Little Marik’s Determination

The phenomenon Ina called Glitter rain finished and so did our dance.

’Thank you prince Marik!’ She said as bent her knees, one behind the other, opened her arms and lowered her head.

Is she saying goodbye? NO! STOP!

‘I am here to collect these stones.’ I panicked and showed her what I gathered so far.

’Wow! You’ve picked up a lot already! I only have this’, she showed me in return a huge plain stone.

’About that red,‘ her sentence got cut off by a loud roaring.

I am the son and grandson of the strongest scorpions to ever rule this planet, and I know no fear. Well, I knew no fear. That roar frightened me enough to make me stumble backwards and onto the ground. But Ina wasn’t fazed.

Must be her guard.

Her puzzled face as she looked around for the source of the roar was illuminated by the night finally.

Beautiful.

’Here’. Flustered, I mistakenly threw at her a portion of the broken green stone, instead of the red one she liked.

‘Thank you!’ She beamed at the nothingness. I was no longer by her side the moment she looked up to where I was.

Ina.

‘How can you do this to me?’ Said a huge lion, after transforming into a basic looking boy.

So he was the one who gave the mighty roar. He is probably only a little bit older than me but this person already has a muscular body and good manly looks at such a young age. He pulled Ina into a deep hug, concern and terror written all over his face.

‘I am fine Riye. I made a friend.’ She said as she hugged him back.

I must’ve heard it wrong but the topic of marriage came up between them. 

Why do I feel so gutted?… And defeated… I never felt this way before…

I wanted to listen in on them some more but the way Ina is looking so content on this person’s arms is somehow stirring up unnamed emotions within me.

Ina. We will meet again. I will make sure of it.

As I moved in my hiding place to retreat, this lion boy looked towards my direction and almost made eye contact with me.

He sensed me? From a few tress away?

I could understand why Ina likes this person. Rather, why he deserves Ina’s admiration, at this moment. I just have to become stronger to become someone worthy. 

Worthy of what though? I do not know for now but I will know it when I become stronger.

For a long time, I was looking for a shortcut for understanding others and knowing their intentions. I didn’t know that if at least one person showed interest in getting to know me, then the rest of the world misunderstanding me wouldn't matter.

Ina I will show you my gratitude the next time we meet.

********

I’d traveled for days to see her.

My personal royal retinue had tried to convince me otherwise. To wait until both my parents agreed. Maybe she'll visit the Solkari kingdom. Write a letter instead. But I wasn’t patient. Plus I did not trust their advice. I was a young prince but I was the heir after all, so I had my own team. Though I assume they’re selected by my father to babysit me.

I was a scrawny ten-year-old in silk riding gear, clutching a gemstone box in my satchel, hair windblown, mouth dry with nerves. Or just Solkari air. My personal guards behind were muttering about unnecessary detours. Even my rock camel had grown weary.

‘I could leave on my own for all I care.’

Because I had to see Ina.

Her kingdom was not much bigger than mine, wrapped in green rolling hills and surrounded by joyous music of creatures which have decided that Aelysium is safest. It wasn't a desert like Solkari, but was warmer somehow. Friendly. Less like a fortress, more like a storybook.

We reached the outer garden and I nearly forgot how to breathe. I was the first official royal from Solkari to ever come to this new kingdom. New but somehow already bigger than ours. 

And still growing by the looks of it… No wonder my mother hates them.

Nobody expected a scorpion prince, THE scorpion prince, born from King Mana and Queen Ishara, to be the beacon of peace for both. Not after the conflict between the royals, which probably involved Ina’s parents and mine. I mean, it’s not a war, but there’s just anonymity there. 

Don’t care. I am not here for peace. I am here for Ina.

The palace was lined mostly with rocks carved with intricate patterns. It really looked like where royalties lived. My eyes trailed the flowers I’ve never seen in Solkari, nor surrounding villages. Pink, purple, blue, it kept going. At the end of the trailing vines of turquoise flowers was a beautiful girl on white. I felt a strong warm feeling spread deep inside me, like I was being hugged and protected by someone.

Ina was laughing. Wind in her black hair, cheeks flushed with sunshine, stumbling after a chubby boy she called Mede. She was commanding him to climb a tree with fists full of sweetbread to feed the birds.

One of her attendants?

Beside them trotted a small silvery white fawn-like unicorn with comically large hooves and bandaid patch on its forehead. She called him Pan.

Are all of her maids male?

And standing nearby, arms crossed, failing to hide a smile, was a boy I had seen before, Riye. Calm and serious, his long hair tied back as he knelt to tie Ina’s laces for her.

Not you again…

I froze in place. She had him. She didn’t even notice me watching. She was too busy flinging flower petals at the serious boy’s head and shouting something about knighthood and being her royal groom. The boy Riye pretended not to care, but even I could see the fondness.

It wasn’t just one person. It was all of them. Mede adored her. Pan trailed her like a shadow. Riye let her tug him around like she owned him. She was at the center of everything, her laughter commanding planets into orbit.

I unknowingly clenched my fists and crumpled some documents I couldn't care enough for. I turned my camel back around. And told my royal party to do it themselves. I had no chance. Not like this.

‘Is that what she likes?’ I muttered to no one. ‘Smart. Strong. Serious.’

So I will become one. Wait for me Ina. Next time I present myself to you, you won’t be able to say no.

**********

‘Mother, Father, I want to become stronger’

’Prince Marik what did you just say?’ The royal advisor to my father clarified. He looked at me with concern then my father with relief and celebration.

I made a lesson plan for myself for the coming weeks. How to rule over others, how to woo the hearts of masses (and ladies in particular), and a dedicated time for myself to improve my fighting skills. I submitted the plan to my parents who had all kinds of reactions.

‘I want tutors,’ I said firmly.

‘You have tutors.’ Somebody said.

‘More. Better ones. Politics. Languages. Military history. Diplomacy. Charm. Tactics. Even poetry. Not just kingship.’ I said to my royal parents over the assembly table.

‘I want more advanced tutors.’

King Mana, my father lowered his drink, expression unreadable. ‘Why do so much, and so suddenly?’

I hesitated. I’ve never asked for anything from them before. My mother, Queen Ishara, was a veil of elegance opposite of the table from him. Pretty fingers pouring dark tea into a bone cup. Her face hidden by the silken veil draped from her tall crown.

‘You hate poetry,’ my father said.

‘I want to become better. Better than everyone else.’

That caught them both. Your holed-up bookworm who had been cocooning has now become a butterfly.

Father grunted. ‘Fine. If the boy’s asking for education instead of rocks and myths, give it to him. Sky knows you’ve got nothing from me but my bad posture.’

Mother set the teacup down with a faint clink. Before she even moved, everyone awaited her next step. Everyone except my father was observing her with anticipation.

‘Oh, Marik, my baby boy,’ she said in her velvet voice. ‘Is this for someone?’ She turned her head slightly, veil casting shifting shadows. Her unseen smile chilled me.

Well that didn’t take her long.

‘I just want to learn.’

That was all I said. She didn’t push. But even as her mouth stayed hidden, I knew she was smiling underneath. And worse, she was right.