For the 11 months, my mother bathed, clothed and fed me. My father bounced me on his lap as he told me stories of his time as an adventurer. My brother would often visit me and play with me. And it was the most foreign thing I ever experience.

For one to truly understand why this is, you would have to understand the kind of family I had in my previous life. There were twelve of us in a total of six boys and six girls. Unlike most kingdoms, the crown did not fall to the firstborn. Instead, the throne went to the one proved to be the most worthy. Or as many of my siblings interrupted it, to the one still living.

Survival of the fittest and all that.

It was not uncommon, for one royal to plan an assassination on another. One time, when I was seven my sister took me outside the palace. We passed a clear stream down the path. She convinced me to go down to the stream and check the water for any fish. But when I bent down over the water, she had pushed my head into the water and attempted to drown me. Luckily one of my personal guards had followed us and managed to save me. That guard had mysteriously vanished a day later. I wish I could say that was the last time that one of my brothers or sisters tried to kill me. But alas I've never been a very good liar.

My Mother and Father avoided there children like the plague, leave them to be raised by the servants and soldiers. There wasn't much love in our household. When I was sixteen I escaped to the military. I started out as a soldier, then worked my way up to the commander and at one point I was even given the title General.

I wasn't the only one to try to find a way to escape the power grab. The twins, Risia and Reemus became assassins. They severed all attachments they had with the royal family and disappeared into the Syreena Desert. My second brother also escaped through the army, but on an assignment, he met a commoner woman and fell in love. When Ava was born he renounced his title and relinquished all power he might have posed as a prince. But their efforts hadn't really mattered in the end. Out of the twelve children I had been the last one left. Until I had died, that is.

Now, one might be able to see how such love from my new family might be a little strange. Not to say I didn't enjoy it.

I found my new body quite uncooperative. I was incapable of many basic movements and I wasn't able to keep many complicated thoughts in my head at once without getting distr- OH what's that shiny thing in the door!?!

I forced my tiny body to crawl toward the thing and slip through the crack in the door. I really wanted to know what the shiny thing was.

It was, in fact, a large floor length mirror. I was caught off guard by what I saw in the reflection. In the mirror, I saw a small from with pale skin and a small sweet face with soft features. Bright violet eyes peered into the mirror. Dark wisps of black hair sprouted from atop the baby's head. This baby was me.

I'M FREAKING ADORABLE!!!!

In the reflection was the cutest darn baby I have ever seen. I laughed in excitement, but it came out a small giggle. The innocent sound made me laugh even harder. My mother must have heard me because she then entered the room and smiled and she scooped me up into her arms.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Looking over the numerous amount of books, she plucked one from the shelf. It was a small children's book. I listened carefully as she read from the book.

When I was 16, a wise but paranoid old man. When he’d dragged me to an old acquaintance of his, I had firmly believed the guy had finally cracked. Inscribing runes on one's flesh was already a risky and almost illegal business. Inscribing them on a soul was…..indescribably dangerous. But I’d done it and had gained many abilities from it, which had given me a powerful edge on my siblings.

I’d gained the ability to learn a language so quick it was almost instantaneous. But I’d had to learn to read and write the language like any other person, though my learning was speeding up. My healing was also faster than a normal human. There were a couple others, but I couldn’t exactly remember what the old guy had said. I didn’t want to kill my siblings. I didn’t want the throne...I just wanted to live. But I had never been given that freedom.’

My mother's warm arms hold me as she reads about a princess that befriended a dragon. But wasn’t I given that chance now?

A laugh bubbled happily from my small mouth and I clapped my hands. My mother looked down at me, her eyes shining.

“Oh, my sweet baby boy. Do you want to see a dragon?”

I nod my head.

“ A dragon?” My dad pokes his head through the door and walks into the room. Terror fills me as he picks my small body up into the air twirls me around. I get that this is supposed to be super cute and all, but I feel like I’m gonna throw up. Somehow sensing my stress my mother comes to my rescue. Snatching me from my beastly father's arms she gives him a peck on the cheek. My brother comes into the room. Honestly! How do they find each other so quickly? It’s not like our house is small!!!

My mother gives me off to Alaster. It’s like a game of hot potato, only hot BABY!

“ Why don’t you read a bit to Ruwan, and while you wait for your tutor?” Mother said. Alaster smiles down at me. Mother and Father leave the room, staring into each other's eyes like newlyweds. My brother looks down at me unsure of what to do. I wiggle around and he sets me on the ground gently I evidently start crawling. Toward the book, my mother had abandoned. I flip through the pages studying the characters.

“ You sure like reading don't you?” Alaster says watching me. I laugh in response. He comes closer to me and stares as I trace the figures with my hands. After a while, a knock sounds on the door and a woman enters. She has graying brown hair tied up in a tight bun and narrow hawk-like features. Her small eyes zero in on us and Alaster jumps to his feet. He makes a formal bow and says.

“ Greetings, Mistress Hart.” The woman gives a curt nod in response but her eyes stay on me.

“ I see we are entertaining a guest this lesson.” Noticing the direction of her gaze Alaster quickly scoops me back up and says.

“ This is my little brother Ruwan.” The woman waves her hand at one of the chairs dismissively.

“ My lessons are no place for a baby, take him to his room.” As Alaster begins to move toward the door I begin to panic. I knew Alaster was getting tutored in swordsmanship, economics, mathematics and battle strategies along with other subjects. I knew that my family held some form of importance and wealth to be able to afford such education and I also knew that they would not consider giving me such lessons until I was older. But I was impatient to know more about this world. I needed to stay with Alaster.

I flailed my arms and cried. My brother looked down at me concerned. This was the first time hed seen me throw such a fit. Unsure of what to do he set me back down next to my book. I immediately stopped crying. Alaster looked back at his tutor, questioningly. The woman glared at me for a moment and then sat down on one of the armchairs. Motioning for Alaster to sit across from him. Alaster did as told and for the next 2 hours, I listened as Mistress Hart tutored him.