Chapter nine; the prince lookalike

Ethan puts on his shirt and pulls down the only pair of trousers he had. He straps them on.

"Hey! Idiot boy! Come out!" A loud angry voice says from outside.

Ethan ignores it and wears his shoes.

"Is he deaf?" Another calm voice says.

"Perhaps he is. When you are of low born status, you are likely to have body defeats," another tease and they all burst out laughing.

Ethan takes the books he would drop off at the library. He put them in his bag and strap them behind him.

He walks out of his hut. Three men were outside, waiting for him.

Ethan stares at them for a while and resumes to walk away.

A man beats him to it, by taking a step faster than his own. He holds his bag and pulls him back with it.

Ethan struggles to collect the bag from him. The guy let go suddenly, thereby making Ethan fall to the ground.

The three laugh and watch Ethan pick up his book from the floor.

A dark frown was on his face as he dust the bag and made to move again.

A guy walks to him, "What did I tell you about giving me the money every Saturday morning?" Carlos asks, with a smirk on his face.

Ethan stares at them for a while, "I was unable to sell anything yesterday but I will give it to you by tomorrow," his eyes plead with them.

Carlos scoff, " Are you kidding me?" He hits him across his face.

Ethan looks back at him, his fists involuntarily clenched at his side but he couldn't retaliate.

He can't, if he value his life, he would never do it.

"What!" Liam screams suddenly, "Look at the glare. Does he want to hit us?"

"He should," Damian interceded, a silly smile at the corner of his mouth.

Ethan sighs, unclenching the fist, "What do you want me to do now?"

Liam moves nearer and takes his bag away from him, "If you don't come back with my money for today and tomorrow, you won't get your bag."

Ethan looks at Liam urgently, " I have to return the books, they aren't mine. It's for the community!"

Liam smiles pitifully, then burst out laughing, " That's why I'm taking it. If you don't bring me my money for today, I will burn it," he turns around and starts to walk away.

Others follow him. Ethan stood there, watching them walk away.

"The motherfucker wouldn't have any choice," Damian whispers and they were out of sight.

Ethan sighs deeply and starts towards the marketplace. He silently pray to have more sales so he would give out the money he's owning.

Ethan couldn't fight them because there were the sons of the high ministers in Medgerpines. He heard their fathers were also wicked but then, there were in the highest position and most of the words they say become the law.

And their sons have to follow in their footsteps.

He wonders what the king was doing all the time. He and his son. Though, he heard some rumors about the prince being a beast.

He didn't want to believe it because there was no way it would be possible. He knew there were witches and fairies but the prince can't be a beast unless the king had married the beast.

Ethan stops in his track and looks afar at some crowds that have gathered in front of his shop.

Did something happen? Ethan reasons within himself as he races forward.

He stops and finds his way to the front of the crowd.

There, in the middle is Jace beating Bryson. Jace is the closest guard of Liam while Bryson is the guy that assists him at the bakery.

Jace looks at Bryson and smiles wickedly, "What did I tell you about talking back at me?"

Bryson coughs out blood and struggles to sit up. The sand was on his left cheek and his mouth. He seems to have fallen over and over again due to Jace's kicks.

When Bryson didn't answer, Jace clenches his fist and raises it. He stops for a moment, then brings it down towards Bryson's mouth.

Ethan made to move forward but an arm suddenly held him. He turns to look at Philip. Philip is the owner of the bakery. And he's older. So, he knows what will happen if one goes against the Minister's sons.

They are treated like gods in Medgerpines. Liam is the son of the minister of defense, Damian is the son of the councilor and Carlos is the son of the minister of rights. This trio loves walking together and they are the number one beast in Medgerpines.

Ethan looks back at Bryson. Jace had left and the crowd have started to leave one after the other, people trembling in fear at what the Minister's sons would do next.

Ethan rushes to Bryson. He positions him well and shudders him slightly, "Bryson!" He calls but he didn't respond.

Philip walks nearer, "Let's take him to the hospital."

Ethan looks over at the bruises on Bryson's face and the fact that his eyes were closed.

It prompted him to place his head on his chest and listen to his heartbeat. But there was nothing there. Not even a faint breathing.

