Ballad of the Forgotten: Chapter 4: Part 1:

His brother was five years younger than him, born from a union between his uncle and an attendant. After his birth, he married the woman, evidently in love with her. But within a year, when they were sent on duty to a far-off province in their kingdom, which was plagued with a mysterious disease, they contracted it and died within weeks.

And his father, never having grasped the severity of the situation and having blindly sent his cherished brother to such a sudden, undignified death, never recovered from the carelessness of his action. 

One day, the funny, loving man he was growing up with, changed into a morose, grief-stricken shell of a human being. He would get better over the years, but he was never the same. But he never stopped loving his father, even after what he considered to be a betrayal against him.

Of course, the baby was taken under his father's wing, being cared for and fed, educated, and strengthened into the ruler he became eventually. The Prince had never been jealous of his brother, and he loved him more than he could ever express with his thoughts and actions. In return, the baby crawled after him, turning into a small boy who followed his footsteps everywhere, believing in his ideas of peace and grandiosity, and his ambitions of leading a good and prosperous land. And then, the time galloped, and he found himself facing a young man, who was ready to follow him as his shadow while he would be crowned King. Until he was standing beside their father's bed, who gave him the royal insignia as the heir to his kingdom. 

Although he was a bit surprised and taken aback, thinking that his father might have mistaken his brother for him, or there could have been some kind of explanation. But then his father turned to him and said,

"Forgive me, child. But you should not become the King."

And there had been silent until the day he died.

His mother had tried to soothe him. He would smile and laugh with her, seemingly at ease with the decision, but something was boiling inside him. He was confused and in shock, but he carried on with his duties as the Prince. After all what was there to do?

After all what was there to do?

The question crept under his skin, turning his fingers cold at night, sending him walking on the empty palace grounds when he was alone. He was flooded with that something, trying to understand it and escape from it at the same time. Until one day, he was furious. 

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