Chapter 1: Betrayal

It was a typical summer's night. Prince Jacob had left the window in his room open while he slept to remove the heat of the day. He was so tired from his daily lessons that the moment he hit the bed, he was sound asleep. He didn't hear the bedroom door open, nor did he hear the two sets of feet rushing toward his bed.

Suddenly, there were two people on top of him. Jacob awoke with a start and instinctively reached for the sword he kept beside the bed when a pair of childish giggles reached his ears. 

Jacob stopped reaching for his sword and groaned. "You two little monsters should be sleeping." He tried to give the two six year olds a stern look. He was just too tired to really pull it off. 

The twins laughed as they tackled each other on Jacob's bed. Jacob rolled his eyes and grabbed his younger siblings by their collars. "Sit down and explain to me why you are here at this time of the night." The two snorted and rolled their eyes as one explained. 

"Dean and I haven't seen you all day and you promised you would play with us, so here we are." Dean nodded along with his twin brother's explanation and said with a serious expression. "A promise must be kept brother."

Jacob stared at his twin brothers' stubborn faces and then let out a resigned sigh. "Fine. We will play one game. Afterwards, you two monsters need to go to bed. Understood!" Both boys nodded with big grins on their faces. 

"I want to play, guess who I am." Dean said happily. Jacob just nodded and sat up in the bed. "Ok, since you're choosing the game, Liam can go first." Dean frowned but didn't complain. Liam jumped off the bed, stood up straight and gave a blank face as he said, " Young master, you must know how to be a proper gentleman."

Dean rolled his eyes and said, "That is way too easy. Professor Smith." Laim, just bowed and replied "Correct". Jacob chuckled at Liam's antics. The game continued with each taking a turn for a full hour. All three of the boys were getting really tired and started drifting off to sleep.

*BANG/glass breaking*

Suddenly, smoke filled the room. All the boys jumped with a start. Jacob was the first to jump off the bed. He grabbed his sword and then pulled Dean off the bed behind him as the room was filling with smoke. Liam removed his shirt and was wrapping it around his mouth as he climbed off the bed and moved behind Jacob.

Jacob moved to the bookcase on the right side of the bed. He kept an eye on the smoke as well as his brothers while he moved a book and a portal opened up. He pointed to the hallway indicating for his brothers to go first. Dean's eyes were already full of tears, however he nodded and entered the secret hallway. Liam was right behind Dean and as Jacob was about to go, he saw shadows headed his way. He cursed under his breath and closed the passage without joining his brothers.

He faced the threat with a sword in hand as the passage finished closing. Jacob rushed one of the shadows. However, he misjudged the man's position and ended up with a kick into his midsection. The hit sent Jacob to the floor gasping for breath before he was hit on the head and everything went black.

Passageway

Dean and Liam looked at the closed wall behind them in shock. "We should go get mother and father," Liam said with doubt in his voice. Dean said nothing as tears rolled down his face. He started to walk down the hallway with his head hanging low. Liam fought his own tears as he followed.

King and Queens room

King Leo and Queen Jessica were discussing the day when they hear loud sounds coming closer to their room. Leo frowned and reached for his sword while Jessica instantly started chanting a spell. As the bedroom door swung open, a shimmering barrier formed around the room stopping the intruders from coming any further.

" Your majesties, I am extremely glad to see you well." A short man in studded leather armour said with relief on his face.

King Leo didn't release his sword, nor did he relax his stance, however he did smile at the man and nod. The queen kept a straight face as she said, "Report on the situation at hand general"

" It appears that Lord Goldsmith has decided to act against your majesties." He continued with a serious expression on his face. " The night guard is doing well." 

The king snorted, " They should be since we increased the guard by over fifty percent for the lord's visit." 

" Hush Leo, we still don't know the state of our children," Jessica chided.

" Your two youngest bedrooms are completely empty. I checked them myself on the way here and before you get to worried, it appears as if the young master's didn't even sleep in their rooms, which means that they most likely snuck into their elder brothers room"

Just as the general finished explaining, a small section of wall opened and two children appeared at the edge. Liam cried quickly, "Mother, we can not come in any further and there is smoke in Jacob's room and we are scared."

Jessica had prepared a fireball in one hand when the wall started to open. Seeing her children there, she undid the spell and started chanting a new one and gestured toward her boys. " The two of you may enter the protection field now."