Dedicated to WinterNightGoddess for all your lovely votes. ^^

Drawing: Blethinette and Verden by Annany <3

3.

The Naive Price and the Disowned Child

Mundus raced down the lake shore. Any other day, he would've walked down the bank with his chin up and his chest out the way his mother always told him, but today he was eager to find Erian and Cerus. He couldn't wait to tell them what happened.

As he ran, he saw a group of his peers in the water. Nearing it, he heard the giggles. It was the girls. They had their dress hems tied around their waists and were running and splashing a few feet from the shore. Their shrieks and laughter subdued when they saw Mundus approaching. The three girls, all younger than him, stopped and curtsied at him as he sped by. One of them wore a small, bashful grin.

Mundus knew he should stop and...do something? His forgotten manners summoned his mother's scolding into his mind. He shook his head. It didn't matter right now. His mother wasn't there. Mundus gave a short wave at the girls and continued running.

His small legs started to ache, and he paused to catch his breath. Mundus couldn't wait until he had full control of his healing Mahou. With that extended stamina who knew how long he could run or how many trees he could climb.

Something hit his chest.

He looked down to see mud smeared on his black breasted jacket. Clumps of the wet dirt gathered on the golden seams embroidered across the chest and on the matching buttons that trailed down to his thighs. Mundus knew his mother was going to throw a fit when he returned to her in soiled clothes, but he wasn't expected till another few hours, giving him time to exact revenge on the culprit.

"Cerus!" Mundus pouted.

The little prince ran up to the demon with blue hair that sitting with his bare feet in the water. A pile of premade mud balls were stacked by his side and a huge grin was on his face.

"That's what you get for being late!" Cerus said.

Mundus picked up one of the mud balls. Cerus sprang to his feet as he figured out his friend's intentions.

"You're not getting away!" Mundus growled.

He tackled the older demon into the water. Splashes and laughter erupted from them as they wrestled. Both tried to smear handfuls of mud taken from the lake's bed on the other's clothes but only succeeded on getting their own garments dirty and soaked.

Two clumps of muck from the sky and on each of their heads but it wasn't from either Mundus or Cerus. The two boys stopped and looked towards the lakeside. A short demon with cropped green hair grinned at them.

"Erian. That wasn't fair!" Cerus complained as he waddled to the shore.

"Yeah, you sneak." Mundus splashed water at the little Seer.

He jumped out of the way. "Come on, Mundus. We were waiting for you forever! You have to tell us now."

"Yeah," Cerus added as he sat down.

Seated, the blue haired demon reached Erian's shoulders, hinting at the monstrous height he might reach when older. The two were wearing their family colors: Erian was in gold and Cerus was in black. Their faces and hair had dirt caked on them, giving Mundus the impression they had been in a mud fight while they waited for him.

"Okay. I'll tell you now," the prince said as he joined his friends.

They sat in a small circle, and Mundus could see the excitement dancing in their eyes. He smiled, pleased at the attention he was receiving; he kept his silence a few seconds longer.

"You're taking too long, Mundus!" Erian whined and patted a ball of mud in his palms as if threatening to throw it.

Mundus scowled. Erian always ruined his moments with his impatience. Mundus crossed his arms and kept quiet.

Cerus sighed. "Now Mundus is not gonna say anything. You need to learn to shut up, Erian. You know Mundus likes to keep us waiting."

Mundus' glare shifted to Cerus.

"It's true! You do!" the young Shape Shifter said.

Erian looked down at his hands and dropped his bunched mud. "I'm sorry, Mundus. I just really wanna know." He looked up at the demon prince with watery eyes.

Guilt bit at Mundus. "It's okay, Erian. Don't cry. I'm sorry."

Erian sniffed and wiped the tears from his face, smearing dirt across his cheeks. "So you'll tell us about your marking ceremony?"

His words ignited Mundus' excitement again. He was marked now. It was why his mother woke him up so early that day. It was why he was wearing his stupid black and gold royal uniform that itched and pinched. It was why his father kissed his forehead and told him not to be afraid. It was why he was hurrying to the lake to see Cerus and Erian to tell them about it.

