Colter
The Palace, Kingdom of Howard
The day had been peaceful, there was no worry that seemed to plague the citizens of Howard. The same thing could not be said for a certain young prince who was now facing his father in the throne room of the royal palace.
He nearly quailed underneath the King’s stony gaze, but still reminding himself that this is father, he bowed his head politely.
“You asked for my presence here, your highness.” Colter said quietly, using the honorific in order to have a gauge on what his father’s mood is.
King Malik gave off an air of rage. It seemed that the very air around him had twisted and turned by the very essence of his anger. Colter tried to ponder what was going on, focusing on many things that he had done that could have pissed his own father off but he couldn’t pinpoint it.
The King descended from his throne and approached his son in a huff, his eyes showed baleful wrath as soon as he got within striking distance, he wound up his arm and landed a ferocious slap on his bowing son’s face.
It echoed within the chambers like a gunshot, the royal servants flinched and looked away at the sight of a father hitting his son.
Colter felt his cheek turn red as the open palm of his father struck him. His left cheek was searing in agony, the king had not held back at all. Fighting back the tears and the pain welling inside him, he asked his father in a calm voice: “What was that for, your highness?”
The king did not reply and instead landed another unyielding slap on Colter’s right cheek this time, as his head snapped back from the force, tears splattered all over the floor. Colter gingerly put a hand on his now swelling right cheek and stared his father dead in the eyes. In a show of strength, he wanted to stand firm, his father could simply be testing him. So many thoughts stormed into his mind, another one of his violent tests to prove his worth as a prince. But all of that was cut short when King Malik suddenly shouted at him.
“I knew where you were last night, Colter. What the hell were you thinking going to Tralfagar? Why did you speak to the sinner Samuel?! What the hell do you want? You have been giving everything you needed, yet you still go out of your own way to defy me!”
As the king stormed at him, Colter felt betrayed and confused. “Who sold me out?!” his mind screamed at him, wondering who gave away the information. His thoughts immediately fell on his brother Gian but he just didn’t have enough proof to indict him.
“I went there to ask Samuel how he was doing, and in return he gave me beautiful words of encouragement. I simply went there in my official capacity as a prince.” Colter answered mustering his thoughts and courage.
Malik scoffed at his son’s answer and used the back of his hand to strike Colter in the face once more. He saw that it had marked his son badly and could potentially leave a scar.
“I don’t remember raising a liar, Colter!” King Malik roared again, his voice echoing in the royal hall, the servants and guards flinched once more at the tenacity of the king. “Tell me the truth!”
Slightly sniffling from the pain, Colter finally gathered his will and answered his father in a defiant tone, “I spoke with the sinner Samuel because I got curious about the world that he lived in. How different it was from our own world. I wanted to know about humans and the way they lived. Remember when you said I was quite adventurous when I was younger? Well, there you have it, you old fart!”
King Malik flinched at the insult his son had spouted but the young prince continued, “You want to know the exact truth? Why I did all of that, father?!” there was pure venom in his voice as he enunciated ‘father’ “Because I wanted to leave this forsaken place, I wanted to explore the unknown and venture into new frontiers, not only because I wanted the thrill of adventure but because I am so sick of living like a criminal in my own home!”
The prince’s angry voice echoed, and the servants, who weren’t ordered to leave, had to endure this shouting contest that had erupted.
“Maybe in a different world I would have found a place where I can treat it like home, don’t get me wrong your highness, the people here are kind and loving, the normal citizens but I just cannot bare the fact that you treat me like I’m some kind of monster. I hate this place and everything it stands for because of YOU!” the prince had pointed his finger at his own father who took this as an affront.
He scoffed once more at his son’s raw emotions, determined to disregard them, he decided to go for the kill.
“For once, Colter, I wanted you to act like royalty. All the things that you’ve done bring shame to our family. Why can’t you be like your brother for once?! All these idiotic things you keep doing, hanging around forests? Exploring?! Doing shows for the locals like a common performer?! Have you no shame? Do you not know your mother worries for you and you bring her heartache with all your actions?! Your brother had never brought shame to our name, yet you do so over and over. I should have you confined to your own quarters just so you could learn your lesson, you idiotic, shameless piece of shit. Do I ever regret creating you. I could have you disowned and you can live among the common folk to learn how bad it is to be like them”
“Right, Gian. Ever so perfect Gian.” Colter mocked his father, still crying, “He’s the only one who does things right in your eyes, doesn’t he? Well, he is the first born and all he does in your eyes is right. So why don’t I make things easier and just leave this wretched place. It’s not like I was vying for your throne anyway, so he can have it.”
“I shall have you locked up in Tralfagar, Colter. Do not defy me!” his father threatened him and Colter simply shrugged it off,
“You don’t need to do that, your highness” and with a boom he flew off, leaving a small hole in the palace’s roofs.
“Royal Guards, after him!” the King roared angrily and at once a squadron of men leapt after the prince but he had managed to evade them, Colter was too fast for them to catch. The King could only stare in anger and disbelief at what happened.
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Gian
The Royal Palace, Kingdom of Howard
“You don’t need to do that, your highness” he heard his brother spoke followed by a crash and falling debris. Gian stood hidden by a pillar, grinning like a predator that had cornered its prey. He had heard the whole thing and enjoyed the way his brother was treated by his father. Laughing silently, he walked away while whispering to himself: “Finally, my dear brother, you will be out of my way.”