"Now sit upright, Prince Shivawn. Head slightly tilted upwards and spine straight, hands delicately holding the reigns..."

Prince Shivawn of Vileria refused himself the urge to grit his teeth. The white Pegasus beneath him had been chewing some indigestible substance since they'd left the castle stable, and it was getting on Shivawn's nerves. He wanted to aggravate the winged horse, but his parents were watching from some random balcony – their bedroom's, probably – unwavering eyes boring holes into the back of his head.

It was a beautiful day. The grass looked even greener, wet with the dew of the morning and lightly glinting off the sun's rays. Birds sang happily and the servants snipped and plucked at the large garden in front of the field – a useless garden according to the Prince – while Shivawn was on his second lesson in Pegasus riding.

Shivawn was bored out of his mind.

To be a Prince, one must learn to act like a Prince. His inner voice was a comic mockery of his mother's. Shivawn just wanted to ride, for goodness's sake. All his etiquette trainer did was teach him how to prance, like he was some sort of delicate daisy. His parents would soon rather ban the Kingdom from seeing their son than let him do anything rash. There were times his mother literally put him in an invisible bubble of protection so he wouldn't hurt himself and it angered him to unbelievable heights. Not that he'd ever do anything about it.

For a minute, he daydreamed about giving the reigns in his hands a sharp flick with his hands so the Pegasus would fly forward, so he could feel the wind sailing through his hair, the muscles on the animal's back rippling as it ran while he laughed in exhilaration. Sadly, that was all it was going to be – a daydream.

If he let that happen, his parents would restrict his movements to within the castle itself. It was bad enough he was already confined to the castle walls.

Shivawn was suffocating.

This time, he allowed himself the urge to grit his teeth, his hands tightening a little on the reigns.

"Relax," his tutor spoke gently beside him, an old Vilerian with a bald patch all the way from his forehead to the middle of his head, making his green hair look like the letter 'U' when spotted from above or behind. Shivawn found it amusing that the people of Vileria loved riding winged horses the same colour of their hair. "Don't grip the reigns, Prince Shivawn. You should barely hold it – now give it a little flick with your wrist and we shall move into a trot."

Shivawn relaxed his hands and did as he was told. The winged horse immediately followed the command.

"Very good Prince Shivawn," his tutor commended, and made to ride alongside Shivawn and into the field.

To Shivawn, the thing was barely moving. They'd been at this ridiculous trotting for days. He wanted real riding. He wanted to actually fly the Pegasus. Was it so bad to want that? Apparently yes, because his mother would have a fit. She would fuss about him falling and spraining his neck, his father would nod solemnly beside her and from then on, flying on the Pegasus would be banned. He wished he was being dramatic.

He could bet on his life the wrong movement would send his mother flying down the castle in record speed to scold him for his carelessness. They were always watching him. Always.

Shivawn glanced up and sure enough, his parents were up there in the first floor's sitting room balcony. His mother's orange hair was up in a neat little bun, not a single strand out of place. She sat upright and with her hands placed delicately on top of each other on her crossed knees – the aura of a Queen. The King sat beside her, his back also ramrod straight, arms on the armrests of his chair and legs spread, the epitome of a gladiator, his baby blue hair held behind his head in a clasp. Their brown skin sharply contrasted their royal white attires.

His mother managed a small smile when she noticed him looking, and Shivawn forced a smile back.

"Now Prince Shivawn, to stir the Pegasus, you only have to gently tug the reigns in the direction you want it to go while nudging your horse with your heels. Like this."

Shivawn watched with a bored expression as his trainer gently tugged his reigns and his Pegasus changed direction. He was about to follow suit when he spotted a hedge a few metres in front of him, already cut and snipped down to perfection. His heart rate picked up speed as his mind filled with possibilities. The hedge was about knee-high, which would be a breeze for the Pegasus, and he felt that need to do something reckless rise in him.

He glanced at his parents, and then back at the hedge. If he could accomplish this small feat in one piece, surely his parents would know he was more than capable of taking care of himself?

He licked his lips and changed his stance, leaning over the back of the winged horse and clutching the reigns tightly, ready to fly.

"Prince Shivawn?" the trainer asked tentatively, the barest hint of fear underlying his high pitched, trembling voice.

Shivawn flicked the reigns with full force and his Pegasus neighed loudly, standing briefly on its hind feet, before galloping into a full run.

"Prince Shivawn!" A set of three voices exclaimed, and he couldn't help the grin that stretched his lips.

The speed of his Pegasus sent his hair flying behind his head, the breeze like a beautiful caress to his face. He shared the excitement of the winged horse as it galloped towards the hedge like its life depended on it.