"Yeah." Mundus nodded. "It was weird. My mother left the castle without her Guard. It was only her and me. She put a seal on me, and I couldn't see or feel or do anything. I couldn't even sense my own Mahou."

The two demons in front of him widened their eyes, lips parting in awe. Mundus reveled in their admiration.

"You couldn't sense anything?" Erian asked.

"How did you walk?" Cerus added.

"My mother said she would carry me and we got there really fast. I still couldn't see where we were, but I suddenly could hear and I heard water. I also heard my mother talking. She said some stuff. I wasn't really listening.

"Then she gave me something to drink. I couldn't taste but I drank it and then my mother asked if I felt anything, but I didn't. I told her no"-Mundus' face scrunched up-" and she suddenly got really mad and screamed something, but she always seems to get mad a lot, so I didn't listen. I was just hearing the water. It sounded nice. It was different than this water." Mundus put a hand in the lake.

Cerus raised an eyebrow. "Wait. That's it?"

The little prince scowled. "You try going all morning not seeing or feeling stuff!"

"So you really couldn't feel anything? Wasn't it scary?" Erian asked, his silver eyes mesmerized.

"Nope." Mundus' smugness returned. "Father told me not to be scared, and I trust him. When my mother and me got back home, he asked if I was okay. By then I could see and feel and everything again."

"Wow. So you're marked now?" Erian said.

Mundus nodded and was about to say something, but the words died on his tongue. He thought it was best to also not mention how the taste of blood was in his mouth, probably from what he had drunk at wherever it was his mother took him. He also didn't want to tell how his mother returned to the castle with anger in her eyes that could kill. Or how his father wished to know why but she only hissed curses at him.

Disappointment and sadness washed over him. Had he done something wrong? Was that why his mother was so furious? Mundus recalled his father's soft face and how his smile pulled at his lips and eyes in a way that washed Mundus' sorrow away. It had been his father's hug and words that renewed his pride at being marked.

"You are so brave, Mundus," he had told him. "You are marked now. You know what that means, right?"

Mundus shook his head. "Mother didn't tell me. She sounded angry."

A dark expression flashed on his father's face but his smile returned. "It means you are our little backup pillar. If anything were to happen to me or your mother, the entire power of the Mahou would transfer to you and house within you."

The thought of losing either one of his parents filled Mundus with dread. "I don't want to be marked if it means you can die."

Auronmar chuckled. "It does not mean we will die, Mundus."

"So then what does it mean?"

"Think of the Mahou as a living thing. Your mother and I keep it alive within ourselves as you and your wife will keep it alive one day. Both are needed for the power to flow within our race.

"If either your mother or I were to die, or even both of us, the Mahou's essence would fall onto you and house within you. However, it is only a temporary housing. You would need to choose your other pillar and give them the other half of the essence to keep the balance within the Mahou. It cannot survive within one body alone."

"But you two won't die, right?" Mundus clung to his father's pant leg.

Auronmar kneeled before him. "No, Mundus. We do not plan on dying."

The knot in his stomach untied and he smiled. "Okay."

His father smiled. "Tell me, Mundus, you do remember who your betrothed is, right?

Mundus nodded.

"She is pretty is she not?"

He half pouted, half scowled. "I don't know. She's a girl and she's bossy."

Auronmar laughed. "I believe I have an idea. Since your mother seems so distressed today, why do we not get together after my meeting, simply you and me? I can explain to you how our power is passed between generations through the Aqua Oscura, and we can talk of any other questions you may have. Do you wish to do that, Mundus?"

He beamed a giant smile at the thought of spending time with his father. Auronmar was usually at meetings more than he was at home. The thought of spending time with him was exhilarating.

"Come on, Mundus!" Erian's excited voice broke through Mundus' thoughts. "We're gonna climb the tree and throw mud at the girls when they pass by."

He grinned. "Yeah!"

Mundus stood up and followed Erian and Cerus to the gigantic tree that was by the lakeshore. It wasn't the tallest one in the garden, but it was a favorite among the little demons. The roots below it were not too tall that they could not be climbed, and the branches hung low enough for short legs to jump up to them.

