Suzette led me into the throne room. We stood to the side to wait for my father's arrival. The regular nobles and priests to the gods were all there to witness the ceremony. Albern slipped into the room and joined us.

"You didn't do much for a smell," he muttered, adjusting his clothes.

I smiled. "It's the after-sex glow."

Suzette elbowed me.

Groaning, I tried not to draw too much attention. She had incredible aim to cause the most amount of pain. I subtly rubbed the spot, glaring at her. That hurt far more than it should have.

A royal guard walked to the circle on the floor at the base of my father throne. He banged the hilt of his spear on the ground. The clanking echoed against the stone walls. Everyone fell still.

"All hail the king, protector of Sarid."

Taking a deep breath, I turned my attention to the side entrance. The doors were opened by two guards. My father entered the room and walked toward the head of the chamber. We all bowed as he passed. I lowered my head and saw the end of his robes brush against my feet.

He took his place at the front of the room and scanned the room. "Today we solidify the strength of the barrier that protects our kingdom from outside forces. May the gods bless our people." He cupped his right hand and lifted it high overhead.

We mimicked the action and peered up the mosaic painting on the ceiling. I glanced at my siblings. They took these ceremonies too seriously. It was a monthly occasion we had to take part in since birth. It would be nice if we could skip the formality and go straight to the ceremony.

I leaned against the wall as my father began his speech. It changed slightly every time he gave it, but it was the same basic concept of may the gods bless Sarid with protection and prosperity and that we would always have enough magic to power the barrier.

Suzette tugged on my sleeve. "Stand straight."

Rolling my eyes, I did so. This was taking too long. Ki was running off to go fishing. I had other places I wanted to be right then.

The king held out his hand to us. "My children, come."

We followed him out into the middle of the room. A circular pattern was carved into the stone floor. The four of us spread out evenly around the outer edge. My father was first to kneel and then the rest of us followed his example.

The priests began to praise the god as they paced around us. I clasped my hand in my lap and closed my eyes. I could feel the power inside my chest began to grow. It made my skin prickle. It wasn't a pleasant experience. I rolled my head from side to side as I struggle to remain quiet. As a child, the experience would leave me in tears. I peeked at my father. Sweat was beading up on his forehead. He'd yell at me for being weak minded. His expectation for a child to withstand this kind of pain was ridiculous. I gritted my teeth as the energy seemed to vibrate my bones.

My father fell forward and slammed his palms into the stone floor. A blue light raced from his fingertips. My sister was next and Albern followed. I pressed my hands against the ground and let out a sigh of relief as the energy raced from my body. It was collected in the center of the circle. The priest lifted their arms into the air and called out to the gods. I kept my head down to hide my annoyed expression. It was all show. My father was the one who would release the magic to be sent out to power the barrier. I watched the king. He took in a deep breath and when he exhaled the blue light shot a beam into the sky. It went up through a hole in the ceiling and hit the barrier high above the kingdom. The wave of power rippled out toward the borders.

Thank the gods it was over.

I laid my head on the floor and gasped for air. It was done. I wouldn't have to do this again for another month. The headache that always followed the ceremony was starting to form. I heard footsteps and saw my siblings were already on their feet and seeing to our father. Wincing, I slowly stood so I wouldn't jostle my head too much.

The audience applauded. My father and siblings acknowledged them. It was making my head hurt even more. I retreated to the corner. Suzette escorted our father to his throne.

He sat down and lifted his hand. "Let us celebrate the gods continuous protection of Sabrid."

They clapped and soon after, food and drinks were carried into the room. My brother and sister stood on either side of the throne. They talked to the nobles that approached my father so the king wouldn't have to engage in small talk himself. I rubbed my forehead. My head was pounding.

Suzette laughed as she spoke with an older couple. Albern was busy chatting up a young lady whose father was on the royal council. Neither of my siblings were ever bothered by the ceremony. Why didn't it have any effect on them? I stop complaining about the headaches long ago since Albern's reply was always I was faking it for attention. Suzette wasn't as vocal but I had a feeling she thought I was being overly dramatic as well.

My crown wasn't helping how I was feeling. Maybe my head was swelling.

"Tolcan."

I jumped at my father's voice. I glanced in his direction to see him motioning for me to come to him. I walked over and went up the two steps.

