The door was kicked open and I immediately threw the blanket over Ki's head. I sat up and met my brother's gaze.

He leaned against the door frame and folded his arms. "Is there really something so special about Eglin? It's like wandering through a cesspool out there."

"Get out." I hurled a pillow at him. "No one asked you to come."

Albern caught it. His eyes wandered to the lump next to me and he started to move toward it. "Male or female?"

I rubbed my face. "You are two seconds away from being thrown out the window."

Albern wandered over and pulled back the covers. "Use magic on me and see what happens."

Ki peered up at the prince. "Hi."

Albern dropped the blanket. "Him, again?"

I held out my hand and my shirt flew to it. "I can sleep with whomever I want." I pulled it over my head and started doing up the front. "It's the one thing I get out of the arrangement." Putting on the remainder of my clothes, I stood and tucked in my shirt. "Why are you here?"

"It's been three days."

"I've been gone longer." I found my boots and sat on the end of the bed to put them on. "How'd you know I was here?"

Albern moved the curtains to the side with a finger. "Followed the drunken bodies."

I smiled to myself. We had a good night. "I was planning on coming back today." Standing, I stretched my arms overhead. "Today's one of the ceremony things, right?"

My brother faced me. "Yes, Tolcan. Today is one of the meaningless ceremonies that has been performed for hundreds of years. Just another precaution to make sure the barrier doesn't fall and our enemies come in to slaughter everyone. Nothing too important."

I waved my finger at him. "Sarcasm, you've been practicing."

He cursed under his breath and marched to the door. "I'll be waiting downstairs." He slammed the door and I could hear his footsteps as he marched down the hall.

Ki sat up and crawled across the bed. "Is he going to tell your father?"

"No, no." I hurried over to him. "He's just naturally cranky. That's all."

"He sounded really annoyed this time." Falling into my chest, Ki let out a shaky breath. "I don't want to go to prison. I've heard the stories. They treat my people like toys. We're playthings to them." He rubbed his knuckles.

I lifted his face and kissed his eyelids. "If my father even sent you to prison, I'd break you out before anyone could touch you."

Nodding, Ki smiled. "I think it would be easier to stay on your brother's good side so he doesn't say anything."

"Albern won't. He hasn't yet."

"He yelled at me last time he caught us together. Today it wasn't as bad, but my faith in his patience is failing."

He shrugged. "It was more yelling at me. You were kind of just there if that makes you feel better."

Ki shook his head. "It doesn't."

I kissed him. "I'll talk to Albern. You focus on taking care of yourself." I patted his cheek as I stood. "Tell your mother hi for me."

He rolled his eyes before flopping back on the bed. "She hates you."

I scoffed. "I'm a prince. She can't hate me."

"She's not going to say it to your face. I can tell she hates that I sleep with you. Our relationship wouldn't even be appropriate if I was a woman. Being a man makes it's worse."

"I'll handle my family." I winked and grabbed my coat. "You handle yours. See you soon." Stepping into the hallway, I went to the staircase while putting on my coat. Ki's uncle was mopping the floor.

He glanced at me before shaking his head and turning his back to me. I snapped my fingers and the remain chairs on the floor lifted off the ground and settled onto the tables. Roman sighed, trying not to smile. Going outside, I found my brother sitting on his horse. He didn't look too happy with me.

We started down the street. Eglin was one of the more ran down part of the kingdom, but I preferred it over the pristine streets of the Levant district.

"Why?" breathed Albern. "Anywhere you could mess around and you choose here?"

I smiled to myself as a man stumbled out onto the street. Someone else had a good night. "I'm among my people."

"You are not one of them."

I wiped my right eye, hiding the mark of mixed blood. "We are complete opposite, Al. I blend in more here than I ever would at one of your parties."

"You alter your appearance with magic all the time. It was one of the first things you master. You could change yourself to fit in if you wanted to."

"An eye is different than my entire body. It takes focus and I'd rather not mimic some lizard and randomly being changing colors."

"A lizard?" He peered down his nose at me.

"Yeah. It doesn't live in the barrier, but there a lizard that can change its color to blend in. It lives near the ocean where all the rocks are different colors. It keeps it from being eaten by birds." I turned to him and hit his leg. "Hey, maybe I should give it a try. It might keep you vultures off my back."

