The Next Crown

1. A Golden Eye

"Althalos, remember to always be kind to your people." Althalos looked up at his father, the king.

He was only at the age of ten at the time. "Why do I have to be kind to them? Most of them are ungrateful peasants." Althalos said with an annoyed tone as he rolled his eyes, the king laughed as he heard his son speak like this.

He had always thought that his youngest son will soon start to see the true meaning of having to be a great king.

His three sons were all so different from each other. Each one of them had a different personality from one another as they also looked nothing alike.

His oldest son, Berinon was too kind for his own good, he was too kind and too forgiving. His second son Xalvador, was too evil to his own people, he was one to kill anyone without hesitation who disagreed with him. And his youngest son was a mixture of them both.

The king wanted his third son to rule the three kingdoms instead of his two older sons. He knew that his oldest son was too kind which would lead to people taking advantage of him. And his second son was too evil which would lead to his own people turning against him and most likely causing wars among the kingdoms.

"Althalos, you must understand that they are your people. Whether they be peasants or not, you were born to save them all." Althalos listened, not really understanding what his father meant by saying "save them all."

Althalos opened his eyes as he sat on his red throne, he had remembered the discussion that he had with his father many years ago. He sighed as the moans and cries of pleasure filled his ears. "Our lord, please look at us!" Althalos slowly gazed up to see the two slaves touching each other. They were playing around with each other"s naked bodies that were dripping with sweat. He smirked as he motions for them both to come sit on his lap.

The women happily obeyed with a look of pleasure on their faces. As the first slave sat on his lap, he cupped her face in between his hands and roughly kissed her. He felt as the other slave sat on his lap too, she slowly put one of her hands on his abdomen and the other hand on his arm to get his attention.

He bit the bottom lip of the woman before pulling away. As he was about to give his attention to the other slave that looked more than desperate for him, the doors of his throne room suddenly burst opened.

The look on the slaves faces turned into one of annoyance, knowing that their lord was about to ask them to leave at once.

"Prince Althalos, pardon my disturbance." The guard said as he got down on one knee and bowed his head to Althalos. Althalos looked at him with an empty expression on his face. "What is it that you want, Benedict?" The guard looked up and looked into Althalos eyes.

Benedict cleared his throat before speaking. "We have someone who keeps insisting on seeing you. He has said to have brought you an item that you would be more than interested on." The guard loudly spoke.

Althalos kept his eyes on Benedict, "leave us." He said to the two salves who looked like they were about to complain right before Althalos gave them a look that they feared.

Both of them stood up and quickly started to make their way out. Althalos watched as both the slaves walked out of the throne room, completely naked. The two guards that were standing by the door turned their heads towards the two slaves as they passed near them.

"What is this item that he speaks of?" Benedict nods his head, "it"s a child."

Hearing that, catches Althalos interest. Why would someone bring a child to him? "Bring this man that you speak of to me at once." Benedict nodded his head, he motions for the two other guards that are standing by the doors to let the unknown man in.

As the doors open again, Althalos sees an old man walk in, the clothes on his is cheap, but nonetheless clean. He sees that the old man is pulling old heavy chains alongside him. Althalos notices that the chains are chained to the hands of the hooded child walking beside the old man.

The old man suddenly stops and quickly bows to Althalos. "What is it that you want?" Althalos speaks. The old man wickedly grins at him, showing a row of rotten teeth.

"My lord, I have brought to you a wonderful gift." The old man says. Althalos turns his eyes to the child standing beside the old man. He raises an eyebrow in questioning.

"You bring me a gift that I can"t even see with my eyes?" By now Althalos is getting annoyed. He can"t see the face of the child standing next to the old man because the black hood is covering the child’s complete body.

The old man trembles as he starts to get nervous, "forgive me, my lord." He quickly speaks. Althalos watches as the old man pulls back the black hood from the child"s head.

Althalos eyes widen as soon as he sees the child. He stands up from his throne without any warning and steps down the steps. His hands reach out for the child"s face.

Althalos cups the child"s face in between his hands, the child doesn"t make eye contact with him and Althalos can see that the child is afraid and suffering.

"Where did you find this boy?" Althalos speaks, his voice sounds angry which causes the old man to continue to tremble.

"H-he was bred just for you, my lord." The look on Althalos face is one of admiration as he looks down at the child"s eyes.

One of the child"s eyes is a bright blue color while the other is brown. His skin is a cream colored tone, his hair is a bright golden blonde color and his face is well defined compared to any other child that Althalos has seen. Althalos lets his fingers carefully touch the child"s cheek.

His face is too thin, and Althalos can see that the child is not fed often.

"He was bred for me you say?" Althalos turns his head to the old man who is smiling back at him. "Yes my lord, I hope he is of your-" Althalos doesn’t let the old man finish speaking.

"If he was bred for me, then why is he so tin?" The look on Althalos face is one of anger. He looks at the old man as if he would kill him at any second now.

