piece of paper with my pencil, I noticed Fabia's glance turn my way and I crumbled the piece of paper instead, throwing it into the trash bin.

"Are you alright Shun?" She asked wearily, glancing at the trash bin then back to me. "You were stabbing a piece of paper." I sighed, calmly raking my fingers through my hair.

"No," I told her truthfully, laying my pencil on my desk. "I'm just...stressed." Fabia laughed softly at that and began to work on a new partner project with me. "I can see that," She whispered. I blushed and turned my attention to our project. In a minimal amount of time we had it finished.

After she turned it in, Fabia walked back to me and sat in her seat. "So what's bothering you?" She asked earnestly. I bit my lip and turned to her. Could I actually tell her the truth? It was very risky on my part, though I doubted she knew anything about my country to begin with. I sighed. Keeping secrets wasn't the best way to start out a friendship, so I decided on the truth.

"Well," I said softly. "My Father is the King of my country, and he wants me to take the throne by the end of this year but I just don't feel I'm willing to give up my freedom for the throne yet because I honestly enjoy riding free, with the sky and air, on my horse Dark Wind, without a jacket on in twenty degree weather, for which my father and Mott now believe me to be crazy."

Fabia stared at me with wide eyes.

"Kidding," I told her. She let out a deep breath she was holding. "Good, I thought you'd gone completely crazy there for a second," She said, releasing her nervousness through laughter. I smiled slyly. If only...

"Shun, you're hilarious," She muttered, taking a book from her backpack which she promptly began to read.

I'd have to get used to people calling me by that name. My mother and father advised me against using my actual name, explaining to me that it would cause too much attention to be drawn to me. I chose to go by the name Shun on earth. It was proving to be harder than I thought it would be.

"Am I now?" I mocked. She laughed again then looked over at me. She seemed to pause then and there, gazing at me. I knew how I looked to others, but I didn't know that I'd have such a great impact on humans as other Millennians. To them, I imagined I looked like some earthbound, majestic, being; which happened to be exactly what I was.

Fabia seemed to realize that she was staring and immediately blushed. "I'm sorry, it's just...your eyes...they're so..." I blushed.

"I-I know," I said softly, turning away.

"Piercing," Fabia mumbled, setting her book down on her desk. She gently touched my cheek, turning my chin so that I would face her.

"Don't be embarrassed," She whispered. "They're very pretty." It was at her touch that I realized something about her that I hadn't earlier.

Her fingers were too soft, too gentle. Her face was framed too delicately by her hair. Her hair, such a dark black, seemed to glow almost blue under light. My eyes widened.

She wasn't human either.

(Fabia's POV)

Suddenly realizing that my hand was on his cheek, I quickly removed it from that position and felt my fingers with my other hand. His skin was so soft, so very soft, and clear, almost as if it were porcelain, like a doll's perfect face.

We were both blushing now, turned away from each other, and now suddenly interested in our books. I could hear the groans and cries of despair of the girls behind us. The cries of the girls who wished to steal Shun away for themselves. Since the first time I met him, I was glad he wasn't like the others boys whom I'd met.

He was earnest, and sweet. Not once would he fall for some sickly, seductive, voice of the girls around him. In fact, much to my pleasure, he seemed disgusted by them.

When the bell rang, it took me a moment to collect my thoughts before I sprang to my feet in a hurry to catch up to Shun who stood at the door waiting.

I smiled at him as we walked down to the library. When he smiled back, I noticed a quick flash in his golden eyes; too quick for the human eye to catch. But not a neathian eye...

...

The librarian had the library closed off to the students when we had entered. She told us the period was ours, to either quietly chat or do homework while she and her assistant moved new shelves into the far end of the library.

Shun had already sat down and had promptly began reading one of his books. I sat down a couple of tables away from him and slipped my arm inside my backpack, feeing around for a book I'd checked out after school yesterday. Runo had managed to get me inside, and I'd snagged the book right of its shelf within the moment I spotted it.

The Legends of the Immortals of Millennia.

Mrs. Madrigal had recommended the book to me countless times before. As I gingerly opened the book to the cover page, I brushed my fingers along the worn, yellowing pages.
I blew over the pages and a smoke of dust rose into the air. I laughed quietly. Perhaps the book was older than I thought.

