Princess Cari Prelude Arc Part Two

The Choice Of

Ryo Kizeru

Ryo knew that he was living on borrowed time. He knew that he was living on borrowed time ever since he found out that he had unwittingly told his half sister the truth. He could also guess that his father and step-mother had deduced that he had the moment that he arrived. He knew by the cold reception that he had the moment he set foot in his castle.

His father never smiled at him like he usually did nor did he even touch him. His step-mother, who he could tell was heavily pregnant, looked at him smiling her salty twisted smile, but unlike all of the other times, her smile had victory in it. They had not spoken to him in a week and a half and knew why.

He knew that the say would soon come when his fathers men would come in with their weapons hoping to kill him. He had hoped vainly that he could rely on his father's love to keep him from the traitors death. However his dragon instinct had told him not to and that was why every time he went to bed he would sleep in his armour and a blade under his pillow. He was no naïve fool.

Then there was his step-mother, he knew that right now she had more power over his father than anyone, and Ryo suspected, including himself! Not to mention that the moment that she had laid eyes on him she had decided that she hated him. She had often told herself that it would be her son that will go on to become the king. She had even told herself that he was not the true hair and that he was not the son of the dragon queen nor was he the son of the king. The fact that his face and presence was the physical evidence that her delusions were exactly that infuriated her to a point that he knew tat if she ever gave birth to a boy that would be the end of him.

So when he saw that she was pregnant he knew that she would do everything in her power to make sure that it was a boy. He knew that his only chance for to continue living would be if the baby was a female.

He got his answer soon enough as the guards burst down the door. He knew that they would not be here unless his step-mother mother had given birth to a boy. He also knew that he had barely any fight on his hand when he counted the number of guards as three, after all he knew that it would take more than three guards to pose a challenge. He also knew that it was his step-mother who had sent them, after all if his father had sent them then there would be four or five more.

“Well, well, well aren't we all set? Planing on killing the 'little half-brother'?” one asked with a smirk. He could tell by his tone of voice that he was loyal to his step-mother and only her and that he had believed her lies and bought into her delusions.

“What business do you have with me Barns?” he asked almost as if he was complaining.

“Well, the king knows about you, yes he knows, 'n' everybody's gonna know too.”

“Please don't tell me that you bought into that witches lies.” he moaned almost as if he was trying to tell him that he was smarter than that, even-though he knew that neither of them were.

“What? You accuse the queen of being a liar? How dare you!”

“Quite easily after all just look at me, apart from my eyes I am the spiting image of my father.” he said.

Barns knotted his eyebrows together, but then he shook his head and yelled and drew his blade down. Ryo swiftly drew his blade to his throat and cut it before the poor bloke could even register that he was already dead. Leaving him choking on his own blood. Then Ryo looked at the others and focused his magic to their minds and imagined that there was pressure coming out of him and into their skulls.

They pressed their hands to their heads until they fell with blood and grey-matter coming from their ears and nose.

He then took all the things that he knew that he would need. He was about to leave his room when his mind wondered to his new born brother. He knew that he could not let that witch raise him. He also knew that even-though it would probably give him an even bigger target on his back he would have to get him. He also knew that if he did then he would have to be the one to raise him and he also felt that he was alright with that idea. That way he would be able to protect him from being used by his father and step-mother or anyone else that wanted to.

He walked calmly to the armoury where he knew that there would be darts, hidden behind a blue shield. When he saw them he took them. He knew that it would cost him but he did wanted to kill as little as possible. This was his kingdom after all.

He took them and his favourite sword and then left. He then took a stroll in the kitchens and got as much food as he knew that he and his brother needed. He then spotted a guard coming his way, then to his utter disgust he spotted that his cheeks were as crimson as a cherry and he was giggling to himself as if he had heard a joke that only he got.

He then ran on and knocked him out with one chop of his hand. He then walked to his step-mother's room, this, he knew would be where his half-brother would be. He spotted two guards and lifted a tube to his mouth and blew twice with both darts hitting them. He then ran in and spotted that his step-mother was awake but clearly too exhausted to do anything. So he was able to take him. As he left her eyes closed and as he looked back he could have sworn to himself that she had a smile on her face.

He was able to leave the castle without any interruption. He looked at his bother in his arms. He smiled as he realised just how cute the baby was and how innocent he was to the ways of the world. He knew by that time he did not want any harm to cone to him whatsoever, especially from his mother. He did not even care about revenge or anything, this, he realised was the first time that he had cared about anybody other than himself.

