Alden- Part 3

"Even if I tell you I didn't do it, you wouldn't believe me mother, would you?" Lucien said coldly. "You never believe me."

"Do you mean to say that Louise is lying, then?"

"Yes." Lucien's calm grey eyes took in the battered condition of his brother, currently unconscious and lying on the bed behind his mother. "I don't know what he thought happened but his feet merely slipped on the floor when he was running behind me."

Cardia sighed loudly. Why couldn't she still bring herself to believe Lucien' words? Was it because of what Louise muttered right before he lost consciousness or was it because of all those incidents in the past few years that clearly indicated he was not right in the head or was it because of what happened with Helia?

"I will talk to you when he wakes up again." Cardia dismissed him and turned to Louise.

"The time I got run over by a car you didn't even come to visit me, mother," Lucien laughed. The sound so hollow that it made a shudder go down her spine. "And he merely fell down the stairs. Don't you think you're being too obvious about who the favorite child is?"

"Stop talking, Lucien," she said sharply, her tone a warning.

"I love you mother but you," Lucien turned around, "disgust me."

Cardia stared at him numbly as he left through the door. It was very obvious that he was the one who had hurt Louise after this but she didn't know what to do with him.

"Mother," Louise stirred in his sleep and Cardia's attention instantly shifted to him. "Mother... he hates me..."

"Who is it, Louise?" she rubbed his tears away and he blankly stared up at her.

"Lucien. He told me he hates me, he said he wished I died," he cried silent tears. "Did I hurt him somehow?"

"No you didn't, none of it is your fault," Cardia hugged the child and he laid his head on her shoulder in return.

Louise knew Lucien didn't push him. He always had an inkling that Lucien wasn't the kind of person he pretended to be and after the talk in the library he was certain Lucien didn't like him. Oftentimes when he was spending time with his mother, Lucien would be watching from a distance with a longing look. Cardia never noticed, but it was hard for Louise to miss.

He lied to his mother so he could prove his point to his brother. He was closer to mother and he wanted Lucien to realise this too. He kept crying, hugging her close and she rubbed his back, holding him in her arms.

"Will you punish brother?" he asked innocently, knowing full well his mother's nature to not tolerate anyone who made even the slightest mistake. "Please don't hurt him much."

"You don't have to worry about it," she smiled down at him.

"Mother! Take me out!" Lucien repeatedly slammed on the door. "Mother I'm telling you I didn't do it! I promise mother! I won't hurt anybody ever again... please..."

He sobbed. He screamed. Then he took a deep shuddering breath and did it all over again. "Please... don't hurt me..."

"Check on him once a day," Cardia turned to Arthur. "Bring him water and nothing else until I tell you again."

"I understand," Arthur looked down, not willing to meet the woman's eyes. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his.

"Thank you for everything, Arthur," she smiled and then turned her back to the wailing child who was still pounding on the door like a madman.

Lucien sat down on the floor, his tears now beginning to disgust him. He leaned his head back against the wall and wondered why Louise lied. He was always the perfect younger brother then why did he suddenly decide to lie? Was it because he told him he hated him to death?

He laughed.

That couldn't be, he told himself. There is no way that kid even knows how to feel hatred. Surrounded by love and warmth his whole life - there was no way he knew what negative emotions even were.

And why would he even hate Lucien? He had everything Lucien didn't.

He stared at the cold, dark room. It was the middle of winter and he had nothing to sleep on. There were no windows except for the one in the bathroom and that had steel bars.

This was nothing less than prison.

"You're so cold, mother," he sighed and smiled. He had an idea about what to do now. Being alone like this gave him the opportunity to think and collect his thoughts and make a plan. He didn't care if he died but when he was out of there, this time he would actually kill Louise. He wondered why he didn't do it before. Was it because he desperately wanted to believe everything would be alright if he stayed away from them? But it did seem like no matter what he did Cardia was never going to love him so what did he have to lose?

Three days later, Cardia knocked on the door. Lucien quickly got up and pinched himself hard so he could have genuine tears in his eyes from the pain.

"I have reflected on my actions, I am genuinely really very sorry, mother," he said with the best guilty voice he could master. "I promise to not lie again or lay a hand on him. Please let me out."

Cardia contemplated for a moment. Lucien didn't sound like he was lying.

"I will but only if you promise to stay away from him for the rest of your life, I never want to see you two together."

"I give you my word."

Cardia motioned at Arthur to open the door and Lucien emerged, his dark hair wild about his face. He looked tired and sickly, a look Cardia has never seen him wear before. He looked like he had aged at least five years since the day he's gone inside but it's only been three days.

"Thank you," his piercing gaze met her even one and she could read a blazing emotion in them. Anger? Accusation? Before she could figure it out Lucien was out of the basement.

The next week, Alden came home to another funeral.

Louise had drowned in the bathtub.