Three years later, Tor Palace had long since forgotten the oddity surrounding the Fourth Prince's birth. In fact, today was a true day of celebration. The First Prince's Meridian Awakening Ceremony was to take place!
At this moment, a small boy not even a meter tall sat on a short stool, his little slender legs swinging back and forth. Behind him, Imperial Doula Miriam sat. Her actions were odd – she seemed to be applying some sort of dark pigment to the small boy's long white hair. Considering the toddler didn't say much to these events, it was clear that he was used to it by now.
Still, the oddities persisted. The little boy's eyes were closed. Even after several moment, they remained as such. One would have thought that he was taking a nap, but would someone who was asleep swing their legs in the way he was?
"Little Ryu, you must be more careful." Imperial Doula Miriam chided. "After your elder brother awakens his meridians, at least until your own ceremony, you must try not to antagonize him, okay?"
"If he's smart, he'll stay very far from me no matter what his cultivation is." The cold reply of the small boy was nothing like what one would expect from a toddler. Somehow, he had already gained the demeanor of an absolute expert, the kind that one would make certain to exterminate from the root after even the slightest offense for fear of one's own death.
Imperial Doula Miriam sighed. "Just ignore his words. He's young and rash, there's no need for you to create a life-long enmity between siblings over frivolous nothings. It's best to forgive and forget, to be magnanimous for the sake of your own health."
One would never expect an adult to speak to a child in such a way. Imperial Doula Miriam described First Prince Amory as the seven-year-old child that he was, but pretended as though Ryu wasn't the three year old toddler before her. She had begun subconsciously treating this boy as an equal for a very long time now.
"Aunty Miriam, you're very na?ve." The small Ryu suddenly said. "Do you believe that first brother's animosity toward me is organic? Did I offend him in any way? Is he even old or mature enough to understand that he will have to compete with us three younger brothers for the throne?
"This first brother of mine has an aptitude that I understand well. He may very well be better than the average child, but his world view is limited and shallow. The things he understands aren't by virtue of himself, nor are his thoughts his own. If all of these things are true, then who do you think is responsible for molding him?"
Imperial Doula Miriam shivered, but didn't dare to reply. It was one thing for a Prince to say such stinging words about another Prince's upbringing, but for her to comment could result in execution. This was especially the case considering the person Ryu was alluding to was none other than the Queen of their Kingdom, Olivia Tor.
Still, the scope of understanding this mere three-year-old boy had was astonishing. To understand the politics of the Kingdom so clearly already, it was shocking to her even now. However, Ryu was right. No matter how Ryu reacted, Amory and his third brother would never reciprocate in good faith. Their minds had already been corrupted by their mother. Maybe only second brother deserved Ryu's hope for now, but who knows what would happen in the future?
Of course, there was always a chance that his first and third brothers would break from the control of their mother in the future. However, that wouldn't happen until they both matured and learned to distinguish right from wrong themselves. For now… It was impossible.
With a deep sigh, Imperial Doula Miriam stood to wash her hands in a bucket nearby.
"Alright, let's go take you to your mother."
**
"Be sure to stay quiet for mommy, okay?" The beautiful First Concubine Leilani smoothed her dress and hair, making final adjustments before taking Ryu's small hands in hers. "Also remember that you must stay respectful in front of your father. The future of the Agnes Clan rests on your shoulders, so you must find favor with him, okay?"
Little Ryu didn't reply, simply following after his mother as they walked into a large ceremonial hall outlined with beautiful glass artwork. Of course, he could see none of this due to the fact his eyes were closed.
Although his vision was covered by darkness, he could feel the gazes that turned toward him and his mother. He remained unaffected, but many thought that this was due to his blindness. They probably believed he couldn't sense their emotions or understand their animosity simply because he was young and supposedly disabled. However, it would be more accurate to say that Little Ryu was the sharpest person here.
"First Concubine greets Queen Tor." Leilani said with a light smile. "I'd like to be one of the first to congratulate you and Little Amory. He has a very bright future ahead of him."
Queen Tor greeted Leilani. "Thank you for your kind words. I wouldn't like to get too far ahead of myself. There's a saying that expecting too much can end in devastation. Even if my Little Amory fails, I hope that he can lead a calm and quiet life."
"Big Sister Olivia's words are truly grand. I hope to one day cultivate my own Mental Realm to be as broad minded as your own."
The light conversation between Queen and Concubine was the center of attention for most. There didn't seem to be any out of bounds occurrences, but it felt uncomfortable to watch from the sidelines. Maybe it was because the entire time, two young boys stood to Queen Tor's back – one seven years old, the other four years old – making faces of disdain and disgust toward the blind Ryu.
Seeing the innocent boy with only a light smile on his face, completely oblivious to the torment of his elder brothers made those of the royal court uncomfortable. The young boy's plight was quite pitiable. Still, that didn't stop others from believing that this was how things should be. In fact, many believed that Ryu should be appreciative for even being alive while others still believed he should still be killed…
"Introducing His Majesty, King Tor!" A herald's voice shattered the building tension.