The Sapphire Prince

Time ran fast as the hare. It was morning. The grey dawn approached before the count awoke. He spent a few hours treating his "condition". Late circumstances prove worse, his hand shook ever so rigidly but he managed to calm his feet.

The candle ablaze lowly. The count struggling to even hold a glass of water. His mind boggled, while his hands twitched like broken muscle. Frustrating, everything was so frustrating. He threw the cup...it shattered near the fire place where he had burned eight books the moment he draw the new day's breath.

"Hmmm..."

The man sighed. He sat near the window, he had hoped for a faster morning. The count was happy though. He knew how petty it was to get angry at a child.

He had his time taken will, over his wife vanishing when love prospered in her heart. The solace of forever having control disappeared the moment the prince filled the blackness of her empty soul.

"I can't bring you back, though I want to. I must not defy my laws as human and the meaning I gave to my life is for our promise."

"I can't destroy everyone. I won't destroy everyone, for our daughters are our tomorrow...it's better to see their dawn rise and my day fall upon the grace of God's sunset." He said stroking the window.

"Our beautiful three daughters. The dream and hope. I will give them that hope, even in my inability and my alters. A similar emotion of my behavior will always be my love for our family..."

The count served a great deed to the noble faction. It will lead them to glory. He hopes, he loves, he cries out of hatred, grace and love. Though his madness caused him a sheer torment, how is it that you cannot be mad when you saw your promise die in front of your eyes...burnt to ash the way hell intended.

A knock then came. The count was carried out of the previous parlor into his room yesterday. Everyone was utterly confused and the whole office was afraid to even witness him...

"G-Good morrow to you...my lord." The servant said.

"Quite is." The count replied

The great emperor roamed the halls briefly before checking on his eldest son. Lance's report about Azure having a mild mental breakdown, had hid majesty concerned ever so slightly.

"Your majesty, what exactly am I doing here?" Lance asked still within his nightly garments threading down the soft, lavish, blue carpet beside the emperor.

"I don't know where Azure's chambers are. It would've taken me longer if I hadn't taken you as a guide." The emperor said.

Quite true that even his majesty cannot memorize the halls. In his own right, the majesty doesn't always stay in the residence due to his "Affairs" with some noblemen. People, including his wife would mock him day by day.

"Your highness, it is quite rude to ask of me but, you do care for your son right?" The majesty then stops.

"I treat them as well as I'm able." He replied.

"I always wondered when I was a mere lad when you would arrive so long after a month missing the young prince's birthday even to the third prince...I always thought you never shared sentiment over their feelings." Lance overstepped some footwork. His majesty felt heavy, though guilty and offended, he didn't mind.

"I'm indifferent to your thoughts. I choose to be an emperor rather than a father and I push the boundaries of the crown wherein the others could not..." He slowly started to walk forward.

"I expect nothing more than results over the course of my regime. I will be satisfied when my efforts bear fruit and my only wish is that in that time, I hope I can still venture the unknown written in the lost legacies of this forsaken monarchy."

"Which door was it again?"

"Your grace..."

( Azure's POV )

How am I already awake? Ahhh...This head ache.

"Huuu..." I rubbed my temples. My head tightened for some reason and what are these strange images. I laid on my bed relaxing my neck. I felt my beady still very heavy eyes from the morning dew. I laid my thoughts back, daydreaming to some sort of wonderland.

"Your majesty! Someone's here to see you!" A loud banging on the door at such an early hour.

"Lance please! This is far too early in the morning to receive guests! Throw them away!" I shouted, hiding under the blanket.

"A prince's kindness lies in his punctuality. When I was your age, I would already be priming my motifs and fencing stances at he hour."

!!!

"Lance please close the door on your way out." I said.

Lance left in the brink of absolute silence. I realized that I'm not even half my father's body mass. Father loves fencing and the equestrian arts. My youngest brother, Vellore, takes it from him...

"I've heard about your little drama yesterday. Naturally, I would defend your cause but what Cacious said is true...even with your crown. Unless you're me, you can't do much for the nobles." He said.

The man sat on the chair near the window. Taking a book from the shelf then he began to read.

"You are my blood and will given form. You have the grace of a thousand gods, I would love to see you claim that sense though I may have come here to perhaps offend you since I mostly agree to the count's statements." He added.