This – this was freedom.

He couldn't help the gasp of happiness that slipped past his lips as the horse jumped over the hedge and landed swiftly on the other side, before turning to return to the trainer with a trot. It neighed rather happily and stretched its wings.

As he'd predicted, Shivawn caught sight of his parents already in the field on their own winged horses, his mother on the orange Pegasus that was known to be for her use only, his dad on light blue for the same reason. They'd probably used magic to get down as soon as possible, but their obvious anxiety didn't deter his own happiness one bit. He beamed with pride, feeling so relieved and free.

There was no way they couldn't feel the happiness vibrating from his very soul – no way they couldn't share it with him. But as neared them, their expressions did not change. There was no flicker of amusement or pride or even a hint of approval.

All he could see was anger, disappointment and fear. He sighed, already knowing what was coming.

"Andre, get inside the house and wait for me in the foyer," the King boomed when Shivawn finally came to stop before them.

"Yes, Your Majesty," the trainer replied, bowing slightly, his voice heavy with regret.

Shivawn cringed, knowing his harmless but reckless act would no doubt make the poor man lose his job.

"Are you out of your mind, Shivawn?" Queen Shiera's normally sweet and subtle voice was a few octaves higher. "You could have killed yourself!"

Shivawn's grip on the reigns tightened. "The point here is I didn't, Mother. It was just a tiny hedge –"

"Do not speak to me when I am not done talking to you," she interrupted. Shivawn sealed his lips. "What you did was reckless and pointless and if not for the gods, your poor body would have been mangled. To think what would have happened had you fallen of the Pegasus –"

"But I didn't," Shivawn stressed, and his mother held up a hand to silence him. He once again sealed his lips.

"Shivawn, you are the only heir to Vileria. As your parents, it is our duty to watch over you and make sure you stay on the right track," King Layel spoke, his voice firm with authority. "The right track meaning we keep you from constantly endangering yourself. Such reckless behaviour will not be tolerated. It is behaviour like this that could get you killed. When you can't follow orders or obey simple instructions, bad things are bound to happen. I will get rid of Andre –"

"But it is not his fault!" Shivawn protested.

"Will you stop interrupting, Shivawn," Shiera said, face painted with appalled fury. "What's gotten into you? A prince does not interrupt a position which is higher than him. This is your father and the King, and you will show your respect."

Shivawn pursed his lips rather indignantly and would have crossed his arms just to spite her, but he didn't want another scolding.

"As I was saying," the King continued. "I will get rid of Andre, and you will no longer be riding."

"What?" Shivawn gasped. "You have got to be joking!"

"Do not use that tone on your father, young man! Ugh, you are impossible!" With that, the Queen turned her winged horse away and trotted back to the castle stable, her head held high, posture straight and hands holding the reigns loosely like she had just finished an important business meeting, and not scolding her son for what she personally considered to be attempted suicide.

"My word is final," Layel growled as he followed after his wife. "Return that Pegasus to the stable and retire to your room. One of the servants will alert you of lunch when it is time."

Shivawn watched his parents go, fighting the urge to scream.

If they'd just let him be for once, if they'd just let him show them that he was more than capable of taking care of himself, then maybe they wouldn't be so uptight and so scared that he was going to die because he fell off a damned Pegasus. A Pegasus that wasn't even flying.

He took in deep breaths to calm himself, and then gently flicked the reigns when he was under control, staring at the grass as the Pegasus headed back to the stable. Five servants awaited his presence. Two helped him off the back of the animal, and the remaining three took the Pegasus inside for priming. There were more than a few Pegasus in the stable, all different brilliant colours, only two the same colour.

The two servants flanked the prince and escorted him back into the castle a considerable distance away from him, their heads slightly bowed. Shivawn walked into the foyer of the back entrance, and sat in a chair provided, biting the inside of his cheek as the servants removed his riding boots and replaced them with normal shoes for the house.

He made his way to his room when they were done, the servants scurrying out of the house after his departure like frightened mice. None of them were allowed in this part of the castle because it was considered the family wing. This was where the royal family came to relax when not having a meeting or giving orders. The servants only cleaned and cooked, while butlers were at the ready for use of the King and Queen or their children.

Shivawn walked up the staircase, which curved beautifully against the wall to the next floor and made his way to his room – the last one down the corridor and to the right.

His mind had already left the castle and was at the Waterfall of Arianna on the outskirts of town – his secret pleasure. The place where he lost his inhibitions and became someone else – the place where he could truly let himself be.

"BOO!" a feminine voice screamed at the top of her lungs the minute Shivawn opened the door.

