The Seventh Prince turned and was about to walk out. Clearly, his intention was to save Seth, but his body became rigid and immediately turned to gold.
A slow, agonising groan escaped his now gold metal body, akin to a ringing when hollow steel was hit with a hammer.
Emperor Sundown didn't flinch. His eyes lingered on Seth's gold-inlaid, naked body.
'He is beautiful. Even the gold veins resemble her.'
The Emperor scowled at that thought before he took a deep breath.
He waved his hand. The Seventh Prince's body returned to normal and he released a sharp scream of pain. His eyes rolled back, bleeding.
He fell unconscious immediately after. A small pool of blood formed around his head.
No one moved. Even breathing had stopped.
The First Prince spoke again. "He is only fourteen. You are crippling him like this?"
"I know," the Emperor said.
"You want him dead!?" A careless voice, one that had nothing to lose, asked.
"No parent would want their child dead!" the Emperor replied.
"But you do." The same person said, "The two of us are the ones you hate. I still remember my trial was also different." Emotions bleeding from the voice. "Us, the undesired lastborn!"
The Kings and Dukes became rigid. They wished they were not here. This exchange is not something they will ever hope to witness. One wrong move and they will be caught in the Empire's crossfire.
But they know, the Eighth Princess was always blunt. They were careful when dealing with her.
The Eighth Princess was beautiful but a scar ran across her blind left eye.
Gold began to form on her fingernails.
"Ah, really. I know you hate me. Bring it on!"
She said before she became gold. Instead of screaming, it was agonising laughter.
This time not even the First Prince spoke.
The Emperor was in the mood. No one was above punishment.
A minute passed. "Father, please. Let her go!" The First Prince pleaded.
The next second she was back to normal. She, too, screamed like Seventh but didn't fall, and she spoke with agony in her voice.
"Father, what do you have in store for the Ninth?"
First Prince asked, his voice wavering in a way that whatever Eighth was saying.
"To return to the palace on his own!"
"If he dies in the sun?" The Third Princess asked.
"That is his fate!" Emperor Sundown said with finality.
'He wants him dead!' some thought with slight fear. Some smiled with exasperation; the rest frowned.
Their father couldn't hold back his grief anymore.
As fate would have it, upon giving birth the Empress died, then fate should decide the destiny of the baby that caused her death.
***
Seth was unaware of that; he only walked forward.
'My talent will reduce if I stress myself too much,' Seth said, his hands hugging himself.
The scorching sun made him sweat, but it evaporated immediately.
A burning pain from the sun made Seth's walk unbearable, but he had no choice. He needed to return to the palace.
His steps were fast, and his feet were red; the sand was scalding. It didn't help that sometimes his legs went into it, making them sting too.
Seth's lips had dried, his skin sweating but evaporating.
The dry, scorching wind was draining him of his bodily fluids.
Seth swallowed nothing, just a restart of his willpower to go ahead.
Thinking or succumbing to too much emotion would tire him more, so he had one thing in mind: walk forward.
Don't stop. Keep moving your legs, one after another.
Seth did just that.
He had to maintain the golden veins. He needed them, or else his body drying would accelerate until he was an empty husk before the cruel sun above claimed him in a burst of flame and ashes.
Cruel Sun: some moments when the sun was too close to the planet.
Seth walked and breathed raggedly until he reached a hundred-foot gate. Guards in protective armour on each side stared down at him.
They recognised him in shock.
How did the Ninth Prince get here?
But they asked no more; they opened the door.
One of them pulled out a handkerchief and wrapped it around the prince's waist, but his hand turned to steel and crumbled down.
The guard didn't flinch as he stood; the handkerchief stayed. Goal achieved.
Seth walked through the grand city.
Great minds with architectural mastery had made it the most beautiful city in the Empire, but it was empty.
Only guards stood at different junctions, ever watching.
The cruel sun above made sure of it, and because of the Ceremonial Full Moon expected the coming night.
It was considered a small city, but from the gate to the palace was about five kilometres.
No longer in the desert, the streets were layered with marbles that had heated up.
"Hmm!" Seth whimpered. His feet were leaving skin behind him.
Some smooth surfaces created a sizzling sound as he stepped ahead.
The skin on his feet was almost gone because the gold veins there were fading. The gold was being consumed at an accelerated rate.
Seth swayed. The sun pressed down like judgment.
The stress of holding the gold veins was increasing. He closed his eyes when his sclera became white.
They would burst under the cruel sun.
Seth had predicted the gold would not sustain him enough to take him home. So he made decisions on places to let go of first.
He was two kilometres away from the palace when his back lost its gold veins and swelled into blisters.
The skin burst open, exposing the red flesh within.
