"The Sands of Time," Lestan stated in shock.

"Yes, but how did you know?" King Serry was surprised.

"Hahahaha let me introduce my son Lestan." Araman introduced. "He's the best in academics and more. He's my proud."

"You don't know what you are talking about." Lestan said to his father through his teeth.

Serry approached the young prince. "It is my honor to finally meet you Prince Lestan." He put his left hand on Lestan's shoulder and right hand reached for him. Lestan shook king's hand. "Welcome to my palace. Please make yourself at home."

"It's my honor Your Majesty. Thank you for the warm welcome." Lestan replied.

Then Serry faced Araman. "Araman, my brother, it was so long." Serry hold out his hand to him and after shaking it they patted their shoulders with their left hands. They weren't brothers, but very good friends from childhood times.It seems that good enough to call themselves brothers.

"Ah yes, Serry, my brother. The last time it was when you visited me three years ago, but Lestan was absent at the moment." Araman said.

"Ah yes, that was a shame to not meet you at that time, but I hope we'll make up to it in your current visit." Serry said that to Lestan.

"Excuse me Your Majesty, may I ask you about something?" Lestan asked.

"Lestan, my boy, please call me uncle, like all your brothers do." He smiled widely and Araman nodded. "And of course, ask whatever you need."

"How have you acquired the Sands of Time?" Lestan asked concerned.

"Ah yes, it was few months ago, after winning our war with Waradia." Serry explained.

"Have you acquired something else with it?" Lestan asked coming closer to the hourglass.

"Ah yes. A staff, a dagger and an amulet," Serry listed. "All of them were exposed here with an hourglass, until a thief stole the amulet."

Lestan felt something under his jacket and reached there. He took out the amulet he was wearing and saw it was glowing. Then he turned around to face kings again and said, "This amulet?"

Serry was shocked at the sight, "But how?"

"Oh, he took that from Derasian sorcerer when he infiltrated their city." Araman explained.

"That's incredible." Serra was impressed.

"To be honest we won the last battle only thank to him, Derasians were very stubborn in defeating." Araman exclaimed.

"Here Uncle," Lestan took off amulet from his neck and handed out it to Serry."It should return to you."

"You don't have to-" Serry protested, but Lestan interrupted him.

"Honor requires returning all belongings to his owner. We were providing war gifts after all." Lestan explained.

"Very well, Lestan. We'll talk about this later." Serry took amulet from Lestan.

"But make sure that you keep the dagger far away from the hourglass, it's the key open it and believe me that you don't want to open it." Lestan stated.

Serry asked, "Why not?"

"The Sands of Time are very powerful and evil magic. Don't even try it or it will be end of us all." Lestan explained.

"Well, I already tried opening it with the dagger and nothing happened." Serry confessed.

Lestan gulped. "Thank God of Luck that nothing happened and don't ever try it again."

"Very well, but it's not time to discuss it. Please rest after your journey and we'll have feast soon." Serry announced.

"Ah yes, your famous feasts are legendary, Lestan doesn't know the thrill of it yet." Araman laughed.

"Yes, excuse me Uncle, I'm very tired." Lestan bowed and turned around to face chamber exit. Araman joined him. "I want to talk to you after feast Father."

"All right, I'll be waiting." Araman replied and went ahead.

"That went well," Jarred smiled joining to him.

Lestan took a deep breath. "After feast I'll have my talk with father."

***********************************************

Asoke sneaked to the big chamber. No one was there at the moment, but not long before there was a great feast. A lot of leftovers still just lied on the big table. He looked in every direction to see if someone was coming. It was getting darker and there weren't any candles lit.

It was a perfect situation for him to just get a lot of food without anyone to notice. But he needed to be quick about it; someone for sure would come there eventually to clean the table. It would be a huge waste to just throw away all that food. He was doing everyone a favor, less cleaning for servants, less wasted food and his belly full. That it was always about, that he wouldn't starve.

He approached the table and started to eat whatever there was. Asoke was never picky about the food, he just ate what was possible to get. He ate fast, because he didn't eat for whole day. The last time he eaten was with Lestan. His thoughts wandered towards prince, he hoped that he would meet him again.

Unfortunately his thoughts about the boy were reason he lowered his guard and couldn't notice that someone came to the chamber. He realized that just after someone grabbed him from behind.

"Here you are thief." Guard said.

Asoke dropped food he was holding and spit out what he was just chewing. "Aah, get off me." He yelled.

"Not on my watch, you scoundrel," Soldier said. More appeared next to them. Asoke was screwed; there was no purpose in struggle anymore. He wouldn't be able to escape that situation. He calmed down and wiped his mouth. After a long sigh soldier spoke again. "Good boy, now let's go."

Asoke didn't resist allowing guards to lead him to prison. In halfway he noticed Lestan. He was wearing a dark blue elegant shirt and was heading in opposite direction. Thief struggled trying to reach him and yelled, "Lestan, Lestan." Prince turned towards them.

"Stop there, what is a problem here?" Lestan asked guards approaching them.

"Your Highness, it's a thief, we caught him stealing food." Guard answered.

"I doubt that a stealing some leftovers from the feast is that great of a crime you should arrest him for it." Prince stated.

"But he also stole that amulet you retrieve honorable Prince." This time he bowed.