As the baby slept he reached out and took hold of his hair and gave him the most cheesiest grin, if Ryo was a lot more sentimental then he would have cried. It was also in that moment that he now understood Cari, who was only trying to do the same as he was. She too must have wanted to protect her sister just like he wanted to protect his brother.

That was when he heard a cry of a guard, snapping him back into reality. He then ran and ran until he got to the docs and spotted that there was a ship that was about to leave and he knew that that would be his only chance of escape. So he ran and jumped onto an inn roof and jumped into a window of the ship. By the time that the guards reached the docs the ship was already in the horizon.

Ryo, did not sleep well the rest of that night as his half-brother cried out for milk and the need to change his nappy, however regardless of how much it enraged him, he never truly minded. However early in the morning while taking a light nap he woke to see a gang of pirates stood over him with their curved swords and their muscular frame and they all had scars and missing teeth.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here? A little prince and-” they all looked at the baby in his hands.

Ryo huffed as he rose. The captain of the ship looked at him both confused and angry.

“Hey captain! Say if I get rid of them would you let us ride with you until we doc the next island?” he asked.

His eyes widened and then dropped. He then looked at him and nodded. Ryo could tell just by looking into his eyes that he was telling the truth.

Then one of them leaned in close, far too close.

“Do you know who you're dealing with kid?” he asked spitting into his unamused and unflinching face.

“Do you?” he asked pulling out his dagger and sliced his neck before he had the chance to respond.

While the others looked at him in shock, he repositioned his body so that his half-brother did not get a drop of blood on him. Then he spun and slit the other one's throat and he was about to go for the other one when he saw him jump overboard.

“Any more?”

“No.”

“Good.”

So from that moment on he was given the best room on the ship. Over the three months on the sea his sleeping patterns changed, whenever his brother slept, he slept. He knew that that would be the only time that he could sleep. Whenever his brother played, he played with him. He would, in that last month get up half an hour before to get in some training.

Soon he arrived at the first island of the Queendom Isles, Emerald. He curled his lip as he looked at the whole place. Not only did it look so fancy that even the peasants were completely indistinguishable to the upper classes, but even the bounty hunter inn looked like it belonged in a fairy tale book for children!

He hated it from the moment that he laid eyes on it and knew that he could never allow himself to let his brother grow up in such an abominable place.

He forced himself to place his foot on the jewel covered ground below him. He then swore that he spotted Cari leave the bounty hunter inn. He frowned and shook his head thinking that his mind was playing tricks on him. His legs felt off and as he looked at his brother he realised that he had no name. This was a shock to him and knew that this was just no good. So he spent most of that day thinking of a name for him. The name, he knew would have to remind him that he was a Reaper and a prince.

During this he thought about his grandfather and how close they were. That was when he realised that his was the perfect name. He smiled to himself wondering why he had not thought of it sooner.

Then during that day he spotted a light and found himself being drawn to where it was. He understood what this irrational drawing was, it was something greater than himself calling him to where he aught to be. He was told by his mother that if he was to ever have that feeling that he should never ignore it and should follow it.

“For, if destiny calls you, and you ignore it, it finds a way to make you listen.” He heard his mother's words in his head.

So he ran to where the light was leading him and then he saw none other that his half-sister Cari and in front of her was someone who looked like her older identical twin. Then she opened her eyes to reveal deep crimson eyes.

“W-where am I?” she asked

“Emerald of the Queendom Isles. Who are you?” she asked.

“Scar. What about you three?”

“'Three'?” she asked as she turned back to see Ryo Kizeru! Her eyes dropped as she just noticed his brother in his arms.

Why, have I been called here of all places? He wondered.

“Well I suppose that you have a lot of questions.”

“Yes I do.” she scorned.

“Well, Cari, yes I know that it's you I saw you with your half-sister, so do not think that you can deny it, me deer half-sister.” he huffed as his half-brother reached out his hand to his hair. Almost as if he was telling him off or something. Then he, for the first time let go of his hurt about what another did.

“But I understand now, now that I know what it's like to be in your position, and over these past three months, I have come to the conclusion that if it was mine, I would do the same.” he said as he glanced at his half-brother. “After all I too wouldn't want anything like that to happen to my half-brother, Riku.”

“So it is true!” exclaimed Hikari behind him.