Chapter Forty-Five: The Prince
In Samarkand six months ago around the time Connor and Seth began their journey, another hero was also starting his own story.
With the rise of early morning servants of the palace standing proudly in the grand city of Zahadar were busy getting ready for the Royal Family to awaken, preparing breakfast, opening curtains, dusting, and cleaning.
Scurrying through the palace hallways a white ferret with blue eyes quickly weaved through people going about their day making his way up the stairs where many rooms line a hall.
Transforming into a small mouse the creature went under the crack of a door where it turned back into a ferret again and climbed up the blankets of a bed where a sleeping Prince slept.
"Good morning my prince! Another beautiful day awaits us!" Percy the shapeshifter spoke turning into a cat where he scratched gently at the prince's nose who groaned and covered his head with the sheets.
"Ughhhh go away Percy," the prince groaned getting an annoyed look from the creature who crawled onto his body before transforming into a large dog increasing his weight, "Ooof! Okay! I'll get up!"
"You can't stay in bed and sleep in! There is much to do!" Percy spoke hopping off the bed and watching the prince sit up.
This young man was Prince Zain, the fourth child of Emperor Lion and the second prince in line for the throne, though these days he had no interest in ascending to the throne, his eldest brother Rayan seemed to be doing a great job since their father's passing two years ago.
Stepping in front of a mirror Zain began to tie a small black ponytail on the back of his head as well as braid a strand next to his right ear, like most of his family he had rich tan skin as well as having brown eyes.
No one in the Royal Family had blue eyes since Logan married into the family five hundred years ago, he had been told many times he was a spitting image of Logan, especially his cheekbones.
"So, for today's agenda we have a tour group of children coming to the palace, will you grace them with your presence my prince?" Percy asked watching the prince get dressed into simple royal serwal attire decorated in black and gold.
"I might, though I suspect the children wanna see one of their beautiful princesses," Zain chuckled watching Percy turn into a ferret and rush over and climb the back of his clothes before laying himself on the prince's shoulder.
"Shall we?" Percy smiled at the prince.
Exiting his room Zain walked down the hall where guards and servants would bow, and give their greetings "Sabah al-khayr, my prince."
"Sabah al-khayr," Zain smiled before halting when a wave of sadness washed over him, it was a familiar kind of sadness, it was grief.
Looking around for the source Zain saw a maid carrying some blankets into one of the spare rooms where he approached and stood in the doorway watching her set the blankets down before spotting the prince.
"Oh! My prince, I didn't see you, please forgive me, did you need something?" she asked putting on a smile Zain could tell was fake to mask her sadness.
Approaching Zain smiled before taking her hand in his and placed his other hand over hers, this contact allowing him to get a better grasp on her sadness, "I am so sorry about your baba, please, go home, be with your family, get all the funeral arrangements in order, I will see to it you are paid during your leave and you will have your job waiting for you when you are ready to work again."
"How did you know?" the maid asked how he was able to know about her father's passing.
"Never mind that, go, I give you permission to leave early with a full day's pay," Zain smiled seeing the maid on the verge of tears.
"This is too generous Your Highness, thank you!" the maid bowed before leaving the room and walking past one of the princesses the secondborn, Princess Eria.
The princess like her brother had beautiful tan skin, and her long black hair hung behind her, on this day she wore a modest ruby-red tunic.
"There you go again, giving the palace servants another reason to adore their beloved prince," Eria smiled at her brother's kindness.
"No one should have to work after the passing of a loved one, nor should they have to worry about the bills, the well-being of our people is important to me," Zain replied simply.
"Was it that or was it the fact you would have had a hard time eating breakfast with someone sad aura in the room?" Eria teased.
"Shouldn't you be meeting with the Prince of LeDorada?" Zain asked giving his sister the side eye while exiting the room.
"I am not the only one who has to suffer today akh, ommi insisted you meet with their princess, I hear she is quite lovely," Eria shot back and walked down the hallway with her brother to the dining hall.
