Swan Prince

The Swan Prince

By: Delilah deSora

Chapter 2



**



Kent sighed as servants tugged and pulled upon the clothes they dressed him in. He met his own gaze in the expensive mirror. He studied his image as he did at the start of all of his birthdays, eyes scanning over every bit of his reflection, looking for any change at all. His hair was still as snowy white as it had been the year before and his eyes just as grey. Dull coloring perhaps but he did not mind.



His face had lost its roundness and he was pleased with the angles that were forming. His body was still painfully thin but his shoulders were wide and he was tall, things that promised a period of filling in yet to come. This pleased him.



He caught a familiar figure in the mirror and he turned towards the man, smiling brightly.



“Ryhan!” He exclaimed holding out his hands in greeting.



Grey eyes, so like his own, were warm as his tutor took his hands and gave them a gentle squeeze. A kiss was pressed to his forehead before the man stepped back.

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“Happy birthday, my Prince.” The man replied.



Kent laughed and shook his head. “Your presence makes it happy, Ryhan. I looked for you when I returned but father said that you were busy. Gone for two years and then you are too busy for me upon my return? I felt neglected!”



Ryhan smiled. “I have given you three years of my life, my Prince. Surely you can forgive me a day to fulfill a duty to our King.”



Kent pretended to think it over before nodding graciously. “I suppose, as long as you promise to be at my side this day.”



Ryhan winced slightly. “I cannot, my Prince. My duty is still unfinished. There is something I must oversee.”



Kent frowned. “But who will I talk to? Who will remind me to smile and to laugh at the jokes even if they’re crude and completely unfunny? You know I hate these things! I hate the false cheer and lying words of friendship. I know that these people could care less that I am all of fifteen today! All they care about is my father. You, the only one I can count a friend, would you leave me alone on this day?”



The grey eyed man shook his head. “I am not your friend, my Prince. I am your tutor. You’re supposed to hate me more than anyone else in the castle!”



Kent laughed. “I could not hate you, Ryhan. You are a strict task master but I know it’s only to give me the edge I need. I truly wish you would be there for me.”



Ryhan reached out and touched his charge’s cheek. “Forgive me this absence. It will just be a bit of pain before a most wonderful thing, I swear it. After tonight you’ll never have to be lonely again, I promise.”



Kent sighed heavily. “As you like. How could I not forgive you? You are my only friend here.”



Ryhan shook his head, his face serious. “Let such thoughts go, my Prince. There is no place for them here and certainly not on this day. You have traveled long and only just arrived you. You will be exhausted by the end of the day and do not need such thoughts to overwhelm you.”



Kent nodded. “I will try.”



Ryhan kissed his forehead again. “I must go now but I will see you later on tonight. Hold your head high until then.”



“I will.” Kent promised.



His tutor smiled and bowed before slipping away. He sighed, feeling a great emptiness within him. He remembered the other man’s words and forced the feelings down. He had survived two years without his only friend’s presence, he could wait a day to bask in his easy attention and tell him of all he’d seen and learned.



The celebration filled the halls with revelers and Kent obediently followed his father from ballroom to ballroom, greeting those who came to present themselves to his father. He accepted gifts he had no use for from kings and dukes alike, watching as the titles and gold was carried away and knowing that he would never see them again.



He felt painfully lonely as he sat beside his father, his eyes scanning the crowd for Ryhan’s presence. The man rarely came to court and even when he did he would always dissolve into the crowd, stating that he was not high enough born to be there. Even in the shadows, though, he could not find the man.



Eyes downcast he let the revelry go on without him.



**



The night finally died out around them and though Kent was nearly dead on his feet he came to his father’s call and thanked the servant that handed him a warm cup of tea in the expansive office. He caught the grimace that crossed his father’s face and bit his tongue, reminding himself of Ryhan’s training.



“I too have a gift for you.” His father stated.



Kent looked up wearily expected yet another horse or perhaps a new sword to replace the one that he had outgrown. Instead his father gestured towards the servant who waited patiently at the door. The servant opened the door, beckoning someone forward. Kent sat up straight as Ryhan entered and bowed before his father before stepping aside and allowing another to enter.



