Chapter 1
Once upon a time, there lived a family of light and magic. A witch, a mage, and their twin sons. They lived in a small cottage, on the outskirts of Sokovia. Though ruled by a harsh king, the family was happy. One day, the boys vanished. Racked with grief, the mother lost control of her powers and killed her husband. She fled into the mountains, and was never seen again.
***
14 Years Later
Billy was surrounded by people. The warmth was stifling, he had to get out. He stumbled through the crowd, but couldn’t seem to find the way out. He looked around, searching for a familiar face. The heat increased until it was almost unbearable. Billy collapsed to the ground, gasping for air as the crowd closed in on him. A voice above him echoed in his ears as the world turned dark around the edges.
“Child, what are you doing sleeping?” It said, “Why have you wandered off? Your parents will worry,” Billy blinked and tried to make out the man standing above him. “Ah well, wake up, boy.” Billy rolled over, closing his eyes again.
“I said get up, boy!” Billy’s eyes snapped open. Joseph Kesler was glaring down at him. He was no longer lying on the cobblestone streets, instead he was next to a blazing fire. That explained the heat. He sat up, blinking the dream away, and quickly stood to face Kesler. The man stared at him with disdain and thrust a paper at him. “I need you to head to the market and fetch some items before the festival tomorrow.”
Billy nodded, not fully comprehending as he was handed the list. The haze of his memories still grasped at the edge of his mind. He shook his head, and searched the room for his tunic. It was baggy, a too big hand me down, and was covered in holes, the hem worn from worrying. He quickly tugged it on over his undershirt and slipped on his cracked leather belt. He dashed out of the cottage before either of the Keslers had a chance to give him more orders.
The path was covered in low hanging fog, creeping out of the woods. A doe ran across the small dirt trail, and ducked into the underbrush behind Billy, quickly followed by a group of three men on horses crashing through where the doe had come. A large white mare stopped just in front of Billy, rearing up and knocking him over. His vision blacked out for a second as his head made contact with the ground. When he came to, a beautiful blonde man swam in his vision, eyebrows creased together with worry. Two men stood behind him, daggers held in hand.
“Are you okay?” He asked. He had a deep baritone voice, smooth like honey. His calming tone was thrown off by the glinting weapon hanging on his hip. Billy nodded, trapped in the deep blue of his eyes. “Let me help you up,” he said. He grasped Billy’s hand and pulled him up. He was strong, Billy noticed, and he had thick, muscular forearms underneath his finely made shirt.
“Thanks, Billy muttered. He looked away, feeling warmth cover his cheeks. The man let go, and Billy’s hand felt suddenly cold.
“Of course, it was my fault after all. I’m very sorry for that,” he said.
“It’s fine, I’m fine.”
“What’s your name?”
“I’m Billy,” he said. He looked at the man again. He looked kind, and Billy found a wave of confidence. “And what is yours?”
The man looked surprised, one of the orhers behind him, a boy with dark hair, stepped forward, holding up his dagger. Billy stumbled back, but the blonde man held up his hand and the other drew back.
“I am Teddy, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” he whispered.
The other man behind Teddy cleared his throat. He had dark skin and short hair. “Sir, we should be going now. Your father will be needing us back soon.”
“Ah, yes, of course,” Teddy said. He turned to Billy once more and dropped a heavy, velvet bag into his hands before climbing onto his horse again and turning away.
When the trio vanished into the woods, he opened the sack and peered in. He gasped at the sight of glimmering gold. He quickly tugged the drawstring closed again and tied it to his belt. He noticed the wetness on his back. Mud, staining his nicest tunic. He concentrated on making it go away, of cleaning his shirt until it was dry again and magic seeped through his skin. He continued his walk to the marketplace, forgotten list crumpling in his fist, and thoughts consumed by Teddy’s brilliant blue eyes.