Standing in front of the imposing wooden door, Matthias hesitated for a long while before knocking on it. He cleared his throat and spoke with the calmest voice he could muster, trying to make himself sound gentle and warm like usual. However, he found himself putting all his effort into it yet the cold indifference in his voice could still be distinguished.
"Madam, you called for me?"
After a few coughs, a weak yet strong voice echoed. "Come in." She said.
Matthias took a deep breath and turned the doorknob. Inside was a woman sitting on a plainly decorated bed. Her face was pale from sickness, eyes sunken in and body frail. Yet, contradictorily, the woman eluded a strong undefeatable aura that deterred anyone from viewing her as weak prey.
"What have you called me for, Madam?" Matthias asked impatiently. Ever since the moment he stepped into the room, he avoided looking at the woman, opting to instead stare at the wooden flooring.
"Don't call me, Madam. I've long since retired and given the seat to you. Call me Mother." Matthias' mother smiled, resembling Matthias greatly in her ability to seem gentle and warm, like the spring breeze.
"Yes, Mother." Matthias reciprocated with an equally gentle smile but his eyes contained no warmth.
Matthias' mother, Beth went into a coughing fit. All the while she was suffering, Matthias just stared until she stopped, not showing any intention to go help pat her back or anything.
"Come, sit." Beth pointed at the seat beside her bed and ordered.
Matthias stared long and hard at it before obediently sitting in the seat.
"You look nothing alike your father." Beth suddenly commented. "That's a real shame. Although honest to a fault, he really was a charming man. One smile, that's all it took to steal my heart."
Matthias remained silent. He had absolutely no interest in the love story between his father and mother. However, he knew that the woman was just speaking to herself and not him. She just wanted to tell someone.
"I was young and naïve back then. I haven't succeeded the business yet, haven't even been exposed to it. All I was was a rich merchant's daughter, and he, the son of the lord. He was engaged to the daughter of the neighbouring nobleman and despite never having met her, was utterly faithful and determined to carry out the engagement." Beth scoffed, a sneer appearing on her face. "I was unruly and did everything I could to win his heart so that he could become mine and mine alone. Ufufu, that fool fell so hard. Yet, never once did he agree to break things off with that girl, he never made advancements on me either."
Matthias watched the ugly smile on Beth's face transformed into something beautiful, seductive even.
"No matter what I did, he remained utterly faithful and eventually honoured the engagement and married that girl. She didn't even love him, it was a purely political marriage, truly devoid of love. A year later, they gave birth to a lovely son that looked just like your father. He was so adorable, just like a mini him. It was around that time that I inherited the business and was ordered by my father to sever my obsessions with the secular world. And so, I decided to go to your father. I told him to spend the night with me, he refused. But I came prepared, I drugged him and had you."
Matthias stared at the ground. His father always looked at him with a complicated gaze, a mixture of compassion, guilt and regret. Now he knew why, he was forced by his mother to have him. A child that he didn't even want, a child that was forced upon him, a child that was evidence of his 'affair'.
"I gave birth thinking that you'll look just like your father, so that I'll have one of him of my own. But you grew to look so much like me, I hated it so very much."
"…So you sent me to go live with him." Matthias finally said.
Beth nodded. "Yes. I thought that if you didn't look like him, you should at least act like him."
"What a shame, I'm practically another you. Rotten to the core." Matthias mocked with self loathing.
Beth giggled ever so slightly. "Yes, sending you away was so useless, but at least you gained a rather influential position. It's thanks to you that the business grew to such a size."
"…"
"But it seems that you don't take after me entirely. You're still too soft hearted and that is your downfall. That slave you rescued, she was a spy sent by the kingdom."
"…When will it be?" Matthias asked with a smile.
Beth smiled back. "This afternoon. The kingdom's soldiers will come to take you for the crime of assassinating the saint and captain of the royal knights."
"I see, thank you, Mother."
Beth raised an eyebrow. "Why do you thank me?"
"Because now I can finally atone for my crimes."
Beth burst into laughter. "Foolish, utterly foolish. Of all things to learn from your father, you choose to learn how to be a fool."
"Father is not a fool. He may have loved you but he saw the devil in you. That night only solidified that belief. His choice to marry Mother was the correct one. For the peace and prosperity of the citizens, it was the best choice. Life with you, mother, is fraught with thorns and blood. Father wouldn't have lasted very long."