"What of these chains?" Althalos raises his voice. "Take these chains off of him imminently!" He shouts. The guards quickly come forward and take the chains off the young boy.

The young boy looks frighten as he hears Althalos shout at the old man. "My lord! It was my mistake; I didn"t want the boy running away!" The old man spoke in fear.

"You say that this boy was bred for me but yet you treat him like a common slave." The lips of the old man tremble, he tries to find a way out of this situation as Althalos looks at him in nothing but complete disgust.

"Guards, seize him and through him in the dirtiest cell." The two guards are quick to take hold of the old man who starts to struggle and find an excuse for the prince to free him.

"My lord!" Althalos hears as the doors to his throne room are shut closed. Benedict faces the young prince. "Prince Althalos, would you like me to take the boy too?" Althalos looks back at the boy to see him still standing in the same spot, hugging himself with his thin arms that are nothing but skin and bones.

"No, leave at once. I want to be alone with this boy." The Benedict nods and excuses himself before leaving the throne room. Althalos slowly steps in front of the young boy who looks afraid. Althalos grips his fragile chin and forces the boy to look him in the eye. As the boy does, his eyes widen.

"Y-y-your eyes." The boy whispers. "They"re like mine." The boy can"t seem to look away from Althalos eyes. One of Althalos eyes is a bright golden color, and the other is a forest green.

"I"ve never seen anyone with two different color eyes." The young boy says. Althalos doesn"t say a word, he lets the young boy speak until he is satisfied.

"How old are you?" Althalos asked the boy. Althalos lets his finger gaze over the boys’ dry bottom lip. The look in Althalos eyes becomes sad as he sees that the boy has some dry blood on his lips "I-I"m twelve." The boy answers.

"And your name?" The Prince ask. "It"s Cedric." Althalos nods as he whispers out the name to try it out. He steps back and looks down at the boy.

Out of nowhere Althalos pulls off the rest of the hood on the boy’s body. His eyes widen at what he sees.

And as Althalos takes a closer look at the boy, anger meets his eyes. The boy’s ribs are visible and his thin body is covered in old and fresh blue and green bruises.

Cedric trembles in fear under Althalos eyes. He wraps his thin arms around himself as he looks down at the floor.

"Benedict!" Althalos shouts in anger. He turns around and walks up the steps to sit on his red throne. The same guard from earlier walks in as the doors open.

"Take this boy, feed him and bath him, bring him back to me once that"s done." The Benedict nods his head. He grabs Cedric by the arm but the boy doesn"t seem to move.

Althalos looks down at him as Cedric seems to want to speak. "W-what will you do with me?" Cedric stutters out. Althalos eyes him up before answering.

"I"m not sure, now go." Cedric nods, giving in as the guard pulls him by the arm and leads him out.

The red doors close, leaving the prince all on his own again.

As the minutes go by, the doors open again without any warning. "My, my, what do we have here." Althalos looks at the handsome man that has just walked in. Their eyes meet and Althalos finds himself smirking.

"Favian, I didn"t think that you would show today." Favian stops to stand in front of the prince. "I told you it was just a short trip that I"ll be taking."

Althalos looks at the two guards standing by the doors. "Leave us, no one is to interrupt us." He tells the guards; they nod and quickly leave the throne room without a word.

Favian smiles at the prince, "am I that special that you want to spend time with me alone in daylight?" Favian ask.

The prince looks down at him. "What trip did you take?" Favian quiets down as the prince changes the subject of the conversation.

"It was a-" Favian starts to speak but the prince speaks over him. "Don"t lie to me, tell me the truth." Favian sighs knowing very well that he can"t lie to Althalos no matter how hard he tries.

"Prince Xalvador called for me. He wants to meet with you." Althalos eyes widen in anger. How dare his brother call for Favian and how dare he ask to meet with him when all he does is insult him at every chance that he gets.

"What did you tell him?" Favian seems to be nervous as he speaks. "I told him that I would discuss it with you first." He answers. "I may be the one closes to you but I do not make your decisions." He tells Althalos.

Althalos takes his eyes away from Favian. His older brother is not a nice prince. He knows that his brother has tried the kill him a few times in the past but has luckily been unsuccessful.

"Do you know what he wants?" He asks Favian. Favian shakes his head no. Althalos knows that if he agrees to meet with his brother, he would just be in danger of being killed by his brother again.

"I shall not meet with him." Althalos says, "don"t write to him. Ignore him and make this be the last time that I know of you traveling over to my brothers’ kingdom without my permission." Favian agrees and apologies to the prince as his eyes sadden at the mistake that he has made.

"He didn"t touch you?" Favian shakes his head, no. "He didn"t lay a finger on me." He says.

Before Althalos is able to reply back, they"re interrupted by a sudden knock on the red doors.

