Chapter 13 - Alters
Mother's eyes widened with anger, face becoming a deeper red, "how dare you tell me what I can't do to my daughter!" She screamed thrashing her arms away, but somehow the boy who was half her size held her back.
"As an order of the King of Blackburn and the King of Brennus, I can't allow that".
The boy silently took mother's blows, not once attacking back. She had only stopped when she processed the words he said.
Her face became a deathly pale so suddenly, pushing the boy away with a shout, "y-you should've said so earlier! T-This is your fault!"
Ruby glared at her coldly and replied, "Then you should leave".
Mother did so, glaring at me as she left. I couldn't break eye contact away from her intense emotions until the door shut with a loud 'thud' and I turned to where my saviour had stood.
It was empty.
Nobody stood there anymore.
I swivelled my head left and right, yet I saw nothing.
"He left", Raphael, who I forgot was even here answered, "like mist"...
I turned to see a dazed look on his face, upon noticing my glance he turned to me with a mysterious face. I wasn't sure what it was. It wasn't exactly curiosity or disbelief. It was something else. Something a bit frightening...
Looking around, Ruby was really gone. I couldn't even thank him... but this meant that he was the one they sent, right? What a coincidence....
How the hell do I escape now?!
Amid my turmoil I didn't notice the ebony eyes that watched me closely, the finger that thrummed against the hairless chin in interest.
"A princess..."
"What?" I looked to Raphael who had just spoken with an even scarier look on his face.
"You're a princess".
"... yes... I am", I hadn't really introduced myself, but I had no plans to.
"You're a very interesting princess. You have a Brennus guarding you like you're it's own. For a small child you carry some interesting stories", he was back to his normal smile, but somehow I felt unsettled. Very unsettled.
"No. I don't".
"I find that hard to believe", he answered without hesitating.
His large body leaned down towards me, as an adult I could push him away, but as a child... he was terrifying. I crawled along the sofa, away from him, dangling off while maintaining eye contact.
"Leaving already? What about desert?" He stood up, smile starting to look a bit too wide.
W-What the hell?- oh yeah! Shit- the switch!
I had forgotten about it completely. In the war when Raphael came across a deadly scene he would switch. The author explained this like it was a split personality. But, that one was the murderer persona, this one... this one was something else.
It wouldn't be far-fetched to assume he was a whole other alter.
My legs shuffled towards the door, faster and faster as he drew closer. My hand reached for the handle still holding eye-contact as I attempted to escape.
These two should've never met. Not until he had come back from war at least! I would be long gone by then! Somehow I could-
My rampaging plans were cut off as I felt two hands grasp my armpits and lift me off the ground.
"You shouldn't run around. It's dangerous for someone so small", the one I was currently running away from spoke into my ears.
"Let me go!" I didn't thrash around. Scared he might accidentally drop me.
"Let me at least take you to your room safely. I would hate myself If something happened to the only princess of Blackburn", he placed me on his arm.
"It's not like anybody will notice!" I huffed back in annoyance.
"Oh I don't think so..."
Why can't he leave me alone?!
"Just go straight down the hall, the nursery is right up ahead". I give up...
"Good girl", he patted my head much to my anger.
When he made it to the nursery room and opened the door, the sight that met us was quite concerning.
Edmund and Victor seemed to be crying their eyes out over something together. They looked down at a piece of bread with so much remorse the bread could've been their sickly grandmother.
"Excuse me", Raphael spoke out rather awkwardly. I couldn't blame him.
The two boys turned sorrowfully to us and then with a jump and cry they rushed towards Raphael, eyes trained on me.
"You're alive!" They both turned their tears to me.
Raphael, with a confused frown placed me down, allowing for the two boys to squeeze the life out of me. Well if I didn't die before I am going to now.
"I'm okay. I was hungry so I left and you guys didn't come back anyway", I couldn't help but say the words in a snarky way.
"I tried to come back, but... my dad came here", Edmund looked so guilty I felt bad immediately.
That makes sense, I guess.
"Mommy wouldn't leave me alone", Victor gave an exasperated sigh.
So does that...
"She treats her son well, yet her daughter..." I heard a murmur from behind and both Edmund and Victor looked behind at the unidentified man.
Victor gave a curious wave while Edmund glared at him.
"Who are you?" He pulled me behind him and like a thug started to look Raphael down. The man himself looked uncomfortable at this.
"I was just escorting the prin"-.
"I asked who you are!"
Damn... Edmund really wasn't letting up.
"Raphael Harlow, second son of the Harlow dukedom".
"Harlow? What business do you have with the princess?"
"None. I just saw a cute lost child and had to help", he shrugged.
"Where? T-This ugly thing you mean?! I already know you're lying!"
Edmund... what the hell...
"H-Hey..."
"What do you mean? I've never seen such an adorable baby" Raphael started patting my hair with another charming smile.
His hand was quickly slapped away by Edmund.
"Don't touch her!"
"Why not? You don't want me to?" He seemed to start teasing poor Edmund who flushed red at his words.
"No!"
"Then what's the problem?" He tilted his head, playfully smiling.
I was pretty sure this wasn't Raphael. He was much more playful and teasing than the Raphael from before.
"You! You're the problem!" Edmund jutted out his finger rudely.
At his words the smile dropped from Raphael's face and suddenly we stared at a whole other person.