The Sunspire Citadel; a kingdom that boasts ancient, giant walls made from powerful sunstone, which once surrounded but a small village with a lonesome palace overlooking it. Now, that village has grown into a bustling burgh that hosts several hundred citizens. The palace has sprouted new spires over the last several decades, and has built up into a gleaming center piece in the heart of a beautiful province. This is where I live, and the people of Sunspire Citadel are my people. The plains that our citadel sits within stretch out until they touch the dense white, whispering woods… but I have never been outside the walls of my kingdom. My father is King Caelus, and my mother is Queen Adira. So, who am I?
“Soleil!” My mother’s voice carries upwards as she calls for me. This is the second time I’ve heard her voice ring out, but this time it has drawn closer. “Soleil, where are you hiding at now?!” There’s laughter behind her words, as she knows exactly where I’m at. It’s a game we’ve played ever since I was a small child. “Could my darling little prince be… over here?” She shuffles things around as she checks a corner, and I struggle to stifle my own laughter. “Or maybe he’s here!” An overly exaggerated sound of exasperation later, and she finally came into my view. “No… not there. I wonder where ever my son is at?”
I couldn’t stand it any longer, and finally let myself tip backwards. Falling until my legs were the only thing holding me up, which were still hooked at the bends of my knees to one of the wooden supports that helped to hold up the newest tower that was being built in the palace.
“Here I am!” I shouted, unable to stop the bubbling laughter as I came face to face with my mother. My shirt slipped over my face, and I attempted to pull it up so I could see my mother’s shocked expression. She looked genuinely surprised, though it was probably due to me hanging upside down rather than my choice of a hiding spot.
“What in the plains do you think you’re doing?” She reached a hand out and yanked my shirt from my hand, pulling it back down over my face as she patted my flat stomach. “Trying to take your mother to an early grave with your acrobatics?” I managed to playfully swat her hands away, pulling my shirt back up to peek at her with a grin. “Really, boy, do you have any idea what time it is?”
“Sun’s out time?” I joked, covering my mouth when I saw the disapproving look that caused my mother to raise an arched brow. “It’s… mid-day?”
“It’s closer to sundown, Soleil.” My mother clicked her tongue with dismay, but the smile never fully left her bright, green eyes. “You missed your lesson, again. How many times have we been over this? Your name day grows ever closer, and you’re nowhere near ready for the ascension process.”
The ascension process, I physically recoiled at her words. My sixteenth year was upon us, and it was tradition that all children of the royal family would be tested to see if they had inherited my family’s power. My mother was the one who gained the magic, so she went on to be made the queen. Her brother is still a knight, and held in high regard within our kingdom, but it was she who was allowed to choose whomever she wanted to marry that would rule this kingdom with her. She chose my father, who actually hails from another kingdom to the east across the great sea of sand. Unfortunately, I am my mother and father’s only child. No matter how hard I train, or how much I study, or how patient I am — it doesn’t seem like I have been blessed with any magic. My mother tells me not to worry, but my father says that means the royal bloodline as we know it dies. I will still go on to be king, but unless I have a child who is blessed then there will be no magic left within our kingdom…
The thought of that was terrifying. The protection magic that helped keep our walls strong was already weakening. Without it, without the magic that my mother’s family has kept alive for generations, I don’t even want to imagine what could happen to our people and our home. The fate of life as everyone around me knows it sits firmly on my shoulders, but there’s a chance that I’ve never been blessed.
My mother gently grabbing my face and holding it between both of her hands is what drags me back from the gloomy thoughts that were overwhelming me. Her expression had softened, and her eyes held a gaze that made me feel safe, seen, and understood.
“Soleil,” she shushed me with her tone. “It will be okay.” There was a sly smile on her features for just a flash, and then I felt myself being yanked down from the beam by my head. My legs slipped, which caused me to crash into the hard floor on my back. The belly laughter coming from my mother made me grin from ear to ear. She offered a hand out to me, with golden fingernails gleaming in the light, and I took it. “Come, now, you must go get dressed for the speech your father is to give.”
After ruffling my golden curls, she sent me on my way. I can’t believe I had forgotten about my father’s speech. He gave one every month to help keep morale up within the kingdom, and tonight was going to be a special one about my progress. Well, the lack-thereof said progress. Others had noticed the magic weakening, and it was the king’s duty to keep the people’s hopes up and their fears in check. I ran straight to my room and saw that an outfit had already been laid out for me: my best robes, and the face veil that my mother had gifted me a year prior. The pinks and blues were accentuated by the gold patterns that were intricately woven into each piece. Even my jewelry had already been hand selected, which made getting ready a breeze for me.
