The Life of Seeon - 1. Chapter 1 - A World of Change

Chapter 1 – A World of Change

Prince Seeon was the fifth child of the High King Toleran Maon. Being the youngest meant he had disadvantages his older siblings did not. His oldest brother, Prince Henot, would inherit the crown and rule after his father died. His second oldest brother, Prince Semon, was the Warrior Prince. He often was sent to deal with the necessary problems and acted as the face of the kingdom to the outside forces. It was heard whispered by the royal servants that if Prince Semon died, at least Prince Henot would be safe.

That just left the youngest three. Princess Yasmeen and Princess Solrean were twins. They were barely seventeen years old. In about a year their father would begin to look for suitable matches for them. And then there was the youngest, Prince Seeon, who was just fourteen. Seeon knew he would never rule so he would either have to become a eunuch on his eighteenth birthday or become a priest. When he was twelve years old these things had been carefully explained to him so he knew these were the only options for the third born prince. It was only necessary for there to be one crowned prince and what was jokingly referred to as the spare. Any sons beyond that were simply to be dispatched before anyone thought of using them in a battle to split the kingdom.

So Seeon, having decided to become a priest rather than a eunuch, was kept far from the hallways of power. He rarely if ever was brought before his father. As royalty, he was given eunuchs to keep him fed, washed, dressed, and have his hair neatly shaved off as the priests did. He spent four hours a day studying the various forms of religion. It was at lunchtime that he truly found happiness each day, for this is when he got to dine with his sisters. Occasionally even Prince Semon would join them.

His afternoons were spent learning the defense classes and how to protect himself with a wooden staff. Because he was not one of the older princes he was denied being taught how to use a sword. However, Seeon had no friends outside of his sisters. He was a lonely young man whose world was the books he studied.

A month before Seeon turned fifteen, news arrived that the Horeun Kingdom to the north had closed its borders to them again. His father, King Toleran Maon, had attempted to force the Horeun’s to share their space technology with them and been refused, again. It wasn’t that the Toleran Empire was completely behind the Horeun's technology. They had developed their own floating vehicles, and stun weapons, but Horeun’s were always decades ahead of them. When King Toleran discovered that they were now reaching out to the stars, he wanted that ability as well. The hostilities between the two countries exploded into yet another war. The peace that had lasted barely twenty years was soon forgotten as both countries poured many different weapons and people into their renewal of hatred.

Weeks later both his sisters excitedly told Prince Seeon that they had inherited their mother’s blessing, the abilities of the mind. Both girls had shown promise of being able to use powers that not everyone had. Princess Yasmeen was able to lift things with her mind and even was able to bend metal. Princess Solrean was now able to heat or freeze things. Both had been informed that they would be taught to manipulate and control their powers in hopes of finding even better matches for them. The powers were not found in everyone, but royal family members were always tested soon after their seventeenth birthday when they would manifest for the first time. Their afternoons would now be spent in the company of a training priest from the temple, accompanied by a royal nurse to make sure all was kept proper.

It was barely a week later that disaster struck the royal household. Prince Henot, feeling his brother was gathering all the glory, rode out to the front lines to show the soldiers he was unafraid. He was promptly shot down by the Horeun warriors. Prince Semon now became the crowned prince. His wife was immediately raised to the position of First wife of the palace. Prince Henot’s wife, being without a child, was soon turned out.

The battle raged on and hundreds of thousands more people were killed on both sides. Semon stopped in to have a rare lunch with his brother and sisters. It was then that they got the details that were normally kept from them.

“Semon, you have come. What a nice treat,” said Yasmeen as she rushed to her brother and hugged him. “You haven’t stopped to see us in a long time.”

“Yes, we missed you,” said Solrean as she joined her sister and hugged him.

Seeon stood back from the hugs given and received. Once the girls had finished he turned and bowed to his brother. Semon nodded and bowed back.

“So tell us, Semon, how soon will we win this?” Yasmeen looked hopefully at her brother.

“Come sit before you begin to speak,” Solrean said as she quickly brought a small bench to their usual table for her brother to sit on.

“If we had known you were coming brother, we would have made sure your favorites were available,” Seeon added as he sat erect hoping to find out some details his servants hadn’t heard yet.

“It is fine Seeon. I just came to see you all before I headed back to the front.”

“Does it go as poorly as Father fears?” Yasmeen looked at her brother wide eyed.

“The battle gets rougher daily. We fought at first with swords and staves. The Horeun matched us in that style but eventually they began to use other weapons.”

“Such as what?”

“Seeon, I will not go into detail with women here.”

“But we have our priests. Surely they cannot overcome ones who are blessed by the Gods? Our priests have powers they cannot have!” Solrean stated, her voice rising in octaves as her anger grew.

Semon looked down at his plate. It took a while for him to look up and speak again.

“They have ones who fight as well, Solrean. They fight hard, and they fight dirty. They even have women fight.”

The girls gasped. They had never heard of such a thing.

“They think nothing of using their powers in this fight against Father’s Empire. When peace came the last time, Father didn’t think it was necessary to keep pushing his scientists. The priests told him they could keep us safe,” said Semon, the scorn in his voice made Seeon look closely at his brother. “However, they are unable to do that and the Horeun Empire kept working on their sciences and has reached space. I wish I could make father understand how we must continue to improve our technology, but he is King and his word is law.”