The girls Mundus saw earlier were running and jumping through the roots, their agile movements unhindered by their wet dress. The boys crept to the opposite side of the tree, climbing the roots and digging their claws into the trunk's bark to haul themselves up to the nearest branch. The boys shot across the foliage until they were positioned above the area the girls were playing.

Cerus untied the cloth that clung around his back. He had taken his shirt off and used it as a makeshift backpack to carry the mud balls. The three boys each took a clump of wet dirt from the pile, but before their attack was unleashed, a yelp was heard.

Mundus and Erian turned to see Cerus' body fused through the branch. His torso, arms, and feet were the only things peeking from the bark.

"No!" Cerus kicked his legs. "Not again!"

"Oh no," Erian said while Mundus could only sigh.

The two boys scrambled to the inept Shape Shifter, each taking one of his swaying hands.

"Ready and pull!" Mundus commanded.

The two boys yanked until their faces turned red.

"Oww!" Cerus shook his head. "That hurts! It's not working this time."

Mundus huffed. "If you paid more attention during your Mahou lessons this wouldn't happen."

"It's not my fault!"

"Right." He crossed his arms.

Erian looked at Mundus with tears in his eyes. "Tell him to get out!"

"What?"

"You're the prince. Everyone has to do what you say, right? Tell him to get out. He'll have to!"

Mundus looked down at Cerus who faced him with big, pleading eyes.

It was true, Mundus thought. Everyone did have to do what he said. He cupped his little hands over his mouth. "Cerus! Get out! I'm commanding you!"

Though Cerus appeared annoyed at Mundus' yelling, he stopped squirming and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and furrowed his brow.

"Nope!" Cerus' opened his eyes and waved his arms. "It didn't work. I'm still stuck!"

"No." Erian sniffed as he sat down and gazed at his half-Fused friend.

"Cerus, You have to get out. You're making Erian cry!" Mundus pointed at the smaller demon.

Cerus' flailing picked up in speed. "I can't help it. I'm trying!"

"Hey! What's going on up there?"

The three boys froze when they heard the voice of one of the girls. They looked down to see one of the three girls below them standing on top of the tallest root.

Mundus leaned over the branch. "Nothing! Go away, Lilin!"

"Cerus?" another voice squeaked.

"Uh-oh," Cerus said.

All three of the boys stared at each other, having recognized who had spoken. Simultaneously, Mundus and Erian jumped to their feet and tugged on Cerus' arms again.

"Hurry up, Cerus!" Erian huffed.

"You have to get out!" Mundus added.

"What are you doing?"

The boys halted and turned to the sound of the voice. A girl shorter than Erian stood on the branch with them. Her braided hair was a deep cobalt color, matching her eyes. Tiny, clawed hands were on her hips and a glare was on her face. Despite her round cheeks and exaggerated pout, the sight of her alarmed the boys.

"You know you're not supposed to play on the tree. Cerus keeps falling through the branches," she said, taking furious steps towards them.

"We're sorry," Erian mumbled. "I tried to tell them no."

Mundus and Cerus scowled at their friend.

She sighed and pushed Erian and Mundus away from Cerus. The little prince glared at her but was not brave enough to say anything. Last time Cerus got stuck, he spoke against her methods and it earned him a slap upside his head. Even Erian received one even though he hadn't said anything.

The girl took hold of Cerus' hands. "Okay. Just relax. Remember? We'll do it like last time."

He nodded and took deep breaths. Each time he exhaled, an inch of his body was released from the bark. The girl would nod and say soothing words that coaxed him to relax. Mundus frowned. He didn't understand how she could pulled Cerus out of the branch when they couldn't. He watched with crossed arms as Cerus wiggled out of the dark bark until he was standing on the branch instead of inside of it.

"Thank you, Azul!" Cerus hugged the small girl.

She sighed but returned the embrace. "You need to be more careful, Cerus. Next time mom gives you your lessons, pay attention! I feel like I'm the older sister instead of the younger one."

"Okay," Cerus said.

