Azrael's POV
I brought out one of tbe Draco family secret heirlooms. I always kept this one on me. It was a small shaped dragon made of gold with Ruby eyes linked to a sword made of black diamond and a book with a light blue cover with silver edges by a small silver chain.
The dragon represents the guardian or keeper, the sword represents the protector while the book signifies knowledge. It was handed down to me by my grandfather, who got it from his grandfather and on the line went.
I removed the dragon from the chain and placed it on to the lock. The red gem on the dragon burned a bright red before the lock let out a soft 'click' and opened.
I retrieved the dragon and reattached it to the chain before tucking it safely back into my pocket.
I opened the book and found it was about the inbetween and everything concerning all the worlds that existed. One thing particularly stood out the most to me.
"The path between worlds" I read out under my breath. That was how I found my way home.
******
When I realized I had finally made it back to the palace, I found out that over fifty years had passed.
My mother, I also found out, had already passed. And my father had become a shell of his past glory. No longer was he the dignified emperor I knew. The loss of his only heir then wife was a fatal blow to him.
My father had refused to take in Any extra lover for his love for my mother was boundless. He had swore his faithfulness, love and trust to her a and her only.
You see after my birth, my mother had a miscarriage that left her unable to bed anymore children. I was their sole heir and the first in line to the throne.
The entire palace was tossed into a frenzy upon my disappearance.
After years of hopelessly searching, time had forced my parents to give up. My mother had been heartbroken and perished under a deadly illness. My father, depressed by the loss of his son and wife, devoted his life to his sword and drowned his misery with alcohol. He was a legend on the battlefield but a ghost of his former personality.
After years on the battlefield, he became battle weary. He retired to the countryside where he fell I'll and was bedridden.
My uncle and aunt took that chance to usurp the throne. As next in line my cousin was then pronounced the crown prince. However, because he was too young to at the age of thirteen and even less was he experienced, my uncle ascended the throne and became king.
He ruled for years as a tyrant, embezzling important funds, increasing taxes and indulging in illegal acts. He was a menace to the kingdom of Zamir.
And so was gis son who took over as soon as he became of age and continued his father's ways.
When I returned I promptly made a visit to my father. I did not alert anyone about my return.
My father was usually in a state of unawareness and was taken cared of by his most loyal knight, sir Khalid Raphael
Fortunately, my father sometimes came out of his reverie and I didn't have to wait for long to speak to him.
He was surprised but relieved that I was back. I explained to him what happened and about my awakened power to cross over to the inbetween. He regarded me the familiar pride I was used to. It gave me a glimpse of the man he once was, beyond the wrinkles, was a man who led with a will of steel.
But he didn't stay long, as if he had been holding on to see that I was back, to lay down all his burden and leave with no regrets.
"Zavia, now I can face you" he muttered my mother's name with as much love as he had always done. He turned to look me in the eye and left with these parting words "You must take back your birth right my son. Never forget, you are the true heir prince Azrael Damien Drako"
I stayed for a few years, training and gathering information, building connections and biding my time, waiting for the right opportunity to present itself.
I went back to the inbetween, and completed my preparations and plans until it was time to set my plan to motion.
So I went back to Mythica after almost seventy years and eradicated my enemies. I ascended the throne and went on to fix all the mess my incompetent cousin had made.
I became a war specialist at the age of fifteen. I was unshakable, or so I thought.
One encounter with a white haired princess rocked my world.