The boy was small and thin though Kent could see that his body was also in the process of forming into a man’s. Long hair, so white it was blue-tinted, hung past his shoulders, framing a triangular face. The boy glanced at him for a moment, bright blue eyes taking him in before quickly returning to the floor. Kent frowned as his father gestured towards the boy.



“This then is my present to you. You are becoming a man and a man often has things he is not comfortable telling his father. However, I also know that the solitary life that a prince such as yourself must live does not allow you someone with whom to do that.”



“I have Ryhan!” Kent exclaimed, confused by his father’s words.



The King shook his head. “I know that, up until now, you have confided in Ryhan but that must stop. Ryhan’s loyalty is not to you, for it is to me. You may not see this as a problem but you must be wary, Kent. The world is full of people who would try to be your friend, your confidant, only to turn upon you. We are still human, though, and cannot be expected to keep all of our fears and frustrations to ourselves. We would soon lose all ability to function. That is the reason for this gift.”



Ryhan stepped forward and Kent turned his attention to his tutor who reached up and placed a hand upon the boy’s shoulder, urging him with a touch. The boy turned and Kent stiffened as he approached. Small hands caught the fabric of his pants as he sat, the very picture of elegance, on the edge of the divan beside him. There was a distance between them but Kent still felt suddenly crowded.



Ryhan was came before him and he watched as the man knelt at his feet, taking his hands in his own. “My Prince, I know that you are tired and this day has been long. I also know that this must seem very strange to you but I ask you to approach it with an open mind. Odel has worked very hard to learn all I have had to teach him and I have spent two years to make him ready for you. Do not make him sad by dismissing him off hand. He has had a very trying birthday today as well, haven’t you Odel?”



The boy next to him smiled shyly and dipped his head. “It has been,” he paused to consider his next word, “busy, sir.”’



Ryhan laughed and patted Kent’s hands, turning his attention back to him. “It is a late and you both have had a very busy beginning to your sixteenth year. You should rest and I will see you in the morning, bright and early, yes?”



Kent forced a smile. “Alright.”



He rose and begged leave from his father, who acquiesced, biding him a good night. The boy, Odel, he reminded himself, rose as well and followed him. Kent frowned in confusion as Odel trailed him down to his rooms and even into them. Once in his common room he turned, prepared to demand what the other boy was doing when he noticed Ryhan behind him. His tutor led Odel to a room that had once housed his nurse and, when the door was opened, he was surprised to see that the room had been redone. He waited in the sitting room while Ryhan showed the boy about the room, pointing out things while Odel nodded his understanding. Finally his tutor congratulated the boy on his actions and left, pulling the door closed behind him.



Kent watched the man approach with jealous eyes. “Why is he here?” He demanded.



Ryhan smiled. “Because he is your companion, my Prince. He will always be with you. You will share classes and ride together. You will take your meals communally and when you go to court he will trail in your shadow. Why the frown,” Ryhan asked, tilting his charge’s face upwards, “did you not say that you wished for a friend so that you did not have to suffer through such gatherings alone?”



“But I do not even know him!” Kent protested.



“I know but you will. Give him a chance, my Prince. He was hand selected for you and I have done my best to train him to be a good companion. He is very meek so do not frighten him. If you give him a chance he’ll be your friend. He’s been alone these last two years, as you have, with no one to care for him. Like you he is lonely. You are of the same age but you know this place and he has never been away from his home. That makes you his senior, so you should do your best to make him feel comfortable here.”



Kent sighed. “I do not like this but . . . I will try.”



Ryhan smiled and squeezed his shoulder affectionately. “Good. I’ll leave you to your sleep then and see you in the morning. I have requested that breakfast be brought to the solar by the east garden. The servants will tell you when.”



Kent nodded. Ryhan took his leave and Kent retreated to his rooms to change out of the stiff court clothes. When he went back to the sitting room he was surprised to find the boy peering out the window, the cooling fall breeze making his hair twist behind his shoulders. Kent watched him, wondering idly if he would try to escape but all the boy did was smile and step back, closing the window against the cold air. He turned and Kent saw blue eyes widen in surprise when he noticed that he wasn’t alone.



Odel stepped away from the window and an uncomfortable silence grew between them. Suddenly Odel stepped forward. “Is there something you want?” He asked, “I . . . Ryhan taught me how to make a few things he said you liked.”



