Once upon a time there was the King. But he was not a normal king. He was the King of all the kings from Entasia. Entasia was an island where magic and non-magic creatures were living together, side by side. They could coexist until one day…
There was crying coming from the birthing room. Really, really loud crying. Not just a normal crying like would any normal birthing child create. This crying could brake glass (fortunately not a single mirror had broken – it always causes seven! years of bad luck). Everybody present in the castle gave a look at what was happening.
“Oh, it’s so pretty,” said one of the royal nurses.
“Look at his…“ Second nurse paused for a moment and checked if she didn’t misgender the child. “Look at his eyes.”
“What- what happened?” The King jumped out like a scalded cat.
“They are violet,” said third nurse and a big smile appeared on her face.
“That’s- that’s a-,“ The King stuttered.
“Miracle,” ended the Queen. Then she lay down exhausted. The Queen, just like the King, was the Queen of all the queens from Entasia. And also, everyone knew about it (even the Queen herself), she was the most beautiful of all queens. Not only queens! She was the most beautiful of all women in the whole Entasia. And her smile. It was the most cheerful smile the King had ever seen. Every time he had worse day, after looking at his lovely wife, his mood improved.
But let’s go back to the child. His eyes were violet. ‘What does it mean?’ you may ask. Let me explain. Every magic creature – humans also – has violet eyes which are sensitive to magic waves. This magic waves are all around the world. They are in the ocean, in the trees, in the soil, in every one of us. In the air, both suns: Alf and Omeg, Moon (yep, pretty weird, but there are two suns above Entasia and just one moon, which is called Moon). So as these eyes can see the magic, creatures blessed with its power, can use that magic. Of course, it’s very rare to be magic. Even more rare to be a magic human – we call them wizards. And even more rare (almost impossible) to ba a magic child of the King.
It was the first time in Entasia’s history that a magic child was born in royal family. Everyone was really excited about that. The King and the Queen even made a banquet for all of the Entasians. There was no end to dancing, drinking and eating. Wine was pouring with bowls, cooks were not keeping up with making new dishes, dancers were rubbing out their soles.
But everything must come to the end. The last drop of wine has fallen, the last course has been served, last sole was worn out. And then normal days returned. Everybody left the castle and silence covered the royal family…
“Waaahhh!”
…for just few seconds.
Everybody rushed to the crying baby. Servants, the royal couple and even the three sisters ran through hallway, tripping over the large carpet.
The Queen took her child and fed him. Instantly violet-eyed boy silenced and started drinking milk.
“How are we going to name him?” the King asked.
“Maybe… Drique,” said the Queen.
“Drique?” Anncy made disgusted face.
“I wouldn’t like to be named Drique,” said Bullia.
“Mooom,” said the youngest one, named Cechill.
“Yes, honey?” the Queen looked at the smallest princess, not stopping feeding the child.
“Whyyyy?”
“It’s such a pretty name, just like your brother. And in ancient language drique meant chosen.”
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“Ooohhhh,” said three of them.
“So let it be.” The King clapped in hands and whispered new name with love in his eyes.
Years passed by and Drique grew up. That day he was turning thirteen years and there was a preparation for his party. Everyone in the castle was in such a rush to make everything perfect.
Except the young prince, future King, who was sitting alone in his chamber in front of a mirror. He was looking in his shining, sad eyes.
“Why me?” asked himself. “Why every other child can be normal but me?”
He shook his head. He was color-blind and from youngest years he was made fun of because it was hard for him to distinguish colors. After some time he learned how to find the difference between shadings of violet but never could experience the beauty of color variety.
Suddenly this peaceful magic waves, which were all around the room he was sitting in, started moving nervously and turned themselves to Drique as if they were worms. They froze for a second and attacked. Drique took a deep breath as if he was diving in water and felt fire in his body. First in his fingers and toes, then in his whole limbs and this feeling escalated to whole body. He was numb and couldn’t move. He felt like he lost control of his body. He tried to shout but couldn’t find his voice. He opened his mouth and started drowning. His wonder was bigger than hurt in throat and lungs. Moment later he wasn’t breathing.
If he had learned magic from experienced wizard, maybe things would have turned out differently.
•••
“Something’s wrong,” said the Queen, dropping and breaking plate.
“How can you tell? You’re just nervous about the party. Everything’s going to be alright,” the King assured his wife and hugged her.
“No, no. Listen. I’m sure that something’s not alright. I can feel it.” The Queen thought for a moment and gasped. “Something’s wrong with Drique!” she yelled.
At this same time one of the servants screamed, “FIRE!”
The Queen almost fainted but she knew she had to help her son. She ran upstairs. Few seconds later the King caught her up.
“Hurry,” she said.
The King only nodded.
When they got to the level of Drique’s chamber, there was a crowd in front of the entry to his room but no one did anything.
“Why are you staying? Help or move away!” The Queen was on a verge of collapse.
“It’s too late my Queen,” somebody said with sadness.
“Nooo!” The Queen burst into tears and pushed the servant away. The King tried to stop her, but only tongues of fire could do so with their heat. She fell.
Somebody helped the Queen up, so she was staying there and crying. Then her three daughters came to her with tears in their eyes.
“Mommy, what happened? Mommy?”
“Oh, my kids.” She hugged them all and hid her face in their hair.
Suddenly everybody could hear some noises from the fire which were replaced with demonic laughter. It certainly wasn’t Drique’s voice but the person, who came out of the fire was him.
“Drique?” the Queen couldn’t believe her eyes.
“You!” he shouted. “You were laughing at me!”
“Drique? Who are you talking to?” The Queen was more and more frightened.
“They know.” His voice got softer as he turned to his mother, but then again every word that came out of his mouth was as sharp as knife. “You will pay!”
His always violet eyes were burning with violet fire. Not only eyes. His whole body was wrapped in violet, roaring fire. He moved his hands towards his three sisters and fiery snakes shot out from his fingers. In a second three young women turned to ashes in his mother’s hands. Her face turned pale.
As girls disappeared, Drique came back on the floor. That was the moment, when everyone realised that the boy wasn’t taller but was levitating the whole time. But it didn’t matter anymore. Drique’s fire went out, but the Queen’s flamed up.
“What have you done?” Sadness was replaced by anger.
“It wasn’t me. I swear.” Drique panicked.
“You killed them!”
“It wasn’t on purpose. I didn’t want to. I didn’t know.” Drique started crying.
“Now you’re crying?”
“Mother.”
“I’m no longer your mother. And you’re no longer my son.”
“Mom!”
The King was standing aside the whole time. He was paralysed.
“I didn’t want to kill them.” Drique fell on the floor and pulled his hair.
•••
Bang. Bang. Bang.
“Silence!”
The Queen was leading in the Court for the first time. This case was too important for her to let somebody else do it.
“The Court decided…”
Everyone in the room watched tensely but mostly Drique who entertained a hope.
“…to give you a death penalty.”
Derique hid his face in hands.
“Furthermore…”
He looked again at his ex-mother.
“…the Court decided to kill all magic creatures living now and born in the future.”
“You can’t!” Drique shouted.
“Silence!” the Queen hit three times with gavel at the court table. “That’s all.”
After this trial, Drique was killed and as were all the magic creatures, who failed to hide. Those who managed to hide had to live in shadows from then on, keeping their heads down. Meanwhile, the King and the Queen once again had a child – son – who grew up hating magic which he passed on to his children. And his children to their children. And so on.
Drique was the first and, as everyone hoped, the last magic child of the King.