16 Red River City (1/2)
Chapter 15: Red River City
Van calmed himself down and got home as quickly as possible without attracting too much attention.
He knocked on the door and practically shoved Ghan to the side as he dashed inside to tell his aunt and grandfather the good news.
”Auntie! Grandfather! I'm going to the Flowing Water Sect!”
His aunt and grandfather stood there for a second, stunned. Then, they started to beam with pride.
”You're going to the middle continent! Your father and mother would be so proud of you! None of the princes even had a chance, and you have a guaranteed spot!”
”I'm proud of you, grandson.”
A few violent coughs broke the atmosphere that was previously brimming with positivity. His aunt assisted his grandfather into the nearby bed to lay down. Van helped his aunt set his grandfather down gently and stroked his grandfather's forehead.
He pulled out a spiritual pill, crushed it, and inserted it into his grandfather's mouth. After a few moments, his grandfather's breaths started to slow down and his expression became calm. Van's eyes filled with determination. He needed to become as powerful in the middle continent as quickly as possible to heal his grandfather.
Van gently rested his grandfather's head on the cushions and walked up to his room to pack, leaving his aunt to comfort his grandfather.
He shoved all of his belongings into his magical sack and looked around the room, reminiscing of times that seemed to have been long past.
He could see himself back in his room in the royal palace, his eldest brother chasing him around the room to tackle him, with his two sisters watching him on the ground. He could see himself tripping and getting tackled by his brother. They rolled around on the ground and started laughing.
”Eldest Brother! You're too rough!”
”You're too weak! I will protect you and sisters against any bullies!”
His eldest brother started flexing his developing muscles, causing Van and his two sisters to roll around on their backs laughing. In response, his eldest brother tackles Van again in mock anger.
”I give up, Eldest Brother!”
He laughed as he kept his hands above his head.
A few years later, his eldest brother, Vincent Nguyen, was taken away to be separately prepared as the crown prince, causing Van to become a withdrawn scholar with no ambitions, eventually giving him a title of the ”Royal Failure” when he shames the Nguyen Dynasty in an important royal meeting, when his compassion overpowered his self-control causing an outburst during a Royal execution.
His second eldest brother, Justin Nguyen, would always tease him about the incident and beat him up in the halls. He would refrain only when Eldest Brother or any of the adults were around.
”Now, they're all gone.”
His expression of reminiscing quickly turned grim. His determination grew as he thought of what the traitors did to his family, causing him to flee, leaving them behind.
”I will get my revenge.”
He finished packing his things and walked downstairs to meet his aunt for the last time in a while.
He found his aunt spooning some Congee into his grandfather's mouth while tilting his head down for digestive reasons. Sanji had shrunken himself and lay on a cushion on the floor.