Disclaimer: The Ebon Crown is an original story. While it does have elements that take inspiration from the fantasy genre (like Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings), it is not owned by anyone other than me.

"Are you sure you have everything?" I heard my mother jab at me with the same question.

Trying my best not to roll my eyes, I stared at my mother sitting across from me in the carriage. "Yes, mother," I answered, while my fingers tugged at the tight collar that pressed itself uncomfortably around my neck.

It had been a few weeks since the king threw his part in celebration of Bale's ascension to captain of the royal guard. I returned to my house with my parents and Bale before constantly hearing of my eldest brother's accomplishment. Fortunately, my family members were unaware of the five coins that were missing from my bag, not were there any rumors of a young boy with five gold coins. I felt some relief about that on my part, but a part of my suspected the boy foolishly wasted the money I gave him.

Now that was not my main concern. What was my main concern were the books placed in my hands with my fingers wrapped around the covers. The books felt heavy and it was no surprise, considering the amount empty page I would need for taking notes. They were a necessity for where I was going.

I felt my weight sway side to side as the horse-driven carriage kept on hitting against the many cracks in the road. My mother wore her green dress, which pressed against the red furs of the cushion. A look of concern was on her face, but I paid no attention to it. My fingers tugged at the collar, allowing the air to pass between my neck and the cloth that made up my robe.

While my fingers fidgeted with my collar, my eyes took notice of the streets of Castella's Central Ring. There were servants from each family, bending their backs to sweep away the dirty from the streets with their brushes. Such a job, as simple as it was, was painstaking for the many hours it took to clean up the streets and then clean it again when a noble drops a piece of food or trash onto the ground.

My hazel eyes turned from the streets to two tall towers emerging from the threshold of the Central and Mid Rings. Trailing my gaze from the tips of the towers, I could see where they originated from: the Lindran University of Mystical Arts.

Originally built by the first Lindran King two centuries ago, the university was meant to train young people–usually nobles–how to harness magic and become the ruling elite, advising the king whenever they could. However, the number of sages declined over the centuries, turning from wise advisers of the king to simple professors.

The swaying that I had been used to within the past minutes, eventually came to a stop. I was too anxious to get out of the carriage, so I practically swung open the door before the driver had the chance to leave his horses. The first thing I came across was the white stones that covered the ground as my feet were firmly placed upon them.

At first, I tried to deal with the weight of the books in my hand, but that became no longer my focus. I watched other students pass by the yellow stones that made up the university to see they wore the same outfit that I had. They passed through the pair of brown doors that was the main entrance, ignoring the pair of royal guards standing there.

"Taral, wait!" I heard from behind me.

I looked over my shoulder to see my mother trying to exit the carriage's doors only to be stalled by her dress. She only was able to exit with help from the driver who offered a hand to her. When her feet met with the ground, my mother rushed towards me. "You shouldn't run off like that!" she scolded me, keeping her tone at a whisper.

My mouth opened in protests at my mother, but another voice beat me to it. "I believe Taral is old enough to take care of himself, mother." The voice carried an all too familiar deep tone.

Both my mother and I turned to see Akel approaching us, dressed in the same uniform like everyone else and I wore. My older brother was only a few years older, but was the spitting image of Bale. Akel had the typical tan skin and the same gray eyes of a Kronal, yet he had mother's dark brown hair instead of father's black hair. The beard around his smirking lips was unkempt, a sign of not combing for many days.

I did not need my eyes to know my mother's face lit up at the sight of my brother. "Akel, glad you're here!" she exclaimed as she hugged my brother.

At this point, I swore I heard the snickers and giggles of passing students at the sight of a young man being hugged by his mother. Akel was not hesitant to return the hug, though. "Mother," Akel returned with a small nod.

While my mother and brother greeted with one another, I stood there with many questions running through my head. I expected my arrival would not be greeted by any welcoming party, more specifically Akel. My hopes for a quiet tour dashed when my older brother appeared and I wanted to know why he was here.

Doing my best to keep my mask of innocent curiosity, I asked, "What's going on? I thought you would be in class, Akel."

My mother released her grasp from Akel, who turned to face me. Unlike Bale, Akel possessed hints of discretion and masked contempt, a few that I learned from him. I was not sure if he was pleased to see me or if he simply masking his own irritation like I was.

Either way, Akel answered, "I was, but my professor allowed me to be excused for today." He paused before finishing, "Besides, I'm to be your tutor."

I blinked in confusion, not sure if I heard that right. "I'm sorry?"

My mother apparently decided to step in. "We're having Akel here to help you with your studies," she explained. "Your father and I thought it would be best for you, since Akel has already mastered many of his studies here."

My first thought was a loud snort at the prospect of my father caring for my own education, but I suppressed the urge. I knew my old man would not be pleased with me seemingly following Akel's steps, so he most likely left me under someone who would keep a close eye on me.

But more of my concern was focused of me being under Akel's thumb during my stay at the university. The mere thought made a small pang of irritation rise inside of me. Just perfect, I bitterly thought to myself. Out of all of the people in the world, why Akel?

Bale was a pompous fool, there was no doubt about that, but to me, Akel was no different. I tolerated Akel's presence, to say the least, even more so when he goes on and on, spouting nonsense about his studies on magic and philosophy. I would have disagreed, but I did not, knowing fully well that his studies were just masking his short fuse of a temper. It was a temper I experienced firsthand and I did not wish to repeat such experiences.

I just stared at Akel, my face masked with curiosity. "Well, this should be interesting," was my response.

At first, I felt I revealed too much of my thoughts, but I pushed the feeling to the back of my mind when I saw Akel turned to our mother. "Best if you get going, mother," he told her.

My mother glanced at me for a second before getting closer to Akel. I could hear her pathetic attempts to keep her voice quiet as she expressed her lack of confidence in me. "Take care of your brother, Akel."

"I will," Akel replied in the same tone.

With that, my mother turned her back to us and returned to the carriage, the driver helping her into the seat. After she planted herself in the seat, my mother waved a hand to me. "Goodbye Taral, try to take care of yourself!"

The rider closed the door to the carriage, thankfully hiding my mother from my sight, and I felt a hint of relief as the carriage rode off from the university grounds. My mother was gone and I no longer had to worry about my father or Bale, not for a while anyway.

However, I could see my current problem walking up to me and I turned to face him to see a face filled with concern. Whether it was genuine or not, I did not know, and I had little to figure that out as Akel asked me, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

I only nodded with the utmost certainty. "I'm quite sure."

Akel let out a sigh. "Alright, then," he stated, turning around.

The tone of his voice made me stare at my brother as he headed into the university. There was a mix of concern and resignation at my decision, but I knew that was just a simple mask. Akel did not want me here at all, and I knew because he probably did not want to watch over me. I did not want it either, but there little we could do about our "special situation."

For now, I kept it in the back of my mind and I took off, following my brother into the grounds of the university.

AN: That's it for now. I hoped you like the preview. If anyone's interested about it, you can find it on Fictionpress and read the story. Please leave reviews and give constructive criticism. Since this is an original work of mine, it is not up for adoption. Thanks for your time.

Raika out!