Peri held the small bundle in his arms, the water of the ocean rushing below the precipice he perched on. The Antal let out a cry of protest, calling for his mother or his father to save him.
They would never see him again, Peri thought. The Ales had taken his family, his wife and son, now he would take their livelihood.
“Don’t realize what you’re doing?!” The Captain of the Guard, Liam, shouted out to the deranged man. “ If you do it you’ll end our Nation’s only hope in this dark day!”
“I don’t care, Liam! I no longer care what happens! This is what the Ales deserves! He killed my wife and son!!!’
“That wasn’t his fault! You of all people should realize this, Peri! Please, I beseech you! Come to your senses! Her Highness will not be able to bear another child!” Liam held his anxious troops steady, the life of their prince at stake.
“Shut up!”
Into the ocean the infant tumbled, wailing for someone to save him. Liam dove, but it was far too late for him to be able to rescue the child, and he plummeted into the icy depths of the sea.
Peri laughed maniacally, staring at the ocean with crazed eyes.
The shriek of some great bird caused the grieving Liam to snap up his head in mute shock.
On the horizon flew a great Aeroes with a crest of green, its wings brushing the edges of heaven. In its massive talons was a small bundle, hanging limp. It blinked its black eyes slowly, as if to reassure Liam that the Antal would be okay. It let out a great screech, then flapped its wings once and took to flying toward the slowly setting sun, whose rays kissed the waves below.
Liam let a call of rage to the sky. His guards silently approached the still laughing Peri and drug him to the dungeons, their own eyes seething with silent hatred.
For the first time in his very long life Liam had failed his king.