Rewriting His Past

Beginning Anew

"How do we begin?" Prince Obsidian sat across from them, in the same spot where his mother had once served Dusk tea. Cleaning became quick work with magic. Dusk lifted the pot of tea that Micah was serving this time, something he insisted on after he won the battle to brew the cup. Dusk had nothing to do with that battle of wills between brothers. Though physically and mentally spent, he was actually eager to put this behind him and move on with his life. One with Word and his mates Pyrite and Micah, whom Dusk was happy to have snuggled up on his lap in his owl form.

"Let us work backwards and start at the end." Even to his own ears, according to Dusk, his voice sounded firm but tired all the same. What mattered most was that he shared those feelings as well. Tired but firm.

"Mother's been unable to manage her illness." Prince Obsidian said he crossed one leg over another, which looked crass when most did the same thing, but looks graceful now that he interlocked his fingers over his knee. A family characteristic, though Dusk thought Micah did it better. He felt that he would never be able to have the grace with which he drank his tea. Pyrite put forth his best effort. Dusk smiled at him over his cup and received a toothy smile in return, but he could never be seen as graceful or elegant.

"She had megalomania, which is a disease that causes an obsession with power." With a whisper, Micah put down his cup, and the room went silent.

"Do I have this right—it sounds like most aristocrats?" Prince Obsidian said his smiles were cool and indifferent. "For her, it was an activity that has had an impact on her since childhood. Of course, there is no evidence to support our father's death from it."

"A person's greed consumes everything around them and within them." Dia spoke up, where she lay wrapped around the couch where he and his two mates sat. With the assumption that she would be as ravenous as her son, who was fast asleep on his lap, Dusk picked up a sandwich from the tray and handed it to her. "Her father was no better."

"Yes, our continued unaffectedness is a testament to the grace of our ancestors." Prince Obsidian gave a nod in Dia's direction as she gently bit into the sandwich.

"When did you decide to make the accession?" Dusk said, quick to pick up on where it was going.

"After my return from the elves' visit, it was scheduled to occur." Raising his hand, Prince Obsidian made a tea cup float to him as he spoke. "Then you showed up, and everything changed drastically."

"For one obsessed with power, a blood mage who bonded with the child of mine. To resist would be impossible." Speaking, Dia nuzzled Word with her nose.

"That makes sense, but Miss Aimee—what about her?" Dusk said, putting down his tea cup.

"Ya seem to be handling this well." Reaching out, Pyrite stroked his shoulder. Dusk turned and grabbed the hand that touched him, giving it a tight squeeze.

"You are aware of the lady who gave birth to me. Should she have the same illness, I would not be shocked." Dusk said, and Pyrite winced because, although he did not hold it against Pyrite, he would have found it easy to forget that fact. Even though she had scared him when they had first met, he probably had the best mother out of the three. To characterize this as an illness was unjust to those who suffered from their actions. Disregarding the fact that each of their mothers was personality-motivated by avarice or the need to defend whatever beliefs they held, he would say anything to comfort Micah.

"That it doesn't, and I fear Miss Aimee had mental health problems of her own." Prince Obsidian shook his head and spoke. "Something that her parents pushed for out of personal greed."

"She gained nothing by making a bond with the fire dragons." Micah said it in a quiet whisper, his voice genuinely sad. He was tucked under Pyrite's arm.

"Hers was a twisted heart by choice; you cannot control everyone's feelings. We would have many more fires than we do now if everyone decided to become obsessive." Dusk nodded in agreement, sensing that Dia had struck at the core of the matter.

"Micah, she is right." Dusk said, bending to take a close look at Micah. "Do not allow this occasion to ruin you. Your brightness is too great for that to occur." With a frown, Dusk wondered if what he had said had made a difference. "Not that it would lessen how much I like you." He added more, but, in his opinion, it still sounded off.

"I know what you mean." Micah raised his head, and that familiar glow that he had come to associate with his very being flared in his blue eyes.