Azul pulled away from her brother and caught Mundus and Erian in her sights. Her glare swept between the both of them as she crossed her arms. "And you guys! If I catch Cerus stuck again because of the stupid pranks you're trying to pull, I'm going to do more than just hit you!"

Mundus and Erian straightened their posture at her words and a tingle of fear crept up Mundus' spine. He knew Cerus would be stuck in another branch by the end of the week and regardless if it was their fault or not, Azul would be sure to go through with her threat if she found out.

"I'm sorry, Azul" the little Seer said. "I really am."

Her eyes narrowed. "Alright."

She stepped past the two demons, kicking the balls of mud to the ground. "And don't think we didn't know what you were going to do. We're not stupid. We sensed you up there."

Mundus' cheeks flushed at having been caught. He watched Azul jump down from branch to branch until she reached the ground and joined her friends. He scowled.

She's so bossy. It's not fair I have to marry her.

~*~*~

He waited at the top of the highest branch he could climb. Legs folded up to his chest, Verden sat with his back against the trunk. It was the only way he could warp his ever shrinking red blanket around himself.

He had been waiting for days. If anything, the wait gave him plenty of time to practice on keeping his Mahou essence hidden. He pushed the pressure of his power down into himself, just like taught, and folded it into his being. It felt like tucking something inside an inner pocket; it didn't hurt, but he had to remember to keep it in there.

Verden sighed as he pushed back the blanket edge that had popped out from under his feet. He hoped when Neeri returned she would have a new one for him. She usually appeared days after their agreed time of meeting, but this time she was taking longer than usual.

But Verden always waited.

It helped that Neeri never failed to remind him if he didn't wait for her, he'd be wearing clothes two times too small for him by the end of the month.

Verden sensed someone approaching. His heart raced as he realized it was a Mahou essence he didn't recognize. He snuffed his own power further inside him. He was far from being battle ready; hiding was his choice.

The power level zoomed past him but stopped not too far from the tree. He couldn't see the anonymous figure but he could feel him-her?-pacing as if he was observing something.

Go away.

Verden hugged his knees tighter, and the small blanket loosened from under his feet again.

"No," he whispered and reached for it.

Something jumped in front of him.

Verden's eyes connected with a towering figure gazing down at him with hard violet eyes. He was dressed in white and gold and had a sheathed sword belted to each of his thighs. He didn't look like the others. He had no fur or scales or anything like the animals Neeri told him about.

The unknown demon took quiet steps towards him. Verden felt the bark's ridged hands claw at his back as he huddled as far back as he could. The figure stopped. His eyes narrowed and confusion flashed over his face.

"Prince Verden?" he said.

Verden gasped. How did he know his name? Prince? What was that? Verden kept silent, grasping the blanket with white knuckles.

"You are alive. I thought-." The towering demon stopped talking when he saw the tears gathering around Verden's eyes. He sat in front of him, his white cloak draping over the thick branch.

Verden stared at him through his blurry vision, pulling the red cover up to his chin. His matted locks had fallen over his face and eyes. He knew it was only hairbut he felt safer with half his face hidden.

"My name is Levin," the stranger said. "What is yours?"

Verden froze, holding the demon's gaze. His purple eyes were softer now, and his face held a comforting smile. Verden wiped his tears away and Levin's smile widened.

"You...you already know my name, I think," Verden mumbled. The simple fact that he had spoken to someone other than Neeri gave him courage. "You look like me," he added.

"Like you?"

"Yeah." Verden leaned forward, Levin's inviting essence placing him at ease. "You don't have fur."

"Fur? Do you mean an Upper demon? No, I am a Superior."

His eyes widened at learning something new. "Does that mean you're super powerful?"

Levin chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm. "Yes, you can say that."

Verden was on his knees now. "Do you want to be my friend? I don't have many friends."

"You do not have many friends? How can that be so when you are such an admirable boy? I would of course be honored to be your friend."

A bashful grin spread on Verden's face.

Something passed through Levin's face, but Verden couldn't decipher it. Instead, the demon nodded. "Do you know who you are, Verden?"

He bit his lip and remembered what Levin had called him earlier. "A prince?"