Ethan looks up at Philip urgently, the tears have gathered at the tip of his eyes. Bryson might not be his family but he had been like one, the only one he ever had.

Ethan tried again, looking for faint breathing that would render useless his thoughts but there was nothing of such.

Bryson is dead. Jace had killed Bryson!

That's it! Ethan felt his blood boil. He had enough of it and he would retaliate. He gets up and starts walking away.

Philip takes a step forward, "Ethan, come back!" He calls, his voice shakes with tremor.

Ethan heard but he ignored it. For once in his life, he wouldn't listen to any advice and he would make the Minister's sons suffer for killing Bryson.

He knows where they would be. He knows where they love going alone every afternoon.

Ethan rushes back home for his sword. He got one and races towards the stream.

Liam, Carlos, and Damian love visiting the stream. And during that period, no one will be allowed entry unless the person wants trouble.

They don't move with guards but they have a way of making someone pay later.

So, they walk alone.

Ethan got to the stream in no time. He stays behind the tree close by and watches the trio.

Jace walks to them and bows slightly, "I'm back."

"Good. Did you see Ethan?" Liam asks.

"No sir, he wasn't in the shop."

" Ok, stay guard and don't allow anyone in here."

"Yes sir," Jace says and turns away from them

Ethan crawl closer. He brings out the knife with him. He watches Jace for a while before he throws the knife at him.

It hits his chest and Jace falls to the ground immediately in his pool of blood.

Liam, Damian, and Carlos look in his direction in fear. Ethan didn't come out, he instead plan on his next plan of attacking.

"You can walk out now and I might reduce your punishment will double," Liam says with so much confidence that annoys Ethan the more.

He clenches his fist around the sword and walks out.

Their faces went dark as they watch him.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Damian says fearfully.

Ethan moves closer briefly and slashes at their arms and legs, making sure he left a deep wound on their body.

He drops the sword and moves to Liam. He starts to hit him across the face. Whenever the others move closer to help him. Ethan would turn back and punch them harder on their faces.

When Ethan has done it to his fulfillment, he picks up his sword and runoff.

He didn't go back home and he didn't bother going back to the bakery. He knew better than wait for Liam. And he would rather die than let Liam and others take them for what he has just done.

He stays behind a tree in the forest and awaits the worst. The worst that would happen is for Liam to dispatch his father's men to go after him. And he was ready for it.

He was fed up with life anyways. And nothing has ever come off with the life he was living. He seems to be moving from frying pan to fire every time.

And the annoying thing for Ethan is the fact that he doesn't even know his parent. He had none. The mother he had told him she wasn't the one that gave birth to him. That was ten years ago before she died.

Ethan had been living from nose to mouth and there was no one there for him except Bryson.

"Do you hear that there's a beast in Tinorah's forest?" A soft voice says.

Ethan stretches out his neck and sees two ladies walking towards him.

"That's a lie. I was at Tinorah yesterday's morning."

" Well, I heard this happened yesterday afternoon, exactly when the rain started. And when it stopped, Jake went to the farm and never came back."

The girl gasped, " What happened to him?"

The other girl gives her a sympathetic look, "He died. Three men that went looking for him are also nowhere to be found. Yesterday night, there was a loud howl coming from the forest," the girl shivers and looks away.

A sigh," Can we really get past all these? The witches killed Belle yesterday too. And a beast came to the market two days before and killed everyone at the marketplace."

The second lady's head whips towards her, "The one at the market was the prince," she says while the other tries to protest as they walk past Ethan until he could no longer hear them.

Tinorah? Ethan knows that forest. He went into it three days ago to hunt what he would eat.

Was there really a beast in it? Then Ethan would like to go there.

What was life anyway? He was fed up already. He had no family, none any hope that his life would get better. And now that he has even passed his boundary by punching the god's face, death was the only solution for him.

Ethan walks out of his hiding place and runs out of the forest, towards Tinorah.

After several minutes, he was suddenly standing at the entrance of the forest.

He quickly remember what the other girls had said. If he walks in, he would definitely not walkout. Walking in means death. Well, living for him also means death.

Ethan takes a deep breath and decides quickly.

Yes! Death was the only way!