All the Boys That Do Not Listen

“There weren’t always dragons in the Valley.” Elder Mason stated as he stared out the tower's windows, towards the North. We were in the palace’s library. The elders wanted to see the extent of my abilities especially since they seemed much more academic than my peers.

I glanced down at the old wood panels that made up the floor. Some of it had atrophied and you could see bits of the stairs that spiraled below. The walls were made of large stones, stones that were older than the Elder that stood before me. Books and scrolls were stacked in large piles around the room, which was odd considering there were many bookshelves against the walls. The middle of the room had been cleared. It was where a large piece of parchment laid. It was larger than any rug I had seen. Ink in the old language was written all over it. It had been odd that I was brought all the way up here for my first lesson. Usually only the Elders were allowed in the towers. I could still see Jamison and Prince Knoxis laughing when they heard where my “training” was to be held today. Not in the field or on the battlegrounds, but the library. They’re peers in my class. We had finally reached the point where we started to move away from our normal subjects and became specialized in our own abilities. I actually loved the library and all the secrets the ancient texts held. There was always something new to discover, but Ellis, the one Royal I thought I could trust, and the one I liked best, just had to make it a point to tell everyone where I was going today.

“The Valley?” I gave Elder Mason a quizzical look.

The faerie had to be nearing a millenia in age. His bony hands combed his long white beard. His face was wrinkled, but his droopy eyes held some other worldly wisdom. The Elder nodded slowly and made his way to the center of the tower where a giant parchment laid. It was then I realized that I was looking at a large map of the fae realm. I looked over the ancient text and remembered it was the Elder’s job to keep it up to date. He pointed on the map to the far North. “Do you know what this is?” He asked.

“The Shadow Lands,” my voice was barely a whisper.

The elder nodded his head, “And do you know what resides in those lands?”

I looked up at the Elder wearily, “That’s where the fae banished the demons to.” I tried to sound calm and collected, as any of my friends would have.

“Very good, Lord Noble,” Elder Mason nodded his head in approval.

I cocked my head at my teacher, “Lord Noble is my father. The queen and my friends just call me by name. I will not take his place for many years.” Until my father sees me worthy of it, I almost grumbled.

Elder Mason’s eyes seemed to glimmer as his gaze went back to the window, looking northward once more, “Yes, your father is the head of your household currently and the representative in the royal court. The similarities between you and your father are hard to miss. You both have the same strong face, the same dark skin. The one big difference that people seem to notice are your eyes. The gold in yours is much more stark than I anticipated. I hear the young ladies are quite taken with them.” His wise gaze fell back on me,“Are you not a prodigy? Destined to be in his highness’s next court, Saffian Noble?”

I scratched my head confused by his words; especially the part about the ladies, but instead of dwelling on that, I said, “None of us have been selected yet. No one is supposed to be selected until they turn the age of fifteen! Even then it usually takes years for the royal family to choose”

The Elder looked down, his face warm, “That is where you are wrong.”

I froze in the unearthly stillness that comes with being a faerie.

“Yes, you are correct in the fact that none of you are of age. None of you are even close to being ready to lead the kingdom, let alone protect it. Even with all of that said, the young prince has already decided who will be in his court, though he’s far too young to make any official decision, and you all must be ready for the trials that you all will face to claim your titles. Now, Lord Noble, do you know why the dragons rest in the Valley of the Shadow Lands?”

Out of all the things I thought I would be discussing today in the “lesson”, this was not one of them. What the Elder was suggesting was absurd. I had known Knoxis since I could walk. I saw how he acted, what he expected, or at least what I thought he expected. He liked swords and muscle, something I was deeply lacking. I was lean at best, simply skin and bones at worst. How was it possible that he would choose me to be in his court? To be someone that he trusted above all else, to protect him. I don’t know if I could even hold a sword properly! Let alone protect my future king with it! Then, I remembered Elder Mason calling me Lord. The title was bitter and unwelcome in my mind. I opened my mouth to argue about how the Elder continued to address me, but he was faster, “I have read all there is to read of the past, and I live in the present, it is my job to ensure our future. You shall not fear what you will become, and what that title will demand of you.”

I swallowed, and forced myself to hold onto any remaining composure.

“Are you ready to take the first steps to helping your future king and your kingdom?” Everytime he spoke his voice became more aggressive, more eager to teach. I had never experienced such a thing.