They wanted me to look my best, because as my father always said “princes must look regal, as you are the future of Sunspire.” I had already heard some of the ladies in waiting talking amongst themselves about how my father was finally going to introduce his newest advisor to the kingdom tonight. There were rumors swirling about how this advisor had come promising ways to strengthen our protective barriers, and help our kingdom’s magic flourish while they waited for my ascension day. It was no secret that my mother’s magic had been fading over the last few years, as her blessed markings on her skin had grown faint.
Just as I put my face veil on, which did little to actually cover anything due to how sheer the fabric was, I felt something hit the back of my head. It was small, but hard enough that it stung. Turning to look over my shoulder only granted me with a hand waving for me to follow before it disappeared from the doorframe. Following a seemingly disembodied hand that is clearly luring one to an unknown place probably sounds rather dumb, but I never claimed to be smart. So, I followed after the hand and ran out of my room.
I looked both ways and caught a flash of red to my left, dashing after it as I could hear the clicking of heeled shoes sprinting ahead of me. It was a game of cat and mouse, as each time I rounded a corner I would just catch a glimpse of the person ahead of me rounding the next one. We kept the chase going until finally I came to the large stairway that led down into the great hall of the palace. There were people already starting to pour in for my father’s speech, and I had no idea where the person went that I’d been chasing after… until I heard a whistle. Off to the side, through one of the archways that led out into the gardens, I saw her. Brown waves bundled up on top of her head in a messy updo, and big brown eyes shining in the setting sunlight. She grinned from ear to ear, covering her mouth shortly after because she was self conscious of the gap in her front teeth, and then she disappeared once again from my view.
It didn’t take long for me to make my way fully down the stairway and weave through the people. I’d always been overlooked by most, and it seemed that tonight was no different as I quietly dodged through the crowds and slipped outside myself. Standing under the great tree, surrounded by fireflies, stood the girl I had been chasing after the entire time. Her robes were glittering red, and she looked up at the sprawling branches that reached towards the heavens with pure admiration.
“Sasa?” I wasn’t really sure it was her I was seeing, as it had been a couple of months since we’d last seen each other. She looked back at me and grinned again, twirling around to show off her outfit proudly to me. “What are you doing here? How did you even get into the palace?”
“My father’s here for the speech, and he allowed me to come with him.” Sasa reached out and snatched my hand, pulling me closer to her so that we were both surrounded by the flickering fireflies. “I managed to get away from him, but I’m sure he’ll come looking for me soon.” She pouted, but her eyes were still bright. They were so large and round, it made her look like a deer as she blinked the pout away and reached up to feel my face veil’s fabric. “We don’t have long, but I wanted to see you! I knew you’d look great in this, the ladies came to our shop and I picked the colors out.” She held her finger up to her lips, as if it was their own little secret.
“You always know what suits me best.” I joked, even though I knew it was true. “And what about you? This is a new outfit, isn’t it?” I raised my hand with hers still in mine and spun her around, watching the way the red glitter caught the light. “Did you make it yourself?”
“I did!” She almost shouted the words from how excited she was, clapping a hand over her own mouth afterwards. “Father said that since my sixteenth name day is in a few months, it’s time for me to start learning the family trade officially. He’s letting me design my own robes and clothes.” Sasa squeezed my hand, letting it go shortly after and reaching up to fix my robes to be sure they were laying exactly right. She’d always been so creative, so it was no surprise that she was now designing her own patterns. “Maybe one day you’ll be only wearing my robes as the king.”
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
She gleamed with pride, but I wasn’t as sure of myself as she was. I couldn’t stop the quiet scoff as I looked away from her, unable to keep smiling when I wasn’t so sure I’d be the best ruler for our kingdom if I didn’t succeed with my ascension day. “I don’t know, there’s still time for my mother and father to have another child, I think.” I mumbled the words, but she’d heard me. I knew by the gasp she let out, and the way she tried her hardest to catch my eyes again.
“You didn’t miss out on another lesson, did you?” Sasa’s question was more accusatory than anything else. “Soli, you know you won’t make any progress if you don’t actually try.” She huffed out, and then held both of her hands out to me again. “C’mon, let’s try it right now. Just like Master Esau taught you. Center yourself, first.”
I sighed, but took her hands. Sasa had been my only friend for so long, and she was forbidden to see me by her father over a year ago. He believed I wasn’t a good influence, and that she was a distraction for me. He was probably right about both things… although it didn’t stop us from still seeing each other whenever we could spare a moment. Her father found out that we’d been sneaking off to meet and caught us one night, which afterwards caused me to be locked inside of the palace for the last two months. My father had promised that after this speech, I would be allowed back out. If we were caught now, that would change everything.
