"If you found him you were told to bring him back, not kill him!"
"We didn't kill him, just knocked him out."
"The Queen won't be happy."
"Do I look like I give two shits about what the queen says? She'll be too busy doting on her long-lost son to care anyway."
"You're bitter about that, aren't you?"
"I was supposed to be the ruler, not him."
"He is the prince."
"He's a coward."
"So be it. What happened to the other one?"
"The spy? He's in the dungeons where he'll rot, can't kill him though. Straxer thinks he might be useful."
"I doubt it. You better tell the queen, she'll want to see the prince. Take him to the physician; let's hope he wakes up before she comes back."
"If he does."
Phil woke up with a gasp. His entire body ached. He tried to sit up but a wave of agony shot through him immediately. A pained cry ripped from his throat but it sounded distant and hazy.
"I wouldn't do that again if I were you, it'll hurt." A voice from the other side of the room said with a cruel laugh.
Phil looked down his body at the restraints holding him down. Small rings of orange energy surrounded his body, stopping him from moving. There were smaller bands keeping his arms and legs fastened down. He tested lifting his arm up but as soon as it came into contact with the band a burning sensation shot through his arm. He hissed in pain and jerked his had away only to be stopped by the band. He'd seen this type of magic before, but never experienced it himself.
"Orthia?" Phil asked in surprise, "I thought you were dead."
"Likewise." The figure that had spoken earlier emerged from the corner and into Phil's view. She was taller than he remembered and thinner too. Her once kind eyes had sunken back into her skull and her skin had turned dry and yellow like parchment. These were the symptoms of overuse of magic, something that luckily Phil had been exempt from. There were two types of magic in Solmorta, born and forced. Very few were born with magic however it was a trait that ran in the royal family, it did have its setbacks however because it can only be used in the form given, in Phil's case ice. He was the only one of his immediate family to have been born with magic. Hundreds of years ago, born magic ran in most families but soon it began to disappear, even from the most powerful magic families of all. Phil would probably be the last to carry it, being unable to have children due to his preference of men over women, something his parents had always been ashamed of. Forced magic however, although difficult to master, can take any form the user wants and can be used in many different ways. The problem is that it's like a drug, addictive and destructive. Once you start using it, it is difficult to stop. It gives you a sense of power and invisibility that is difficult to give up and many a King or Queen of Solmorta had found out once they resorted to it after their own magic began to disappear. Born magic was far more powerful but forced was far more dangerous, to both the user and those it was used on.
"Let me go Orthia, you don't need magic to hold me down I won't run away again." Phil spat angrily, the magic continuing to send shocks of pain down his body. The woman scoffed.
"Yeah because I' m stupid enough to believe you. You're a coward, you'll run at the first chance you get and though I wouldn't really mind that the queen will kill me."
Phil paled. Of course, his parents knew he was here but a small part of him had hoped that maybe they hadn't been told. Well if they weren't here then maybe he had a chance to get away before they arrived, he couldn't face seeing them again he just couldn't. They were disappointed in him even before he left what would they be like now that he had betrayed him.
"I can see all of the cogs working in that tiny little mind of yours you know. It's funny to see all the ways you'll try and escape. Don't worry your parents will be here soon, I just need to tell them you've woken up. I bet they'll forgive you, they'll tell you how sorry you are for treating you like they did but they won't mean it. All they want is an heir and since your brother made the admittedly wise decision to abdicate you're the only one left." She sneered. Phil frowned, why did Orthia hate him, so much? He remembered her before he left and she started using magic, she was so nice and understanding. Magic can hurt you and change your appearance but it doesn't turn you cruel, that's something power would bring.
"I swear you didn't used to hate me this much. Well aren't you going to go and get my parents then, seeing as they're going to be so happy to see me?" He snarled in response. If Orthia was going to play bad cop he wasn't going to give in.
"Well you see Philip until your rather untimely return I was first in line for the throne and now you've taken that away from me so I think I'll have a little chat with you." She replied giving him a sickly-sweet smile. Phil let out a snort.
"You can have the throne I don't want it."
"Yeah well that's not how the law works and you can't abdicate considering you're the only child your family has left and I'm merely a nobleman's daughter. I do however want to be Queen and since there is only one way to do that you are going to marry me." Phil looked at the woman in disbelief. He wasn't going to marry her, she must have known that. She knew he was gay there was no way he was going to say yes. What about Dan? Suddenly a wave of nausea swept through Phil. They would have killed Dan when they found him. He was probably dead now, and it was his fault
"Are you fucking mental! There is no way I'm going to marry anybody against my will, and you of all people. You used to be my friend what happened to you?"
"I grew up." She sneered, "Oh and I know the real reason why you won't say yes by the way. You wouldn't want your parents to know you decided to marry a Serultrian now would you. Think of the shame you wound bring upon your family." She said with a smile. Suddenly the binding around his body tightened and he let out a scream of pain.