I nodded my head slowly.

“Say it!” he demanded. His voice echoed along the tower's stone walls.

“I’m ready.” I said with all the confidence I could muster, though doubt plagued my mind.

The Elder’s face softened slightly, “Now,” his voice was much quieter now, “why do the dragons rest in the valley?”

I looked over the map and thought for a moment, “Because it’s their natural habitat?”

“That’s a good guess, except for the fact that the Shadow Lands are more desolate than any desert on this planet.”

“Then why would they live there?”

The Elder sat in the chair that looked over the map. He gazed over it as it covered most of the floor. After a moment he cleared his throat and said, “Long ago, when there weren’t demons that plagued the realm and the Gods still watched over us, many great beasts roamed the realm. Among those creatures were the dragons.” I listened in awe as he continued, “The dragons were by far, the mightiest creatures that graced this world. They came in a variety of shapes and sizes. They ruled the air, the earth, and the sea.”

“What happened to them?” My voice was barely a whisper.

The Elder sighed, as if this story had also taken a toll on him, “The one you know as the Demon King rose into power and declared war, taking the dragons with him.”

“How? Surely something that big would’ve put up a fight.”

“You are correct, young Lord, the dragons fought and rejected the Demon King. In turn, he had them annihilated to the point of extinction by his own followers.”

Dread filled my veins.

Elder Mason seemed to read my thoughts, “The dragons are an impressionable species. Some believed that a dragon could even imprint on a person and be with them forever. The Demon King knew this. Inevitably, he was only accepted by one type, which he was able to breed.”

“And the rest?” I wasn’t sure I wanted the answer.

“Exterminated. The demons eliminated them from our planet and our history.”

It’s one thing to slay a dragon, but to wipe out a whole species? “So they live in this valley willingly?” Something had struck hard in my chest, it was a raw feeling that I couldn’t place. “Do they live comfortably at least?”

The Elder huffed a laugh, “No one has seen the Shadow Lands in ages, but I can’t imagine that anything would be different now.” He paused and pondered for a moment before he continued on, “There was a fae queen that knew it better than most though.”

“Queen Mirai knows the Shadow Lands?”

Elder Mason smiled sadly at me, “No, it is to my knowledge that your prince’s mother has never stepped foot in the Shadow Lands, but she was very close to the queen who was. That queen has since died, and with her any recent information of the Demon King’s territory.”

I nodded my head mauling his words over in my head.

“You are as bright as they say, Lord Noble,” he chuckled.

“I am?” I hadn’t been particularly good at many of the subjects that didn’t involve some sort of reading, which excluded me from most things.

“Your next lesson will be learning how to take a compliment.” the Elder grumbled.

I gave him a crooked smile.

“Now,” He announced, “I’m sure you want to do more than just have a history lesson.” He gave an old deep chuckle.

My smile faded slightly, “What would you like me to do?”

“What do you want to do?” The Elder challenge.

“I’m not a good fighter,” I admitted.

“Then don’t fight. It takes years of mastering a blade before one can be considered a ‘good’ fighter. What does your magic call for? Magic becomes pent up overtime, what does it gravitate towards?”

I felt my fingers twitch towards the massive map that laid on the floor. What does your magic call for? I took a breath and let my magic come to life. I could feel it awaken in my bones. I could feel the weight of my magic searching the room, as if it were looking for something specific. After I felt it sweep the room, it landed on the floor, where the ancient map lay. I swallowed and reached down to the worn wood that made up the floor and stretched out my hand so that it was towards the map. I took one breath, then two. Then, I gently placed my hands on the old parchment and let my magic flow. It flowed through the bindings, and let the story unfold before my eyes.

There was a tree. It was large in the midst of summer when fae I had never seen before, wearing worn and tattered clothing, cut it down. Later, they shaved off pieces of the trunk until they had what they needed to make a map this expansive. Fast forward to what I would guess to be two years and Elders, distinguished by their robes, that had long since passed, started scribbling on the map. I could only gather who they were because I had seen their portraits that hang near the library’s entrance.

Time sped forward. Many Royals came and went as they examined the map. Generals studied and strategized during war time where it seemed that the firelight in the dead of night was the only thing guiding them. Years turned into a century. Centuries turned into millennia until we came to the present day.

I felt my magic lessen and I sat back on my heels and released my physical and magical hold from the map. I was breathing heavily.

