Prologue
“Uncle!” Prince Kerrick yelled, storming into his father's private chambers. The young man was visibly livid, the bright red hue of his face contrasting the white doublet he wore, and the heels of his boots clicked loudly as he marched up to his father's desk.
He leaned forward, placing most of his body weight onto arms which were spread out on the table, “I heard you signed the treaty with King Secio.”
His uncle, King Xan of Agios, didn't so much as look up from what he was working on, “You heard correctly.”, he replied calmly.
Kerrick inhaled sharply in order to keep himself calm, “May I ask why you decided to form an alliance with a nation that does not give a damn about the Agios' people, but rather her resources?”
“You overexaggerate this situation, my son.”, Xan replied, “Our plan for Agios and Merilden will help keep our economy strong, and will protect us should any of the other nations mobilize against us.”
“But then why not rely on the people of this country to do that? We don't need the Merildenians! Our place in the mountains provides us with protection from our enemies, as well as with enough resources to-”,the king cut him off.
“And you already made your point during the Council meeting.” Now, Xan looked up at his son, his dark brown eyes were sharp, and seemed to shine like beacons in the candle-lit room. “The fact of the matter is that we simply aren't large enough to keep our lands safe forever. I've made a decision that is for the good of Agios, and your prideful opinions will not stand in the way of my duty to do what is right for this country.”
“But -”
“And you will not forget that I am your king first, and your uncle second.” He replied icily, his eyes narrowed as he glared at his eldest son.
Kerrick straightened himself up, and backed slowly away from his father's desk. His father was not one to allow disrespect, and he was beginning to cross a line that he knew could winde him up in the dungeon. He slowly backed a few feet away from the desk, and forced himself to bow forward slightly.
“Please forgive my outburst and lack of respect,my lord and uncle. I only want what is best for this country.”, he stated calmly, his eyes not leaving the floor.
“As do I, my son. But one day you'll learn that not everything can be solved with clashing swords and mage's fire. Sometimes, it is best to work with those whom you can benefit from. Remember that.”
“I will, my lord.” Kerrick replied, trying desperately to keep the contempt out of his voice.
“Good. Now, leave me to my work.”

Kerrick walked briskly down the dimly lit corridor to his room. The few candles that hung from wall hangings on the walls intensified the wall reliefs that were carved into the dark wood, shadows flickering and dancing all over every surface. He entered the ante-chamber, ignoring the two servants who were preparing his bath. He walked through the door way into his private study, and over to the window that offered a fantastice view of the mountains and hills that surrounded the palace, and sank into the cushioned bench in fron of it. The largest mountains in the background rippedout of the rippling, green hills like great, jagged, flint daggers to pierce the sky. A gentle breeze floated through the slightly open window, carrying with it the sounds and smells of the nearby small market.

Leaning his head against the wall, Kerrick let a hushed curse escape his lips. His father could drive him to insanity sometimes. To him, this treaty was supposed to end years of squabbling, and border fighting between Agios and Merilden, and hopefully allow both protection and mutual benefits should their enemies from the south decide to attack them. But to Kerrick, this treaty reeked of deciet, and left him with a foul taste in his mouth.
“Still staring at the stars, I see. You really haven't changed much since I left, have you Kerrick?”

That silky smooth voice brought him out of his reflection faster than a lightning bolt hits a tree. Tearing his gaze away from the scene before him, he turned around and saw a tall, lean man leaning against his doorway.
“Maru? Is that really you?”, he asked, leaping down from the window seat.
“The one and only.”

Awe and joy filled his chest as he went to embrace his friend, “It's been too long.” Yet even as they embraced, Kerrick could tell that there was something different about his friend, something in his presence that hadn't been there all those years ago. After their brief moment of affection, the two friends pulled away, and sat down at the desk across from each other.
“When did you arrive?” Kerrick asked, motioning for the servants to bring them drinks.
“Late last night. I would have stopped by sooner, but I was detained with Aryna. I'm completing my education under her.”
“You're going to be a court mage, then?”
Maru nodded, “I can do more here than locked away at the academy. Besides,” he added, silver eyes sparkling in the candle light, “I've missed hanging around the palace.”