I read through the chapter headings listed after the cover page. Carefully flipping to the desired chapter I wanted to read, I brushed my fingers over the title on the page. The Royal Family...

The gold lettering glittered around the page, surrounding pictures of the palace, and royal family members themselves. I was curious to know who ruled over the mystical land my algebra teacher was so infatuated with.

The King's picture was positioned to the right of the Queen's. They had the same ebony, black hair, but with what looked like pure gold highlights. The King's straight hair fell at his shoulders, while the Queen's descended to the middle of her back, braided intensely. The King's eyes were a glittering gold, the Queen's a piercing green. Their complexions, pale white and flawless, mingled perfectly with their features. While the King wore a more stern look, the Queen's features were more gentle and reserved. They wore matching circlets of gold on their heads.

I was in awe at how perfect, and majestic they looked. They stood together, hand in hand, positioned on either side of a young child who stood between them, a ghost of a smile gracing his lips.

The child, a boy, couldn't have been more than six or seven. He had the same hair as his parents; glossy, and black and gold, hanging just above his shoulders. He had his fathers golden eyes, but his mothers gentle features. In his eyes, there seemed to be a spark of trouble, a flash of adventure, which they somehow managed to capture in the picture.

I read the caption below the picture, squinting to properly read the small print; King Zephyr (right) and Queen Emerald (left) stand on either side of their son, Crown Prince Shadow.

A memory stirred. As I gazed at the picture of the young boy, I glanced over at Shun who chuckled as he read his book. I smiled, then as I gazed back down at my own book, I noticed how similar Shun looked to the little boy. My eyes darted back and forth from Shun to the little boy. I gasped as the sudden realization began to dawn on me.

They had the same glossy hair, the same pearlescent skin, and the same piercing golden eyes. Could it be possible that they're the same person?

I quickly put the thought from my mind. It was too crazy of an accusation I'd present before him, therefore, I doubted it was true. Closing the book, I sighed and laid my head on the table. Closing my eyes, I allowed myself to slip into sleep, and to dream.

(Shun's POV)

The next week, after I'd begun to attend high school on earth, consisted of constantly being pulled out early for fittings, interviews with the advisors of the court, pictures, and lunches and dinners with the ambassadors of our neighboring countries.

I tried to earnestly engage in conversation with the advisors, but they were far too boring to comprehend. And when I tried to engage in small talk with the ambassadors, they cut straight to the point of business, ignoring my greeting of, 'Hello, how've you been? It's been literally ages since we've seen one another.' If this was how rulers of different countries reacted to a friendly hello, then I wanted to stay even further from the throne than ever before. The thought of turning into a ruler that doesn't laugh at playful joke was particularly terrifying!

Nevertheless, by the end of the week, I was mentally and physically worn, and too tired to care.

I trudged up the spiral staircase to my room, unlocked the door and collapsed onto the silken sheets of my bed. I reached out and took hold of a pillow which I pulled back to me and put under my head. I was aware of Mott standing at the door taking pictures of me, yet I paid him no mind. All that did occupy my head, was closing my eyes, and succumbing to sleep...

Yet of course a certain someone wouldn't have that happen.

Mott shook me gently by the shoulder and I sat up in bed and glared at him. "I don't remember asking for a wake up call," I hissed, pressing my face back into my pillow. I heard him groan, but I smirked. I would make him do all the work in getting me up.

"Your highness, there is a girl here to see you." I perked up at this and looked curiously towards him. "A girl?" I asked. "Be more specific..."

Mott sighed and playfully ruffled my hair. Ah, so that's who it is.

I quickly stood and dressed in a dark green riding outfit with a satin, black cloak. Rather than the suit I was wearing, the riding clothes were far more comfortable to move in. I stumbled down the stairs as I rushed for the door, but she hadn't moved from the front step.

Her blonde hair glittered in the pale light the lamps outside the door gave off. Her blue eyes were calm, and her demeanor collected. I was always fascinated at how perfectly still she seemed. Tentatively, she reached her hand up to my head and ruffled my hair, giggling as she pulled it back.

"Frost," I whispered, bowing before her. She curtsied before me and rested her hand in the crook of my outstretched arm. We walked side by side to the gardens. As we reached the front of the crystal fountain, Frost broke from me and we turned to face each other.