Still, Sasa knew how to ground me. I felt her small hands squeeze mine, as I watched her close her eyes. She peeked one eye open, furrowing her brows when she saw I hadn’t closed mine, too. I quickly snapped them shut, fighting to stifle the smile that her annoyance towards me caused. “Now, let everything else flow out of you. Be still, be quiet, and be patient. Listen to what’s around you, listen to the way nature calls and focus on that.” She repeated Master Esau’s teachings back to me perfectly. I followed what she said, and tried to let my mind go blank.
But that was really difficult when I was still worried about what it meant for us and our people if I failed. I listened to the birds that called out from the great tree. I felt the way the gentle breeze caused my clothes to lightly sway. I thought about how disappointed my mother and father would be to know the royal bloodline’s blessing would die because of me. Sasa’s hands felt so soft in mine, but there were a few rough spots from where she’d been working with needles and thread. I was scared of losing her, and if the protection magic within the walls fell then her father had already said he would do what was best for his family and leave Sunspire. I couldn’t blame him, just like I couldn’t blame him for not liking me. Each time I come around something bad happens. Like the time I knocked over black dye on accident into what was supposed to be an order of white linens that were ordered by a powerful family. Sasa’s family lost out on money that they needed to buy more materials to make dyes, and due to that they lost customers who wanted their more intricate and rich designs. Sasa’s father refused to accept anything my mother offered him as compensation because he’s too proud for his own good.
That black dye was like a metaphor for my existence. A black stain for many. No matter how hard I try, it’s as if I always mess everything up. I’m too clumsy, too loud, too adventurous, too soft, and too much. Yet somehow, at the same time, I’m not enough. This was definitely not what Master Esau meant when he said I needed to empty my mind of everything. Right, focus on the way nature calls out — but Sasa’s hair must have caught in the breeze because all I can smell is sweet vanilla and sandalwood with a hint of spice that her family must have used in the latest batch of dyes.
A loud clang causes both Sasa and I to jump. The large bell that’s used as a warning, as a call that danger is near, rings once — twice — three times. It echoes across the kingdom, and all other sounds go silent at once. There are no people chattering inside the palace, there are no birds calling out to each other, and even the breeze seems to halt. The sun flickers down beyond the horizon entirely as Sasa steps closer to me and looks up at me, terrified. We’ve not heard the bell tower ring in years.
I felt, in that moment, that I needed to protect her. But how could I protect anyone? I couldn’t handle a sword well, I had no magic, and each time I had ever been in a “fight” I had lost. The way she looked at me, though, it made me feel like I could protect her. We both heard the marching, as knights came by in their armor with their weapons drawn.
“Get the prince!” One barked orders, and I looked at Sasa with my eyes as wide as hers. “We must get him to the throne room at once!”
The knight gripped my arm so tightly with his gauntleted hand that I swore he was going to break it. I tried to wrench it away, and he simply squeezed harder. “Oh, no, you aren’t running away and making our jobs any harder, you little shit.” The knight murmured under his breath. I caught his eyes, and the look in them made me go still. They looked… cold. Full of hatred for me, as if my entire existence was a nuisance to him.
One second the knight had hold of me, and was about to start dragging me away, and the next he’d been hit in the head with a rock. It staggered the large man, and he loosened his grip on me slightly. I looked back to see Sasa holding her slingshot, breathing heavily as she trembled in fear. “Run, Soleil!” She shouted, and I yanked my arm free. I put all of my measly weight into it, and shoved the knight backwards, causing him to trip over the stone pathway and fall to the ground. I reached out for Sasa’s hand, and she grabbed it. We both took off, ducking and dodging as other knights tried to grab us.
These men and women were here to protect me, I knew, but if the two of us were caught together we both knew we’d be in trouble. I think Sasa could sense it, too, that something was just… off. The air felt heavy, like a large weight was pressing down over the palace and trying to suffocate us all out. It felt wrong. The knights’ demeanor felt strange, as if they were trying to round us up and didn’t really care if any harm came to us. We sprinted towards the great stairway, and just as we reached the top I could see more knights coming after us from the right. They were also still hot on our heels, which only left us with two options — straight, or left. Straight would lead through the ballroom and to the throne room, but left would lead to the solar and through our private bedchambers. I pulled Sasa forward and slung her ahead of me, letting go of her hand as she stumbled towards the ballroom entrance and I turned towards the left. They were after me, not her. If I could lead them away, I could climb to the throne room through the windows.
