Arian hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether he should tell the students about his former beast, before he nodded in Maloc's direction. His deputy answered hesitantly: "A qilin. The prince was bonded to a beast belonging to the demesnes of mind and life. A beast of the second tier."
Hearing Maloc talk about it made Arian feel melancholic, especially when Shivani asked the next question: "Where is your beast now, my prince?"
Arian raised his hands, ready to sign Maloc the answer, but then stopped.
Because he remembered...
Everything, all those memories he tried to forget, suddenly resurfaced and overwhelmed him.
Without realizing it, Arian pressed his hand against his chest, as pain shot through him.
No, he didn't want to remember, he shouldn't, he couldn't.
Arian felt how he suddenly wasn't able to breathe properly, and a whimper escaped his lips.
For the students, it was the first time they heard the prince's voice. If they weren't looking at him already, now all their attention was turned toward him.
Sadly, they didn't get a good look at Arian, because his guards moved before him, blocking the students' view.
At the same time, the prince's deputy straightened himself. His face was red with fury, as he restrained himself from shouting. But even with his efforts, Maloc still sounded furious.
"This is none of your concern, girl! Have some respect. You're talking to the prince, and he has answered your questions thoroughly. This is enough!"
Two guards bent down towards their prince, asking him in hushed tones if he was okay, but Arian didn't hear it.
He was struggling to stay in reality, while his memories overwhelmed him and the pain grew.
He was forced to confront one of the most painful experiences in his life.
Arian gritted his teeth. He knew he couldn't let emotion rule him or get the better of him- he was infront of other people- what image would they get of him if he couldn't get his act together?
Compose yourself, he commanded in his mind.
He tried to steady his breathing, get a grasp on his surroundings- but it didn't work.
And suddenly, Arian was there again, reliving his memories.
He was on the battlefield.
He was unstoppable, as not just ten, but nearly a hundred guards protected him, forming a wall of white armour and steel around him. And behind him, thousands upon thousands of soldiers followed. Together with their beasts, they were the elite forces of the empire.
Every famous beast-tamer was on that battlefield. They fought against a much larger army of wild beasts in order to claim new territory for humanity and make the country safer.
The memory of the battle against the mystical beasts washed by, blurred and distant, as it had happened six years ago.
Only its ending remained crystal clear, engraved in Arian's mind forever.
A beautiful creature lay on the ground among countless other dead beasts. But unlike them, this one still drew breath.
Its eyes were of the purest gold, just like its mane and tail, and its scales shimmered in a magnificent emerald shade.
Only his black antlers were broken off, lying next to the beast instead of crowning its head.
Together with the deep wounds on the creature's hind legs, it made a sad image of a once noble creature.
But the antlers would grow back and the wounds would heal, Arian thought in delight as he gestured for the guards to move so he would get a better look at the beast.
His guards had surrounded the animal, pointing their swords at it. Together with their bonded beasts, they formed an unescapable prison for the wounded creature.
And then, a few guards parted and made way for a veiled figure who wore a regal golden tiara adorned with red rubies.
The figure stepped forth and stopped shortly infront of the wounded animal's snout.
Arian stared down at his prey and smiled.
He had never felt happier than today, because today was finally the day he had waited for all his life.
Today, he would tame a beast- and not just any beast- he would bond with the creature lying at his feet- a qilin, a divine beast, the crest of his family and the symbol of emperors.
Today, he would cement himself as crown prince.
He reached down to his hips, where his sword was fastened around his waist.
He drew it in one fluid motion, before he pointed it directly at one of the qilin's golden eyes.
"You have a choice. Either die... or form a bond with me."
For a while, nothing changed. The air continued to stink of blood and death as a soft wind blew across the battlefield, while the horns of victory rang in the distance.
And yet, something did happen.
While the creature continued to whimper, Arian could feel the change.
A warm feeling overwhelmed him as a distant presence settled into the back of his mind.
Arian couldn't help but grin widely.
Indeed, he had succeeded.
And then, the scene suddenly shifted.
Years later, Arian lay in his bed, groaning in pain, as doctors and nurses surrounded him, trying to attend to all his needs.