"Shadow, are you sure you want to do this? Being King isn't something you want," She hissed, lowering her voice so that only I could hear her. I shook my head in reply to her question and slowly sat on the ledge of the fountain.

"I'm not sure," I told her truthfully. "And you're perfectly correct when I say that I have no interest in inheriting the throne. Yet...it's what my country demands of me now." Frost shook her head defiantly. She was as much of a rebel as I was; I couldn't expect any less; she is my cousin.

"It's what your father demands of you!" She exclaimed, then quickly covered her mouth, realizing the cost of her outburst. She lowered her voice. "You shouldn't have to do this yet..."

"I know."

She sighed and sat beside me squeezing my hand. "Shadow," she whispered. "You don't have to do this...he can't make you accept this position the minute you turn eighteen. You can wait..." I shook my head, feeling my eyes moisten.

"That's just the thing," I whispered back, my voice hesitant and unsure. I've never heard myself speak in this way. "I accepted this position the moment I was born. I've known my entire life that I'd have to do this sooner or later. My father won't let me back out of this now...i-if you knew what it meant to be King..." I trailed off and stood, trembling. "My freedom will be stripped from me once I wear the crown...I-it's just too much..." My hands shook as I pulled them close, raking them through my hair in a vain attempt to calm myself. "All that I've been th-through...just this week...I-I can't do all of this anymore...I-it's too much...just...too much...I can't handle it..."

"Shadow," Frost mumbled, placing her hand on my shoulder. "Shadow you need to sit down you don't look well-" I flinched away from her touch and darted from her into the hedge maze.

The trembling got worse, and my knees threatened to buckle from beneath me. I knew that I was at my breaking point. All of this pressure coming down on my shoulders at once had been too much for me to handle, and my body was trying to tell me so.

"Shadow!" Frost cried. She quickly caught up to me and pinned me in a corner of a section of hedge. "Shadow, look at me, breathe, breathe, you need help, just breathe..." My legs gave away from under me and I slowly slumped to the ground, despite Frost's frequent shouting. She followed me to the ground and caught my head as I fell against the cobblestone path. Soon she faded away, like characters often did in my dreams, and I gladly succumbed to the darkness surrounding me.

For some reason unknown to me, I dreamt of Fabia. Her cascading blue hair, and how it fell perfectly around her shoulders. Her beautiful green eyes, and the way they shimmered under the light.

I was walking beside her in a park, hand in hand. She squeezed mine reassuringly, as if to tell me she was really there. I smiled back at her and we stopped walking turning to face each other.

She brushed her fingers gently across my forehead, brushing my hair from my eyes. She smiled and stroked my cheek longingly. With my other hand, I gently cupped her pale face, bringing her head closer to mine.

Our lips barely brushed each other's...

...

I gasped sharply and sat up in my bed, gripping the sheets tightly in my clenched fists. I was trembling, and I glanced around wildly. Mott sat to my left, his hand holding a wet cloth to my forehead. Father was to my right, gently squeezing my hand.

I tore my hand from father and glared furiously at him.

"Oh, Shadow," He breathed, brushing a few strands of hair from my eyes. "I shouldn't have thrown you into this mess all at once...I should've known something like this would happen if I did, I'm so sorry..."

My gaze softened at his words, and I turned and buried my head into my pillow. "Father," I mumbled. "Please...I need more time..." I turned my head just in time to catch the sympathetic shake of his head.

"You still have two months, and I hope that will be more than enough time to get accustomed to being the King." He leaned forward, and gently kissed my forehead. "Rest well my boy...I'm glad you're okay..." Giving my hand one last, gentle squeeze, he was gone.

I knew he was worried for my well being, but he was obviously unmovable in his decision of my being crowned.

That meant I had two months left...

I smiled, thinking of Fabia.

I had two months left of freedom, and I knew exactly how I wanted to spend it.

Hey y'all! Merry Merry Christmas, Kwanza, Hanukkah, or whatever holiday you and your family are celebrating! The point is that we all get to come together to celebrate the diversity of our beautiful Earth. I'm so happy to be with my family during this time of year, and I hope we all feel the same. The time we have with our families should be treasured. I hope everyone has a wonderful holidays, and be safe on the road or in the air, or if you're traveling. Remember to have fun too! Love y'all!

# True Gift of Giving

#Families are Forever