“How did that feel?” The Elder was staring at me curiously.

“So much time, and the map has never once moved from this spot.” I gasped, completely exhausted.

“It is a part of the Elders duty to protect this map, as much as it is to keep it up to date. You must be very tired after that experience.”

I nodded my head, unable to muster any more words. After a long moment I gathered my energy and said, “I’ve never experienced anything that old.”

“That’s not surprising, considering the little exposure you’ve had to ancient relics.”

I sighed, feeling defeated by how exhausted I was after just one task. I wiped the sweat from my brow.

“I think that’s all the time we have for today. Now run along and meet me back here at the same time tomorrow.” The Elder stood from his chair and handed me a metal bottle before he sat back in his chair.

I opened it and found water, which I was apparently in desperate need of as my throat felt desert dry until the water coated my throat. When I was done, I stood and went to hand the bottle back to Elder Mason, but held his hand in front of me, “Keep it. You’re going to need it for what I have planned for you, young Lord.”

I gave a bow and thanked him. I proceeded to descend down the many stairs that made up the tower’s height. Once I was out of the library, I made my way to the courtyard. Summer was definitely in full swing. The blast of humidity as I stepped into the royal court yard was a smack to the face. Even with the horrendous heat, the gardens were one of the most beautiful features in the palace. There rows of shrubs, and flagstone that paved the path. Each section featured a different set of plants. Some were roses, others contained lilies. I instantly felt sweat beginning to accumulate on my back. I ducked into the shade along one of the walls and sat in the corner, waiting for the others.

I was curious to know how everyone’s classes went. Were they anything like mine? Did they have a history lesson? I frowned that didn’t seem likely since the others had abilities that were much more tangible than mine. They were also much more offensive when it came to fighting. I was stuck with something that only I could see. Part of me wondered if the others thought I was crazy. I shook those thoughts away. Ellis had always been sure to include me. He seemed to go out of his way about it. His twin, Ezra, always had the opposite intentions in mind. I wondered if our friendship came out of pity because I was an easy target, or if he was simply trying to lessen the blow from his brother.

It was only a few more minutes before three figures came around one of the hedges.

“Saffain!” a familiar voice called.

I waved my hands in the air, “Over here!”

Ellis, Jamison, and Ezra all walked over to where I was sitting in the corner.

It was hard to tell the twins apart if you didn’t know them. Both of them had blond hair, hazel eyes, and the same build. They could knock down pretty much anything with little effort. Although, Ellis’s features were just slightly softer. He didn’t have the same sharp face that Ezra did, and Ezra didn’t have Ellis’s freckles.

Jamison was a different breed entirely. He was fit, built like a young, but strong warrior. His short curly brown hair and stupid green eyes were the traits of the Oakfeld family, which happened to be the most favored and wealthiest family, next to the royal family. Jamison always knew how to talk to people as well. He was able to get people to do things they wouldn’t normally do with little effort. It didn’t help that he was Prince Knoxis’s best friend. They were always getting in and out of trouble together.

Prince Knoxis liked to spar all three of them. The four of them were always at the top of our class when it came to athletics. And he wants me in his court. I shook my head. The prince had always been civil. I might even go as far as to say nice, but we weren’t friends. The prince didn’t seem to be with them today as they all sat by me, creating a circle.

Jamison read my face, “Knox has extra classes today.”

I nodded my head, not feeling the need to vocalize my understanding.

“How was your lesson with the Elders today?” Ellis asked.

“I was more curious to know about how your guys’ lessons went.” I deflected.

“Ezra and I went over the fundamentals of illusions today, but I think we’ll eventually need different teachers since our abilities are practically opposites of one another.” Ellis said.

“Thank the stars for that, I don’t think anyone realizes how annoying Ellis is when it comes to lessons.” Ezra groaned.

Ellis scowled at him, “I have questions, there’s nothing wrong with that!”

Ezra only rolled his eyes.

“I learned how to create my own plants today.” Jamison said casually.

All of them stared at Jamison for a long moment, whether or not he was uncomfortable, he didn’t show.

“I’m sorry,” Ellis started, “You learned how to make plants? As in never created before?”

“That would be the definition of creation,” Ezra smirked.

I rolled my eyes at him.

Jamison nodded his head, “We started with some simple growing techniques and then worked on customization.”

“What did you make?” I asked before I could stop myself.