Shivawn rolled his eyes and parted the white netting that hid his bed before sitting on it, kicking off his house shoes and reaching up to undo the buttons on his shirt.

"I could have sworn I was getting better at this," the voice said petulantly, and a young woman appeared in his room out of thin air, floating upside down, her long dark purple hair in two pony tails on her head nearly touching the floor.

"Don't even think about it Shaye," Shivawn grumbled, and he felt a puff of frustration hit his ear just as another woman, identical to the one floating upside down, appeared beside him on the bed.

"You're getting too good at this. Edna and I have actually been practicing, you know. It's ridiculous."

"Not practising hard enough," Shivawn smirked as he took his shirt off and threw it in a corner of the room. The maids would clean it up while he was at lunch. Now dressed in only an inner shirt and his pants and socks, he felt some of the tension drain out of his shoulders.

Edna, the one upside down floating in the air, righted herself and moved to sit on the other side of her baby brother. The twins were identical in every way, from their dark purple hair to the little heart shaped birthmark by their left ankles. They were even the same height. Only one thing differentiated the girls to outsiders – Edna's voice being rougher than Shaye's. This, according to the queen, was because Edna craved attention as a child, and would scream her lungs out for it until her voice grew hoarse. Ignoring her had obviously done no good, and her now permanently hoarse voice was a tribute to that.

"We saw what happened today," Shaye said softly. "We can train you secretly if you like. Riding the Pegasus is a piece of cake."

Shivawn sighed as Edna handed him a plain brown shirt for him to put on. "With the way mother and father watch over me, I doubt you'd succeed."

Edna raised an eyebrow. "You seem to forget your recent escapades to the mermaid waterfall on the outskirts of town."

Shivawn had the grace to blush, and started undoing his pants, not the least bit uncomfortable that he was in the presence of his older siblings. "That's different."

"Whatever you say, baby brother," Edna sighed, and fell back on the bed, her hair spreading out on the mattress.

Shaye followed suit, stretching her hand out to give Shivawn a plain pair of dark trousers.

"It's unfair the way you both are so free to do whatever you want while I'm isolated. I feel like some kind of recluse," Shivawn said as he shrugged his white Capri pants off his legs and then hopped into the dark linen trousers, all the while still seated.

The twins laughed.

"This," Shaye said, and sat up to reach for a lock of Shivawn's pearly white hair. "This is why you have been made a recluse. You know that a –"

"– a Vilerian born with white hair will not live long, is weak, falls sick easily...the list goes on and on," Shivawn recited dryly, standing up to tie the ropes of the linen pants securely around his hips. "But it is merely a myth, and I will prove to mother and father that it's false and I am totally capable of taking care of myself. Gods, I barely even got sick as a child – can they let me live?"

"Good luck with that," Edna snorted. "On that note though, Shaye and I believe you're going to do something great, Shivawn; something absolutely spectacular it'll change Vilerian history!"

"Yeah, I doubt that. With mother and father breathing down my neck, I don't believe I will be able to do anything, talk less of doing something great."

"You just have to believe in yourself," Shaye said in a dramatic voice, which made Edna burst out laughing.

Shivawn climbed further onto the bed and leaned down to place warm kisses on their cheeks. "Come and cover for me," he whispered, and the girls rolled their eyes and sat up.

"You need to practice your magic. Shaye and I tire of helping you escape to your little piece of heaven."

"Tell that to mother and father," Shivawn countered. "A Vilerian like you practicing magic? That's suicide, Shivawn! I trust you to know better," Shivawn said in a mock imitation of his mother's voice, sending the twins into uncontrollable fits of laughter.

He grinned and headed to his wardrobe, bringing out a fine leather bag and stuffing it with necessities. He could already feel the excitement from the freedom he got from being away from the castle running through his veins, making his heart thump a million beats per second.

He was going to the waterfall quite early today. No one would be there at this time, so he might as well take advantage of the solitude. He slipped on his outing shoes to complete his disguise, one were no one outside the castle would be able to recognise him as the prince. Not that they would, anyway. Shivawn was sure even if he was dressed in full princely attire, the people of Vileria would have no idea who he was because of how confined he was to the castle.

It took him a second to realise his sisters had once again pulled the disappearing act.

"Now's really not the time," he said, but he was smiling.

A stifled giggle came from the roof of his bed. If one didn't look hard enough, they wouldn't notice that the place his sister occupied was slightly distorted in the shape of a body.

Shivawn dared not show that he knew. This is going to be easier than I thought.

He pretended to look around his mattress, before abruptly reaching up and grinning in triumph when his hand wrapped firmly over a slender ankle and yanked. Shaye squealed, her body appearing and her dark eyes wide as she levitated for about two seconds before hitting the floor with a dull thud.