“Wait—!” Sasa shouted after me, but I just put two of my fingers to my forehead, saluted towards her, and winked. She looked mortified, but she stepped back out of the way as the knights came barreling past her to keep chasing me.
They wanted me in the throne room, which meant that had to be where my mother and father currently were. I needed to see what was going on, and if it was bad then I needed to get them out. Sasa knew that, too. She knew I would go there and I knew that she would do everything she could to help me. It was as if our minds were linked together, but I think that just came from years of friendship.
I managed to get to my mother’s bedchamber, which she often didn’t use since she did share my father’s. I opened the smallest window, which creaked loudly from misuse, and clambered out through it. It was too small for the knights to follow me, and I was just light enough that I could stand on the crumbling stone ledge that jutted out and went around the entire palace wall. I tiptoed my way towards a corner, keeping my back pressed against the rough stone as I looked down at the houses and people below me. They looked so small from this height, and I knew that that one wrong step and I’d go plummeting to my death. I could almost see over the kingdom walls, and I swear I could see flames flickering just in the distance beyond one of them.
Turning the corner was the hardest part, as I had to be sure I didn’t lose my balance. Once I did, however, I was within reach of the throne room’s windows. I carefully wiggled one of the panes of glass free, slipping into the rafters as I replaced the pane quietly. Down below me the room was filled with common folk, knights, and advisors alike. My mother and father were both surrounded by knights, all keeping the scared and frenzied people at bay as they tried to calm down the chaos. I could see Sasa’s hair bobbing in the crowd as she tried to get closer to the circle that was forming, and it was then that I realized there was one knight holding someone by the back of their neck.
“This assassin was sent here by those savages!” The knight shouted at my father. “We’re rounding up the rest of them that breached our walls as we speak.”
I slipped down the rafters with ease and managed to make my way into the crowd, weaving between them until I was close enough to my parents that I could hear them. There was a completely cloaked figure standing at the side of my father, who I noticed was whispering. It was harsh, and almost hissing.
“Make an example out of the child…” The figure hissed to my father. “It is the only way to protect your kingdom…”
I watched as the cloaked figure reached a withered and bony looking hand out towards both of my parents, nearly touching each of their shoulders, before I stepped forward. “Father, stop!” I shoved my way through the wall of people and into the circle. The figure halted its hands, flinching when I called out. “Don’t listen to that — creature!”
My mother’s eyes went wide at my words. My father looked at me confused for a moment, before I watched as he shot to his feet and reached out towards me. I heard grunting and a loud clang, turning my head to see the person the knight had been holding by the back of their neck had broken free and shoved the knight to the ground. They’d grabbed the knight’s sword, and were charging at me.
My back hit the floor first as I was tackled down, and I felt a heavy weight straddling over me to hold me down. All I could see at first was the sword held high between two hands, with the blade pointed down at my chest. I followed the hands down to slender but still muscular arms, seeing scars and tattoos alike covering them. Long, wild, dark hair was strewn partially across a masculine face with sharp features. The palest grey eyes I had ever seen were wide and erratic, full of anger that was directed at me. I watched as the sword came stabbing down at me, and felt the sharp tip hit my chest, but it stopped before it did any more than knick my skin through my robes.
I could feel him trembling, the boy on top of me. He looked so mature, but he was close to my age. He had to be, because there wasn’t a single wrinkle or blemish on his face except for a small scar that cut through one of his eyebrows. His face was so smooth, and it looked so soft. I felt myself blink back tears that I wasn’t even aware had gathered in my eyes, and felt them start to spill over shortly after. Why had he stopped? Why had he come after me?
“Why… why can’t I kill you?” The boy muttered, glaring down at me as he continued to hold the sword to my chest. I had hoped it was because he decided at the last moment that he simply didn’t want to, but I could see the faint golden glow around his wrists. I looked past him, straining my neck, and saw my mother with her eyes closed and brow heavily furrowed. She’d stopped him, but just barely. Slowly, he pulled the sword away from my chest. Fighting against my mother’s magic every inch, until she forced him to drop the sword entirely.
I felt relief as I heard the metallic clang echo in the silent room. That only lasted for a moment, as I watched the knight that the boy on top of me had overpowered reach down for his sword and pull it back to swing at him. I didn’t want him to die. He hadn’t killed me, and we didn’t even know why he’d wanted me dead. I reached up and wrapped my arms around him, pulling him down to my chest and rolling over to get on top of him myself.
“Soleil, no!” I heard my father shout, but the only thing I could do was tightly close my eyes and pray that the knight didn’t cut through both of us in one swing.