Chapter 5

Love Hurts

Halfway down the last staircase out of the main tower Zefran hammered his fist into the muraled stone wall. He felt his hand pulse as pain shot up his arm. Why can’t he just let me live my life, Zefran thought, shit how is Kurt going to react. He’s robbing me of everything just because of some inane cultural stigma. It’s either this or exile again. No! I will not abandon my home again.

“I doubt the wall appreciates you banging your fist against it little brother,” Said a female voice from below him. He shifted his eyes and spotted his sister, clad in the blue toga of a castle mage. He joined her on the large landing below the dimming light of the sunset, cloaking half his face in darkness. A pair of gold helmeted heavily armed guards flanked her a respectful two paces behind her.

“Why are they following you, Serena?” Zefran asked.

“Protecting me I assume,” Serena said not even acknowledging the guards behind her.

“Why do you believe you need protection? Afraid I’d try something?” He asked, taking a half step closer to her. The guards behind her both put their hands on the grips of their pistols.

She raised a hand and the guards relaxed, “You flatter yourself little brother. You believe I need protection from you when it’s very much the other way around.” She took a step closer to him and began to whisper, “You’re not half as clever as you think you are, strutting around with that stray from the Rift. One word and I could have father string you up in the square.”

Zefran smiled, “You’re a little late on that score. Father already knows. Seems you’ll have to try a little harder to get rid of me, Serena. I know it was you who suggested that I should be exiled.”

She backed away a step, her face turned in disgust, “I’d like to know how you convinced father to spare you.”

“If I was capable of convincing our father of anything I’d be the next emperor by now,” Zefran said moving to the side and starting to back down a hallway toward the far tower. There was a subtle brush of wind beside him, and Zefran took note of it.

“You’ll never be Emperor,” she chided.

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“And you’ll never be anything more than a castle mage, before you’re shipped off to some lord or another for political advantage.” He smiled and turned to walk briskly down the hall. He heard her throw an insult or two in his direction before he turned down another hallway. When he was sufficiently certain that he was alone Zefran spoke to the air, “How long have you been following me?”

A thin arm materialized from the air and pulled upward lifting the illusion of shadow that had been cast around Kurt. A tall thinly muscled man in a black military uniform emerged from under the cover of magic. His thick brown hair neatly parted on one side in the traditional military style.

“You shouldn’t have provoked him, now we’re moving out of our dark corner into the light of center stage,” Kurt said waving a hand toward the air above them indicating the Emperor’s chambers.

Zefran’s brow furrowed and he gave a half-hearted smile, “We both knew how this would end when we got here.”

“Hey, I wanted to stay in Rift City; but no, you needed to come back to this asshole city,” Kurt fumed. Zefran waved his hands in an effort to calm Kurt down. He’s going to alert the entire castle to what’s going on if he doesn’t shut up.

Kurt, seeming to sense what Zefran was thinking said, “No I will not be calm, this isn’t a situation to be calm in.”

Zefran closed on Kurt and put a hand over his mouth, “Just shut up and listen for a second.” Kurt rolled his eyes and reluctantly nodded.

Zefran let go, looked down and resolved himself, “I love you, but we talked about this years ago. We agreed when the time came that…that I would have to do my duty to my family, that our relationship wouldn’t get in the way. Remember?”

“I was there,” Kurt said putting some space between them, “but I made that promise before I knew I was going to stick around. I thought we would have more time.”

Zefran took Kurt’s hands in his, “I wish we could be together. I wish the law wasn’t the way it is. I want you to stay, I want you in my life.”

Kurt threw up his hands, “I don’t want this to be the way things end between us. Your father forcing us apart, forcing you to be something you’re not,” Kurt lowered his head, “you know the worst part of this, you didn’t even put up a fight. You just accepted it, you should be mad but you’re not.”

Zefran shrugged his shoulders, “He’s the Emperor, he’s my father, he holds all the power in the world. We’re lucky, if it was my brother or uncle. We’d be having this conversation in the dungeons awaiting execution.”

Kurt nodded, “I know. I just don’t like the idea of some woman’s hands in place of where mine should be.”

Zefran wiped his face and folded his arms, “If you want to leave I completely understand, but my duty is to my family. I served my time in exile and I don’t plan on leaving the capital again.”

Kurt shook his head, “No, I’m not going anywhere. I would never abandon you to these people. Just don’t expect me to like it when those noble ladies are fawning over you.”

“I would never expect you to.”