"I hate you," she grumbled and stood up to dust her dress. "Imagine Mother seeing me on the floor. She'd have a fit."

"Which would be a great diversion from me for once in my life," Shivawn replied dryly. "Edna, I know you're in a corner somewhere. Please pop out and let's go. I need to enjoy the little solitude I'm going to have when I get to the fountain."

There was a sigh from right beside his ear as Edna appeared.

"You are no fun," she said.

They left the room and Shivawn felt a tingle run along his spine, alerting him that his sisters had made him invisible.

"The spell will last for about an hour so you have to walk fast."

"Noted, thank you," Shivawn replied.

Shivawn had once tried to use the Pegasus to escape, but his ventures had proven unfruitful because the head gardener had immediately caught him before he could leave. The trip to the fountain was a long one, but after many weeks of going there on foot, he'd gotten used to it. For someone that's been secluded all his life, he thought he did quite well.

The three of them finally arrived in the garden, and Shivawn made his way to the castle wall while the twins distracted the head gardener with idle chat.

"What are you two up to?" the man asked suspiciously, his bushy red eyebrows coming so close together they almost resembled a unibrow. His red hair was a wild bush on his head, and he managed to stare down at the twins, despite the princesses being at least two feet taller. Amongst all the servants, the princesses were closest to him, which was why he sometimes treated them like daughters and not royalty.

"Oh nothing!" Edna sing-songed, and Shivawn nearly slapped his forehead. She didn't sound innocent at all. "Did you know the gardenias were about to go bad?"

"My flowers never go bad!" the gardener boomed in an insulted voice.

"Tsk tsk tsk," Shaye said, and pointed a finger at his chest. "Do not yell at your Princesses. We can make you lose your precious job, and your reputation as one of the best royal gardeners will be forever lost."

"My sincere apologies, Your Highness," the gardener said with a dramatic bow, rolling his eyes at them.

"Much better," Edna responded, though she was grinning.

Shivawn shook his head in amusement and quickly made his way to the wall. He waved his fingers a little and a space disappeared. He ran through to the other side, waving his fingers for the wall to re-appear back in place. He'd used the opportunity during his escapades to practice on his magic alone; damn his parents telling him it was dangerous. He was alive so far, wasn't he?

The last two fences were more of a hurdle because they were magic proof, could not be scaled because of their heights and the fact that their faces were as smooth as glass. This had been why Shivawn had wanted to use the Pegasus, but he couldn't risk being caught again. Now that he thought about it, there was no way the servants, and therefore his parents, wouldn't have noticed one of the winged horses was missing.

Shivawn's earlier carelessness finally sank in, and he cursed himself for it. Really, he should have known that no matter what he did, his parents would still think he was an infant and would die from something as small as the prick of a needle. He jogged up to the second fence, making sure he was a good distance away and then closed his eyes, praying to the gods he got this right.

He opened his eyes and he was on the other side.

"Yes!" he gasped and gave a little fist pump. He made sure he was in one piece – the last time he'd done this he'd teleported and forgotten his body from the waist down. There'd been a memorable time he'd stood too close to the fence, and the magic repellent had sent him flying like a kicked ball.

After teleporting past the third and final fence, he was finally on the road leading to the city. To get to the waterfall, he had to go through a tiny busy village, and then through an abandoned forest.

Already, his mood had changed drastically – he was beaming and his heart was racing and he was practically skipping with every other step.

This little escape was the only thing keeping Prince Shivawn from going mental.

"Sleeping around like a common whore, consorting with the servants, outright disobeying orders and acting like a troll with a severed head," the large man who sat on the Adromenean throne was practically screaming at the younger man standing before him.

Prince Darius of Adromena rolled his eyes. He didn't want to talk to his Uncle Valiant. He wanted his father to know what he'd done – not the uncle he didn't give a hoot about.

"Where is father?" he asked.

The huge man's nostrils flared, "Unlike you, he actually has important things to do! Just look at yourself and the way everyone in town –"

Darius stopped listening. Important things to do? Like what? Oh, right. Like attack the Vilerian Kingdom for no just cause. King Valerian of Adromena loved power and had been taking over empires since the dawn of time. When he had stumbled upon the wealthy kingdom of Vileria, his thirst had grown to extreme proportions and he was doing all he could in his power to make the people surrender to him. But for the first time in history, the people he dared try to oppress were fighting back, and this resulted in the massive war going on between the two kingdoms.