"Oh, so you were the one who stole that amulet? Why I'm not surprised?" Lestans aid to Asoke sarcastically.

"Yeah, "Asoke sighed.

"Well then, excuse me that I depart for important business." Lestan exclaimed.

"Heard the prince, carry on," Guard said.

"But Lestan, help me please." Asoke begged.

"Address him properly and don't harass him." Guard explained.

"Have a nice evening," Lestan said and left.

"Lestan," Asoke sighed.

"Keep going, we're at the end of our shift and we want to return to our houses." Guard hurried him.

Asoke was sad while walking to his cell. He entered it and sat on thing that suppose to be a bed. Guards left him and he was alone with his thoughts. Why Lestan wouldn't help him? He had that power. Guards would listen to him. After sometime an older man wearing strange clothes approached him.

***********************************************

It was sunset after feast was finished. Lestan didn't eat much though. All he could think was his talk with his father and the Sands of Time. He left powerful magic at one place to face another here. He wished such magic wouldn't ever exist and that the God of Luck was still watching after him. Apparently He didn't watch after Asoke, because he had problems again. Lestan didn't think much about it. He would ask later King Serry for a pardon for him. Amulet was retrieved after all and Asoke help greatly in finishing the war.

While he was walking he overheard a conversation. He slowly went towards a balcony that no one could hear him. There were Azurian Vizier and first in command, Azurian Admiral. He met them at feast, though he didn't have any sympathy towards them.Vizier was strangely dressed and in makeup. Rohan didn't need anything like this, but he was young, probably two times younger than this Vizier. Probably he needed that to be properly representative.

"How long it will take?" Admiral asked.

"Patience is a virtue, Garciva." Vizier answered.

He still questioned, "But how long?"

"We have amulet back and soldiers are looking for this thief, so not long." Vizier stated.

Lestan heard that someone was running. He hid behind a column and saw that a soldier went to two men.

"Admiral, the thief has been captured." Soldier exclaimed.

"See, Garciva? It seems that you won't have to wait long." Vizier said and all three of them departed.

Lestan thought that was little strange, but couldn't really see anything wrong in that. Two the most important persons after the king discussing a stolen amulet problem were rather normal. He didn't have time to think about though, he had scheduled meeting with his father.

He went to big doors leading to his father's chambers. Guards were standing outside of them and saluted him as soon he approached.

"Please come in My Prince, His Majesty is expecting you." One guard said, while both of them opened doors for him.

He went through them and they closed behind him. He didn't pay much attention to it and looked after his father. He was sitting at the table in another room. Lestan sat in front of him.

"Ah, Lestan, I hope you have a great time here." He spoke with wide smile.

"It's a very beautiful palace, Father, but I have too much on mind to enjoy it right now." Lestan replied.

"Then what's on your mind, my son?" Araman asked.

"It's very anxious to hear all the time how pride you are of me, while it's not true." Lestan explained.

Araman stopped smiling. His face became that much serious it would scare many people. Lestan would fear it also, if he wasn't the one who draw it out.

"Is it about that thing again?" King asked.

"It's not a thing; it's who I am, Dad." Lestan retorted.

"I thought you would be over it now." Araman explained.

"No, Dad, I can't get over it, it's part of me and always it will be." Prince explained.

Araman shook his head. "Son, you can be whoever you want-"

"No, Dad. I want only to be happy and that what you expect from me will make me entirely unhappy." Lestan continued.

"Your brothers aren't complaining-"

"That's because they're not like me." Lestan said lauder and stopped to for a deep breath. "Listen Dad, I don't want to fight you, I just want to you understand and accept me. I was trying very hard for last few years to make you proud-"

"And I am-"

"No, you're not. There's only one thing you expect from me that I can't and won't deliver. I'm not doing this to be against you, it's just I won't do anything that is against myself." Lestan took a deep breath. "Please Dad; I just want to be myself."

"Lestan, I understand your concerns, Dastan had them too. You remember how scared he was to marry-"

"No Dad, you don't understand anything. I'm not scared, it's just different. Dastan has fallen in love with Elazja, but I'm unable to do fall in love with a woman,so it would never work." He sighed.

Araman replied, "But why not? If you just give it a chance-"

"No, it won't work. I can fall in love only with men. Just understand that it's not anyone's fault, it didn't just happened, I always was like that and it can't be changed." Lestan explained.

Araman thought for a moment and sighed, "Very well. If that's how you feel then I'll think about it. Maybe I won't be able to force you to anything, but remember that you're still a prince."

"So maybe you won't force me to be unhappy, but still won't allow me to be happy then?" Lestan remarked.

Araman sighed. "Lestan, everything I want for you is to be happy, so don't phrase it that way."

"Don't worry Dad, it's still a progress. I just hope that one day you'll understand." Lestan sighed.

Araman didn't say anything. Lestan stood up and was about to leave, when Araman spoke." Come with me to the throne room, Serry wants to talk with us before night." Lestan nodded and they left.

They together went to the throne room escorted by a couple of Karasian soldiers. When they went to the chamber, Serry stood up from his throne and came closer to them. He greeted Araman, but Lestan didn't pay attention. All he could see was that Asoke went to the hourglass.

"NO!" Lestan yelled. Asoke stabbed the hourglass with a dagger and sands started to spill.