Maru took another sip of his drink. He really had missed the palace. It had been his home since he had been six years old. After his parents had died, he became a servant of the court. At age 9 he became one of Kerrick's personal attendents. It was here he met the two people who had made the largest impact on his life. Kerrick was roughly the same age that he was, and had no siblings that were close to his age. To him, Maru was the only other person remotely close to his age that he could hold a decent conversation with. The two had formed a brotherly bond over the years, and they had found that they shared the same passions and interests. They would spend hours trying to outsmart each other in gmaes, or run through the old library, getting lost in the intricate maze of bookshelfs, while trying to find the oldest and most interesting books they could find.

Inseperable as they were, reality always loomed over their heads. Kerrick was the eldest prince of Agios, and his father sometimes didn't always like the heir to his kingdom running around and causing mischief with a servant boy. And reality really shook things up when three years later, Maru's magical ability started to manifest itself, through causing all the candles in his immediate vicinity to light up at once, and he was introduced to Aryna “Windtouch”, one of Xan's court mages. She trained him privately until he reached fifteen, when he returned with her to the Mage Academy. There were only a few times of the year when he could return to visit Kerrick, if any at all. Maru had missed him, but soon became too involved with his training that soon their days together became seemed more like dreams than actual memories.

Kerrick remembered the last time they saw each other four years ago, when Maru returned with Aryna for a brief consultation with Xan about a trade agreement regarding the nation of Elinuu. Kerrick remembered walking up to the palace after a particularly successul hunt, rain just starting to drizzle from an overcast sky. He saw Maru walking dutifully behind Aryna and a few of the other mages. Kerrick shouted out towards him, and Maru did look in his direction, but remained silent, with only the faintest hint of a smile on his face, before following after his mentors. After that, Kerrick became so busy with his princely duties that man y of his old interests fell to the wayside, including his old friend Maru.

And now, four years later, Maru sat before him, seemingly as if nothing had changed. However, to Kerrick something definitely seemed different. Something in how he walked, spoke, and just carried himself in general radiated with power and confidence, something that hadn't always been there. Time slipped by as they told each other tales of their exploits the past for years, and they had been so wrapped up in their stories, that Kerrick had almost forgotten about the outburst between him and his father. That is, until Maru brought it up.
“I heard the, argument, you and your father had.” he commented casually.
“Where were you?” Kerrick asked, suddenly feeling slightly embarassed.
“Across the hall, down towards the east wing.”
Kerrick felt his face grow pink. He didn't think that he had been that loud.
“Then you obviously know my feelings about it.”, he answered quietly.
“Unless you call roaring like a young dragon your way of agreeing with something.”, Maru teased.

Ignoring Maru's jest, Kerrick rose from his seat and and walked over to the roaring fireplace, resting his head and forearm against the mantle. The burden of the situation dampened the joy that Maru's return had brought him. He let out an audible sigh, and gazed into the fireplace.
“Maybe I'm wrong, Maru. Maybe, there's nothing suspicious about this treaty.”
“That could be. But something about this has you riled up, and you're not one to get this upset over nothing. In fact, I don't recall you ever being this obsessed over something like this.”
“You haven't been hear the past four years. My father has been,” he paused, still uncertain in what he was saying, and how exactly he could put his feelings into words, “These treaties just seem like ways to destroy Agios, and all that she is. At least these recent ones have been.”
“And you think you're the only one that feels that way, do you?”, Maru got up from his seat and joined Kerrick by the fireplace. He lightly grabbed his friend by the arm, and turned him to face him, “Just because we're separated from the rest of the nations at the academy, doesn't mean that we have no idea as to what's going on outside the academy walls. I've heard all about this from a bunch of other mages and nobles who aren't exactly pleased with the decisions your father is making.” He leaned in closer to his friend, and said in a hushed tone, “Right now, your father is too busy making friends with other countries, while not worrying abou those in his own.”