"What fun," Zain said sarcastically having little interest in meeting with the princess.
Looking around Zain noticed the tense atmosphere with the palace guards, perhaps it had to do with the tense standoff his brother Emperor Rayan had with the President of Albion, Lord Tirich.
"I don't even need your gift to tell how tense the palace has been," Eria remarked.
No one outside the palace walls knew of Prince Zain's power, he was born an Empath, and he had the ability to feel other's emotions, touching allowed him to see their experiences as well, it was how Zain was able to identify the source of the maid grief, from touching her hand he was able to see the call she had about her father death.
"What happened this time?" Zain asked looking at his sister as they walked.
"Mostly a rumor but, Tirich and Rayan are to have a video meeting soon, or so it's believed, with the other leaders of the other nations, from what I am gonna guess Tirich is gonna try and lay claim on Samarkand," Eria explained.
"How ridiculous, if anyone here has any claim it is our family for Albion's stolen throne," Zain remarked recalling Albion's throne now laid empty thanks to its own people, he knew this was the reason Albion suffered for so long now, idiots who repeated history, just like when they destroyed the Heroes Guild.
"Very true, though I suspect Rayan wishes to respect, Empress Tali's laws she put in place," Eria shrugged.
Zain knew these laws all too well, was part of his very expensive education, the one that stuck out most was the one Logan suggested before his and Tali's marriage, only royal blood can have a claim to the throne those married into the family have no claims and cannot be given the title of 'Emperor' or 'Empress,' this is the reason why his mother held the title of 'princess' while married to their father the emperor.
Empress Tali did not want another to steal the throne again like what happened to her brother when he unknowingly married and brought a demon into the royal palace.
Entering the dining hall Zain spotted his brother Rayan sitting at the head of the table with glasses on and reading a schedule, his elder brother was a spitting image of their late father, the two brothers while similar in appearance Rayan didn't get defining cheekbones like him.
His black hair was tied in a long ponytail behind his head tied with a handmade red hair tie gifted to him by his wife who sat next to him.
"Darling put that thing away, this is breakfast time with the family, you have all day to review your duties," Princess Akari, Rayan's wife spoke.
"Of course, my love," Rayan spoke setting the tablet down and picking up his wife's hand to kiss it.
Akari was a beautiful woman to anyone who laid eyes on her, coming from an Asian background she wore a beautiful pink kimono, a wedding gift he had given her.
Today her black hair was tied into a bun and held together by a beautiful pink comb to match her kimono.
Akari and Rayan had been married for three years now and little did anyone outside the palace know Zain had a role to play in them getting together.
Because of his empathic abilities, he could sense right away the growing love between Rayan and his classmate in school, with a little push and some tiny meddling he brought the two together. Zain hadn't seen a happier couple since his parents.
The Princess-Mother Haniya sat at the foot of the other side of the table also dressed in a modest royal purple tunic she smiled and thanked a servant who filled her tea cup.
With black and graying hair tied into a braid, the woman sips her tea looking up when her son and daughter join the table.
"Appears everyone is almost here," Haniya smiled watching Percy hop off Zain's shoulder and run across the dining table to her, where she petted the palace guardian, "good morning, Percival."
"Good morning to you too Princess," Percy smiled.
"Morning everyone!" the third child Princess Farah yawned entering the dining room dressed in a modest blue tunic and appeared to slack a bit brushing her hair which appeared a bit messy.
"Honesty Farah how are you to get a husband if you drag yourself out of bed looking like that!" Haniya scolded glaring at how sloppy her youngest daughter looked.
"Well good thing Eria is next on your matchmaking list," Farah teased taking her seat.
"Good luck marrying this one off, ommi," Eria chuckled.
"Breakfast is served!" the head cook declared with many cooks entering the room to place plates in front of each member of the royal family.
"Did you have something you wanted to announce ommi?" Rayan asked while cutting up his food.
"Yes, I did, the King of LeDorada has expressed interest in having his son Prince Andrés meet with you Eria," Haniya announced looking at her eldest daughter.
