Chapter 4: Chapter Four: At The Royal Breakfast.
Wherever there is a human being, there is a chance for kindness"
-Seneca.
During breakfast, there was a heavy silence among the royals. The Prince's chair remained vacant, while the King, Silas, Prince Zack, and Princess Olivia were present.
Finally, the King broke the silence and inquired about the Prince's whereabouts.
"I suppose he might be feeling a bit under the weather... I mean, down because of his mother's anniversary last night," Silas said, coughing and giving a sheepish smile to himself.
The King was clearly displeased with the situation.
"Does he even realize that he is the crown prince and the future ruler? If he continues to act weak, how can he lead in my absence?!" The King ranted, angrily hitting the table and startling everyone.
"I'm here, old man. Stop making a fuss about everything," Prince Marcus said, entering the hall.
Silas was utterly shocked, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"Mar...cus... My prince... how...?" Silas stammered, barely able to get the words out.
"Why so surprised, Uncle?" Marcus asked, smiling.
"You guys didn't want to invite me? Thanks to Olivia who did," Olivia giggled from her seat.
"Well, of course we thought you wouldn't attend, since you're always so grumpy," Zack mumbled under his breath.
"I heard that, Zack," Marcus chimed in.
Silas struggled to find the right words, attempting to conceal his facial expressions to avoid being noticed.
"And what about you, old man? You were saying?" Marcus challenged his father.
The king simply coughed, signaling for everyone to settle down and continue their breakfast.
In the royal household, the ongoing feud between the King and the Prince was no secret. Prince Marcus harbored a lot of resentment towards his father, while the King wasn't always lenient with Marcus either.
Blair's hands trembled as she handed Marcus a cup of tea. She despised the fact that she was assigned all the morning duties and had to encounter the Prince again after last night's incident. Marcus smirked, indicating that he might have overheard something.
"Hey, you! Come serve me tea," Princess Olivia snapped at Blair, her angry gaze fixed on her.
Naturally, Olivia wasn't pleased with the apparent connection she noticed between the maid and the Prince. Despite her discomfort, Blair proceeded to serve her.
"Marcus? You and Princess Olivia would be getting married next week" The king broke the silence again.
Hearing this, a surprised Blair shook and the tea she was serving spilled on Princess Olivia.
"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry my Princess, I didn't know how….I'm so sorry"
"Argh, you've ruined my dress you fool!" Olivia shouted as she gave Blair a slap
This startled Marcus and he wanted to get up and help Blair from the floor but he let Zack do it.
"Livia!" Zack shouted as he helped an innocent Blair from the floor
"Argggg!" With that Olivia stormed out of the dining hall
A wide eyed Marcus held his fists in anger where he was sitting. He didn't know what to take in from what had just happened. What is the bluff the king had just made? Or what Olivia had just done? Or Zack who currently had his hands wrapped Blair.
Marcus chuckled.
"Marriage you say? Your concern is about me getting married?!" He shouted to the king in anger.
"Yes" the King replied with no emotions whatsoever. Exactly where Marcus got his character from.
Marcus hated it..he hated it when he tried to show his father a deeper part of his emotions but ended up always making it harder by being blunt.
He hated when his father reciprocated a wrong energy anytime he tried to give him a chance. This always made him resent him more.
"Oh right, what did I expect? For someone who killed his own wife? What better did I expect?"
"Marcus!!!" The king shouted, banging the table.
Marcus caught a glimpse of fear in Blair's eyes as Zack guided her out, and it was clear she was truly scared. His face twitched as he observed Zack's comforting gesture, with his arm draped over her shoulders, as they left the dining hall. Marcus wasn't finished yet though.
"So yesterday was obviously a super joyful day for you, huh? That's why you decided to throw a fancy breakfast to celebrate, am I right?" Marcus sarcastically remarked, his anger seeping through. The king remained silent, containing his own anger. He pushed his chair back and exited the dining hall.
"Damn it!" Marcus exclaimed, frustration evident as he ruffled his hair backwards. It infuriated him when his father would dodge these heated arguments by staying silent. Marcus had so much he wanted to express, and his father knew better than to avoid it. He glanced at his Uncle, who had remained quiet throughout, before following suit and exiting the dining hall.
*****
Silas stood firmly behind Patrick in his chambers, observing as Patrick kept his head lowered.
"Why isn't he dead?!" Silas exclaimed in frustration.
"I honestly don't know, sir," Patrick replied.
"That's the one answer I despise, Patrick," Silas said, turning around with a grin.
"You don't have any idea? Then who does?" Silas let out a sinister, fake laugh.
Patrick knew this situation wasn't looking good as Silas circled around him.