For a moment, neither of them said anything. Kerrick was slightly stunned by Maru's harsh tone. And for that brief moment, with Maru's eyes locked onto his, he felt this nervous tingle race up and down his spine.
“So then what should I do?” Kerrick asked.
“Tell me why this has you so angered.”
“I just told you-”
“You told me something everyone knows. What you haven't told me is what happened to make you break royal composure. You've never been one to day that, at least that's not how I remembered you.”
He pushed Maru's hand off his arm and side stepped away from his friend, and made his way over to the center of the room.
“This isn't just about trade agreements and treaties, it's more than that. This is about Agios' independence, her superiority.”
“I agree completely.”

Those three little words cut Kerrick's rant short, “what did you say?”
“I said, 'I agree with you'. Agios doesn't need all these deals your father has been making.”
“That's an interesting opinion from someone whose supposed to be suppposed to have been cut off from all the nations.”
Maru seemed to glide from the fireplace over to Kerrick, “This kingdom took me in after my parents died, when you, and I'm sure many other nations, could have just left me an orphan. I was given an opportunity to become something more than just some theif or drifter. This country, this palace is just as much my home as the academy is, if not more so. And the last thing I want is for Agios to become just another part of one of the larger nations.”

He paused, waiting for his heart to slow down and his breathing to even out. Like Kerrick, Maru felt a deep sense of pride for this country that was wounded with every senseless alliance made. To them, Agios needed independence, and enough internal strength to protect itself, should a war break out or one of the larger nations decide to engulf them again. But unlike his royal friend, Maru had a better handle on his emotions, most of the time. At least at the Academy he did. Being around Kerrick again caused him to bring out his wildly passionate side. And he wasn't entirly sure if he liked it or not.

One their emotions had settled down, they noticed something about each other that they hadn't noticed about each other before. They had always been kindred spirits in a way, but they had never thought of themselves as partners. They had walked different paths to get them to this point; Maru had taken the path to magic and wisdom, while Kerrick had taken the path to nobility. After years apart, pursuing their own goals, they had drifted out of each other's lives, seemingly to continue that way forever. Yet, Maru's return at this point in their lives, seemed more like fate than coincidence. They were both extremely proud and protective of their homeland, and were both disturbed by recent decisions Xan had been making.

Maru had to stop himself from thinking such thoughts, lest his overly excitable mind lead him down a train of thought that neither of them were prepared to go down. He noticed that Kerrick still hadn't calmed down entirely yet. His chest was no longer heaving, and his voice had lowered to its normal tone. But his eyes still flashed with the same righteous anger they had earlier.
'Yes,' Maru thought, 'Together we could accomplish so much.'

“Kerrick listen to me. You cannot afford to get riled up about this treaty. This one, despite some of the other choices your uncle has arranged may not be as bad as we're making it out to be.”, he half-lied.

Admitting that left a bad taste in his mouthy, but he needed to calm Kerrick down. “Besides,” he said smoothly, while gently stroking the side of Kerrick's arm, “when you become king, you can always say 'to hell with the treaties and alliances', and run the country as you see fit.”
“Yeah, several years from now.” he replied, somewhat exasperated. His shoulder twitched slightly, unaccustomed to Maru's touch, “My uncle's still relatively yount, and given his health, I'll be an old man before I take the throne.”

'Unless...there was an...accident...' Maru had to quickly shake those thoughts from his head. Such a thought could be punished by death. He turned his attention back to Kerrick, who had calmed down considerably, and had even relaxed his arm under Maru's touch. The young prince was starting to look tired, both physically and emotionally, and they walked back over to and sat at the table they had just been sitting at minutes ago. Kerrick rested his head in his hand, and leaned forward on the table.
“Sometimes, I really hate my uncle.”, his voice a low growl.

Kerrick was making it hard for Maru to keep the traitorous thoughts out of his head.