I paced around my room in front of my window watching the preparations for the festival to take place in the courtyard. I felt uneasy and I could no longer resist the temptation to bite my nails. I knew deep inside, something terrible is going to happen. If I told my father and said it was based on a feeling, he would brush it off. 'You worry too much son, ' he would say. I would walk out the throne room feeling dejected shortly after. Vus walked in and snorted as he saw me pacing around.

"What?" I asked as I attempted to suppress the hint of irritation creeping into my voice.

Vus stifled a snicker as he stopped short of the  visible scuffed lines on the floor from my boots, "This is the most exercise I've seen you get in weeks sire."

I sighed as I curled and uncurled my fists as a fresh wave irritation flowed through me, "Vus, you don't have to tease me every time you walk in the room."

"Of course sire. I apologize," he replied with a hint of laughter. I took a peek at his face and saw a smirk curling his lips.

I turned around to face him and paused my pacing, "Aren't you worried Vus? Don't you feel uneasy?"

"Yes, sire but I was afraid confessing so would make your current state worse, " he said gesturing to my general direction.

"What's wrong with me?" I asked even though I knew I would regret it.

"Well you're getting exercise, you're nicely dressed, you haven't touched a book since yesterday, and-"

I interrupted him, if I had let him continue he would be spouting a long list of my strange behaviors, "You're right like always Vus."

"Of course sire. Thank you for your confidence in me."

I held in another irritated sigh. I'm starting to think Vus saying "of course sire," is another of his ways of teasing me. Vus walked towards me and opened the window. A warm spring breeze flew past me and into the room bringing a feeling of nostalgia. The setting sun winked in and out of sight as clouds passed by. I stared at it with dissatisfaction although I had no right to be angry at the sun, "Now even the sun is teasing me."

Vus pounced on the chance to mess with me even further, "Of course sire. Why would it not?"

I sighed again. I appreciated Vus' attempt at reliving the tension building up inside of me, but at times, like the present, his teasing seems to make the situation worse. "Vus, please get me some wine from the kitchen." 

He snorted at my request. Usually, I would ask a servant to get me food or beverages, but when Vus gets on my nerves, I ask him to do so in order to get him off my back. I watched him as he swaggered out of the room confidently. He always knew what to do and what to say. I envied him. I would make a much better prince If I could be like him. I shook my head and thought of what Vus would bring me. Vus came back with two cups of juice instead of wine, which was for the best. He stooped slightly as he handed a cup down to my short arms.

"Cheers sire," Vus said giving me one of his rare smiles. I couldn't help smiling back. His smiles were contagious.

"Cheers, "I replied and hit my cup lightly against his. Vus stood beside me as we rested our arms against the window sill after finishing our juice. The sky turned into various hues of orange and pink as we watched the sunset just as we had done when we were younger.

~

I sat on one of the plush chairs that had been brought out from the interior of the castle to the courtyard. My father sat in a more elaborate chair to my right. My first time viewing the festival of the birds seemed to be off to a tedious start. The last one happened four years before I was born. Despite that, I didn't feel very interested in it. I would rather be reading books in the castle library over the great blank in the history of the continent than watch people dance and make paper lanterns in the shape of various birds.

The white stone walls of the castle glowed a yellow-orange color as the lit torches fluttered in the night air. They were placed strategically so they could give off as much light as possible. To the left, tables covered in expensive cloth sported huge pastries made to look like birds and large amounts of wine. Colors whirled by me as people started yet another dance. I looked up at the navy colored sky and felt myself smiling for an unknown reason. 

Like always, Vus stood behind me ready to risk his life at a moment's notice. If my life was on the line, I wouldn't want him to protect me from death. Why should a talented person die in order to save a talentless one?

Vus leaned downwards to speak in my ear, "Sire, this festival would be the perfect time for the enemy to strike keep a sharp eye out for suspicious actions." Vus was right. While everyone is occupied with the festivities, any important person could go missing easily and the castle's defenses could easily be breached. I looked around for any signs of Prince Egon and Emporer Ethelred among the swirling colors of the festival.

I turned around to suggest moving to a higher vantage point to Vus when Elowen interrupted me, she walked up to us wearing a flowy light blue dress. "Sir Vus," my twin said and curtsied, "Would you like to take this dance?"

Vus tried his best to look apologetic, "I apologize, my lady but I am on duty."

Elowen smiled sweetly trying to win him over, "I'm sure you can leave my brother's side for a few minutes."

Just a glace at Vus' face and anyone could tell that he didn't want to dance with her, but my sister can be pretty dense when faced with men. Despite feeling uncomfortable already, Vus knew that dancing with Elowen would make it easier to find the royals from Ezorlath in the crowd. I watched with a small smile as he accepted and stiffly offered my sister his arm. She took it happily thinking she had won him over and led him into the crowd. Even with his tall height, Vus was swallowed up easily and after a few minutes, I could no longer see him.

