Among Branches

Get a taste of life with Khalib

The blackness under the trees had welcomed the young prince as he reappeared amongst the canopy. He sighed seeing the beautiful glow of a woman piercing through the window in the not so distant castle of whom he knows almost nothing of when it came to her desires and wishes, but yet yearns for her ever more deeply. He felt regret for giving her this power back, and yet he had felt relief that she was finally safe from the shadow that had followed her. With this reborn power the princess has regained, he was unable to approach her anymore. Unless he dragged her into his element, or if her regained power had stabilized itself. According to his textbooks, only the newborn royalty had this special light about them, but it is never mentioned how such power were to react when curses were lifted. Especially curses that had slowly been impeding her power over the course of many years.

He shook away his thoughts of the potential of never approaching this extraordinary woman again, and he forced himself to only welcome the thoughts of her safety. With that, it had given him some satisfaction to live with for the time being.

Like the princesses’s room, the castle bestowed this heavenly elegance of pearl and gold hues. Statues of angels encircle the castle, and with each angel it held a crystal that each citizen of light carried around their necks. It is indeed a beautiful religion they hold dear to them, and it did resemble all things good, and well of course light. Even the guards around the castles walked with almost a grace that barely any dancers in his kingdom possessed. Such a refined culture, and such a beautiful one. Food is plentiful, everyone is healthy, and everyone is well happy. Khalib wished that he had the ability to change his circumstances, and get out of the shadows and see what it felt like to bath in the sunlight. He knew that if he tried he would easily perish.

With that, he took one last look to imprint it on his memory, and he began to jump from branch to branch. Not simply because he wanted to remain hidden, but because he enjoyed the thrill of climbing. The past couple years, he had always enjoyed the challenge of scaling the castle wall when the coast was clear. He had the power to appear anywhere at will, but he enjoyed the roughing it more. It made him feel alive. He leaped, and swung around the branches while peaking above the canopy observing the castle slowly disappear from the crowd of trees. 

As he kept swinging deeper into his home territory, he felt his power surge through his veins. The darkness sending chills through his arms to his fingers. It had given him the ability to swing faster, stronger, and react even faster. His vision grew stronger as what appeared to be total blackness as nothing more simple than that of a lit room. He felt at home in his own element, but yet the light of the untouchable princess seemed to tease his thoughts. 

He paused at a branch to try and focus that thought out of him. He needed to stop his fancies soon, if he were to rule his kingdom soon, he would have to let go of those attachments to resume the very real feud between the two kingdoms. It is what his citizens wants, and it’s what the royal court wants. There had never been known of a true peace since the two kingdoms existence; just a very fragile coexistence. Just the thought of it gave Khalib a headache, and he continued his journey home.

After an hour of journeying, he began to realize the time, and he sighed knowing that he wold be due home in less than an hour. Daylight was going to break soon, and also his parents would kill him if he was still out by then. He stopped and took one last look at the beautiful full moon, and he made himself vanish in smoke. 

Moments later, he appeared just outside the border wall of the castle. He took off his shirt, and tied it around his waist, and he jumped down from the canopy landing smoothly on the forest floor. He brushed off whatever dust or leaves were on him, and he walked up to the palace wall. 

“Who goes there!” A guard yelled up from the palace gate.

“It’s Khalib!” he replied, and crossed his arms.

“Oh your Highness! Welcome back, you parents are worried sick about you!” The guard responded and laughed. “You are in big trouble!” He bellowed more.

Khalib only rolled his eyes, “so are you going to let me in? Or am I going to have to take on this wall by force?” 

As Khalib still heard the unnecessary laughing continue, gates opened slowly revealing the village around him. Bustling with activity as salesmen make their final sales for the morning to come, and women quickly gathering their laundry from the drying ropes. There was not a single light around, not one, yet everyone knew where everything was. Halfa’s had came before as blind as they can be when trying to sell their produce to us. Seeing someone from the light kingdom approach, well it hadn’t been a treat in over a hundred years, and there is only one person alive today who remembers of that occurrence. 

Apparently to rumor, someone in Khalib’s kingdom killed the wife of that man, and as a sort of revenge he took it out on his citizens. He didn’t live long once Khalibs great-grandfather suffocated the light inside the man with darkness. According to legend, you could still hear the tortured soul moping about over his lost wife. 

