The State of A King

"You're highness, did it work?" Dion asked as he observed Nicholas.

The price felt different, but he still wasn't the same as he was before the attack that had sent him to that other realm.

"No." Nicholas said in a grave tone as he closed his eyes and sighed.

"What went wrong?" Connor turned and looked at Glynda who was turning the pages of an ancient looking book. "Did we miss something?"

Nicholas sighed and shook his head. It worked, or at least it was working.

"It wasn't a complete fail." Nicholas said as he could feel the mana in his veins. "I can use my magic now."

Without lifting a finger, Nicholas sent a blast of Cruor magic across the hall in a stream of blue light. When it hit the wall it cracked and the room shook, making the Corporali Mages hold on to whatever was closest to them to keep their balance.

"Interesting." Nicholas said as he opened his palm facing upwards and willed for it to emit energy, causing lightning like small bursts of magic to erupt.

"I wonder." Nicholas said to himself as he closed his eyes and mixed the Cruor magic with Corporali magic.

Everyone stared as they watched the blue lightning slowly fade, they could feel the power there but they couldn't see it.

"What-" Dion began to ask when there was an urgent knock at the door.

"Sir, it's Regina." Connor said as he allowed the bodyguard in.

"Your highness." Regina greeted in an urgent tone as she gave Nicholas a deep bow. "I have urgent news."

"Speak." Nicholas commanded as he closed his palm and swung his feet over the side of the ancient concrete table.

"News somehow got out, the entire palace knows that the king is dying." Regina said in one breath as she waited for her prince's command.

Nicholas kept his composure as he watched the Corporali Mages whisper among themselves, clearly panicked by the news.

"Dion, I want you and all my ministers in my office, now." Nicholas commanded as he kept his calm demeanor.

In his head the cogs were turning as he tried to figure out who had slipped up and spilled news of the king's condition.

Nothing good ever came from a king's impending death, Nicholas knew that coming from his memories.

"Regina, escort me." Nicholas told the woman as he marched out of the room and headed for his chambers.

He knew that people would now be taking sides, choosing which prince they felt was most likely to win the crown after the king's death.

Deals and alliances would be made soon, and as someone everyone believed to be the weakest son, he would have the most to lose.

"Stay here." Nicholas told Regina as he pushed the doors open to his chamber and slammed it shut behind him.

"Jorin!" Nicholas called as he opened the safe where his limiters were being kept.

He knew it was careless for him to go anywhere without them, but they had to be left behind during the attempt to regain his memories.

"Nicholas." Jorin said as he pushed through the servant's door, keeping a distance from the prince.

"Send a message to my sister, tell her someone let information on father's condition out, tell her to be prepared." Nicholas told his servant as he sent him away.

Nicholas looked at himself in the mirror as he allowed the memories to flow.

A scar at the side of his eye, from when he had to fight off some Liber Clan children that his brother Owain had sent to harass him.

One had managed to get a knife and tried to stab Nicholas, but Nicholas was truly a powerful mage at a young age and managed to throw him off. The knife had bounced against the floor and injured Nicholas.

When the king had walked the hall to find his favored son bleeding, the children were murdered by his guards.

It was the first time Nicholas had seen how brutal his father could be to those that crossed him. Because of what the king had done to his people, Owan hated Nicholas even more.

That moment started it all, it was why Edward, Zeph, and Owain hated Nicholas. It was what made Zeph and Owain take direct attacks at the younger prince, because their father favored him.

Nicholas lifted his shirt and traced another scar, this one was bigger and deeper, one that Zeph had inflicted personally.

They had been training with one of their masters when Zeph claimed a sword had slipped and carved through Nicholas.

Luckily, Nicholas could heal himself and Dion was nearby.

His chief minister was quick to his side to cover for him healing himself as well as to assist him in closing his wound and making sure that there were no further injuries.

After that day the king, their father, had instructed Dion to find a bodyguard to watch the prince.

His excuse was so that Nicholas wouldn't hurt himself, but the king knew the youngest prince was the target of his older brothers.

That's why the next time they had lessons with their father, the king explained how killing a prince on purpose before the sitting king's death was ensuring the killer would not be king.

Their ancestors seemed to have some mercy in them, sparing young children from murdering each other.

"Your highness." Regina's voice came from the door.

"Yes, I'm ready." Nicholas said as he pulled open the door and marched out with Regina following him.

He knew something about him was different, he was more confident, he no longer felt as lost as he did. With most of his memories back, Nicholas felt confident that he could find the rest, he could call them back.

He knew how to use most of his magic, but it was the crucial skills that no one else knew of that still eluded them. It was also the memories of who had sent him to that other realm that was buried deep beneath in darkness.