"Ohhh he's hot~" Farah chuckled getting a glare from her mother.
"You behave!" Haniya scolded pointing her spoon at her daughter.
"Sorry ommi," Farah smirked and returned to eating her meal.
"Zain do you mind if you can get a read on the prince?" Haniya asked her son.
"I can, only if Eria is okay with it," Zain spoke looking over to his sister.
"Sure, I can meet with the prince, one little tour of the palace wouldn't hurt," Eria shrugged not minding the idea of meeting the prince, she knew her mother wouldn't force her to marry the prince.
"Oh, Akira dear, remember to take your vitamins, gotta keep you and the baby healthy now," Haniya smiled glowing at the idea of being a grandmother.
"I already did," Akira smiled rubbing her slightly rounded belly.
Entering the dining room, a servant approached and leaned down to Rayan to whisper.
Zain didn't even need to hear to sense his brother's anger growing, whatever the servant informed him of was not good news.
"Excuse me, I need to take care of something," Rayan spoke whipping his mouth with a napkin before standing and leaving the room.
Entering the war room Rayan was greeted by his Court Wizard Malik, the Royal Aide Aoi and commander of the Samarkandi army, General Hiroshi.
"What the emergency?" Rayan asked taking a seat where the laptop screen had a video call to the King of LeDorada, Rio Ladrón.
"I take it this call has nothing to do with your son's interest in my ukht hand is it Rio?" Rayan asked seeing the bearded man shake his head.
"I am afraid not mi amigo, as of recent, reports and eyewitnesses have informed me of the capture of several dragones species here in my country," Rio informed.
"Who would be stupid enough to break international law? Those dragons are a respected, protected species," Malik spoke crossing his arms.
"According to witness and filmed recordings and photos, it was Albion ships," Rio glared.
"Did they kill the creatures?" General Hiroshi asked.
"No, taken alive, but given the rumors of Vice President Reaver's animal testing, we fear the dragones are being tested on, to create a monster," Rio informed looking to Rayan, "Albion has breached our agreed laws! With Samarkand's aid, we wish to seek retributions!"
Thinking for a moment Rayan shook his head, "Not yet my friend, I ask for your patience a little longer, from what my own reports tell, Albion will be experiencing its own revolution very soon, should an opportunity present itself where Samarkand could seize control from Tirich we will act upon, but if another claims the throne who can restore Albion to the country it once was we will offer a hand in friendship."
"However, rest assured your majesty, if Albion dares to try to take any more dragons Samarkand will not hesitate to strike the enemy down," General Hiroshi spoke.
"This is a promise I can make, LeDorada will have the full support of Samarkand if we are to go to war, this I swear on my family's honor," Rayan promised his fellow ruler.
"Very well, we will be patient but we will not be patient for long," Rio spoke ending the call.
"My Emperor, we can't stand idly by any longer, Albion has crossed too many lines, the relations our countries had have long burned away with the fall of Albion monarchy," the Aide Aoi spoke adjusting her glasses, "waiting could damage our relations with LeDorada as allies."
"As long as I am Emperor, I will not drag my country into another violent war unless we absolutely must, however if we are to fight, we shall, I can count on you General Hiroshi to ensure our armies are in peek fighting condition," Rayan spoke looking to his general who bowed.
"I'll see to it personally, my Emperor," Hiroshi bowed.
"You're dismissed," Rayan spoke watching both his aide and general leave the room before looking over to Malik, "Have there been any...changes?"
"Yes, I've sensed a change in the magic in the world, something...sinister making its move, I've also noticed a change with the Seal, I believe the time has come," Malik spoke looking to Rayan who went into thought.
"I wanted to keep him safe in the palace for as long as I could, sending him out there, I don't think I could live with myself if I sent him to his death," Rayan spoke standing up and approaching the ancient Guild Seal that hung above the fireplace.
"He won't be alone, he has Percy," Malik spoke.
"Very well, I'll inform the family tonight," Rayan spoke leaving the war room to resume breakfast with his family.