My father chuckled after they left and turned to me, "You should take that Vurussian's example and go dance. Perhaps you might find a lovely damsel you want to marry. I'm getting old and you'll need a queen to continue our royal line."

I have no intention of marrying anyone, but I am too much of a coward to say so to my father's face. The only women who would suitor me would be after riches or power, never after myself as a person. I bowed stiffly. "As you wish father." It is a good excuse for walking among the crowd, but I knew that once I entered, women would cling onto my arms hungry for a chance at gaining power. I sighed and prepared myself mentally for the pack of hungry wolves I would have to walk into.

I walked into the crowd and instinctively headed for the tables full of wine. A cup didn't sound so bad at the moment, even though I would normally avoid drinking. Before I got there, a girl around my age stopped me. Her hazel hair flowed down her back like a waterfall and her unnaturally bright hazel eyes shone in the light. She had on a forest green dress which made her eyes look even brighter. She curtsied and said, "Your highness may I have this dance?"

Against my real wishes, I took her right hand with my left and placed my right hand against her waist. I felt my stomach twist into more knots than I thought possible. My clumsiness makes dancing almost impossible. Vus has spent years laughing at me while trying to teach me how to waltz. The only time I ever felt comfortable dancing was with him, but I've always had a hard time finding the reasons why.

She pulled my reluctant body into the crowd as a waltz started. I stared at my feet nervously hoping they would remember the ways to move after I had neglected to learn how to dance for so many years. Miraculously I managed to stay upright for the whole dance. I looked up to apologize but to my relief, she disappeared into the swirling crowd. Only a few minutes passed before another girl requested a dance with me. Knowing I had no choice in the matter, I allowed chaos to ensue once more.

After dancing with a countless amount of girls hungry for what I would not give, I finally reached the table filled with wine. I poured myself a cup as I hummed to the music. I found a quiet corner to stand in with the hope no one would come to bother me. I surveyed the room, looking around for Elowen and Vus. I almost dropped the cup of wine when I saw her dancing with Prince Egon. I convinced myself she was handling the situation perfectly and did not need nor want any assistance from me. Despite her illness, she could knock a man down if she wanted. I turned back to draining my cup.

I looked up from my cup of wine moments later and panicked when I could no longer see her. Against any sense I possessed, I downed the rest of the wine. It formed a lump in my throat and I sputtered. I pushed into the crowd, towards the spot I last saw  Elowen. When I reached it, she wasn't there. I held the empty cup in my trembling hands as I looked around for a sign of struggle.

My shoulders grew tense as someone stepped up behind me. Vus placed his hand on my shoulder. Once I knew who was behind me, I felt a sense of relief flood through my veins. I looked up expecting to see a smile but instead, I saw an unreadable expression in his dark blue eyes.

Vus leaned down to speak in my ear, "Your sister collapsed. I believe she used more energy than usual and her illness took the rest. She is in her chambers now." Panic rolled through me and I turned away to rush to her room. Vus caught my arm with his hand and pulled me back towards him, "Aren, stay here. I will visit her and speak with the physician. We cannot allow a simple collapse to break us or Ethelred will take advantage of our distress."

I wanted to rush to my sister's side desperately, but Vus spoke the truth. If I leave, only my father would be left in the courtyard and they could hurt him in my absence. Noticing I no longer squirmed in his grip, Vus let go of my arm and pushed another cup of wine into my hands. He made me look at him in the eyes, "Trust me," he muttered and then he stole off into the colorful night.

I looked at the wine Vus gave me and took a sip. It tasted richer than the wine I had earlier and different than anything I had before. I decided to ask him where he got it from when I saw him again. My thoughts were disrupted by Prince Egon and his sneering face.

He walked around me in a circle like the way a dog circles a lone chicken in the commons, "Prince Aren. Are you enjoying the night? It looks like you're lost at your own festival like a bird who forgot where he built his nest."

"A lost bird can still eat a foolish mouse who thinks it's safe to venture further away from its hole, " I sputtered, allowing my mouth free rein in the spur of the moment. I clamped it shut once I processed the words in my mind.

"Is that a threat?" he asked with a click of his tongue, "I hope for your sake it wasn't."

 I swallowed the lump in my throat and attempted to calm my rushing veins, "I wouldn't threaten a guest in my own kingdom."

"That may become something you regret."He muttered. Egon took my cup of wine from my limp grip and ignored my look of astonishment. "Go ask your loyal dog of a bodyguard to get you another one. I'm sure he won't mind being treated like a servent. Common people like him are rats waiting for the right time to turn their backs on royalty," he sneered and walked into the growing crowd of people. I let the urge of snatching a guest's cup and dumping its contents onto him. I stared after him for a long time even after I could no longer see his blood-red cloak swing in the wind.