"Yes."

"But what is that? It's only been me and sometimes Neeri. I've never been called a prince before." He brought his blanket down to his lap. "I'm alone a lot."

Levin's eyebrows shot up. "Neeri? Is her fur copper and yellow?"

Verden beamed. Levin knew Neeri. "Yes. She takes care of me."

The demon's face darkened and he was quiet for a few moments. "Has she ever mentioned anything about your parents?"

"Parents? She told me of my father."

Another silent spell. "I know your father, Verden. Would you like to meet him?"

The boy jumped to his feet. "You know him? Neeri said he was nice."

"It is because he is nice." He smiled.

"But she doesn't tell me about my mom."

Levin's smile turned rigid. "I see."

"Do you know about her? Both of them? Are they okay?" Verden took a step towards him with each question until the one that burned in the back of his throat made him halt his stride. "Why did they leave me?"

"No!" Levin said and placed a hand on Verden's bony shoulder. "They did not. They thought...your father thought-"

The demon shot up to his feet so fast his cloak snapped, and Verden felt a familiar sensation seep from Levin. It was like one of the many essences he carried inside his own body. He stared at Levin in awe as his violet eyes hazed white. Levin's gaze was set on nothing but branches and leaves, but Verden knew he was seeing more than that.

"Prince Verden," he said, his bleached eyes on Verden, "stay here, and keep your Mahou suppressed. Do not show yourself at all, do you understand?"

Even though Verden was staring at eyes that looked like wet stones, he nodded. Levin blinked and his eyes returned to their normal color. The Guard gave him a small smile before jumping down. Verden kneeled towards the edge of the colossal branch as far as he could to see Levin, but all he saw was the flap of his cloak before the red foliage swallowed him.

Verden stayed rooted for a minute before he followed.

He didn't possess Levin's agility and had to decent from branch to branch until he landed in the jungle of roots below. He crept to the edge of it on unsteady legs. Even though Levin had been a stranger only minutes before, Verden felt it was okay to trust him. He knew Neeri after all. And his father. That was what drew him down from the branch. Verden knew-believed-Levin wouldn't leave him, but he couldn't take that chance. He had to keep him in his sight.

Rays of light started to penetrate through the foliage as Verden found his way out, but what he saw made him pause.

There was a giant oval-like rip hovering a few inches from the ground. Inside of it was a wave of colors. The picture was fuzzy, but Verden could see strange outlines. There was a canopy that looked like huddled trees-such small looking trees-but the leaves were green. Built under their branches were odd buildings with curved roofs, and dominating over it all was a sky; it was blue like the one under his head, but it was missing its purple and black counterparts.

Verden opened his mouth, eyes wide as he took in this alien world. He would've run up to it if Levin and a strange woman weren't standing by it.

"Your majesty, I am afraid I have to. It was Master Auronmar that ordered it to be sealed," Verden heard him say.

The woman shook her head, rippling her long purple locks. "Levin, dear, I am ordering you to cease this and return with me."

Levin's stance was rigid and he placed a hand on one of his swords. "I am sorry, your majesty. It is Master Auronmar that commands me."

Verden frowned. What does Your Majesty mean? Is that her name? It's a weird name.

The woman's laughter broke through the silence. "Levin, do you ever wonder what would have happened had you been born just one day later? If you had simply waited just a while longer to come into this world, you would have been my husband and it would have been Auronmar standing before me at this moment."

Levin placed his hand on the other sword's hilt.

"It would have been Auronmar," the woman repeated.

Blood sprayed on the ground behind Levin.

There was a sword with a thin, lilac blade penetrating through him. Bright red pooled around his chest and back, staining his white uniform. The stains appeared so dark and symmetric, Verden though it looked like Levin had a giant hole through his torso, but no, he told himself, it was only a little hole he had. He'd be okay.

"It is true I am not Auronmar. I do not fear killing you." Levin's eyes went white, his Mahou unleashing.

Verden's heart beat faster as he felt the essence. He'll be okay. He said he was strong. He said he'd be my friend.

"No, dear," the woman said. Her voice would've sounded clam and beautiful if she didn't have her sword through Levin's chest.

