Two halves of one whole

Prologue/Adien

POV Adien (coming of age is 18)

Sweat dripped from my forehead, mingling with my furrowed eyebrows. My pants chafed at my thighs as I willed my body to do my bidding. This was unusual for me, actually having to try to win, but I relished the change.

For once I wasn't sparing with the guardsmen, or sticking my nose where it doesn't belong, just to get some variety in my dull life. No, I wasn't doing my normal, or rather abnormal, routine. I was finally getting some classic father-son bonding time, and as I said, I relished it.

I knew my father had his duties, as did I and everyone else who lived in this accursed household, but normally he made time for his precious 'licht', as he liked to fondly call me. This pet name was used from the old language, but he never told me the translation of the name. However nowadays, as the stack of papers grew steadily bigger on his mahogany desk, he seemingly had no extra time.

I understood, of course I did, I knew my father had a larger sense of duty than even I did. After all, I was only the crown prince, while he the high king. Yet somehow, even though the mere thought of all his duties overwhelmed me, here was my beloved father, making time for me.

I immensely enjoyed his company, even if it was to best me at my sport when no one else could.

I came out of my thoughts with a jolt as I easily sprinted over the finish line. But something was off. I was expecting my father to be waiting for me there, because although he had run the same 3 mile course that I did, he normally finished before me and had not a hair out of place .

No one except my papa had beaten me since I was just a child. I guess many could argue I was still a child, since I was only 8, but when I presented them with the fact that no one could beat an eight year old, they refrained from mentioning my age.

However this time as I looked around me I realized my father was still quite away from the finish. I was immensely shocked, because through all my training he had always either been miles ahead or hounding at my heels, but today he was neither.

When he jogged past the finish line, I called out to my father in mock boastfulness, "Oh, so this is was happens when you stop training with me, you become a tired old man!" My tone was obviously jesting, but he seemed to miss the memo.

Instead of replying with a witty blow to my pride, or derisively congratulating me on becoming a 'man', he just gave me a weak smile, not even reaching his eyes. I was immediately alarmed, for this was a drastic change of character from the loving hearty man I had known my whole life.

I knew questioning him would do me no good, for he was almost as stubborn as me and my mother combined when it came to his health. He would never allow help even when he most needed it.

So I just brushed off his strange behavior with a confused frown, and a note to ask mother about him. But my naive eight-year-old mind swiftly forgot my worries as I found more new and interesting things to obsess over.

Oh how I regret my behavior now, now that I know what happened not even a week later. It is foolish of me to believe that I could have prevented his death, but I would do anything to rid myself of the cloud of darkness that seemed to have swallowed me and mother up since his passing.

After all, when the kingdom lost a just and fair king, they gained a foolish kid in his place, who could not look past his own grief to see the grief of those around them. This self absorption led me to handing off the kingdom to my Uncle without a second glance. I would've much rather to trust the kingdom to my mother, but she was in the same head space as me.

As much as I would like this arrangement to go on forever, so I can wallow in my disgusting self pity for eternity, this cannot go on, as my uncle is just a puppet to the advisors behind him. I doubt I will be much better, but my kingdom and family seem to have too much faith in me. So of course, as is procedure, I will come of age and take a partner to rule by my side.

Of course.

It is fate.

Oh how wrong this seems. Me, taking father's place.

For as he and our ancestors always said, When the stars align a king shall rise.

His precious licht. Forever a disappointment. The stars shall never align for me.