The day began much as it normally did, with a disgruntled wizard banging sharply on the door of the young prince, who would very shortly be equally disgruntled. Kalmut was accustomed to the sun dragging lazily in the spring sky by the time he awoke, not this perky, yellow light streaming through his window now. And Sebastian was shouting, which added a wonderful layer of grime to his mood. He sat up, snarling at the door in hopes that the man on the other side of it would dissolve. The shouting continued, however, so he figured he wasn't having very much luck with that.
"Kalmut," came the voice from the other side of the heavy oaken portal, "I have been standing here for no less than five minutes. That's five minutes you've kept your father waiting, and I can't imagine he appreciates--"
"Yeah, yeah, keep your pants on, granddad," grumbled Kalmut, reaching across the rumpled bedding to grab his trousers. Despite the appearance of his sleeping arrangements, the prince hadn't had a wild night, although he sorely wished this was the case. He'd inherited, somehow, his father's nightmares, and lingering in the back of his mind more potently than the eyes of Death herself, he could hear the discordant ringing of unmatched wedding bells. He was also dreadfully cold, and now the wizard wanted him to get up.
All in all, it was not shaping up to be a very good morning.
When he stood, he took the thick blanket with him, dragging it to the door which he opened with ha half-crazed leer. Sebastian continued to shout, at least for a moment.
"And furthermore--!" There was a brief pause as Sebastian drank in the familiar dark circles on the normally youthful face. "You look dreadful."
"Only ever as dreadful as My Lady declares me fit to be, of course," Kalmut returned bitterly. "Tell Father I'll be with him shortly. I need to wash, among other things." He shivered at the spring breeze that drifted through the open window.
"On second thought," the wizard said, in an attempt to be amicable, "go back to bed. I'll explain things to your father, and either I or the palace physician will be up to see you shortly."
Kalmut nodded, then turned on his heel and walked, zombie-like, back to his bed. He didn't even bother to close the door behind him.
Both brothers were handsome, strapping, and strong young lads, Kalmut being the stronger of the two. He wasn't known for being sickly, even as a boy, but it had seemed that as of late the goddess who had bequeathed Johann's mother, the previous sovereign ruler of their nation, with a prophetic madness had taken a shining to the woman's adopted grandson. The fevers he woke with were growing stronger, and he, in turn, was not. With his face buried inches into the too-soft pillow, he remarked to himself how frequent these fits were becoming, and he noted with some manner of interest that nightmares seldom would have been scary if he'd faced them in the real world.
These thoughts, and others, swirled in a cloud about his head before finally, the prince drifted back to sleep. He wouldn't wake for several hours.
His brother, the younger of the twin heirs to Johann's throne, was far more prepared to wake, being up already by the time the wizard got to him. He had managed to begin a painting in the brief time before the wizard's arrival, a pale creature that might have been a horse, fading into the canvas background. He seemed to be in better spirits than his brother, but his eyes were lined with the same dark rings.
"Not you too," the wizard grumbled, attracting the attention of the young painter. "Having nightmares," he explained.
"Oh." Kore paused for a moment, staring thoughfully at his canvas. "No, no nightmares here. I just couldn't sleep last night."
Sebastian looked relieved. "Your father wishes to see you this morning," he said, relaying his message as quickly as possible before he fled. There were other children of the household to wake.
"Kalmut," came the voice from the other side of the heavy oaken portal, "I have been standing here for no less than five minutes. That's five minutes you've kept your father waiting, and I can't imagine he appreciates--"
"Yeah, yeah, keep your pants on, granddad," grumbled Kalmut, reaching across the rumpled bedding to grab his trousers. Despite the appearance of his sleeping arrangements, the prince hadn't had a wild night, although he sorely wished this was the case. He'd inherited, somehow, his father's nightmares, and lingering in the back of his mind more potently than the eyes of Death herself, he could hear the discordant ringing of unmatched wedding bells. He was also dreadfully cold, and now the wizard wanted him to get up.
All in all, it was not shaping up to be a very good morning.
When he stood, he took the thick blanket with him, dragging it to the door which he opened with ha half-crazed leer. Sebastian continued to shout, at least for a moment.
"And furthermore--!" There was a brief pause as Sebastian drank in the familiar dark circles on the normally youthful face. "You look dreadful."
"Only ever as dreadful as My Lady declares me fit to be, of course," Kalmut returned bitterly. "Tell Father I'll be with him shortly. I need to wash, among other things." He shivered at the spring breeze that drifted through the open window.
"On second thought," the wizard said, in an attempt to be amicable, "go back to bed. I'll explain things to your father, and either I or the palace physician will be up to see you shortly."
Kalmut nodded, then turned on his heel and walked, zombie-like, back to his bed. He didn't even bother to close the door behind him.
Both brothers were handsome, strapping, and strong young lads, Kalmut being the stronger of the two. He wasn't known for being sickly, even as a boy, but it had seemed that as of late the goddess who had bequeathed Johann's mother, the previous sovereign ruler of their nation, with a prophetic madness had taken a shining to the woman's adopted grandson. The fevers he woke with were growing stronger, and he, in turn, was not. With his face buried inches into the too-soft pillow, he remarked to himself how frequent these fits were becoming, and he noted with some manner of interest that nightmares seldom would have been scary if he'd faced them in the real world.
These thoughts, and others, swirled in a cloud about his head before finally, the prince drifted back to sleep. He wouldn't wake for several hours.
His brother, the younger of the twin heirs to Johann's throne, was far more prepared to wake, being up already by the time the wizard got to him. He had managed to begin a painting in the brief time before the wizard's arrival, a pale creature that might have been a horse, fading into the canvas background. He seemed to be in better spirits than his brother, but his eyes were lined with the same dark rings.
"Not you too," the wizard grumbled, attracting the attention of the young painter. "Having nightmares," he explained.
"Oh." Kore paused for a moment, staring thoughfully at his canvas. "No, no nightmares here. I just couldn't sleep last night."
Sebastian looked relieved. "Your father wishes to see you this morning," he said, relaying his message as quickly as possible before he fled. There were other children of the household to wake.