Figures.

"You have a strong sentiment. Your sympathetic nature is your sole flaw. Emotions are tied to strength much as so your will to go forward in the glory of monarchy."

"It's hard being someone perfect in your royalty. It's as if you are in the greatest play, just a character of your own unwanted delusions relaying your reality into something the opposite." I replied.

"Perfection is inexistent. Your description of royalty describes your own. I would consider that your own opinion rather than facts to be spoken. If this is not to your liking, I don't see you bending nothing fit for your standards." He closed the book, scoping the room.

"I'm not like you. I don't go as far as being that selfish."

"You are not and you will never be. It's the joy of humanity that all are not alike. I would only mend your will if it lacked emotions though I'm forgetting that I didn't fill your heart with kindness...As such, I cannot remove it. Mercy is unique for your royalty, lose it and I believe you'll be stronger." He explained. Looking at me before turning his back on me to face the large balcony.

"I don't think mercy is a weakness. It is what makes of unity. Tyranny is less of my traits and I will abide by my own virtues..." I replied.

"So what does make of your crown? Kindness? Theology and forgiveness?"

"I don't want to be a tyrant." I replied looking down a bit disappointed where the floor flashed me my reflection.

Through tyranny, my father molds the government oblivious to everyone's opinion. Afraid I might remain constant, he wishes me to have the same type of cruelty he does.

Though the people today have this outrageous share of prosperity, the parasite my father kept would only weaken the anatomy of this government it took years to perfect and still perfecting. I will die before that happens though...

"Let me try something."

He then walked up in front of me and he was astonishingly tall. As if I was looking at a giant. He then grabbed my scalp and carried me. Our eyes met, the same shade of midnight blue...met by the sunrise as the first light passed through the blurry stain glass.

He then dropped me.

"What was that for?!" I shouted.

Quickly realizing my range, my hands moved on it's own, on my mouth, they covered my lips as it trembled tightly. Father hates loud noises, especially if it's restrain or frustration, he finds such noises very inexcusable.

"The side effects of Cacious' magical atmosphere will shortly disappear. Please refrain from believing anything that he said. You are in your own territory, remember your wills and conduct and avoid his smile as much as you can..." He said dropping me.

"So this headaches of mine was because of him?" I asked nervously.

"I cannot guarantee that. You were distressed at the moment, so it may have been your emotions that caused your pain. Rest ȧssured, if you follow my orders, you'll be secure..." Father replied again holding my scalp.

"Have a good day Azure." He says leaving...

I wish father could be more open about this rather than being narrow minded about my perception. Still, it is quite nice to see him like this. it's a very rare scenario to experience after all.

I should've seen Cacious drawing his own spell sooner. I could've spared myself and built resistance over Lance's body. My magical atmosphere is young and very vulnerable to other spells such as his.

The nature of magical atmospheres is to draw mana throughout a certain radius from the body, creating what we call a dense mana space wherein certain aspects of the body might be affected due to the spell.

For example, given that I summoned my space, I can trigger some bits of their memories and use it as a foundation for altering their emotional state and decrease their magical resistance. Call it hypnotizing as it is similar to my spell. it's the bluntest reference I could give really...

Couldn't rather tell that my outburst might've been a side effect of his magic but I'm uncertain as I've had multiple scenes like that throughout the 16 years in this palace. Emotional instability, mental vulnerability and psychopathy is perhaps the nature of Cacious' spell.

...

...

I forgot to ask father about the Noble's conflict. Ah...the reminders were there. How come I forgot?! Maybe it's because of yesterday. I still feel down after what happened.

Cacious labelled me a threat for such a long time because of Lady Mimosa. Back then, I never considered any relationship with her until she pushed herself, acting like a somewhat haven. Through that love, perhaps the exchange in envy meant him hatred towards this illusionary solace.

It's grand, it's pathetic but it's him and I understand him. He makes me feel secondary but I felt like I had an ally in him, despite my judgement, I think more than anyone...I feel the same.

"Your majesty care for some tea?"

"Lance!"

My hand accidently, once again, jabbed his face only this time, it was his nose.

"Please stop doing that!" I said.

"I apologize hehe.. Jeez my nose."