"When do I start?" Gavin asked.
"Immediately. To you, I am now only Uncle Darrius. You, are Lord Gavin." I could hear the proudness in his voice.
"And Dustan?" he asked.
"He is just Dustan. Nothing more, nothing less." said my Uncle.
"It isn't fair." I told Ali.
"What isn't?" Alianora asked.
"What my uncle is doing. Gavin isn't any more mature than I am! Gavin was running through this morning with the gyptian children!" I hissed.
"Dustan, perhaps it is for the better that it is Gavin and not you. Do you really want to be the ruler? All those rules you must follow, and how you must dress. Wouldn't you rather just be who you are now?" Alianora asked.
"You're right Ali. I don't care, Gavin can be the ruler. At least I can still have fun with my friends." I smiled, but I could tell I hadn't convinced her.
"Hello?" I asked, knocking on the door.
"It's Dustan." Gavin said.
"Come in, Dustan." my uncle beckoned. I took a deep breath before stepping into his office.
"Dustan, where were you?" he asked.
"I was playing with Riley and my other friends." I told him.
"Riley?" he frowned.
"A gyptian girl." Gavin explained. My uncle only nodded.
"Do you enjoy, playing with the gyptian children?" my uncle asked.
"Yes. They are my friends." I said firmly.
"I see. You see, that is why you are not ready to become ruler. Gavin will be ruler, he is ready. Now, Gavin why don't you and Dustan go to your room?" he suggested.
"Let's go Dustan," he sighed, grabbing my arm.
"What the hell was that?" I asked once we were walking up the stairs to our room.
"What?" he scoffed rubbing his shoulder. Luka was rubbing his shoulder too.
"You think I didn't hear what Lord Darrius said? Why you and not me?" I scoffed. I opened our bedroom door and sat on my bed. Before Gavin could notice I shoved the book under my pillow. I turned back just in time to see Gavin close the door and sit on his bed. Luka leaped onto the bed behind him.
"Because I am more mature than you are." Gavin insisted.
"You are not! Just this morning you were running with Riley and me through the streets!" I hissed.
"Whatever. I'm still more mature than you, according to Lord Darrius." Gavin retorted.
"How are you more mature than me? We are the same age! I was born a few minutes before you were! Luka hasn't even settled yet." I scoffed.
"Luka did settle though." Gavin said. I looked over to Luka, he was in his cougar form.
"Luka? You settled?" Alianora asked in astonishment.
"Yeah." he nodded.
"What made you choose a cougar?" Alianora asked, her voice full of excitement.
"Well, I thought me being in cougar form would be the best way to make sure nothing ever happened to Gavin." he purred.
"Maybe I'll be something like that." Alianora's voice trailed off. I could tell she was thinking of all the different forms she could take to protect me.
"Well, just because your daemon settled doesn't mean that you are more mature than me!" I snapped, stomping out of the room. I slammed the door behind me, almost catching Alianora's mouse tail. She changed into a weasel and climbed up my arm.
"You can't be angry with him. By the sounds of it, it wasn't his choice. It was Lord Darrius's choice." Ali said.
"It still isn't fair, Ali. He should have talk to both me and Gavin first before making the decision!" I sighed. I walked to the end of the white hallway and opened the window frame. I hung one leg out and then brought the other over it.
"Dustan, we're going to get in trouble." Ali scoffed.
"We've done it plenty of times before." I scoffed, jumping. Alianora turned into an eagle and flew over me. I landed feet-first on the roof. I stood and looked back up to the window to make sure no one had seen me jump.
"You need to be more careful Dustan! My feet hurt now." Alianora complained. I rolled my eyes at her. She complained about everything.
"Just come on, Ali. Riley will be waiting." I scoffed. I carefully placed my foot on the drain pipe and slid down. I fixed my shirt when I landed on the ground, Alianora transformed into a weasel and took her place on my shoulder. I shoved past people in the market place until I reached the boat place.
"Riley! Rafender!" I called.
"Hey Dustan! You know, Rafender and me didn't think you would come." Riley smiled, leaping off the deck of her families boat. I gave her a hug when she reached my side. I felt her arm wrap around my neck. I forgot everything that had made me upset earlier on in the day. All I could think about was Riley, who had been my best friend since I was little. She was there when I needed her, when my parents died. I didn't care that she was a gyptian and I was a royal, Riley was my best friend. No one could ever break that bond between us, not even Lord Darrius.
"Your my best friend, why wouldn't I come?" I scoffed, shoving her playfully.
"It's just that we thought Lord Darrius would have said you couldn't." Riley shrugged.
"I don't give a damn what Lord Darrius says. He isn't my father so he shouldn't pretend to be." I hissed.
"Maybe he isn't pretending to be your father," Riley suggested.
"What do you mean? He isn't my father, I'm sure of it." I scoffed.
"She didn't mean it like that. Riley just meant maybe he's just being your uncle." Rafender explained.
"Uncle or not I don't care. He should have asked me before he goes jumping to things." I hissed.
"What are you talking about, Dustan?" Riley asked.
"Well, I heard him and Gavin talking. Lord Darrius reckons Gavin is ready to become ruler. Not me though, he says I'm too immature because I run through the streets with," I stopped, looking over at Riley.
"With me. You can't be ruler because you run through the streets with me, a gyptian girl." she said softly.
"Riley, I don't care anymore. If being ruler means I can't be with my best friend than I don't want to be ruler." I told her.
"You're saying that now just because I'm here! I can tell when you're lying Dustan, I can see it in your eyes. You're lying now. It's my fault you can't be ruler." Riley sighed.
"Whatever, Gavin can be ruler. I have more than he will ever have anyways." I shrugged.
"And what's that?" she asked.
"A best friend." I said softly.
"I suppose. I just can't help but feel bad because I'm keeping you from becoming ruler." she sighed.
"Don't feel bad. Gavin is only ruler because Luka settled before Ali did. I don't want Ali to settle, not yet." I shook my head slowly.
"Okay. Then I suppose it isn't entirely my fault." Riley smiled.
"Riley!" I heard someone call.
"That's my mother. I wasn't supposed to come outside. I better go before she gets too angry, see you tomorrow?" she asked hopefully, scooping Rafender up from the ground.
"Yeah." I smiled. I watched her walk aboard her families boat and disappear before I turned away. Ali padded beside me in her cat form. I climbed the steps and slowly opened the door. the same servant from earlier was standing there.
"Master Dustan! You know you aren't supposed to be outside at this time of night. Lord Darrius would have you hit if he found where you were. I won't say anything, but please do be more careful." she sighed, taking my sweater from me.
"Thank you." I told her before walking up the stairs. I opened the door to my bedroom to find it was empty. Gavin must be talking the Lord Darrius. I walked over to my bed and felt under my pillow for the book. My heart raced as I felt nothing. I threw the pillows off my bed and there was nothing there.
"Ali, the book. It's gone." I cried.