Darius didn't care for war. He didn't have the same thirst for power as his father, so he was never invited for meetings or other proceedings. Because he refused to share his father's greed, the man cast him aside like he were some animal's leftovers. Darius would never admit it, even to himself, that he was a loner.

Despite himself, he was desperate for his father's love and attention. His desperation led him to doing increasingly outrageous things, which only awarded him the opposite of what he wanted – his father ignoring his antics and sending him to his uncle for scolding. His precious mother, the only one who gave a shit about him was sick and might never wake up from her coma. Adromeneans couldn't die a normal death – they were immortal; could only die if someone cut off their head and buried it miles away from their body. If that didn't happen, be rest assured that the head would be re-attaching itself back to its body in no time.

When his uncle was done ranting, Darius asked again, "Is father aware of what I did today?"

"Oh he is!" Valiant boomed infuriatingly. "And I am more than happy to let you know that he is not pleased!"

"Is he not?" Darius asked, barely keeping the mockery from his tone. "If he's so displeased, why did he send you?" His damn lapdog, Darius added silently. "Seems to me like he's unbothered." As usual.

"You have the nerve to ask! He does not wish to speak to you. He doesn't even want to see your face," the man spat, and Darius had just about had it.

"Whatever," he said, turning to leave.

"You come back here you insolent brat!"

Darius made a rude gesture at the man, and the Second in Command sputtered, his face probably undoubtedly a sickening red.

Darius practically ran from the throne room, knowing his uncle wouldn't stoop so low to his level as to chase him. In his bedroom, he reached for one of his drawers, bringing out a map and a few other necessities and shoving them into a burlap bag. The bag was light, but felt like it weighed a thousand pounds, thanks to the map within it.

Maybe, Darius thought, with a flicker of longing he'd deny till his last breath. Just maybe this was the solution to having his father finally pay attention to him for once.

He threw the bag over his shoulder and made his way out of the room and to the kitchen.

A few of the servants flinched when they saw him approaching, and quickly averted their eyes away from his face. This was another reason why Darius thought his father didn't want to see him. To put it lightly, he was not what someone would call attractive. Because of the constant wars between Adromena and other kingdoms, many enemies had sought out Darius because they'd assumed – wrongly – that if they got to the prince, perhaps the king would stop.

Instead of the king giving a hoot, Darius was left with a permanently scarred face. In reality, it probably wasn't that bad – but the shape-shifting Adromeneans prided themselves on beauty, and a single scar was considered abhorrent. The few times the King had been in his presence and noticed Darius's scars, he'd snapped at Darius to re-shape his face. Darius didn't think anything his father did could hurt him anymore, but that had been one of the lowest points for him. The comment had nearly broken him, and he'd deliberately started leaving his face that way in the King's presence just to spite the man. He couldn't make friends because of how he looked – people immediately judged him and chose to stay away.

But that was only within the castle walls.

He took an apple from the fruit basket in the kitchen and bit into it, entering the stable from the kitchen's back door. He threw the rest of the unfinished fruit into a random stall and mounted his favourite black horse, tying the burlap sack to the reigns.

The guards knew better than to stop him as he rode past the gates, also quickly averting their gazes. The second he reached the streets, he shape-shifted so that the scars were completely gone and his face was turned into a more appealing version. It was still him, but without the scars and flaws – the ideal him.

Outside the castle, Darius was someone else.

He was loved and wanted by many. Women and men craved his touch in bed while at the same time envying him for it. Outside the castle walls, Darius was important.

He kicked the sides of the horse gently and it sped down the paved streets of the city outside the castle. The sight of the abandoned forest ahead of him made him grin and kick the sides of the horse again, increasing its gallop.

He was a little earlier than usual – he was normally there after lunch – but today he didn't care. He needed the fantasy world where he was actually respected and envied and not the stark reality of his own home. The scent and sound of the water hit his nostrils and ears and he smiled, feeling his heart warm.

The horse slowed to a trot as he approached the mermaid waterfall. The unfamiliar scents of exotic soaps reached his nostrils – even from that distance – and he immediately tugged the reigns to stop his horse. He got off the animal and tied it securely to a tree, before slowly creeping towards the edge of the sparkling water.

His eyes grew wide when he spotted Prince Shivawn in the water, his back to him, washing his pearly white hair under the waterfall, his face tilted upwards towards the falling water. He was humming under his breath and Darius thought that, unlike him, Prince Shivawn was beautiful. His warm brown skin was flawless, and his lustrous white hair reminded Darius of something innocent and pure.

He grinned and picked up a tiny pebble, walking up till he was standing parallel to the other prince.

As he raised his hand to throw, he heard Prince Shivawn sigh. "Don't you dare, Darius."