Kent winced at the familiarity in Odel’s voice when speaking of his tutor. “No,” he replied, “I’m fine. Is there something you need? I thought you would be asleep by now.”



Odel shook his head. “I am only awake because you are.”



Kent frowned. “I don’t understand.”



Small hands clasped in front of the nightshirt and pants that the boy wore. “I’m only to sleep when you do and when you are awake I am to be awake . . . in case you need me.”



“Oh. Well I do not need you right now. I just need some time to relax before going to bed. You can go to sleep if you like. I promise I’ll be asleep soon.” Kent replied as he sat down upon one of the couches.



Odel, to his surprise, came to his side. “Is there anything I can do to help you relax?”



Kent grit his teeth. “Not right now. I don’t know you and frankly I don’t think anything you do will help me relax right now. Just leave me alone, please.”



The blue haired boy bowed slightly, wished him a good night, and returned to his room. Kent watched the light from under the door dim and then disappear as Odel worked the expensive oil lamp. He sighed and drew his feet up underneath him, listening to the silence of the room. For a fleeting moment he had wished that the boy had staid but he pushed the thought off. He was confused over his feelings about the boy. He knew that his father was trying to be kind but it seemed a betrayal. Why couldn’t he have been left with Ryhan?



A twinge of pain in his temple made him see stars and he winced, rubbing at the spot. He rose on unsteady feet and went to his room but pain drove him to his knees next to the bed. He bit his lip to keep from crying out.



The forest. Go to it.



Kent peeled open his eyes, staring into the dark room. “No.” He hissed.



There was another sliver of pain and he cursed under his breath, fighting back the nausea.



I will make the pain go away, I will make your life bearable.



“No, Atol!” Kent shouted out as loud as he dared. “Leave me be!”



He felt the sorcerer’s presence in his mind hesitate, as though considering his words. Why do you fight me, princeling? Have I not ever smoothed your way? I take your pain, your anger. I am the only friend you have.



“Its wrong!” Kent insisted, “What you do is wrong! Leave me alone! Leave this place alone! Father does not want you here . . .”



There was a deep laugh that sent his mind reeling as it jarred his senses and made sparks of pain flicker through his consciousness. Your father has never wanted me here. He has tried for years to separate us but I will not allow it. We belong to each other, princeling. What is yours is mine and I will not be denied it. Not by that man. It was his sin that brought me to this place and I will not disappear into the dark just to assuage his guilt.



“Leave me!” Kent demanded, struggling to his feet.



As you wish but you will go to the forest, princeling. You have been away far too long.



Atol released him and Kent fell upon the bed.



**



The light in the solar was impossibly bright and Kent had to shield his eyes from the late morning sun. Odel sat across from him, drinking tea from cups bearing his father’s crest and eating off of plates reserved for only royalty. At their side, drinking frogulagular plates bearing no crests or gold filigree, Ryhan sat, lecturing them on one of the more distant kingdoms brought under control less than a hundred years before. Apparently this was the kingdom where Odel had come from and occasionally the boy would answer a question put to him or elaborate on a piece of history.



His voice was always soft and he hung on Ryhan’s words as though they were decrees from the gods. Occasionally Kent noticed him repeating words to himself, as though trying to commit them to memory. When Ryhan asked him of his observations while traveling through that bit of land he found Odatchatching him with the same intensity, head cocked slightly to the side as he absorbed his words.



Kent found it intimidating at first but when their talk turned to more opinion-based matters he found it rather endearing for Odel appeared to truly want to hear what he had to say. In these matters Odel seemed to wish to defer to the two of them but after receiving a rap on the wrist from Ryhan’s spoon and receiving a lecture in speaking his mind when asked he to joined the discussion.



It became evident to Kent that Odel had obviously not been trained in political matters for, though well thought out, his opinions on matters showed no knowledge of how things truly worked or the financial impossibility of certain things. Ryhan was patient with him, explaining why this or that wasn’t feasible and though Odel was quick to retract his opinions Kent could tell that he was ill used to formulating new opinions based on his new knowledge. When asked what he thought again he would simply restate what he had been told. He seemed confused when Ryhan pressed him to form new opinions based on what he’d learned, not to simply parrot someone else’s thoughts and finally the grey-eyed man laughed and patted his hand, promising him that he would learn.