"Think of what this feels like, think of how much it hurts. Think of how long you can go feeling this sort of pain before it's too much, it's a long time but it happens. Now think of your precious little boyfriend and how much pain he will be in when I use this magic to crush him." She said it so calmly and so clearly it sent shivers down his spine. As suddenly as they had tightened the restraints went slack and Phil let out a long shaky breath. So, Dan was still alive, that was good, but he was in the dungeons, that was bad. If Phil refused Orthia would kill Dan and tell his parents about the whole deal.
Fraternizing with a Serultrian is one crime that was not taken lightly. He was sure that even his own parents would never forgive him, he would be burned. That's what happened to traitors. His hands would be tied with Veteris Cloth (a fabric that prevents the use of magic) and he would be burnt at the stake with all of Perinea watching. But in that case Orthia would become queen when the current monarchs die anyway, being the highest ranking noble in Solmorta. Why did she want to marry him then?
"If you tell my parents about Dan then I'll be executed and you'll be queen anyway, why do you want me to marry you?" He asked, hoarse from screaming.
"So Dan's his name is it, that's interesting. Well Phillip unfortunately as I am not a direct descendant of the royal line I have to wait until your parents die before I can take the crown but if I marry you it will a lot quicker."
"What do you mean?" Phil asked, a lump forming in his throat.
"You've been asleep for longer than you realise my friend. As soon as you arrived back here, a good week ago, your parents stared laying plans to get you coronated, seems like you aren't the only one who doesn't fancy being head of the mad kingdom. Under the leadership of me however I can make this kingdom mean something again, I can make it great. I'll march upon Serultria with all of our armies and we'll claim their weak little kingdom for ourselves. All I must do is get married to you and tomorrow I shall be a Queen. I'm sure you won't mind that much. This liking boys is simply a phase as soon as you get past it you will realise how lucky you are to be with someone like me. We will make such a beautiful couple, everyone shall be in awe of us. Think of what we can achieve together, we can take the eleven kingdoms for ourselves, there is nothing we won't be able to do." She said with a smirk.
"You can think like that but it will never happen, you're having delusions. This is what magic has done to you, it has messed up your mind, can't you see it."
"I can see a new future! I can see what we can become can't you just accept that. I will become the most powerful sorcerer in the world. With your natural powers and my mastered ones there is no monarch that can stand in our way. Together we can destroy them all and return the world to how it used to be. One empire in our control."
"No I won't let you." Phil shouted, struggling in his restraints, wincing as they once again tightened around his arms.
"If you stay no your precious Danny dies and you get burnt and I become Queen, you say yes Dan lives, you live and I become Queen, really which one is the better option."
"But if I say yes I have to lived married to you and I become King." Phil deadpanned.
"You know you really are ungrateful, to anybody else that would be their dream."
Phil looked at Orthia sceptically. Becoming king yes but marrying here. Admittedly when she was a child she had been quite beautiful; long black hair, tanned skin, dark eyes. Now however, the magic had started to destroy her. She looked so much older than her age, magic was going to be the end of her. Suddenly footsteps echoed up the hallway outside.
"Shit that's the queen. Right screw what I said before, say yes and tell her you are getting married or I kill the spy right now." Orthia spat her eyes darkening. Phil struggled against the bands of energy but soon fell back in exhaustion. For the first time in his life he felt utterly helpless. If this was how Dan had felt, then no wonder he ran away. He couldn't lose Dan, it sounded stupid because they had barely even known each other for that long but he didn't want to be responsible for someone who had soon grown to be one of his best fiends (after Hazel of course). Speaking of Hazel what had happened to her? He had been so wrapped up in keeping Dan a secret that he had failed to pay any attention to his best friend. Was she safe? What happened to her? Does she know what happened? He was guessing the whole village did by now. Soldiers hardly ever turn up, let alone to arrest people. And oh, his little florists. It had probably been burnt to the ground by now, he couldn't believe he'd been so happy to leave it when Dan offered to take him over the border. He had no idea how much he' miss it when he was gone. He wished they had made that decision a day earlier though, then they would have left in time at least. He didn't even know how the guards had found out about him. Was it Lord Waters? Had he recognised Ethel's branding? No, he had seemed so nice. Anyway, what had happened to Ethel, to his dogs? He hoped to high heaven they were being cared for and they were ok. Maybe they would have gone to Hazel, they were smarter than they looked.
"Are you going to make your decision or do I need to send a note to the executioner?" Orthia said impatiently as the footsteps continued to approach the door.
"Yes, okay I will marry you just please don't hurt Dan please." He cried as the door opened.
"Recurtio." Orthia hissed. His restraints disappeared and Phil stretched his arms out testingly.
The Queen strode in and quickly rushed to her son's side.
"You're awake." She said in surprise, "Orthia why didn't you tell me."
"I'm sorry ma'am he only just woke. We have had a good talk though, you'll never guess what he has agreed to."
C