Darius dropped the stone. "You're no fun, as usual. Your father should make you a watch bird during this war; you'd serve to be very useful."

Shivawn moved away from the pouring waterfall and made to hide his chest, his body from the waist down thankfully hidden underneath the bubbling water, a pretty pink blush staining his brown cheeks.

"Could you please hand me my towel?" Intense, wide violet eyes captured Darius's heart for a fast second, before the Prince shook off the effect.

Darius smirked. "I think I quite like the way you look right now."

Shivawn rolled his eyes. "Please?"

"Such a spoil sport," Darius said and walked to the very expensive leather bag lying by the river. He picked up the lush towel and stretched his hands out towards Shivawn.

Shivawn reached out, and then hesitated. "Could you look away please?"

Darius sighed and turned his face away, listening to the rippling sounds the water made as Shivawn exited it. The towel was snatched away from his hands and he waited until Shivawn said breathlessly, "You may look now."

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Darius turned to find Shivawn completely covered from his chest to his ankles in the plush blue towel, his slender feet poking out of the bottom. He looked really fucking cute.

Darius grinned. "I see you've come to enjoy the luxuries I've given you from the waterfall."

Shivawn's blush deepened. "You gave me nothing."

"If it weren't for me, you would never have stepped foot in it," Darius chuckled.

It was true. Shivawn remembered the first time he'd come to the Waterfall of Arianna. It had been when his mother had put him in the bubble of protection, insisting that he do nothing at all that day but sit in the throne room and stare at the vast emptiness. All his frustration had come bubbling up at that point and he'd felt so suffocated he'd run away from the castle.

He couldn't stay in the little village outside because it was too close to home, so he'd kept running, even through the abandoned forest until he arrived at the beautiful waterfall.

He'd stood on its bank for ages, admiring its beauty, when he was startled by a voice.

"Wanna swim, sexy?"

He'd spun around and there was Prince Darius of Adromena, resting against a tree and smirking at him. Because the Vilerian kingdom was at war with the Adromeneans, the royal family were quite familiar with each other. The royal emblem of the Adromenean kingdom was plastered boldly on Darius's shirt. Shivawn had been stunned at his presence; the descriptions he'd gotten mentioned that Darius resembled something akin to a monster. The man standing before him was a mini-god; lustrous dark hair that fell over his shoulders and dark eyes that had a red tinge, a trait all Adromeneans had because they evolved from a race of people that drank blood. His brown skin was like polished bronze, full lips an alluring shade of pale pink.

Shivawn, terrified because he had never seen or been in a mass of water so large, had shaken his head and made to go back. The outside world was different and scary. He wasn't used to it. His mother's words echoed in his head; you will never survive on your own. You are too weak!

Just as he'd taken a tentative step backwards, he was suddenly shoved forward and landing face down in the sparkling water. He came up spluttering and drenched to the bone. At first, he'd been exhilarated – but then frustration hit him.

"You bloody animal!" he'd yelled, glaring at Darius through the curtain of wet hair plastered to his face. "How would you like it if I pushed you in the water?"

Darius grinned and Shivawn's eyes grew wide when the other prince promptly jumped into the water – clothes, shoes and all, splashing him in the face in the process.

"Does this count, Lily?" Darius grinned, pushing his wet hair away from his face to smirk at Shivawn.

"No, it does not," Shivawn replied indignantly. "And my name is Shivawn, not Lily."

"Your hair reminds me of a white water lily. So I'm going to call you that. Consider it my nickname for you. All good friends have nicknames for each other, correct?"

"We literally just met, you – you – silly cow!" Darius had burst out laughing, to Shivawn's further indignation. "I'd hardly call you a friend, tall less of being a good friend. Silly cow."

And that was how both of the princes more or less became good friends. They'd sat there exchanging insults that bordered on flirting, until the mermaids of the fountain had come to join them. It had been one of the best days of Shivawn's life. Of course, when he'd gotten home, he was scolded and punished, and the next day, two new walls joined the already existing castle wall. For Darius, no one had even noticed he was gone.

"What brings you here this early?" Darius asked, back to the present.

"I could ask you the same," Shivawn replied, picking up a corner of the towel to dry his hair.

Darius shrugged and sat on the rocky bank of the river, picking up a few pebbles. They made a plopping sound as he tossed them into the water. "There was nothing exciting to do, so I came here."

"My mother and father were teaching me how to ride the Pegasus. I decided to make the totally rash and dangerous decision to jump over a tiny hedge. So of course the next most reasonable course of action was to fire my trainer and ban me from ever riding again."