Ryhan then devised a game between them, asking first one then the other questions. Kent won easily and felt a bit bad about it but Odel’s face shined happily as he congratulated him. He declared himself ‘very stupid’ when Kent inquired about his happiness and was glad to have someone smarter than he with whom to help him at Ryhan’s “tasks” as he called it. When Kent had tried to sooth him, telling him that he did not find him stupid Odel simply shrugged and told him that he did not mind.



“We are all placed upon the world to do something. How could the world be as it is if everyone were smart? Who then would bake the bread or sweep the halls if everyone was always seeking out new knowledge or arguing over their opinions.”



“What then are you good at?” Kent asked curiously.



Odel had thought long and hard before finally shrugging. “I do not know,” he admitted, “there is no one thing I am good at.”



“But what did you do at home? Surely you had a duty.”



At this Odel’s bright face seemed to lose a bit of its happiness. “I took care of things,” he replied, “Mostly my younger brothers and sisters. I did not have a duty handed down from my father but I often helped the nurse with my siblings. When I wasn’t needed I would go to the kennel or to my father’s ranch and care for the animals. I loved taking care of the chicks most of all. I would wait and wait for days while the hens or the geese sat upon their eggs until they would hatch and the whole yard would be filled with their chirp, chirp, chirping. When the herders would take the hens to be checked for disease I would gather up their chicks and let them play among my robes while they called for their mother.”



“Do you miss them?” Kent asked softly.



Odel nodded sadly. “Yes.”



“It must be horrible to be stuck here. I wish there was something I could do.”



Odel’s smile returned as he shook his head. “I do not mind it. By being here I . . .”



Kent noticed the sharp movement their tutor made and he frowned slightly as Odel’s mouth snapped shut. Blue eyes fixed on the plate before him but before Kent could comment Odel looked up.



“I do not mind it.” He said firmly.



The conviction made Kent smile. “I’m afraid you will be very bored. My life is made up of all learning and sociality. There is nothing for you to do here. It seems a waste to force you to learn things you will never need to know.”



Odel smiled slightly, suddenly looking much older than he had when he was all wide eyes and curiosity during Ryhan’s lecture. “I need to know it so that, when you need me, I will know what you are talking about and can take care of your problem without you having to waste time teaching it to me.”



Kent frowned. “So you say you are here to take care of me, as you did your younger siblings and chickens?”



Odel laughed. “No. I am here to take care of you as Ryhan has taught me and as I have taken care of my oldest brother. He was much like you, though you seem calmer than he. Often he would return from a night at court angry and frustrated. I would sit with him and play music if he was in no mood to talk or, if he was, I would listen as he railed against everything that had brought him to frustration. You are old enough to know your own way, you do not need me to . . . herd you, as it were.”



Kent nodded thoughtfully. “I must admit, I do not yet know what I think about all of this,” he admitted, “It is true that sometimes I feel lonely and my emotions build but, and please understand when I say this that I harbor no ill will towards you, I do not know you and I have been too well trained to speak my mind to a stranger.”



Odel smiled. “Do as you need. I will do my best to stay quiet and out of your way. Speak to me.” <>
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Kent sighed and peered down at his plate. Beside him Ryhan stood and he turned towards the man. “That is all for my lesson this morning. My only assignment for you is to walk to the rose garden and back. Afterwards you may do as you please before your riding and weapon’s lesson.”



He bowed and was gone. Kent froze, suddenly alone with the other boy. Odel stood and walked to one of the many glass panes set into the walls of the salon. “Is it very far?” He asked, reaching out to touch the glass.



Kent gathered his courage and stood. “No. I suppose we should get it over with before the ladies take their lunches out among the garden. On a day like today it is nearly impossible to make your way between all of their servants and food!”



Odel smiled brightly. “It is the same where I come from. Everyone would go out to eat among the flowers and let the sun warm them. Winter is harsh in my land and the castles and stone homes tend to keep the memory of the cold within them and even in summer one can become chilled.”