My brother rolled his eyes. "Meet me at the palace." He looked me up and down. "In something clean."

Holding out my arms, I scanned my tattered clothes. They weren't that bad. "I'll see what I can do." I stepped away from the horse and did an elegant bow. "My dear, dear prince."

"You annoying me." He nudged the horse and it took off down the street.

I watched him leave. "It would be easier if you learned how to use transport magic, you know!" I smiled to myself.

He flipped me off over his shoulder. Al was just like our father. He was so easy to rial up, but learning how to do some simple transport magic would cut down on his travel time. I fell into a gust of wind and blew through the streets. Soaring up into the sky, I floated among the clouds before starting to freefall. I landed on the balcony outside my room. Fixing my coat, I entered and found someone waiting for me.

"Good morning, Suzette."

"Albern found you, then?" asked my sister.

"Yes, he did." I kissed her cheek as I passed her on the way to the closet.

She followed and took my coat from me. "Where were you?"

I shrugged. "Out." I unbuttoned my shirt.

"Tolcan, was it one of those brothels again?"

Shaking my head, I went behind the dressing curtain. "Why does it matter? Isn't that part of being a prince? Albern isn't as pure as everyone likes to make him out to be." I looked around and realize I had forgotten to grab something to change into.

A pile of clothes was pushed forward on the floor.

"You're worrying me."

"I'm fine," I stated. "I have control over my powers and the kingdom knows this. I'm not at risk of being attacked." I finished getting ready and went to meet her.

Suzette fixed my shirt and straightened the vest that was laid overtop. It was way too many layers and I was already feeling the stiff atmosphere that never left the palace.

"What is so good about those places? They're not safe."

"So I can breathe."

She picked up the floor length coat from off the bed and held it up. I slipped my arms into the sleeves and adjusted them. My sister circled around and did up the three buttons on the front.

"You're important to this kingdom."

"Until Al figures out his powers. That's the only thing stopping father was announcing him as the heir."

"It could be you," she replied.

"I don't look the part."

She smoothed back my hair from my face. "The people love how you look."

"Not all," I replied. "They prefer my twin. Hell, if I was them I preferred my twin as well."

"Well, I think if you put in a little effort father might acknowledge you more. You might want to start with not disappearing for days."

"Most of the time he doesn't notice."

"Hmm.." She kept messing with my hair. "You must've had a good night." Taking my hand, she sat me down in front of a vanity.

I frowned at my reflection as she tried to get the section on the back of my head to lay flat. Suzette put some cream in her hand and worked it into my hair. She combed it away from my face.

"I'm starting to finally see a prince instead of some drunkard that wandered into the palace." She gave me a smirk and want to grab something else.

With a sigh, I didn't see it. Nobility was known for their light skin, hair and eyes. I had none of those things. My eyes were blue, but still had the signs of my mother's mixed blood. The same blood my two siblings had but none of which came through in them. It wasn't fair. They expected me to fit into this world when my mere presence said I'd never belonged.

My sister returned and looped a diamond chain over my head with a pendant attached to it. She finished with a simple silver headpiece with embedded jewels. It positioned it so the band ran across the center of my forehead.

"Very handsome." She smoothed out my shoulders. "Like a true prince."

I wasn't impressed. "How long is this ceremony?"

"A couple hours. There's a reception after."

I let my head fall back and peered up at her. "Am I expected to stay for the whole thing?"

She slapped my arm. "For a man of your age, you need to learn some responsibility."

My head rolled to the side and rested against my first. "Maybe." Taking a deep breath, I rose from the chair. "Where are your trinkets?" I motioned to her hair.

"Sitting in my room."

"Well, my dear princess that will not do."

The door to my room opened and the jewelry danced into the room.

Suzette laughed. "Is this what you do to entertain the people at those bars you go to?"

"It works on royalty as well." I positioned her in the middle of the room and outstretched her arms. "Don't move."

She couldn't stop smiling as everything was carefully placed on her. Her tiara settled onto her head. She dropped her arms. "So, am I ready now?"

I nodded. "Most beautiful woman in the whole kingdom"—I offered my arm—"and I know because I've slept with most of them."

Suzette slapped my arm. "Oh Tolcan, what to do with you."