"Okay, first off, Pegasus? Rich bastards," Darius muttered, and Shivawn couldn't help chuckling. "Second, they fired your trainer and banned you from riding? I mean, considering all you've told me about them I shouldn't be surprised, but damn, Shivawn. I am so sorry."

"You don't sound sorry at all."

"You're right. I'm really not."

Shivawn sighed. "Why do I even bother."

"You love me."

"In your wildest dreams."

Darius laughed. Grinning helplessly and clutching his towel to his chest, Shivawn walked over and sat beside the other prince tentatively, feeling a bit self-conscious because he happened to be naked underneath the cloth. What on earth had gotten into him that he decided to bathe naked under the waterfall? He'd never done it before but today, he had been unable to resist – thinking his solitude would last for a decent amount of time.

How wrong he was. Now he wasn't sure how he was going to even wear his clothes with Darius sitting beside him.

Just then, there was a splash, followed by several others, and soon, the river was swarming with mermaids, their dull grey tails gleaming in the water, all their hair a brilliant red, skin as white as paper.

"Prince Darius! Prince Shivawn!" they all called simultaneously, their tails bobbing as they swam towards the young princes.

Darius beamed at them while Shivawn managed a small smile.

"Hello ladies! Looking beautiful as usual," Darius winked, and Shivawn rolled his eyes.

Here comes the flirting, Shivawn thought as the mermaids made their way to the bank, hauling themselves on either side of Darius and purring like kittens.

"Did you do something to your tail, May? It looks shinier than usual," Darius winked, and the mermaid in question turned crimson with a blush, her tail curling shyly behind her while she nodded. "Well it was a good job. The mermen must be going crazy."

"I think I'll leave you guys to it and head back to swim," Shivawn grinned and got up, still clutching his towel.

"I'll help you!" a mermaid giggled and Shivawn clenched his teeth for the pain as the mermaid wrapped a hand around his ankle and her eyes began to glow an eerie white. He felt like he was being electrocuted from the waist down as his legs joined together to form a tail.

He dropped his towel and fell into the water when he was fully changed, laughing happily.

He cupped a bit of the water in his hands and threw it at Darius and the surrounding mermaids, making them all squeal.

"Who's the coward now?" Shivawn laughed, before ducking under the water as Darius threw a pebble at him.

He swam back to the surface, pushing his hair away from his face and laughing heartily.

"Two can play that game!" Darius grinned. "Hit me with it May!"

The mermaid reached out for Darius's leg and in a matter of seconds, he was sprouting a tail too. He jumped into the water and Shivawn yelped excitedly and ducked into the water, swimming as fast as he could away from his chaser. He didn't swim far before arms were wrapping around his waist and tugging him back to the surface.

"Still not fast enough, Lily," Darius growled into his ear, and Shivawn laughed and began to struggle.

"You only caught me because I let you," Shivawn panted back. "Silly cow."

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, Lily," Darius laughed. He was trying to hold on to Shivawn while the latter struggled to get out of his grip, their tails flapping excitedly.

The mermaids sat on the rocky bank, watching them with fond amusement, arms wrapped around their curled tails.

Lunch time neared almost too soon, and Shivawn had to return home before his parents found out he was missing.

"After dinner?" Darius asked as he jumped into his pants, shaking his head and sending water flying everywhere. The mermaids had already departed, turning the princes back to their human form before leaving.

Shivawn raised an arm to protect his face from the flying droplets and grinned, "After dinner."

They lay, side by side, staring at the stars and basking in the moonlight later that night.

The mermaids were splashing around and the music of the night was beautiful. At night, the water shone brightly as if the bottom of the river was lit up with a bright fluorescent light. Animals sang in the trees and the sound of the waterfall was calming in itself.

Darius suddenly sat up and ran to his horse, untying a sack from the horse's reigns. Shivawn sat up and glanced at him curiously when Darius returned and sat beside him. He brought out a piece of paper and set it on Shivawn's lap, grinning expectantly.

Shivawn frowned and then unfolded the piece of paper, his eyes widening when he realized it was a map. He groaned and rolled his eyes when it registered. "Not this again."

"Think about it, Shivawn!" Darius said. "Imagine if the war was gone. Your parents wouldn't have to smother you so much and my dad would finally find something better to do with his time. I mean, come on, do you like the way your people are living? The fact that you're locked up in the castle everyday doesn't give you the opportunity to know what's going on. People are dying, Lily."

Shivawn rubbed his eyes, "The Tourmaline is a myth, Darius. Give it up. I believed you were smarter than that."

Darius reached for the map, "This!" he exclaimed excitedly, pointing at it. "This proves it's real! The map is authentic, you know that."