Next were his palms; through clenched, they steamed and were weakened. His fingers couldn't stay closed, so he pressed them against his body to keep them together.
Of course, his manhood bore the thickest gold, dignity preserved, even in pain.
His legs and thighs were next. They blistered and burst before drying under the scorching wind.
Seth swayed to fall but he held himself, making sure he climbed the palace stairs.
Sizzling sounds after sizzling sounds could be heard as he reached the throne room. By then the Seventh Prince was waking up, using psionic force to evaporate the blood on him.
The first thing he saw was a half-burning child coming inside. His deepened; anger flashed in his eyes, but he noticed the dangling appendage filled with gold.
The frown turned to an amused smile. "It can be healed, you know!"
He said casually as if he wasn't the one who almost died.
Seth didn't hear him until his body registered there was no more heat or pressure, before he let go of the gold that instantly receded into him.
He fell down, smoking and steaming at the same time.
An agonising whimper escaped his mouth.
Seth wasn't just protecting himself from the burning but also making the gold dampen the pain.
There was no way he could walk all that distance with the actual pain in him.
He couldn't; he wasn't built that way.
So the two things he protected the most with the gold were his mind against the pain, and his manhood.
The Emperor moved and sat, his gaze landing on the boy.
'He survived this.'
The Emperor's emotions were blank. 'He is quite talented.
'As expected. High psychic forces exhibit sharp minds. This is my trait!'
***
Seth's eyes lazily opened. He longed to feel the softness of the bed and the perfume he liked, but a hard surface kissed him.
Sharp pain returned to him. 'They didn't heal me…' he swallowed hard.
It was night and they were still in the throne room.
His Majesty, the Emperor's gaze was on him.
'He wants me to present myself!'
Tears welled in his eyes; the tears rolled as he closed his eyes before he opened them.
They were golden again.
He closed and opened his eyes again, and golden veins spread around his body, especially the joints and places that would cause him more harm if he moved.
He stood and adjusted his only dignity, the handkerchief. He made sure he stood straight, his shoulders arranged the way they should be.
His emotions are blooming, making him unable to hold back his tears.
He didn't want to think about it, but his father doesn't love him.
Seth stepped forward, walking befitting of a prince, one ready to bear the Crown or the Royal Sceptre, or even the Cape of Majesty.
He came before the Emperor and went to his knees.
He made sure no more tears were on his face and dampened the pain considerably to appear normal.
"You survived the trial!" The Emperor's voice was hollow, lacking its usual majesty.
"Yes!" Seth said, a smile tugging on his lips.
Emperor Sundown sighed before he stood by pushing the throne's armrest.
"I hereby declare you no longer need to participate in Ceremonial Marching!"
The Princes, Kings and Dukes around raised their eyes. This was the first in history.
Ceremonial Marching is the Compulsory Military service for one year. It's a sacred tradition that must be followed.
"Of course, if you have the desire to, you can own free will. From now on till next year, you are free to do what you want. No royal obligations should fall on you!"
'Hmm.' Seth was having complex emotions. 'Is it worth it?!'
Emperor Sundown now had a slight smile on his face. His gaze was on the little boy before him.
"Destiny and fate had truly carved that you survived beyond this moment." He looked up to his children and the Dukes as well as the Kings. "I hereby declare, you are free from Imperial Order War and Exploration until you reach eighteen."
'I am free from the Imperial Order…' Seth felt dizzy in surprise.
A wave of shock and exclamation echoed in the room.
This was too much freedom for a young prince.
The Imperial Order is another compulsory burden placed on every royal. It is the only order that can command all the Realmere Prince and Princess.
Even a Baron can wave it at a Realmere Prince and make them act.
But without it, not even the greatest King can dare question the Realmere Prince.
Emperor Sundown looked toward his youngest son, handing out a small blade,
"Take this heirloom. You also have the freedom to claim any free ruin of your desire, or give it to anyone you see fit!"
Saying that, he turned and disappeared as the chamberlain's voice echoed,
"May your reign remain eternal."
"As the Heaven and Earth desire," the rest echoed in one voice.
Instantly, a wave of psychic energy enveloped Seth, and a soothing feeling washed over him, healing his body back to normal.
Seth only blinked and he was on his opulent bed. He didn't wait for anything as he fell asleep.
But…
His eyes burst out; the force of the explosion rattled his brain, and his skull cracked. Blood spilt out from within.
Seth released a scream, but his tongue swelled up as if a mini bomb was inside, it burst!
Gore and blood spread out; the force shattered his teeth and clogged his throat.
Next, it was his whole body; it swelled.
"Momma!" Seth groaned in terror.
He never knew her, but somehow he called for her.