CHAPTER FIFTEEN; Dwelling In The Past

Six Years Ago (The Royal Palace Of Avis, the prince chamber)

"This is so nice, this is my first seeing snow this winter. I wish I could go outside and we could play in it" Lucien stated and stretched his hand outside the window.

"How old are you? thirteen? We are going to become adults soon, men not some bunch of sissies" Young Simon who was seated on a chair with a book in his hand scolded, rolling his eyes at Lucien.

George rose from his bed and went to Lucien, patting his shoulder in a manner of consoling him. "Don't mind him, it just got over him because he became eighteen today. If it were up to me, then I say we stop being friends with him, because now he is a man and we are still boys. Man and boy can never move along" Prince George mocked Simon while Lucien cackled.

Simon throws his book at George but he dodges it and pulled his tongue out playfully.

"Hey, come here. I will teach you some lessons" Simon threatened as he charged at him, and they both landed on the bed with Simon on top of George tickling me.

"Stop, I surrender...." George laughed due to Simon's tickling but he only tickled him more hard.

Lucien shakes his head and then puts on a sly smile. "Since you are going to be like this, I have no choice..." He said and jumped on Simon tickling him and giving George a chance to escape.

"You traitors" Simon said to Lucien and George tickling him.

After some minutes of play, they all rest on the bed, breathing heavily.

"We should do this often, that is if am still alive by then..." George said as tears welled in his eyes.

Simon and Lucien looked at him worried "Did something happen?" Lucien questioned.

"I was almost poisoned yesterday, the maid confessed that it was my father's doing. This is his third attempt after my grandfather died, am scared that I might not be able to escape the fourth one"

"Your father attacked you, why didn't you tell anyone about it? My father will have helped" Simon said while George shook his head.

"Tell the officials, and what? What will happen to the royal family if this gets out. The king tried to kill his son because he thinks he might end up taking his throne away from him...I can't allow that to happen, grandfather entrusted me to protect the royal family. Letting the world knows about it, will be negative of that"

"Then my father could have helped you..." Simon urged.

"It will only bring more problems, the king doesn't fear George, he fears the people supporting him and that is your family, the Sebastian family. If George reports, that will only result in more trouble, and when that happens the threat on his life will increase more" Lucien explained while Simon strikes up furious.

"Then are we to do nothing, I don't want to lose George or you. We can't just sit here, without any plan"

"There is a plan, George should bring your family and his other supporters together. They should dethrone the king and have him killed, it is the only way he will be safe" Lucien suggested and Simon gave him a weird look.

"Kill his...father?" Simon's voice shakes as he asked.

"I won't do it, killing him will only prove that am a monster like Dustin. I won't kill him, but I will gain more power to make him powerless" George declared affirmatively, Lucien exhaled and stood up from the bed.

"Well, I won't hesitate to kill mine if I had the chance. My bastard of a father deserves to die, I envy you guys. Your dad might try to kill you, but you still have your mother. And you Simon, you are the luckiest of us all. You have a lovely parent, no one will want to lose" Lucien said with jealousy clearly shown in his voice.

His father is a monster who brutalized both him and his mother, and his mother hates him because he is his father's son. How could he not be jealous of him, who has everything, wealth, his family is so powerful and his parents care for him more than anything.

Simon could see the look on the two faces, both had sadness. "Well, I don't have it all, my parents are the most annoying and overprotective people I have ever seen, if I could trade them to you guys for freedom, then I won't think about it twice" He joked and his friends smiled.

"You guys are such an idiot, it doesn't mean who our parents are. How we grow up is what matters, and I promise that I will never betray you or leave you"

"Same here" George replied and Simon ruffled his hair playfully. "I promise too...." Lucien added with a smile.

"Let's forget this, Simon you should make a birthday wish. Whatever it is, I'll give it to you" Lucien said and picked the book on the floor, which Simon threw to George before.

"I already made a wish before" Simon answered with a shy smile.

"You did, without us knowing. Seeing how you are smiling, what could the wish be? Tell us?" George urged but that only made Simon blush harder.

"The lady of Griffith's family, Annabelle Griffith's"

His two friends looked at him and laughed at the same time. "Seriously mate, do you know how many guys wish to have, even I..." Lucien couldn't finish his words when Simon chipped in.

"We are going out, it's been a month now," Simon said and bit his lower lips shyly, the book in Lucien dropped and he looked at Simon unsettled.

"Then if you have been going out, what exactly did you wish for?" Lucien demanded.

"I wish my dream would come true, my dream is to have her as my wife..." He stopped and smiled at his words "And to be the mother of my children"

"Wow...You are really in love mate, how could you keep this from us? You are such a traitor" George's said and bring Simon towards his arm choking him playfully.

Lucien looked at Simon with an unreadable expression, he wasn't even sure what he was feeling right now.

Annabelle Griffith, Lucien has been friends with her for three years now, in hope that one day he'll get to make her his. He thought things were going smooth between them, but now his friend made a confession and it was about her.

She has been going with Simon for a month, without his knowledge.

He can't have it, the only good in his life is her. And losing her is something he can never allow, even if that person is his friend.

He has everything, does he have to take Annabelle away too?

That night, for the first time the thought in his head wasn't for love for his friends or how to keep the promise they just made some minute, all that was in his mind was hatred for Simon, and the desire to take everything he has.

That smile on his face, he wants to replace it with nothing but sadness.

Present (Sebastian Castle)

"It has been a long time, old friend. I was so eager to meet you, after all, it had been six years"

"You" Simon balled his wounded hand into a fist, making him bleed.