"Might I ask what your current plans are? Even though I really enjoy it and find this all to be very sweet, my time is limited." With his arms folded across his chest and a look of amusement on his face, Prince Obsidian asked in a tone that was both happy and reprimanding. "From now on, I will handle Miss Aimee directly; she is not dead, but she is very close to it; her family has been exiled."

"Now that I have taken away her magic, the task is much easier." With a flick of her tail around Dusk's feet, Dia spoke.

"I was considering giving up on school." Wincing at the loss of his invested funds, Dusk stated that he believed it was necessary.

"Dusk!" To Dusk's surprise, Pyrite was the first to disagree. "You ought to get educated."

Dusk said, turning away, "Dia offered her lessons, and I do not think I will get along with that elf." Dusk's chest ached just thinking about him—the bitterness of distaste. "In addition, I am sure to gain popularity after this, and I do not think I could handle that with any kind of grace." Dusk stated, adding in silence that he would not wish to.

Not that you would wish to, anyway. Placing his hand on Pyrite's chest, Micah spoke. "A private tutor can be arranged."

"Obviously, I am happy that you want to stay in this country." Saying so, Prince Obsidian clapped his hands. "If you had wanted to go, I would not have blamed you."

"I am done running," Dusk muttered as he shook his head. "Besides, I have two reasons to stay—three, actually three." Looking down at Word, he smiled, and he turned that smile to his mates. "Unless you wish to leave?"

"NO!" Pyrite and Micah spoke together, coming together in a yell, before the three of them looked at each other and shared a small laugh. Not because it was humorous, but rather because it made them feel completely relieved of their tension.

"Anyway, we need to build a home on the land we own." Dusk declared that he could not see any justification for declining the offer made to him by the current or former queen. "Or if that land or house does not work for you, we could sell it and buy another?"

"There is no reason to trust the property or what they left behind it, so I would say demolish it and start over." With a thought-filled wrinkle on his nose, Pyrite made a new face that Dusk found rather odd but endearing on Pyrite. If one could describe such a manly man as cute.

"Building from scratch would be hard, but getting land in the capital is harder." Micah said, giving a thoughtful tap of his lip.

After a long silence, Dia finally said, "I could help with that. That would be a fantastic learning opportunity for my two sons."

"Two sons?" With his head tilted to one side, Prince Obsidian questioned.

"I have decided to adopt Dusk." Dia nodded, giving him a sideways glance. "He needs looking after." Dusk sighed, not particularly troubled by her independent decision.

"Well done." Without missing a beat, Prince Obsidian spoke.

"I appreciate it," Dia said with a proud lift of her head. In a sense, he was fortunate. He felt as though he was genuinely blessed with a light that he did not want to dissipate.

"To commemorate this milestone and as a gift for the mating ceremony, I will gift you any needed supplies to remake or rebuild the former Thyst house," declared Prince Obsidian as he stood up.

"Are you leaving, brother?" Micah said, uncurling from Pyrite's arm, to stand with his brother.

"I have a lot on my plate, including organizing an accession and planning a ceremony." Reaching out to grab Micah by the shoulders, Prince Obsidian spoke. "Take some time and bond with your mates. I will handle everything else." Micah turned a pale pink when his brother kissed his checks.

"Would you please join me, Dia? That would make the transaction easier." Turning to face Dia, Prince Obsidian bowed.

"I ignored you for the last few decades, and look what happened, so it is best to see this done right this time." Dia extended her front limbs and curved her back. Using her magic to capture Word, she nestled him in her fur. Dusk hands hovered where he was, unsure what to do with them for a moment. "To give you some alone time, I will take this little one with me for the time being."

"Thanks Dia!" With a beaming face, Pyrite pulled a stunned Dusk onto his lap. "I pledge to make the most of the time."

"Out of the three of you, I'm sure you will." Laughing, Dia pushed the country's soon-to-be king out of the room. Leaving them alone and safe for the first time in what felt like days.