"Didn"t I say not to interrupt us?" Althalos mutters out in annoyance. "Come in!" He shouts. The doors open, Althalos sees as the guard gives Cedric a little push on the back so that he moves forward. Once the boy is inside, the doors close again.

Favian looks at the boy and then at Althalos, who has his full attention on the Cedric.

"Did you eat?" The prince asked the Cedric who looks scared. "Yes." He whispers, barely loud enough for the prince to hear.

The prince looks to see that the boy is now cleaned and wearing normal clothes of a palace slave instead of the dirty black hood that he had on earlier.

"Who is this?" Althalos looks at Favian, as in he had completely forgotten about him being in the same room as them until now.

"An old man came earlier, telling me that this boy was bred for me." Favian raises both eyebrows and turns to the boy. He walks up to the boy who takes a step back.

Favian roughly grabs him by the neck and forces the boy to look him in the eyes. "He has a blue eye?" Favian says in a whisper.

Favians finger tighten around Cedrics neck, causing him to start choking. Althalos sees this and quickly reacts, "let him go!" He shouts at Favian who listens.

Favian steps back, he looks at Althalos with tears in his eyes. He then shakes his head in anger and leaves the throne room without excusing himself.

Althalos doesn"t pay any mind to him. He knows how jealous Favian can get at times, and especially now that this boy has appeared.

"Do you know why your eyes are that color?" Althalos asked Cedric. The boy is young, Althalos can tell that the boy probably won"t know much as to why his eyes are that color.

"N-no, I do not." Cedric answers the prince. The prince stands from his throne and carefully walks down the steps. He walks straight to Cedric who keeps his eyes down on the ground.

As Althalos reaches for him, he forces Cedric to look him in the eye. "It is said that those of two color eyes are cursed." The prince speaks. "I wonder what your curse is." Cedric keeps his eyes locked with Althalos eyes.

As Althalos keeps looking into the boys’ eyes, he sees nothing but a frighten and suffering little boy.

"What"s your curse?" Cedric speaks without thinking. His eyes widen as he realizes what he just asked.

The prince kindly smiles down at the boy. "My curse is death." Althalos tells him.

Althalos knows what his curse is, he knows what his purpose in life is and he will not be able to rest in peace until it is completed.

"Did that old man keep you locked away all this time?" Cedric takes a step back as he seems to be uncomfortable around the prince.

"Yes, I had never seen the blue sky until today." He whispers. Althalos eyes are emotionless as he looks at the boy. He wonders why this Cedric has two different color eyes, could it really be that the boy is cursed to? Or could it have just been a gift from the gods above.

"You will be staying in this palace with me." The prince tells the boy. "I want you to learn proper manners and I want you to learn how to write and read. I also want you by my side when you are not learning." He tells Cedric.

"You are rare, your eyes are rare and those who desire them will try to get them taken away from you." Hearing that causes Cedric to be more afraid of what could happen to him.

He knows that the prince standing in front of him has so far treated him with nothing but kindness. But what of those that try to reach for him?

"You cannot trust anyone in this kingdom or from the outside. If you come upon a trouble of your own, you are to ask me for help." Althalos tells Cedric.

"I will care for you until death takes me away."

*

As night time comes, Althalos locks himself in his chamber. He finds himself sitting on his bed as his mind wonders off to what happened today.

He can"t seem to take his mind off of Cedric, he wants to know why that boy has those two color eyes?

Could it be that the boy has the same curse as him? But that would make no sense, the boy is useless, he doesn"t seem to have any power in the kingdom so what good will having a curse like his do?

As Althalos tries to think of a reason, a sudden knock on the door brings him back to reality.

He smirks, already knowing who it is that has come to his chamber at this time at night. The door opens and Althalos watches as Favian walks in.

Favian makes sure to close the door behind him. "Did you come here to apologize for your jealousy earlier?" Althalos speaks.

Favian looks at him with an apologetic look on his face. "Forgive me Althalos, I was out of line and shouldn"t have done that to that innocent boy." He says.

Althalos looks away from Favian, "his eyes are those of two different colors. I do not understand why he would have eyes such as those." Favian listens as Althalos speaks, he then makes his way to Althalos bed and climbs on it.

He gets behind Althalos and slowly pulls back the red robe that Althalos is wearing, exposing his body. Favian then wraps his arms around Althalos from behind.

"Perhaps a curse such as yours?" Althalos stays quiet for a couple of seconds before responding.

"That would make no sense. What could someone of his status actually do? The boy has nothing; he doesn"t seem to have any powers of his own." Favian just listens as Althalos continues to speak.

Favian softly puts his lips on the back of Althalos neck.

"I need to know why." Althalos whispers. Favian sighs in annoyance this time. He doesn"t have the princes’ full attention and knowing that bothers him.

"Why not just ask your witch for the answer?" Favian tells him. "For the moment stop upsetting me and just give me your full attention."