Crimson fans sprayed through the air. There was a pause after the bloody rain settled and, one by one, Levin's arms, legs, and head detached from his body.

Verden closed his tear stained eyes. Panic tore at him when he felt the grip of arms around his waist and the jerking sensation of being whisked away. When he opened his eyes, he found himself on a grassy plain dotted with yellow flowers.

"Verden? Are you okay?" Neeri said.

He saw her standing in front of her, but he still felt the arms around him. He turned around and saw another woman. Her face was pale and her black eyes matched her dark hair. Verden jumped out of her grip and scrambled towards Neeri. He felt the fuzz of her chest and arms around him as her claws stroked his hair out of his eyes.

"I was so close to having you back home," Neeri said, her voice dry. "I didn't know the queen was going to show up. I'm so sorry, Verden."

"What?" He looked up at her and then to the other woman. "Who is she, Neeri?"

"She is a human. A friend I made. The toughest thing I've done in this world was secure her friendship."

The young woman smiled at Verden. She didn't have any fangs, and she also didn't have any claws. Just like him. It was the first time he saw someone in this world that was like him.

"Am I human?" Verden blurted.

Neeri and the woman caught each other's gaze. The female demon sighed. "There is something you should know, Verden. You are-"

"A prince!" he exclaimed, excited to give his guess. Levin had been right. Verden's enthusiasm died at the thought of his short-lived friend.

Neeri gave a small smile. "Yes, you are a prince. I'm sure Levin told you that."

"He told me he knew you." Verden clung to the demon as his friend's fate replayed in his head.

"Yes, and he would've taken you to your father if not for"-she shook her head-"that bad woman that killed him."

"Neeri," the human said, "we don't have time for this."

The demon tightened her grasp on Verden. "But he has to know, Yumiko."

"I can tell him. We have to leave now before your queen notices us. I was able to Teleport him away, and though I can mask my Magika, she's a Dark Blood. It would be foolish to think she didn't sense me at all. She could be looking for us."

"I know, but at least let me explain to him what will happen. Let me say good-bye."

"Good-bye?" Verden's breath caught in his throat. "What's going on?"

Neeri caressed his cheek. "It wasn't an accident you saw Levin today. I wanted you to wait there so he could find you. I wanted him to take you back to your father, but...You have to leave now."

Tears gathered in Verden's eyes. Why couldn't he stop crying? "I don't know what that means. Why can't I stay here? Why can't I go where you go, Neeri?"

"Because it's dangerous. It's always been dangerous. That bad woman has powerful See Mahou, and if she ever saw you, she would kill you. I had always tried to get you back to your father, but it always seemed impossible because she'd See you coming before I'd be able to.

"The only thing that had kept you safe was when she thought you were dead, but I couldn't let you die, and now after Mundus' marking, she knows you're alive. It's not safe for you to be in this world anymore. That's why when I encountered Yumiko, I pleaded for her to-"

"We have to go, Neeri," Yumiko rose to her feet. "I'm sorry."

Neeri nodded. "Go with Yumiko. She was born here, a human, just like you, but she has lived in the human world too. She will take care of you and teach you what you need to know. She is our friend."

"Friend," Verden echoed.

"Yes, just like you are mine. We are best friends, right, Verden?"

He nodded, blinking back his tears and hugged the fox demon. Verden stared up at Neeri, seeing the wet fur mat under her eyes. Question swarmed in his head, but he couldn't find his voice to ask them. Even if he could, he sensed the urgency in the air.

Yumiko tugged on his hand. "Let's go, Verden. Hold on tight."

He blinked and Neeri was gone. Hovering before them was a portal similar to the one he had seen only this time, Verden wasn't as excited about exploring it.

"Are you ready, Verden? Don't let go of my hand." Yumiko gripped his fingers tighter.

Verden looked down at his other hand. His red blanket was still in his grip. The fabric was stained and torn, worn out by the branches it got caught in, the grass that stained it, and the light that faded it: all elements of this world.

Verden narrowed his eyes and dropped the blanket. "I'm ready."