As time passed,
The crown prince of whitemore fell ill and passed away , leaving the throne unexpectedly vacant , adrain stood before his mirror , a cold smile curling across his lips at the opportunity the heavens created for him .
In the quiet walls of the palace, the king sat he had a hard time deciding who to place on the throne , the second prince was stubborn and loved a carefree live , the third prince was born sickly, the fourth was too timid unable to take important decisions fit for a king , the fifth prince the king thought unlike the others he was quiet, observant and clever beyond his age . Though he was quite young he carried the qualities of a king, he thought .
Perhaps he Is the one who can carry the weight of the kingdom , a smile tugging at his lips .
At dawn the king called for the four princes, he decided to put them on a test , he called it a test of honor, it had The ability to unravel , wisdom , quick wit and responsibility...
They all came looking surprised at why the king had called them so early , only adrain had a calm look on his face
" Good morning, your majesty " they all said , The king responded with a nod ,
" I'm sure you are wondering why you were all called today ? " He asked ,
" The position of the crown prince has been vacant for quite sometime.... , the people are beginning to get worried, I have been postponing it , with the excuse of mourning " , They all exchanged glances ,
" So..., I would like to put you all to the test , to prove your abilities and worth " the king said .
" Father , if I may ", the second prince devan spoke up ,
" Go on " the king said ,
" Why do we need to go on a test, for as we all know, this kingdom has a tradition, the eldest inherits the throne , why do we need to fight each other to prove our worth and if we eventually need to , why is adrain here ? ",
At the sudden mention of his name, adrain looked up with a cold smirk on his face , The third prince vincent ,spoke up next
" I agree with Devan, father ..... adrain is but a nuisance , he doesn't get to stand before us , besides he is so young and..." ,
"Silence " the king said ,
"I called you all here and I am the one to decide who gets the throne, I am the king , I am above every law , I am the law of this kingdom, I am your father not the other way around " ,
" But father ..... " Devan spoke up, his voice trembling with fear and frustration,
"Tradition exists for a reason , if we abandon them , what would the kingdom think of us ? "
The hall became slient
The king's expression hardened, he's fingers tightening against the arm of the throne , he said slowly
" The people will think what I allow them to think ."
Vincent shifted uncontrollably, before he could speak up
A soft chuckle echoed in the throne .
All eyes turned towards the sound ....
Adrain ???
He stood with an unreadable expression and a cold smirk
" Is there something amusing", the king asked, already annoyed with the earlier interruption.
" Forgive me , your majesty. I find it.... interesting " adrain said softly
" interesting????, You of all people speak ? " Devan said , already boiling inside, he always hated his younger brother,
" Wasn't I allowed to speak , aren't I part of this family anymore, or are you just jealous that I'm going to be competing with you , or are you scared you are going to loose to me ? " Adrian said
" You , I'm going to kill you " Devan exclaimed rushing towards adrain.
" Enough!!"
The king's voice cut through the throne room like a blade.
Instant silence followed.
His cold gaze moved slowly across his sons, each one standing rigid under the weight of his authority.
"We will proceed as planned."
A pause.
"The test begins at dawn tomorrow."
Whispers died before they could form.
The king leaned forward slightly, fingers resting against the arm of his throne.
"Each of you will be given a task."
His voice darkened.
"A task that will determine your strength, your judgment, your wisdom, and your right to rule."
A heavy silence settled over the hall.
Then his final words fell like a sentence.
"Whoever fails… loses his chance at the throne."
He sat back.
"Leave."