Standing in front of him, I lowered my head. "Father."

"Where have you been?" He sunk down in his seat and narrowed his eyes at me. "The head priest tell me you are neglecting your duties." He rubbed his temple with two fingers.

I swallowed hard. "I'll dedicate more time for my studies."

He raised a brow. "Magic is something to be harnessed. You find the techniques that come easy to you and forgoes the one that oppose any kind of true challenge." He pointed a finger at me. "You make light of the gift the gods have given you and I will not tolerate it."

Nodding, I let out a deep breathe. "I apologize, my king. I'll work harder to meet your expectations."

"Until I see a change, I find it difficult to believe you." He looked me over. "You look pale. Go to your room and rest. I expect to hear better things from the high priest in the coming days. Understood, Tolcan?"

"Yes, my king."

He flicked his hand at me. "You may leave."

I bowed and back down the steps. Sharply turning, I marched from the room. The only reason I was allowed to come to this damn ceremony was that he needed my magic to help power the barrier. I entered my room and slammed the door behind me. Taking off my crown, I hurled it across the room. I ripped off the rest of the jewelry and threw it on the floor along with my coat. I tossed my vest onto the pile before collapsing on my bed.

My siblings' magic wasn't as strong as mine. I wished they were stronger than me then I'd never have to bother with these theatrical shows of power. I unbuttoned the top two button of my shirt. Falling back, I closed my eyes. What I needed to learn was healing magic. That was the one area where Suzette excelled. It was a technique that requires patience and precision. Both were not my strengths.

It was helping my headache to lay there with my eyes closed. Music was filtering in the room from the hallway. With time, my magic settled in my chest and pulsing began to fade. Sitting up, I stretched out my neck. A light breeze rustled the curtains. It cooled my burning skin.

I twisted my hand and the lock to the door slide into place. Moving to the floor, I lifted up the floorboard under my bed that I had worked free as a child. The space was lined with books. I took out the one that I was working on finishing. Going out onto the balcony, I flew up onto the roof and landed in a small nook. I opened it to my bookmark. The image on the page showed a diagram of a lizard compared to a horse. I flipped through the rest of the lizard section. With a sigh, I peered off across the kingdom. There was a whole world outside the barrier. A dark world that was waiting for a chance to destroy Sabrid. I read the description of the bright red creature. I didn't really want to have to worry about giant lizards but it would be exciting to see some of the animals inside the books I'd collected over the years.

"Tolcan!" called Suzette. "Tolcan."

Rising to my feet, I slid down the roof and dropped off the edge.

She raised an eyebrow. "What were you doing up there?"

"Getting some fresh air."

She held out her hand. "You know better. These books are to remain in the archive."

I handed it to her. "Fancy word for prohibited reading."

"This it not our world." She held up the book. "They were collected to keep people from trying to get through the barrier. Being a prince doesn't mean you don't have to obey the rules."

With a sigh, I nodded. "Sorry." I slipped by her and went to sit on the bed. "Curiosity got the better of me."

"That's the point. Curiosity leads to doing something that could threaten Sadrid." She sat down beside me. "Maybe you should focus on other types of literature."

Groaning, I laid down and draped an arm over my eyes. "You're making my headache come back."

"Tolcan." She squeezed my knee. "Father wants to see you succeed. You have such talent but lately, you're not even trying to master any new techniques."

"I know he's frustrated with me. I just don't see the point. I've learned what I wanted to already."

"You need to learn everything to be a king."

I scoffed. "Albern is well ahead of me then."

"Stop comparing yourself to him."

"Why? It's one thing we can all agree on."

She grabbed my arm and pulled me upright. "How bad is it?"

"It was starting to go away but it coming back." I rubbed between my eyes.

Suzette cupped my face. She pressed her finger to my forehead and whispered the spell. I didn't understand it. Then again spells weren't meant to be understood but felt. A calming and cooling presence spread through my skull.

Falling forward, I rested my head on her shoulder. "Thank you."

"Better?"

"So much better."

"Good." She gave me a hug. "Get some rest, alright?"

I removed my shoes and laid down.

Suzette grabbed the book. "Don't be wandering off." She shot me a grin before leaving the room.

I listened to her footsteps before reaching under my pillow and taking out the book. One technique I knew very well was illusions.