“Well I started with making lilies. The madam that’s teaching me has a strange obsession with them.” He rolled his eyes, “She likes to talk about how pretty and simple they are. They’re also the queen’s favorites apparently, but I don’t quite see the point. They’re just flowers, and that’s not even the whole plant! The flower is just one part of it, and it just sits there and looks pretty.”

I think we were all shocked by the sudden burst of agitation. I made a mental note to never bring up flowers around Jamison again.

“So, I started messing around with the colors and then some other properties of the plant.”

“What did you end up making?” Ezra’s voice was barely above a whisper.

“The base of the plant still strongly resembles a lily, but I made it a bright red, and it’s carnivorous, which should help with the bug problem we’re having this year.” Jamison finished proudly.

“Wow,” Ellis said in awe, “I wish I could do something like that. What did you name it?”

“Daemonium flos,” Jamison stated proudly, he turned his attention to me, “How was your lesson today, Saffian?”

“Erm, well it wasn’t as cool as making my own plant, but I did learn something interesting,” I went on to tell of the story Elder Mason had told me about the dragons and the Shadow Lands and the history of the old map. I didn’t bother to mention that Knoxis had already made up his mind on who was in his court, it wasn’t a conversation I wanted to get into, especially since I didn’t know who else had been selected.

By the time I was done, Ellis was much paler than before, “He killed them all? The whole species?” His voice was quiet as though we would get in trouble for talking about the Demon King.

I nodded my head, “Yes, then he basically enslaved the one species that did imprint on him, now they’re stuck in some desolate valley in the Shadow Lands.”

“That’s a pretty intense story,” Jamison admitted.

“Nah, I’ll cut up the Demon King myself,” Ezra declared, “Saffian can stand by and try to get one of those dragons to imprint on him,” He snickered at me, but I chose to ignore him. Mother always said you should just ignore something, it would eventually go away. I hoped that was the case for Ezra.

“I do wonder if it’s true,” I wondered aloud, “if the imprinting of a dragon is really life long.”

“Who knows? If we’re lucky, we’ll never have to find out. We’re supposed to be at peace with the demons,” Ellis reasoned.

Suddenly there was a large bang on the gate. A burst of palace soldiers came through, running. We all stood, confused about what was happening. They all ran past us, many of them screaming the same thing.

“The prince is in trouble!” one voice shouted.

“Hurry!” another one called.

“Demon!” the head of the crowd shrieked.

“So much for peace,” I muttered.

“Let’s go! Knox is in trouble!” Ezra called, already running in the direction of the soldiers.

“I’m right behind you!” Ellis followed his twin.

I stared after them, unable to move.

“Are you coming or what?” It was Jamison who was speaking to me.

“You don’t honestly expect me to follow you all into a death trap do you?” I couldn't shake the uneasiness rising in my stomach.

Jamison’s mouth dropped open, appalled by my words, “He’s our friend, and more importantly, our prince, and you’re just going to stand here and do nothing?” His face began to redden with anger.

“I can’t even hold a sword properly and you want my help? I’m not like the rest of you.” There were so many other people who were much more fit for this job than me.

“Knox against all odds, he would’ve gone in for you.” His words were like a blow to my gut. His eyes flared, “Listen, I’m not going to tell you what you should or shouldn’t do, but you’re not different, you just don’t have the same talents, which makes for a well rounded court.” He continued before I could speak, “Are you a plain lily, that just looks pretty, but doesn’t contribute to the whole plant, or are you the Daemonium flos, the one that can protect, defend because of what they are?”

I shook my head, “I’ll only make things worse.”

His green eyes dimmed, as if they were showing his disappointment, “Suit yourself then.” Jamison turned to run into the fray.

My stomach dropped, “Wait!” I called. What are you doing? I screamed internally. If I was being honest with myself, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, but I was some alleged prodigy, or at least that’s what Elder Mason seemed to think. Besides, Knoxis was the crowned prince. Wasn’t it also considered treason if I didn’t help? I shoved that last thought down. I jogged up to Jamison as he paused and slightly turned.

“Listen, I’m not whatever weird plants you and your family make, but I’m definitely not a lily.” I panted.

Jamison searched me as if he was looking for something. After a moment he grinned and said, “Alright lilypad, shall we?”

I rolled my eyes, but nodded my head.

Without another word we disappeared into the fray.