And he had plenty, after all, he was paraplegic since yesterday.
Arian still hadn't recovered from the shock of waking up and realizing he couldn't move, let alone feel his legs.
He wanted to cry, but his tears had long dried up. He had cried the whole night, and now, that it was morning, there was nothing left for him to do other than to endure the pain and stare at the ceiling.
He hoped this was all a nightmare and he would soon wake up from it, but with every passing second, he had to accept that this was his reality.
However, before he could drown in his suffering, the winged doors of his chambers opened.
Everyone in his room stopped working as they all stared at the creature that entered.
Even though the room was three meters in height, the creature had to crouch slightly in order to fit in.
It was Sublimus, Arian's qilin.
The doctors and servants shuddered under his cold, golden gaze.
"Leave", Arian croaked.
He waited until the last one left and the doors closed again before he removed his veil from his face.
The thing had bothered him ever since he had woken up. But since other people were in the room with him, he couldn't show himself.
But infront of his beast, he didn't have to stick to formalities.
Arian smiled as he watched Sublimus approach.
He reached out to pet his snout and feel Sublimus's soft whiskers.
To his disappointment, Sublimus did not lower his head, nor did his golden eyes soften.
The beast just stared down at his prince, his master.
A silence settled over the two of them, before Arian heard a deep and familiar voice in his mind.
"Look at you. And what you have become. Once I was lying whimpering underneath you. Now, our roles are reversed. Back then, it allowed you to order me. To bond with me, whether I wanted it or not. But now, now you are weak and thus you have to accept my orders."
His voice was so demanding it hurt.
Arian winced. In all the years they were bonded, Sublimus's voice never had such an impact on the prince's mind.
Arian didn't understand what was happening.
He tried to say something, but Sublimus interrupted him.
"I want to be free. A qilin is the symbol of a ruler."
Sublimus paused and, for the first time, he looked down at the wounded prince. "You are no ruler, Arian."
"I... I don't," despite the pain, Arian tried to form a sentence. He was feverishly trying to understand what his beast meant. What the hell was going on?
"I don't understand..."
"You never had what it takes to be emperor, and now you never will. Because from today onwards, you'll lose me. And with me, you lose the symbol of power."
With these words, the qilin turned. And just like Arian had forced their bond upon Sublimus almost six years ago, the beast now forced it apart.
Arian screamed, as his soul, his very being, was torn apart.
He convulsed and started to shake.
He didn't hear the "Goodbye. I hope to never see you again," from Sublimus as the qilin broke through the windows of Arian's room and jumped into the clouds, because the pain was unbearable.
The prince felt like he was about to die. His mind raced, and yet he couldn't form one coherent thought.
He tried to reach out to Sublimus again- to the familiar presence in the back of his mind, but he couldn't.
Because there was nothing.
Nothing, nothing, nothing.
Arian couldn't see, couldn't hear, couldn't smell- the only thing he could do was feel pain.
Pain of a kind he never knew existed.
He had to endure while unstoppable changes happened to his body.
Arian's soul was crushed and reformed- back into a mundane soul without any supernatural powers again.
And that was how an important part of Arian died.
Afterwards, the prince had never been the same.
After he regained his senses, the only thought in his mind was the desire to die.
He had to die, because his soul had already died. There was nothing left in this world. Nothing for him to do.
Wait, that's wrong. I have to help the Academy. I have to show my father that I'm worthy, and I have to prove to myself and Sublimus- wherever he is in the world- that I am indeed worthy of being an emperor.
With this thought, Arian forced himself back into reality.
Again, he found himself staring at a ceiling.
Luckily, he managed to suppress the dreadful memories this time around.
Instead, he tried to orientate himself.
Looks like I'm back to my personal chambers in the academy. Hopefully I left the classroom with at least an once of graze.
Right, let's just hope I didn't make an utter fool of myself.
"My prince, you are awake!"
He heard a relieved sigh and turned his head.
Next to him stood Marie.
Right, Marie. Marie, who was still angry with him for...
And suddenly Arian remembered his other problem.
A more dire one than the one concerning his image in the students' eyes:
The issue with his potential child.