Standing up for the Human

Chapter 24| Standing up for the human

Tristan was barely out of the door, his scrubs on one of his hands and a book on the other when he noticed Saif's presence.

He wondered what the cheeky prince wanted this time and hoped it wouldn't kill any more time than he had already spent.

The news he was getting from the city infirmary did not scream he had much time in his hands.

Apart from being a Prince and serving royally. He was a medical doctor, a profession he had special expertise on like no other doctor in the realm because of his added advantage of being at the helm of the great witch's court while growing up.

Most times, when he had traveled out of the realm to Earth. It was mostly to offer medical service to ailments that have defiled Earth's solutions and the resources within their grasp.

"Tristan," his voice was gravelly low. He wasn't happy.

Tristan wondered what was capable of invoking such feelings in his goofy ball of a brother. He never took anything seriously and certainly never took anything too hard, or deliberated on them so much so they get him upset. That was one of the reasons, He and Abba get into heated arguments, which he (Saif) forgets once he steps out of the royal courtyard.

He was too easy-going to be King. So easily, he could be manipulated. Tristan knew it as much as Abba hated to admit it, Saif was the royal home weak link.

He was too social, too friendly, too happy without an iota of worry or resentment to be royalty, and in a fucked up way, that was one of the reasons why Tristan had craved his life.

He could only dream of such life, if anything he peered suspiciously more than once before he nodded at a person, his words were guarded and cold making sure he remained as masked as possible. People can't destroy what they don't know.

All his life, all his actions have been guarded solely on the heavy responsibility being Future King impose. All his hobbies revolve around the same imagery and his choice of clothing articles too.

So one should understand his surprise when he saw the sullen look on his brother's face as he approached him.

"Saif." He peered at him suspiciously, "Hope you are okay?"

He nodded, twice. He wasn't okay.

Tristan's brow was furrowed in confusion and knitted too in concentration as he tried to figure out what was the reason for the sudden mood swing.

Saif sighed, "Not really. I've not been fine." He shrugged, "I've been thinking about the human."

Tristan rolled his eyes. Of course, somehow that human has charmed her way into his brother's young trusting heart, he shook his head at his first wrong impression of her. He had been so off track.

"What made you think About the human?" The last thing he wanted was for her to be filling his brother's head with untruth about him.

"She seems so scared and it is understandable. She is in a foreign ground and all alone." He paused, "She is so young too. I'll freak out if I had to travel to a completely different realm and then discover everybody over there is a douchebag."

"I was way younger on my first trip to Earth, don't forget that."

"Abba have groomed you since you were 9 and prepared you for the journey with pictures and journal, their lifestyle and habits. She is no groomed King to be, she didn't even know this place existed a while ago. And the horrible welcome party you guys did a great job throwing for her at the dining room cannot hold a candle to the one you had when you arrived at Earth. There is no comparison and you know it." His reply was Curt and snappy.

"If you spoke so passionately about Kingdom affairs, the way you did the Human's. You could be a minister." Tristan half-heartedly joked but the serious expression on Saif's face remained.

"What happened to you?" His question was icy cold. So cold.

Tristan could feel the change in the air, this was one of the reasons why Saif's goofiness was appreciated from his angle. The guy had no control over his power and couldn't put a lid over it when his emotions were all tangled.

"Saif, I understand you are young and this might take some getting used to___"

"You are only my senior with three blood nights!"

"And so I've stayed three blood nights that you weren't a witness to." He looked at Saif, "I appreciate how eager you are to stand up for this human, how compassionate you are to her. That is brave and all but," he huffed, checking his watch impatiently knowing that his time wasn't in support of him quelling the stunt Saif was about to pull.

"You don't know the human. I don't know her too. But we are your family, you should be on our side here__"

"She is not at war with us, Tristan." Saif gave him a puzzled, confused look, "You liked the human yesterday, you kept on yapping about her while we traveled the kingdoms trail part using teleports, and then somehow, something happened at the dining that I didn't quite grasp and she is now an alien?"

"I was intrigued by the human like yourself, I must admit. I was quick to think, she could be a friend. Abba helped me realize__"

Saif hardened his face as he gave Tristan a disgusted once over, "Always. It always has to be about Abba, Tristan. It is funny how everyone thinks I'm the weak one when you are the one. You have no backbone, no real decision of your own and instead, you are content in hiding behind that white garment of yours in your hand, hiding away in your clinic, while using Bodies as toys knowing that is the only place you can reveal true authority."

Tristan shook his head, bidding himself not to reply. Saif has always been the passionate one when prodded. It was hard to see Saif, all fired up but when he was, his arguments were not anything unnatural. They'll blow over if he disregarded his sharp tongue.

Tristan hasten his footsteps leaving the corridor, footballs followed. Saif was hot in pursuit.

"When I look at her, I just can't turn a blind eye to how vulnerable she looks. I want to send her back as soon as possible, if I had the power," His voice was small and reflected the pity he felt for the human.

"What do you want from me exactly?" Tristan raised his eyebrow, turning to meet Saif's gaze.

"I don't know," he shrugged, "Just don't treat her the way you wouldn't have wanted to be treated the first time you left for Earth."

Tristan pursed his lips. One of the features in his body he abhorred. He should have cold features like his father, not having full lips that made him look almost feminine, long lashes that Saif has more than once referred to when teasing him about what he called his "beauty"

"I was scared a day before I went to Earth, Saif. Lessons or not. Welcome party or not. The crazy transportation method didn't help. I threw up twice thought the teleporting tunnel and my hands were shaky when I had to use an elevator for the first time,"

Prince Saif didn't need to be told, how turbulent Tristan's journey had been, he had felt all the emotions though duller through the siblings bond which he had remained in touch with.

"I know what unfamiliarity and fear are like but also, I know the human won't appreciate pity and me acting kind to her because she is in unfamiliar territory." Then giving Saif a remorseful glance, he gave him a wave, and now outside using the wind, he teleported.