12. Luxia's Princes

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Beneath the bridge...

The darkness in the cave did little to hide the fury etched on Vitav's face as whispers from his past echoed in his mind.

"Won't he be useless once the Crown Prince becomes King?"

"A spare is a spare. He'll find something else to do with his life!"

"Hmph! Even his mother is just a substitute for the late Queen Laiza. How else could a woman of the night (prostitute) rise so high?"

Vitav had grown up hearing such vicious remarks. He was the 'Spare' prince, his value tied solely to whether his younger brother would become king.

But that wasn't always the case...

In his early years, he and Tazeus were inseparable. He was only three when Tazeus was born, and once Tazeus could walk the two would play hide-and-seek, roleplay, and even spar together, their laughter and shouts filling the Palace halls.

His mother, Lady Flora, privately warned him not to get attached, but Vitav was a wide-eyed child eager to play with his little brother, and he took his role as 'older brother' seriously, teaching Tazeus the few spells he was learning and giving him his first sparring lessons.

The two sparred often, an eleven-year-old and an eight-year-old, their playful duels a source of amusement for the palace guards who cheered them on, and though Vitav let Tazeus win a few times, he always triumphed in serious bouts, earning the guards' playful accolades as they carried him around on their shoulders.

Then one day, Tazeus bested him fair and square.

And that evening, the king proclaimed Tazeus's victory to the entire kingdom and hosted a grand feast, which bred a slow growing resentment in Vitav.

Why hadn't his father ever acknowledged his own victories?

Even after Vitav defeated a few older squires, the King remained silent, and Vitav didn't receive the slightest nod of approval.

And then there was no saving him from the whispers which followed him everywhere...

"I bet jealousy will set in, eh?"

"He's been acting like a good brother all along, but we know what he's capable of!"

"And besides, won't a spare always be a spare?!"

The words stung, and Vitav was reminded of a fact he had come to forget...

His little brother had been born to the late Queen, while Vitav's mother was a concubine who had gotten lucky after a night with the King. It didn't help that his mother had gotten that night by luring and drugging the King, tainting his perfect love for the Queen.

He and Tazeus were brothers, yes... But though they shared a father and royal blood, they were destined for different roles.

Tazeus was destined to rule, while Vitav was destined for a lesser role.

Unless something happened to Tazeus...

Back in the dark tunnel, the grown-up Vitav's eyes blazed with determination, as he slammed his fist into the wall.

"This 'Spare' Prince is the future King of Luxia!" He thundered, but the Fairy Fardell scoffed at his determination.

"Pfff! Future King? Those are some big words! How will you handle your genius brother? According to your mother, he should be near death by now, but you worry about him I don't you?"

Fardell whipped out a gilded dagger and began picking his nails with it. "Some king you are. Your mother is frustrated because you don't want to kill your brother. She's the one taking bold steps, and she's even the one who connected you with us... What right do you have to summon me?"

Vitav's eyes narrowed. "We had a deal!" He raged. "You're supposed to create a threat from the East! I'll push you back and earn good deeds, and in return your King gets the Ruby Mountain when I'm king!"

The Ruby Mountain was a boundless source of Fairy Magic, but it was on Luxia's land... A land annexed by a previous Elf King.

Fardell just smirked. "Spoken like a true 'future king', but surely you're not expecting us to act when the wrong Prince is still the favorite," he bent his head in a sneer. "...or when you've secretly joined hands with the Mermen as well."

The slight widening of Vitav's eyes showed his shock, and Fardell smiled. "You think our King is some kind of fool? Contact us when you're really ready to act!"

The space was filled with light as Fardell's wings reappeared. "If you summon me for another mindless tantrum, don't blame me for being rude!" He threw the dagger at Vitav, deliberately missing by only a few inches.

Vitav evaded, but by the time he looked up, he was alone in the darkness.

"Urgh!" He fisted the wall in anger, his bright eyes turning a threatening dark blue. "You dare look down on me?!"

"Calm down, my love." Novia's soft voice spoke from the depths of the tunnel, and he turned to watch her approach.

Her hair was elegantly done, and she wore a low cut gown, showing an enticing amount of cleavage. Vitav sighed as she seductively ran her hands across his chest, bringing up her knee to caress his thigh.

"Why let him get to you? Don't we already have a plan?" Novia cooed into his ear, and then planted a kiss on his cheek. "It's only a matter of time... No one but you is worthy of ruling this kingdom!"

Vitav lifted her chin and smiled down at her. "And only you are worthy of being my Queen!"

He planted a light kiss on her lips, and Novia's arms wrapped around him. Together, these two discarded illegitimate children intended to stand at the highest positions in Luxia!

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Meanwhile, as Fardell vanished, a colourful butterfly flew over and perched close to the tunnel entrance, watching the scene as early dawn rays filtered through its light wing.

But its wings fluttered when Vitav suddenly glanced up and sent a stream of light at it, narrowly missing as it fluttered away.

"What's the matter, my Love?" Novia asked, a bit surprised, but all Vitav did was scowl towards the ever increasing sunlight.

'We were being watched!' He concluded, but directed a smile at Novia.

"It's probably nothing..." His hand moved to shift a sleeve off her shoulder. "Why don't we continue...?"

Outside, the butterfly flew some distance before fading away into dust, and somewhere over hill, mountain and valley, the large burly green-eyed man with a crescent-shaped scar, scowled into a crystal flower in his hand.

He hadn't heard what was said, but one thing was clear. "Brother is indeed involved with the fairies...." The clone said, and within his eyes, Taze sat in a meditative pose, back in the Academy.

He opened his eyes, breaking the connection with his plant clone, but he clutched his chest and coughed out a worrying amount of blood.

"I warned you. He will get desperate and join hands with the fairies." Taze's own voice said, and he looked up to find himself staring down at 'himself'!

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