Miracle Children

Gold-plated cutlery.

Velvet-red curtains.

Stary-vanilla candlesticks.

Some people were never on time, yet they were graced with praise and applause.

The servants laid the gold-embroidered napkins on each rich plate that would soon be dirtied with the food eaten by each royal guest.

The maids perfected the ability to put everything flawlessly on time. Most importantly, the prince was to be there at any random moment to see if everything was reading for that evening.

And everything was.

Everything except for Sebastian, who didn't comprehend the fact that miracles were over, at least for him. He was no longer special.

"I won again!" he screamed at his younger brother, Bennett. The dice he rolled were thrown in random places on the surface of a piano.

"Not fair," said Bennett. He threw his head in the air out of the frustration. He didn't even win once that day. "You're just lucky."

Sebastion raised his eyebrows and gave his brother a cheeky smile. "We could roll again?" he suggested. He pulled back his blonde and smiled once again at his brother.

"No! No! I need to get this right!" The 9-year-old sat behind his piano and began playing the piece of music he himself composed. "I'll be playing in front of the empress and the prince tonight," he yawned.

"We both are," Sebastian said. "Are you sure you want to play after me? It'll be late. Maybe even midnight."

Bennett nodded his head as his fingers pressed each key effortlessly. "Father is counting on me. Where is father, anyway?"

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "I don't know and I don't care."

"He should be here,"

"Why?"

"Because you shouldn't be here,"

Sebastian blinked to the realization. He was late and his father was most certainly angry, again.

"Sebastian!" His name echoed through the chambers. "Sebastian!"

"Yes, father," he said at his usual unenthusiastic tone.

His father, Leon von Mark, burst through the wooden door. "The empress and the prince await us in an hour or two. What were you thinking? Disappearing without a trace."

He looked his eldest son in the eye. "Have you prepared and practiced your part for this evening?" He quickly made his way to his son and grabbed his arms. He nodded at his son.

"Yeah, sure. The concert is already composed, done and ready." He pushed his father away and threw his hand in frustration. He walked towards his brother before he huffed his messy hair.

"Thank the Lord!" Leon let out a sigh in relief. "I want to see it. Where is the score?"

Sebastion bit his lower lip. "Inside my head. I just need to write it down."

"Are you serious?" Bennett laughed.

"You'll someday be the death of me!" Leon said. "Why can't you just be like Bennett!"

To compare Sabastian with Bennett was something unheard of. Bennett was only a 9-year-old child. Sabastian, however, was already a grown teenager. A young man, by the standards of the people.

"Remember, Sebastian. The miracles are over, at least for us..."

"I don't need any more miracles!"

"The days when the world admired us are over!"

Bennett coughed loudly at his father's statement. "Don't be so harsh on yourself," he said.

Leon gave his eldest son a package. "Both of you get dressed and you," He pointed at his eldest son. "Begin writing at once!" he commanded and turned away. He slapped the door behind him. The noise made Bennett jump from his seat.

Sebastian slammed the package against the furniture. "Hey, those are also my clothes," he said and ran towards the package. He opened it up and threw his brother's uniform on his face.

Sebastian held the clothes and observed the silk black ensemble. He slowly took off his own clothes and wore the ensemble. "This is hideous," he said and turned towards his brother.

"That's because you're supposed to wear them,"

Sebastian's left eye twitched when he heard the voice of none other than that royal 19-year-old brat. The smell of lavender stank. It was Prince Joseph's favorite and Sebastian not so much.

"I see you're still trying to resist authority. Never on time," Prince Joseph said sarcastically as he entered the room with his Chamberlain, Count George. Bennett got up and bowed his head down in respect to the presence of Joseph.

"You just don't believe in knocking, do you?" Sebastian asked him.

"Does he not want to bow to the prince? Who just arrived from London from a very long journey."

"To whom? Is there someone important here?" Sebastian looked around to prove his point.

"Quiet! Little musicians and entertainers should hold their tongues when addressing a..."

"Don't bother yourself, Count George," Prince Joseph said. He walked around to Bennett. "Bennett von Mark, I presume." He kneeled down enough to make Bennett feel taller and offered his hand. "Everyone in London is talking wonders about you. They say you're quite a talented boy. I'll be looking forward to tonight."

Bennett shook his hand in respect.

"Count George. Do you remember that black coat I always wore as a child? The one with the golden embroidery and the lion crest?"

