Across the vast oceans, in another continent, a man dressed in simple mage robes, holds a staff in one hand, his eyes are closed and his arms are outstretched, his eyes flutter open when a little boy runs up the hill

"master kealan, the prince!!! he's back!!!"

Kealan turns around swiftly and cuffs the boy on the side of his head

"what have i told you about interrupting me, doe..."

"i'm sorry, master but the king requested your presence immediately"

"very well"

Meanwhile in the castle not too far away, a golden brown skinned man sits upright, his golden hair is braided behind his back and his eyes roam around freely, overlooking his court, his every movement commands attention... as it should, for this man sits on a throne, a king among men. Beside him sits his wife, a beauty to behold, her pale skin and blue eyes are the talk of the continent, her slick black hair and her set jaw are a wonder, she is a star, the brightest of them all, she wears a blue gown that shows a bit of her bossom and a silver necklace that compliments her skin

She too sits upright on her throne, eyes scanning the crowd when the doors are thrown open and a young man in his early twenties march down the red carpet leading to the thrown and falls to his knees, the king regards the young man for a while before speaking

"what news have you brought me, son"

"father... the dureaghs reacted just as you predicted"

"and yet you do not bring me news if a victory"

"we were overwhelmed at the beach of sorrows, lengrid came to their aid, as did Thespis, we were not expecting ..."

"Are you saying that you lost, i gave you fifty thousand of my best men and you were defeated?" the king interrupts, his voice dangerously low

"it wasn't a battle anyone would have won, our resources were diminished, the troops morale was low,if i had pushed, there would have been a price to pay, i had to pull back..." the young man says breathlesly

"your brother would have ensured victory no matter the cost"

"i am not my brother" the young man growls at the king and the court grows silent

"insolence!" the king spits and there are nervous whispers as the king steps down from his throne and stands over the young man

"you are a disgrace, i curse the day you were born"

" the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" the prince retorts and there are a few gasps of disbelief

"bastard" the kings arm shoots out as he slaps his son

The prince clutches the side of his face and he snarls

" you...!!!"

"don't talk back at me " the king snarls and raises his hand when someone catches his arm, he turns and glares at the unfortunate idiot, its kealan

"that's enough khabari" the mage says

"i'm sure the boy has learnt his lesson" he continues

The king inhales then shouts "get out all of you" everyone except the mage and the queen scurry out of the throne room

"you went too far"

"i know, i just... He's just disappointing, he always finds a way to be a thorn in my side" the king pauses then continues

"imagine the son of the king of Kanna, the conquerer of izreal, a weakling..."

"i just don't know what to do about him"

The king sighs and drops his arm

"you could start by treating him as your son" the queen says as she rises from her throne gracefully

"shali " kealan says acknowledging her, his eyes travel down her gown and she scoffs as she walks out

"shali, sweetheart..." the king calls out to her but she ignores him

"great, now she's mad at me, what did i do??" the king pouts

"sometimes you act so childishly" kealan chuckles

"i don't "

but she is right you know" kealan says turning serious

" she's always right" king khabari sighs

"so is he"

"what"

"i remember when your father sat on that very throne, you would do anything... Anything at all, to spite him"

Kealan says running a hand through his dark shoulder lenght hair

" That was different, the old man was an ass" king khabari smiles

"and you're not??" kealan smirks

"i'm going to get you for that" the king says glaring at the mage

"how, might i ask?" kealan says trying not to burst out laughing

"hmmm, i guess i could cut the mage towers cost, eh kealan?"

"you got me" they both laugh at each other for a while

"kealan..." the king turns serious

"yeah"

"make sure he's okay..."

"i got you"

Kealan leaves the throne room and heads to his quarters, the prince leans on his doors, hands folded across his chest

"Sebastian..."

"uncle..."

"how are you holding up?"

"what do you think"

"you're father is trying his best..."

"doesn't seem like it"

"i know... I know that he can be a bastard sometimes, i do, but he's trying, he really is..."

"why?"

"sebes..."

"he always looks down on me, like i should never have been born... you heard him, i'm a disgrace...so why the hell is he trying?!" the prince sniffles

" he's wrong, look at me..."

Prince Sebastian looks up at kealan and kealan sighs

"you are the future,his future..."

"No! I don't want to be" the prince says and grits his teeth

"you're my future seb, your mothers future, Lilah's future, are you going to throw that away because your father is being an ass,don't...you are bigger than that" kealan says and grips the princes shoulders

"if you don't do this for him, do it for me, if not for me, then for lilah" he continues and wipes a tear from the princes cheeks

"okay?"

"yeah..." the prince swallows and kealan ruffles his hair

"now get outta here, head into town or something, blow off some steam"

"thank you... Uncle..." prince sebestian says and turns on his heels

Kealan watches him for a while then decides to look for his apperentice, the little guy was already late for his air magic practise