Carter removed his sword and pointed it at Lucien, the guard behind Lucien also did the same.

"Have you come for your death, is that why you came here?"

Lucien smiled and wanted to move closer to Simon but carter's sword stopped him.

"Take a step from there, and I won't hesitate to strike you down" Carter threatened, his sword and hand ready to cut that bastard's head, but yet still waiting for his lord's order.

"You are making me feel bad now, I just want to meet with my friend, is that a problem or am I not welcome here? Because I killed your parents? it's been six years. Haven't you gotten over it? You should let go of the pain, or else it will kill you" He said, threatening Simon.

Simon chuckled and collect the sword from carter's hand and point it at Lucien. "You seemed to get the wrong idea, you are the one here. You came to the lion's den, fully aware of what the lions might do to you. Are you stupid or it is because of the Norva king backing you"

"Bingo, so don't point your blades at me. We both know you can't kill me, if you do you'll have the two Kingdom against you even your friend will not be able to protect you. So what is little Simon going to do? Beg me like you did when I cut your mother's throat...." He smirked when Simon clenched his teeth together, the atmosphere filled with murderous intent.

Will he kill him or not?

******

Isabella and the other slaves barged into Imogen's room, with an angry look. She went to Imogen who Aria was helping with her dress and slapped her.

"Isabella" Aria called shocked. "What do you think you are doing?"

"Say one more word and I will slap you too" Isabella warned while Aria chuckled, ready for a fight.

"Don't, Aria?" Imogen said and she backed down. "I don't recall offending you, if I have then I will apologize"

Isabella scoffed angrily "look at this wretch because you spent some days with the master you must think you are something special now. But it is such a pity, that you were sent chased out of his room this morning. He must have gone tired of you stupid b*tch" she mocked and Imogen swallowed the pain in her chest.

Rumours truly travel fast than anything.

"Since you know I was chased out, why are you bothering me then"

"That is because of you, I almost lost my life and the Master's favour. Will you stay still if you were me, that is why I decided to teach you some lessons" She raised her hands to slap Imogen but Poppy held her hand before she could.

"She might have gotten kicked out of his room this morning, but that doesn't mean you can touch her. She is still the Master's slave, and only the master can touch her like that" She said and released Isabella hand's.

Isabella gritted her teeth and looked at Imogen hatefully. "Let's go," She said and the other slaves followed her.

"Thank you for helping me" Imogen expressed her gratitude, but Poppy only looked at her strangely with no answer.

"Are you sure, you got kicked out by the Master? He chased you away, after days of letting you stay in his room"

"Yes, if you don't mind I will like to have some sleep now" Imogen requested, not wanting to think about how she almost died.

"Go ahead, take care of her" Poppy said and Aria nodded, she went out of the room still confused about everything.

If he doesn't have any feelings for her, then why did he take care of her? He was scared when she fainted, could she be wrong that the master likes her? But if he doesn't have any bit of love for her, why did he save her life?

Is it just about pleasure for him? It is tiring and now she needs to report to him. About Lord Simon's weakness, but what if she was wrong about the master's feelings toward Imogen, that will only cause the poor girl more damage.

She looked at Imogen's room and left finally.

*

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*

"You should go ahead and kill me if you can, don't hesitate. If you want to be doomed, slit my throat as I did to your mother, now" Lucien said, trying to provoke him.

Simon looked at him with a straight face and gave the sword back to Carter, surprising everyone.

"My lord" Carter called.

"You two should leave, I will like to talk with Lucien" He ordered and smirked while Lucien gave him a suspicious look.

"Alright, my lord" Carter said and they went outside, staying close to the room where Lucien and Simon are.

"Will you like to have some drinks, or like to sit?"

"I am not so certain, do you treat your enemies like this or am I just a different case?"

Simon scoffed "Why? are you scared that I might kill you for real now. Don't be, it will be no fun doing it now. It will be more fun and heartbreaking, killing two traitors and making their child parentless. That will be fantastic" He laughed devilishly and Lucien move to him and held his collar.

"Don't hurt my family, I won't stand down if you do"

"That is the problem with you, Lucien. You always do things without thinking about the outcome, you must have come here to provoke me and made me try to harm you. That way it will cause a rift between me and George, and George will lose the Sebastian family, is that right?" Simon said while Lucien loosen the grip on his collar, taking back his words. How does he know his plan?

"You need to think pass that. Am I not that boy who begged you to save his mother, am I not that boy who believed in you and ran to you when the whole kingdom turned their back on you."

"If I want I can get your whole family killed, that is who I am. Everyone fears me, I can make you disappear into thin air. So don't provoke me, Lucien, wait for your judgement day. I promise you, it won't be long, just wait till that day, keep hiding under the protection of the Norva Kingdom like a coward you are" Simon said and slapped his hand away from his collar.

"You can take your leave now, ah send my regards to Annabelle and her baby. Tell her I will visit her, and don't worry I won't be taking her away from you. I will be sending her with you to the afterlife" He threatened and Lucien growled at him.

He turned to leave then stopped. "You have changed Simon, you are no longer that sweet kind boy, your new name suit you. The dread lord" Lucien said and left his room.

Carter came in with the guard as soon as Lucien left.

"Are you alright, my lord"

"No, who let him in? Was it you?" He asked the guard beside Carter.

"No, my lord. A guard brought him to your chamber, saying the prince sent him. I have no idea, who he was" The guard explained.

"We must have a traitor among the guard, Carter will assign you with some guards. I want you to find that guard and torture him, who knows he might not be the only one"

"And also Carter, prepare a carriage. I am going to the palace"