= Act I » The Prince
[verse]
----
Heavy is the crown he bears.
The rain falls, weighed down by gravity.
Its patter closely reminds him of his own trouble:
The crown atop his head that threatens collapse on his body,
All the way to the soles of his feet.
He wishes to be like the clouds,
Untroubled by the ruin he lets fall below him.
He hopes one day to be weightless and free,
But alas, that is not what fate has in mind.
His neck threatens to break.
His shoulders are not made for this burden.
His knees buckle,
And he has fallen.
----

= Prince of Shadows
The dull sound of the waves drumming against the hull 
almost drowned out the ecstatic cries of the crew
as they headed into the port town.
Kilyan closed his eyes and took a deep breath,
reveling in the sting of the briny air entering his nose.
He rested his hands lightly on the rails in front of him.
"So, that's it?"
rumbled a thick voice to his left.
The wooden planks creaked slightly under Mani's weight,
betraying the __Hanelyth__'s age.
The lantern he was carrying swung loosely at his side,
scattering and gathering shadows in time with the water.
"You found out you could be land royalty,
and that's it?
You're just leaving?"
Kilyan tightened his grip around the rail.
"Of course, Old Man.
It's what I was born for."
Mani scoffed.
"Don't swab the deck with me.
Captain is what you were _raised_ for,
no matter what Crazy Cap wrote in that journal."
He reached for Kilyan's shoulder.
Kilyan shrugged him off.
"Cajmel raised me with the full knowledge
that I am a thronechild of Kirboda,
to take advantage of it even."
He tilted his head back down in search of the moon.
Its reflection flickered in the water, beckoning.
"Oh, to the depths with what she wanted!"
Mani erupted, this time actually grabbing Kilyan's shoulder.
"We call her Crazy Cap for a reason.
You believe her ramblings?
You really think that you're _that_ legendary child?"
Rumors of the thronechild's disappearance had plagued the domain
for over two decades.
The speculation about the cause had always been so outlandish
that anyone in their right mind dismissed it.
Mani's hand shook, fingers digging in,
but his eyes were steady,
searching Kilyan for a sign of anything other than what he saw.
The waves lapping against the ship swallowed their breaths.
The moon had cloaked herself in clouds,
calling for Kilyan to follow her to heights
he would never know if he stayed safe in the ocean's embrace.
"It doesn't matter."
He turned to meet his brother's eyes.
A sudden shuffling sound drew both of their gazes
to the cabin boy who'd just emerged from below deck.
His dark eyes glittered wide in the lantern light.
"Quadjreo," Kilyan called, "think you can leave and enjoy the night.
We'll start her repairs in the morning."
He tossed a reassuring nod his way.
The boy mumbled, "Thanks, Cap," before clambering down the gangway.
Once he'd turned the corner, Mani spoke again.
"So, what now?"
Kilyan took one last glance at the water's moon.
"Best to get going," he drawled,
moving in the same direction as the cabin boy.
"Xyrra's waiting."
A sharp peal of laughter ripped through the air.
"That mutinous siren?" Mani bellowed as he fell into step with Kilyan.
"Only good for -- "
" -- telling me where and how I can talk to the king -- "
Kilyan tried to interrupt.
" -- singing the info you want to hear
and then singing your secrets to the next sailor, too," Mani persisted.
"Now I know you're swabbing the deck with me.
You'd let her know about your blood?"
Kilyan rolled his eyes.
"I don't like her either, but I need you behind me."
"You're abandoning her."
Even with the sudden halt of footfalls against the beaten pavement,
Mani's voice was near inaudible.
"You're abandoning the _Hanelyth_ for scraps of royal blood,
and you want me to help you?"
The lantern clattered on the cobblestones as Kilyan slammed Mani into a wall.
He pressed his forearm into his throat
and leaned in until he could feel Mani's breath fanning his face.
Their eyes locked together.
"I'm not abandoning anyone."
"No," Mani sneered, his voice thinned by the pressure,
"you're just running to the next fountain of power you can find."
He shoved him off and bent low.
"O king of pirates, I should have known
that throne was far too easily given to satisfy you."
He picked up the lantern and stood up again, eyes simmering.
Kilyan ground his teeth together.
"Manelo, please.
I can't let this opportunity pass."
Their heavy panting muffled the breeze rustling their clothes
as they glared at each other.
The lantern had been snuffed out,
and now only the moon illuminated their faces.
Mani sighed as he glanced in the direction of the __Hanelyth__.
When his eyes met Kilyan's again, he heaved an even louder sigh.
"Oh, let the wind blow.
But only because we're brothers."
Kilyan grinned and dusted off Mani's back with a slap.
"You can thank Crazy Cap for that one."
"Speaking of things to thank her for, you get to deal with Risk."
Mani shoved his pointer finger into Kilyan's face.
"I'm not going near that tangle of knots, not even for you."
He shuddered, rattling the lantern.
"I still remember that time you convinced me to drop seaweed on her head."
Kilyan laughed dryly.
"Crazy Cap was hearing about that prank for months after."
He fished out a wax covered match from his pocket to light the lantern again.
They had spent too long making their way to Dom's inn.
"I would think she'd be ecstatic to hear I won't be around anymore.
We're not teens running around pranking each other now."
Mani chewed on the inside of his cheek.
"I suppose not."
They walked on with only the sound of their footsteps piercing the air.
The moon peeked around the clouds again, taunting Kilyan with a kiss blown in the wind.
His hand flexed, reaching for any indication that he was making the right choice
but finding only the weighty handle of the lantern.
He was a boat with a tattered sail,
moving at the mercy of the wind
with only his own resolve to brace against the waves.
Before the beating of his heart beat his eardrums down,
the cheers of drunken sailors echoed from the rundown building
the two were quickly approaching.
The barkeeper looked up as they entered.
"Captain, Quartermaster, the usuals?" he greeted them,
the corners of his thick lips twisted down into a frown as always.
Dom slid two prepared cups across the counter.
"Thanks, Dom."
Mani raised his cup toward the barkeeper and knocked his drink down in one go.
Dom sighed and reached under the bar again.
He traded a full cup for Mani's empty one.
Glancing at Kilyan with flat eyes, he said,
"She's waiting for you downstairs.
Take the tray with you, huh?"
He nodded his head at the steaming hot food on the counter beside him.
"What am I, your hire?" Kilyan grumbled
as he placed his cup on the tray and picked it up.