Worthless, Pathetic, weak.... all these words rang in the young prince's head as he tried to focus on his lessons.  His mother's Voice was constantly ringing in his head.  Even when she wasn't there physically, she was judging him.  No matter how hard he tried for her approval, it would never be enough.  He glanced from his bow that he was supposed to be concentrating on, his hazel eyes meeting the annoyed look of his teacher.  

"why must I kill him?" He asked the teacher, a hint of a whine in his voice. "It's not like he is a threat to the Kingdom..." The young Prince added.  

The teacher let out a long and frustrated sigh before bending down to the Prince's level.  The bright blue eyes met the young boy's. varying degrees of frustration were buzzing from all over the man's mind, but the Prince tried to show no signs of his knowledge of it.

"Because Prince Riagán , your Mother demands I teach you to shed the blood of those who she feels are deserving of it.

Eyes closed, and head bowed, the young Prince turned to face his target, and aimed.  Right eye.  The pressure from the bow released, and he closed his eyes once more.  That familiar sickening thunk as his Arrow claimed it's place made his stomach Churn.  He dropped the bow and turned away, not even looking at what he had done.  He knew he had hit his mark.  Feeling suddenly ill, he covered his mouth, running behind the nearest cart he could find, and released the contents of his stomach onto the ground.  He heard his Mother's voice again, and looked up to see the man he had shot through the eye.  His teacher approached him, and leaned down to whisper to the Prince. 

"You are Prince Riagán Aran." He said in a stern voice. "Son of the most feared Queen in all the Kingdoms of Alfheim.  You do NOT get sick after a Kill, you Celebrate the fact that the man who dared to touch your Mother's dress hem is Dead!"  

Riagán  Groaned, and covered his mouth.  His eyes closed again.  The moment they closed his teacher grabbed his shoulders roughly.  His eyes shot open, and a low growl rumbled in his chest.  His eyes narrowed on the man, who shrank away with Fear.  He knew better than to touch the Prince without permission.  No one was allowed to touch the Prince in any manner, not even his own Father.  OH his Father, what he wouldn't give to see and speak with him right now.  His travels wouldn't return him for another month, and he was stuck with his Mother, and this man to teach him all he was supposed to learn.

"I- I'm sorry My Prince, I lost my head, please lets just keep this between us.  I won't tell your mother about you becoming sick, and you don't have to tell her about this...." The man fell to his knees, begging for his life.

"I won't get sick this time..." He spoke in a cold and emotionless voice, his facial features turning dark as he reached out to stroke the Teacher's Cheek.  The man's skin boiled from the inside out, blood filling his mouth only to be sprayed as he coughed.  The warm liquid covered the child's face as he continued to cook the man's insides.  A small smile formed as he watched the man fall to the ground, choking on his own blood as the light flickered from his eyes.  Bright Blue turned to a near white before filling with blood and exploding from the heat.  The young Prince jumped back as they exploded, a look of disgust returning life to his stony features. He wiped the liquid from his face, and did the best he could with his clothes. "Now Mother will never have to know..." He said Happily before picking up his bow, and skipping off to return home, and tell his mother about his lessons.  He would need a new teacher though.

By the time he reached the Castle, he could tell word had spread about his little problem in the market during his lessons.  The way people looked at him you would never guess they knew anything, they knew better than to show anything other than fear with his family.  Sideways glances and hidden smirks were the closest they would show outside.  ON their minds though, that was another story entirely.  There was no hiding of the internal laughter at his humiliation.  He couldn't blame them though, his mother had been right all along.  He was weak.  He was not worthy of his title.  All pride in himself had vanished by the time he reached his Mother's Study.  He paused, pressing himself against the wall as he heard his Mother inside.  A man was speaking to her, but he wasn't his Father.

"He IS only a child.  Did you really expect to have him handle an execution well?" The man's voice said Clearly, but kindly.

"He is My Son.  He is supposed to be Ruthless!" His Mother Growled.  Riagán Jumped slightly as he heard something crash.  His mother had thrown something.  Silence fell soon after, and he knew he had been heard.

Heart pounding in time with his feet, the young Riagán ran towards his favorite hiding spot.  The only place he felt safe.   The heavy wooden door of his Father's Library creaked as it opened, and the small boy scampered into the room, falling to his hands and knees as the heavy door slammed shut behind him. He knew he was going to be punished, and he had to hide before she found him.  If her anger was lessened when he was caught the punishment might be a bearable pain.  

Crawling in the dark, he found the spot he needed.  a small hole in the books where the shelves met, and no books were held.  His own personal hiding place. Many nights had been spent in this small hole, hiding from everything he didn't want to face.  His journal  was waiting for him, along with the strange writing device the man who had visited his room had given him.

"Write down every detail..." He repeated the man's word in a whisper. "No matter how little." He finished, beginning to write down the day's events. "If it's a day you wish to visit again, or one you want to forget, write it down."  Was the last part of the strange man's words.

So that is exactly what he did.

2018479.500000

I saw you today.  In the Crowd, hiding behind one of the villiagers, But I know it was you.  Somehow I always know, no matter what face you wear.  I killed a man, two actually.  One was forced, and the other... I wanted to.  He made me angry, this dark feeling grew inside of me, and it scared me.  I have never felt anything like it before.  The eyes.  Both times it was the eyes that got to me.  Mother specifically ordered that I shoot the man through the right Eye in the middle of the market to set an example for the men that try and view her as... I can't remember the word she used, but it was something I didn't understand.  I got smacked when I asked what she meant, and told not to be such a stupid Child.

She does that a lot.  I am beginning to think she is right, maybe I should have joined the others and been killed for being imperfect.  Why did I have to kill my Teacher?  All he did was touch me, it was a threatening touch,that was why I became so upset.  If he had tried to comfort me would I have killed him for being too kind?  I doubt I could. I need to speak with Father.  He would know.  You would know too.  Why will you never come and talk to me?  I always have to write down my life, but I never know when you will come to read what I've written to you.  Will you return when the book is finished?  Will you stay and tell me who you are?  I want to know.

Setting the writing device down, and closing his book with a heavy sigh, he leaned back against the wall, and looked out at his Father's study.  The room was dark, and the only sounds that could be heard were through the muffled door.  He knew they were looking for him, but no one would search in here with the King gone, no one would dare.

Someone approached the door, and he held his breath as the sound of the handle clicking just out of place hit his pointed ears.  His eyes closed tightly, wishing them away.  the door never opened, and the voices continued down the hall.  the prince breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed against the wall.  He was safe for at least the night.  His mother would drink, and he would sneak into his room early before she woke.  She would summon for him, and the punishment would begin.  Right now though.... Right now he would sleep.  He would need his rest for whatever his mother had in mind for him.

His eyes became heavy, and he began to drift off to sleep, dreaming of the dark haired man that he was waiting to see again.  The man with dark hair, and eyes that matched his own.  The man had refused to say exactly who he was,but he wouldn't deny being a relative, or a member of The Family.  Ba'al had been the name he'd been given.