A moment later one of the nurses arrived.

“Ladies it is time for your lessons.”

The girls were upset but followed the nurse out, pausing only long enough to give Semon a good-bye hug, before leaving him alone with Seeon. Semon waited till the girls were gone before turning to speak once more with his brother.

“It does not go well at all, brother. There have been horrible acts on both sides. I fear we may lose our souls and the Gods will curse us forever.”

“What is wrong? What could be happening?”

“They seem to be better armed, better trained, and more willing to fight for their beliefs. We might have superior numbers, but they do not seem to be helping. They match us, weapon for weapon, power for power, and I just tire of all the death.”

Semon paused and looked skyward.

Before another word could be said between them a servant arrived and bowed low to Prince Semon.

“Your Eminence, High King Tolrean Maon, requests your presence in his private chambers immediately.”

Prince Semon stood and waved to his brother. Then Seeon was left alone to ponder how bad things really were beyond the walls he lived behind.

King Toleran decided he needed to bind some of the strongest houses to his own family, regardless of the cost. He had consulted his sons on which of the powerful lords within the Empire should be approached about an idea he had. Prince Henot suggested Lord Massie, but Prince Semon warned that Lord Massie was not someone they wanted to deal with. He suggested they talk with Lord Daggaun. Ultimately, King Toleran decided the crown prince was right; so Lord Massie was approached and offered the hand of Princess Yasmeen. He demanded to see his bride without her knowing. The King arranged for Lord Massie to see the Princess Yasmeen in the royal garden while she lunched with her brother. Lord Massie was taken with her beauty, but horrified to learn she had abilities for during the lunch she demonstrated for her brother how she could pick a flower from the garden and make it float to his hand.

“I will not take an abomination into my house. The merger is null.”

“What if her abilities were stripped from her?”

“Is that possible, Your Highness?”

The King knew it was but it would strip Yasmeen of all resistance leaving her basically a walking doll. For the good of his kingdom, his daughter was a small price to pay. He had always put his own needs and desires first, besides Yasmeen was simply a woman.

“Yes. Although afterwards, she will be … very compliant.”

“As any wife should be,” was the comment passed by Lord Massie as a nasty grin filled his face. As the king turned to leave Lord Massie was seen licking his lips.

That evening the priests arrived to continue Yasmeen’s training. This evening they presented Princess Yasmeen with the usual cup, which was to help her relax and focus her abilities. She commented that the drink tasted very different but the priests told her that it was for the next step of her training. After her drink they announced that instead of staying in the princess’s private quarters as they had before, she was to be brought from the royal chambers of the castle to the holy chambers of unmaking.

The blood curdling screams woke Prince Seeon from sleep. However, when he asked his eunuchs if they had heard the screams, they shook their heads and told him 'no'. Prince Seeon had a headache for the rest of the evening and swore he still heard screams but they eventually were silenced.

Prince Seeon’s days also were altered after that night. Since his brother’s death the priests had stopped coming to his quarters. His afternoon trainings had also ended suddenly, and he was forced to practice the staff on his own. His days became longer and all he was allowed were the lunches with his sisters. His loneliness increased until that terrible afternoon that changed everything.

Prince Seeon strode into the garden expecting to find his sisters. Instead, he found King Toleran seated in the garden. He was surrounded by four servants as he sat on a traveling chair that would be carried by his servants.

“Father,” Prince Seeon called as he dropped to his knees before the king. He then lay prostate before his father.

“I have news for you.” The King sat looking down at his son. His face was impassive and he studied his manicured nails as he prepared to tell his son of his recent decision.

Seeon looked up at his father from his place on the garden floor.

“The war does not go well. You know your brother Henot was killed in battle. Last night your sister Yasmeen was … unable to complete a vital part of the war effort and died.” The King’s composure broke for a moment. He sat straighter and twisted the ring on his finger unconsciously. “Your sister Solrean will begin to be trained to take her place. However I am left with a serious problem concerning you.”

The news that Yasmeen died hit Seeon hard. She had been a major part of his life. Now Solrean was missing. What was going to happen to him?

Trembling, Seeon glanced at his father before looking back at the ground. He felt sick to his stomach as he waited for his father to pass whatever judgment he had planned. Seeon knew it had to be serious to have brought him here to the royal gardens, a place his father had never visited as far as he knew.

“While Henot did not have children, Semon and his wife have already had two.” His father’s voice was soft speaking of Henot but grew louder as Semon was mentioned. “Surprisingly he refuses to take a second or third wife. However through his children the royal line is protected. With the disaster the war is becoming the only way for us to continue and win is through marriage. Your training for priesthood is over.”

So I will become someone’s husband. I wonder if my bride will be anything like my sisters.

Seeon waited to hear the rest of the news.

The King sat impassively on his chair. Seeon noted that the servants around him stood like statues. The King could have easily been discussing the weather or how they would be beaten, but they stood impassive to it all. Seeon wished he could be that way as he waited for his father to speak, instead of shaking with anxiety as he waited to hear his fate.

“You will become Ma’ Nee.”