Khalib walked across the courtyard, as regular citizens made small curtseys and bows in formality towards the prince. He saw his home approaching, and he sighed in disappointment the boring, yet almost dirty look of the castle he lives in. Monster like statues were adorned instead of angels, and the black diamonds were on display as a source of power, instead of the mysterious stone the kingdom of light possesses that is not ever mentioned in history books. He walked up the stairs, and opened the massive black doors. Walking in he shut them behind him hearing a loud boom echo throughout the massive halls 

“KHALIB!” his father’s voice boomed throughout the massive hallways.

Khalib rubbed his face trying to get rid of that tedious feeling, and ran down the hallways leading towards the throne room. Darker, and darker the halls grew as the power of his father sorta radiated. An average person would not be able to see their hand right in front of them. There were no windows, and no other means for light to penetrate through the thick walls. Yet, the halls were adorned with heavily detailed furnishings, with colors no one knew of or had seen, and thick tapestries to help lock in the heat during the winter. 

He opened the doors to the throne room, and knelt before his father.

“Where have you been boy? It is nearly morning, and you were nowhere near the castle borders! Put on your shirt, I wish to not see you in such lame fashion!” His father practically hissed at him. He drank mead from his goblet, and set it down on the table while his fingers drummed along the arm rest of the throne. His face was angular, and wrinkled with stress of maintaining his kingdom. His hair was black, while his skin was also porcelain white. Porcelain skin was a very common trait amongst the Dark Kingdom. His mother sat on the throne next to his father, and she remained still, and observing the events unfold in front of her. She was generally more reasonable.

“I was out exercising father,” Khalib simply rplied, and put his sticky shirt on again. 

“Where?” His father asked again.

“Among the branches,” Khalib replied, “you know how I like to climb trees.” Khalib finished trying to not smile; he enjoyed being difficult with his parents.

“Boy why do you torment us so? One day you will have to rule this kingdom, and I hope you spawn a brat like yourself!” His father’s voice grew angrier. “Tonight is not a night to play these games. The Shadow, Juru, is dead! He was found right in Princess Amaede’s chambers tonight, and killed by her! You could of been hunted down during a search raid with the Light Kingdoms security bouncing around everywhere!”

Khalib replied, “but isn’t it a good thing balance wise that Juru is dead?” He wanted to change the subject off of him for his whereabouts.

“Why is that? Nobody shouldn’t wish any citizen of ours dead!” The King replied and sat back on his throne, obviously relaxing slightly.

“Well isn’t it to rumor that he had been attacking the Princess for years. Besides, now those rumors could be laid to rest with him gone, and things can go back to normal!” It almost pained Khalib to hear himself talk about his secret beloved.

“In a sense of balance it is alright, but to lose such a powerful ally, and now to lose more trust of the Light Kingdom isn’t a good thing. Think about it, now there is more security protocols, and for all we know more painstakingly difficult meetings with that snob King Amur!” His father replied, and slumped his body to his knees, not wanting to know of the work he will have to do soon.

Khalib only nodded in understanding.

“Since there is no more trouble here, lets call it a morning, and resume this conversation in the evening.” Khalib’s mother suggested, and rested her hand on her husband.

His father nodded and stood up, and lifted his hand for Khalib to stand up. “Boy don’t leave these castle walls till things calm down. Till I calm down. You hear?”

“Loud and clear sir,” Khalib replied, and smiled getting out of trouble. 

At almost a slight whisper the hall echoed Khalib's father as he leaned toward his mother, "there is just something wrong about that boy!"

His mother brushed it off, and proceeded to walk towards her quarters as Khalib's father followed shortly behind.

Khalib sighed as walked himself out of the throne room, and up the stairs towards his quarters. He knew that everyone in the royal court thought there was something off with him. He hoped that they will never find out what it was that made him so exactly opposite to all of them. He opened the door and shut it behind him. He stripped his clothing off and replaced them with a bed shirt as he collapsed into bed. He stared into the bed canopy as his eyes slowly closed towards the thoughts of Princess Amaede.

Reviews

[jjwilbourne]

This was beautiful! I loved it so much.
I loved how much personality you added to Khalib. My attachment to him as a character grows stronger with each chapter.
I'm hoping that the rumor you mentioned in passing is a seed to a plot point in the larger story.
The phrase "let's call it a morning" made me smile.
Anxiously awaiting the next chapter!