Kent held open the door and Odel stepped passed him. Together they walked down into the courtyard and Kent directed his companion to the cobblestone path that would lead them to their destination. Kent asked about Odel’s siblings, curious about them for he had no siblings of his own to play with. Odel laughed when he claimed that he could never possibly imagine having a serious dinner with so many people crammed at one table and Odel had provided him with antic dotes about goings on that his father would never approve of. Odel was explaining to him how to properly flick the wrist to allow food to be slingshot across the table when they came upon the arboretum.



Kent could tell that his companion was immediately in love with the place for his face brightened and he moved from one plant to another, lamenting at the falling petals and delicate blossoms that fell apart at his touch. Kent promised him that it was all right, they would bloom again in the spring and it seemed to cheer the boy. Together they moved through the marble structures and Kent found pleasure in pointing out this or that variety and what he knew of them.



He was explaining how one particular rose figured into one of Lohara’s myths when a gentle hand touched his arm. He looked up in surprise to find his companion’s gazed fixed on the pond that sparkled in the noon sun. “Can we go there?” Odel asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.



Kent shrugged and to his surprise the boy laughed and tugged at his arm, coaxing him into a run down the slope to the water’s edge. Odel made for the ornate bridge built across the water and he peered over the edge of the railing. Kent found himself smiling at his companion’s easy laughter and it was his turn to learn as Odel pointed out a flock of water birds and the areas near the pond that were home to a dark type of grass.



“The grass has a strong scent that the birds use to mask their own,” Odel explained, “Predators cannot follow their scent through the grass to their nests. The grass is also the right height for roosting geese to be able to lift their heads and see overtop of it.”



Kent tapped his lips thoughtfully. “I have never seen geese in there but I do recall always seeing a pair of swans there. I always thought it strange because this pond is always stocked with fish and because of that a great many birds come here but never have I seen more than two swans.”



Beside him Odel nodded. “Swans are territorial. They do not like other swans near their nesting area.”



Kent laughed softly. “You see?” He said with a smile, “You do know things.”



Odel shrugged. “But now you know it as well.”



Kent smiled and peered out over the pond. “I used to come here as a child. I would make my nurse take me but she would never let me leave her side. I would try to chase the ducks and she would chase after me, screaming at me for leaving her and then forcing me back inside.”



The blue haired boy smiled. “She is not here now. Would you like to chase some ducks?”



Kent stared at him but before he could reply Odel was gone, running down the banks to a flock of ducks sunning on the edge. Kent ran after him, intending to stop him but as soon as they reached the flock there were ducks everywhere, screaming and flapping their wings. Odel laughed, chasing a duck towards him with wide arms and Kent made to scoop it up but the angled body escaped his grasp and flew away. Together they ran round and about until not a single duck remained on the banks.



Kent sat down, trying to catch his breath between laughs as the ducks screamed at them from the center of the lake. He watched as Odel searched through loose feathers, eyeing them curiously before letting them drift away.



“You’re insane!” He exclaimed, laughter in his voice.



His companion smiled brightly. “Sometimes,” he said, “it is good to be a child. A child sees the world without complications and does not worry about tomorrow. An adult must and it is an important thing but occasionally an adult must remember to live in the present lest the present slip away and the future weigh too heavily upon him.”



Kent lay back against his elbows, pondering the words. “So you are saying that I let the future weigh too heavily on me?”



Odel sat next to him, twirling a brown feather in his hands. “I think that you have many duties that are important and you must fulfill. As the Prince you are the future and you must consider the future of everyone, not just your own. It is a hard thing for a man to carry but you must also realize that we are not yet men. Soon childhood will be gone and I wonder . . . how many memories will you have of this? How many sunny days do you remember playing in the grass? How many puddles did you jump in as a child? Do you remember them even now?”



Kent frowned. “I was told that they were foolish things. Things that kept me from doing my duty.”



Odel placed a hand on his arm, staring at him intently. “You must do what others desire, I understand that, but you must also do what you desire. You cannot devote your whole life to others. Sometimes you must make time for what you want to do. Never think any of your desires silly, my Prince. Never think that they are childish, for when they seem so to you remember, we are still children!”



Laughing Kent stood, helping up his smaller companion. “You speak strangely, Odel, unlike anyone I have ever met but I like it. Keep speaking strangely for it makes you seem wise and it makes me think over what others have told me.”



Odel smiled and nodded.