"Patrick, I assigned you a single task, just one, and you couldn't even manage to do it properly. Incompetence really gets under my skin, Patrick," Silas scolded, his frustration evident.
"I apologize, sir," Patrick murmured, bowing his head even lower, bracing himself for the inevitable punishment.
"Apologies? Who should I be apologizing to then?" Silas chuckled wickedly, pulling out his knife.
"Your hand or...?" Silas asked, gesturing towards Patrick's palm. The next sound that filled the air was a pained groan escaping from Patrick.
*****
"Thanks, Sir," Blair said gratefully as they strolled through the courtyard.
Zack chuckled. "Sir? I've told you so many times, you can just call me Zack."
"Okay, Za...Zaa...Zack!" Blair replied, finally getting the name right.
"Exactly," Zack confirmed.
"I actually have a few minutes before my trip. Would you like to take a walk in the garden?" Zack offered.
"I have some work to attend to..."
"Come on, please...?" Zack pleaded.
"Alright, fine," Blair agreed, giving in to Zack's request.
*****
In the witches' kingdom, King Cyprus had just received the news that he had a daughter.
"And what about Nina? Where is she?" he asked the sorcerer.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty! She couldn't be here. She passed away while giving birth to your daughter," the sorcerer cried, bowing.
King Cyprus felt a lump in his throat.
"So, I need you to find out where my daughter is right away."
"I'm afraid that's impossible, Your Majesty."
"Why?!"
"It's completely impossible to track the young blood of a witch until she turns 20."
"So how will we know when she turns 20?"
"The full moon will appear at dawn in black and white," the sorcerer explained.
*****
Marcus made his way through the halls, seeking solace in the garden, his favorite spot. He needed to clear his mind and find some peace.
As he walked slowly through the garden, memories flooded back to him. He recalled the times he would play with his mom in this very garden when he was a child.
"Mom, why do you always gaze at the white flowers?" he would inquire.
"Because they shine so brightly, just like my little prince," she would respond, planting a gentle kiss on his forehead.
The prince's thoughts were interrupted when he accidentally collided with Blair.
"Hey, you! What are you doing here? Are you following me around?" he exclaimed, directing his anger at Blair, who was innocently lowering her head.
"She's with me," Zack interjected as he approached them.
"Oh, I see," Marcus responded, his emotions getting the best of him. He couldn't quite comprehend why seeing them together like this made him feel so jealous. His heart stung with envy, and he couldn't pinpoint the reason behind it.
"Alright, Blair, I gotta go now for my survey trip. Take care," Zack informed Blair, to which she simply nodded.
"Bye, grumpy. See you in a few days," Zack bid farewell to Marcus before leaving the garden.
"So, you're flirting with my cousin now? Seriously?" Marcus confronted Blair, as they were the only ones left in the garden.
"I wouldn't call it flirting, if I were you," Blair responded calmly.
"Well, what was it then? He even told you to take care. Take care? Why?" Marcus questioned, his frustration evident.
"Let me be, Marcus," Blair requested, seeking some space.
This was the first time she called him by his name, and his heart melted. He longed to hear it again.
"You don't own me! Stop pretending to care," she added firmly.
"I do own you! Yes, I do!" he retorted angrily, his rage consuming him. He grabbed her neck, causing her to gasp softly. His fangs were already emerging, and his teeth were bared.
"I'm... so... sorry," he stuttered, realizing what he had done.
"I'm sorry. I just wanted to know what you were doing with Zack," he explained, releasing his grip on her.
She wiped away the tears that had fallen from her eyes.
"I don't think I owe you any explanation, Marcus. Besides, I'm not the one getting married," she replied, her voice filled with determination, and walked away.
Marcus cursed and ran his hands through his hair in frustration and confusion. He wanted to protect her, but he was only causing her pain.
"What's up, big boy?" Nick's voice suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He slung his arms over Marcus' shoulders, but Marcus shrugged him off, clearly uninterested. Nick chuckled.
"I see you bonding with your lover," Nick said, smiling mischievously.
"She isn't my lover, Nick," Marcus replied firmly.
"Oh, really? That's good news," Nick remarked.
Marcus looked at Nick, expecting his next comment.
"I could go for her then," Nick added, smirking.
"Don't you dare," Marcus warned, staring intensely at Nick, who was now laughing.
"She should be off your list, Nick," Marcus added.
"Chill, big boy. I was just pulling your leg. I guess you now agree she's your lover?" Nick teased.
Marcus slowly nodded, realizing that this was unlike him. Since the maid came into his life, he had been experiencing a calm and soft side of himself.
"But it's only been less than a day. Who falls in love that fast? I can't really tell what happened to me, Nick," Marcus pondered.
"Love happened. Fate happened," Nick replied, offering an explanation.
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