Shivawn couldn't deny it. The map did look real, its surface glinting like old gold with every movement. But that still didn't prove anything for the prince. A gem rumoured to cause peace where there was war? It was too farfetched – a complete fairytale.

He glanced doubtfully at it. "Do you really believe a rumoured gem is going to solve all our problems, Darius?"

"I've lost so much. I have no choice."

"Give up this silly illusion," Shivawn said with a tired wave of his hand. "The war will end as soon as your father realizes that he can't defeat my kingdom."

"He can," Darius growled. "And he will. He's already taken over so many kingdoms and his empire is large."

"It's not all about brawn," Shivawn spat. "My father has brains. He knows what he is doing. If your father doesn't stop things would look bad for your kingdom."

"Vileria is but a speck on the map my father wants to conquer. Do not underestimate his zeal."

"And do not underestimate my father's need to protect what is his."

The argument was becoming personal and both princes knew, so they simultaneously stopped talking and turned to face the water, rippling with the tails of the mermaids, their excited giggles drifting into their ears at the shore.

Shivawn stood up. "Please forget about this scheme, Darius. I'm more than certain it would not be fruitful."

Darius sighed. "You may be right my precious Lily."

Shivawn rolled his eyes, "I'll see you tomorrow," he smiled. "Have a nice night, Prince Darius."

"You sleep tight, Lily."

Shivawn hid his smile as he made his way back to his castle, his heart, for unknown reasons, fluttering in his chest like a butterfly.

The sound of his room door suddenly bursting open later that night made Shivawn jump up from his bed.

His twin sisters stumbled into his bed, and he could feel their alarm before they even spoke.

"Edna? Shaye? What's wrong? What's happening?" he asked, suddenly wide awake.

"Father sent a surprise attack to the Adromeneans a while ago," they said simultaneously, staring at him worriedly and wringing their slender hands in their laps, purple hair tousled and all over the place, both of them dressed in their nightgowns.

The twins sometimes saw events that have happened in their dreams, and the prince was sure that was what had occurred.

Shivawn frowned. "What has that got to do with me?"

"The attack was placed on their royal castle."

It took a while before it hit him and he stiffened. "Darius," he whispered, his voice less than a tortured whisper.

Tears filled Edna's eyes, "We're sorry baby brother. The dream wasn't clear so we couldn't see who exactly died. We don't know if he's okay."

Shivawn gripped the sheets tightly, feeling his heart stuttering to a halt as his chest heaved with dry sobs. His sisters crawled into the bed and hugged him tightly while he mourned the man he had come to know as his best friend. It wasn't until then he realized exactly how much Darius meant to him. Darius was the fantasy he never knew would come true – he was the very person Shivawn wanted to be – he was free.

He sniffed, "He's alive. I know he is."

The twins said nothing and spent the night with their brother, knowing that he wouldn't want to be alone. The next day, Shivawn went to the waterfall, hope in his chest. Darius didn't come. He went days after that and still, Darius didn't show up. After a while, the waterfall lost meaning to him but he still didn't stop going. He became a robot at home. To the surprise of his parents, he followed orders and never did anything rash – secluding himself in his room when nothing was expected of him.

It was almost two weeks later that Shivawn was asleep when someone fell into his room through his window.

His action was a reflex and as he sat up, the imposter was hanging in the air and grasping at an invisible vice on his neck.

He stepped out of his bed, "Who are you?" It was hard to make out the stranger's face in the darkness of his room.

The imposter coughed and said in a scratchy voice, "Hard to speak when you're strangling me, Lily."

Shivawn's eyes grew wide and he released his magic hold so that Prince Darius fell to the floor. Before Darius could take in a needed breath, Shivawn's entire weight was crashing into him.

"You wretched cretin!" he hissed passionately. "Don't you dare do that to me ever again, Prince Darius or I swear I will hunt your soul and tie it to a tree!"

Darius laughed quietly, "I didn't know you cared so much."

"Just shut up and let me hug you," Shivawn growled, hugging him so tightly like he couldn't believe he was there. "You – you stupid cow. Ugh, I could strangle you."

Darius awkwardly placed a hand on Shivawn's hair and he wouldn't admit it out loud, but he was enjoying the prince's hug a little more than he should be. His heart thudded in an unfamiliar beat in his chest, and his stomach fluttered.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, and his voice was thick with grief when he added, "It was...it was my mother."

Shivawn stiffened and then pulled away to look at him, his dark violet eyes shining in the dim room. He knew what the queen of Adromena meant to her son, and he felt his heart ache for Darius.

It was then that his resolve was strengthened.

He cupped Darius's face in his palms, his eyes hard. "Fuck it. Darius, we're going to find The Tourmaline."