A redundant law

Roan had always been afraid of dreaming about his childhood. It was a dark time his life were he was sick and helpless, confined to a bed and unable to move.

Tonight, he seemed like he was back reliving that nightmare. He kept on whispering to himself that it was just a dream, it was just a dream but the fear and anxiety were real.

He tried to move, but as expected his body was frozen in place, unable to even lift a finger. The darkness seemed to be closing in on him, suffocating him.

Knowing no one could save him not even his mother, Roan felt a pressure on his chest his nose sour. A warm tear flowed down his face.

Suddenly, the door opened, and a figure walked in. It was a woman, with long brown hair and a kind face. Roan instantly recognised her as the apothecary who had treated him during his illness.

She was clad in a purple dress her pregnancy showing. She approached the bed placing a gentle hand on her belly.

"Little prince... little prince... oh, child don't be sad," she said in a soft comforting voice as she stretched out her hand and wiped away the tear at the corner of his eye. "Don't cry. Didn't I say I will make you all better?" she asked but Roan was staring at the crystal orb dangling in front of him like a hypnotic charm.

"Here," she said taking his hand and placing it on her belly and continued, "Little YaYa will keep you company."

As though acquiescing to its mother's words the baby moved and Roan felt a kick. His pitch black eyes softened considerably when he realised the baby was moving. The ferocity of those kicks was so powerful that he couldn't tell if it was angry at him or playing with him. For a moment, he forgot about his fear and his illness.

"You two will make the best of companions in the future but first let's make you feel better. Now go to sleep," she said and Roan in the dream felt another violent kick before the woman put his hand underneath the quilt.

His eyes suddenly opened his different coloured pupils gleaming an indecipherable light. He had fragmented memories of when he was ill and could only rely on these dreams to fill in the blank spaces.

This dream tonight however had been the most vivid of them all and it revealed an interesting detail none of them ever told him, that is Madam Livia was pregnant and almost full term when she was executed. None of them had ever mentioned it to him and just finding this out made him sick to his stomach. His hatred and resentment towards his father grew extensively.

This anger of his was fully demonstrated the following morning.

The throne room was silent except for the sound of the crown prince's steady breathing. He sat on the throne, his eyes closed and his hands resting on the armrests. The room was filled with elders and nobles, summoned by the prince himself. They all looked upon him with confusion and unease.

The crown prince was known for his wild and unpredictable behaviour, but this was something different. As they waited in silence, they could feel a strange energy emanating from the prince. It was a deadly aura, one that made their hearts race and their hairs stand on end.

Suddenly, the prince's eyes snapped open. They were heterochromatic, one eye grey and the other brown. As he looked out over the gathered crowd, they all cowered in fear. The prince's gaze was intense, and it felt as if he could see straight through to their very souls.

"Today I have summoned you regarding the law of women seducing men. Read it out for me," he said and the keeper of law stepped forward before reading the law stipulated in the book. After he finished reading he turned to the elders and asked, "What acts constitute the implications of this law?"

The elders and nobles stared at each other each hesitating to answer. They knew this was all a set up for something explosive but there was no way of getting out of this unless if the King walked through those doors.

One of the elders who was in Queen Nova's camp before her demise answered, "Answering his highness. This includes deliberately harming a family by actively seducing someone's husband. Having multiple partners or frequenting places that are deemed immoral. This law actually applies to both genders but is usually applied to women which is unfair."

"And the punishment?" asked the prince before the man continued,

"Its his highness or his majesties' duty to determine the punishment best suited for the crime."

Crown prince Roan shrugged his lips before curling his finger and the throne room doors opened with a bang.

A young woman with a torn dress and smudged makeup was dragged before she was thrown to the ground.

The man who dragged her in read the list of crimes and the list of men she had hooked up with at the brothel. This list even included married men in this very room who frequented this brothel. The hall was in an uproar as the gazes shifted to the read out names.

The Keres guards pulled these nobles out of the crowd and everything descended into chaos. One noble man shouted, "Your highness it isn't your place to hand out punishments. There is no evidence as well."

The other nobles who had no idea they had been roped into an internal strife agreed with him. The fact that they had been named publicly in front of their peers was embarrassing enough. Now this tyrant wanted to punish them alongside this woman.

Roan raised his hand and the Keres guards blocked their mouths and forced them to kneel.

Crown prince Roan had one of his man read out the punishment when the doors were opened and Queen Rhea walked in hand in hand with King Kian.

After a night of passion they clung to each other like a pair of newlyweds. The prince's lips twitched seeing them waltz in.

"Roan!" his father bellowed and the crown prince showed a slight smile before asking,

"Does father want to take over and punish this woman and men for breaking the law of Odassal?"

"That is an obsolete law that is going to be abolished," replied King Kian his anger muddling his mind.

The crown prince didn't get up. Instead he continued to sit on the throne while asking, "Is it because you two broke that law that you want to abolish it or that you think the law is redundant?"

"You!...," yelled King Kian his grey beard trembling in anger.