"How could I forget it, my prince."

"It's in my room. I've ordered for it to be washed and given as a gift for this young gentleman. How would you like to accompany him and find it?" Joseph gave Bennett a soft smile, one that made Sebastion roll his eyes.

"As you wish." Count George signaled to Bennett to follow him. The boy looked back at his older brother. Sebastion stared at prince Joseph with hatred.

It was not a secret the two of them never got along.

But why?

Bennett remembered every time Joseph was even slightly mentioned. Sebastian would scoff and mutter along the lines of 'spoilt brat' and other words he shouldn't have used.

The thought followed Bennett as he exited the room with Count George by his side.

"Miracle child. That's what I heard them call him in London. Talented. Extremely young. Is your father still selling that?" Joseph asked and got up.

Sebastian gulped and tried not to be rude to the black-haired prince that stood in front of him. "Selling what?"

"That same attraction," Joseph walked to him and fixed the mess he made of his coat. "The little wonder child. The same sheltered little boy that looks to his father before uttering any word. Are you also going to tie a cloth over his eyes and lay another sheet on the piano? I remember how he did that to you the day we met. Do you remember? You played the piano without even as much as looking at the keys. And then you did the same with the violin." He let go of Sebastian's coat. "Can you still do that?" He asked.

The musician gave the price a puzzled look. "Do what?" he asked.

"Play the piano blindly," Joseph answered and traced his fingers at the white and black keys.

Sebastian licked his lips and sat down. He remembered the player posture everyone kept drilling inside his mind ever since he was 3. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

Everything went black for a moment and he pictured the exact same ballroom of that day many years ago. The empress was wearing a gown of yellow and white texture. Her real hair was unseen and hid under an enormous white wig and her husband stood beside her wearing a suit that resembled her gown colorwise.

His father laid a long sheet of clothing on the piano and said a few words before he tied one around his eyes. Sebastian felt sleepy at that time. It was too late for him to be awake yet he was and he played in front of royalty, nonetheless.

He played every note to its true length and sound without so much as needing to open his eyes. He already memorized where every key of any piano was before he could talk.

He played.

And played.

And played even more until Joseph taped his shoulders. "Impressive. Not as much as seeing a 7-year-old play that, but an adult is still impressive."

"I remember that day, Josie," Sebastian said without any tone of annoyance. "I remember it very well, actually. I remember I saw a king with his wife and son that lived in this beautiful castle that was in the middle of a breathtaking garden. I actually thought the garden was enchanted at first."

He chuckled at his stupid young memories. "I also remember that king. He wasn't particularly young. He was very old. Old and disappointed in the world. That's why the walls that hid the castle were so high." He turned to the prince.

"And the gates were always locked." He reminded Joseph of those days. "You want to know what he told me when I asked why they were like that?"

Joseph didn't answer.

"' The outside world isn't for us. There is no better place than behind those walls that keep us protected. That's why they're tall and the gates are always locked,' he said. Silly excuse, if you ask me."

Joseph still refused to answer him.

"So, don't you talk to me about being sheltered. You, who ran away to London just to get a taste of life. My situation is still better than yours."

"Exactly, how? Bash. How?" Joseph finally broke his silence. "At least life. I know to be is to become. To live is to learn. And you?"

His quick outburst made Sebastian back down. "You're still here, cowering at your father's will. He doesn't even want you anymore. All he cares about is showing off the next little kid. The new prodigy. But time is something tricky. No one's immortal and your brother will grow old just as you did. And he'll no longer be praised. He'll no longer be seen as a miracle but as a simple musician. Nothing special anymore."

Sebastian didn't speak, because Joseph said the truth all too well. No one's immortal. Everyone has to grow, even if it's not an option they would like to take.

But what did immortality mean to Sebastian? He didn't care about it. For a person to die meant that he lived a true life in the first place.

"How does life look like to you? How does it sound?" Joseph asked. He looked at his old frenemy. "Is it a normal symphony?"

"What is a symphony compared to a warm embrace?" Sebastion asked. "No sound of any violin can be so tender like a hand," His fingers tangled through his hair. "In my hair. It has red lips and a soft smell of lavender."

"To be is to become," Joseph said. "To live is to learn."

Sebastian stared at his blue eyes for a moment. "To be is to become," he repeated. "To live is to learn."