"You speak some truth but that doesn't change the fact that you are indeed a fool. For a crime that you didn't even commit, you wish for atonement." Beth looked at her son with disdain in her eyes but a fond smile on her face.
Matthias' smile deepened. "Mother, your men are just too strong. I'm nothing compared to them, so I thought that I should at least watch their final moments. At least, that way, I can ensure that they don't go too painfully."
"Idiotic."
"You know, mother, I hate you more than anything else in this world."
Beth had a motherly smile on her face. "I know."
"I hate that I can't kill everyone here in this building."
"Indeed. You're just too weak. Without your magic, you're nothing."
Matthias lifted his hands. Two ugly black cuffs were hanging on his wrists, sealing off his magic. They were also around his ankles and neck. The stifling sensation of his magic being unable to exit his body greatly annoyed Matthias.
"I originally walked here with the intentions of killing you but seeing how weak you currently are, I've decided that a slow pathetic death from an incurable disease would suit you a lot more."
"Well, thank you for your mercy, I suppose. I believe that death via poison would suit you too. A vile rat's death, how suitable."
Mother and son had pleasant and warm smiles on their faces but the content of their conversation was really too violent for such smiles.
Heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway, metal clanking against each other. The knights rudely flung the door open and led the messenger into the room.
"Matthias-!" The messenger's loud voice was interrupted by Matthias. He held his finger against his lips and gestured for the man to stay silent for a bit. The messenger was somewhat irked but seeing as the man before him was previously a royal mage, he obediently gave him some time.
"Goodbye, Mother. Please live for a very, very long time, so that you continue to be plagued by this painful disease." Matthias chuckled and bid his farewells.
"I accept your blessings, son. I will be sure to live a long, long life. Enjoy your time with the rats. I won't come to collect your corpse. Goodbye."
Matthias turned to face the stunned knights and messenger. "Let's go." He told them, going ahead of them and very willingly walking into his own cell himself.
While he sat in his cell, many of his acquaintances came to visit him. Many more visited because of Dylan and Sherry. They swore at him, cursing and crying in disbelief and Matthias just sat there accepting it all with a calm gentle smile.
Then, a very special person came to visit. She wore a pretty dress, luxurious and delicate in design.
"Eliza, what are you doing here? I'm sure your husband would be very upset if you knew you travelled to another country just to see me." Matthias chuckled and joked.
Eliza looked down at Matthias, taking in the pathetic state he was in. The magic restraints were still intact, reinforced by heavy chains for mere sadistic purposes. "You were his best friend. He spoke of you fondly in his letters."
"He was my best friend too."
"Stop smiling! Wipe that disgusting smile off of your face, your murderer!"
Matthias kept smiling.
"He was so happy when he spoke of that girl, I thought that he'll finally truly be happy but you ruined it all! You killed her and him too, how can you, how can you be so cruel?!" Eliza cried, tears dripping down her cheeks.
"Aren't I going to pay for my crimes now?"
"Yes! And I'm going to watch you breathe your last breath! I'm going to watch you die for your sins!"
Seeing Matthias' unchanging expression, Eliza huffed and turned to leave, not forgetting to glare at Matthias one last time before she left.
Then, the time finally came. Matthias was brought to a dark room and forced into a chair before the king.
"Greetings, your majesty."
"We believed that you were a gentle and kind person but you were really a devil in disguise. We have been betrayed by you."
"Is my crime not worthy of public execution? I thought you would execute me in front of everyone to appease them. They really did love Sherry and Dylan."
The king stared at Matthias for a very long time. "You are a powerful magician. We do not feel safe letting the citizens crowd around you."
"I see." Matthias nodded. "Thank you for everything you've done for me until now, your majesty. You're a good king."
The king felt a complex myriad of emotions swirling in his chest as he watched the peaceful and calm expression on Matthias' face. "Give it to him." He ordered.
Wordlessly, the servant approached Matthias, holding a bowl in hand. Matthias received it gracefully and drank the bitter concoction in one go. He instantly spat out blood, feeling as if his entire body was on fire yet feeling incredibly cold at the same time. At the same time, it was like tiny ants were all over his body, biting at it, causing him immense pain and itch.
"Yiv poison. You must really hate me, your majesty."
"For your crimes, how can we let you die peacefully?" The king blandly replied.
"Hehe, that's true. A slow painful death, how befitting for a criminal like me." Matthias clenched his teeth and endured the agonising pain eating away at him. All through the pain, he refused to stop smiling. His smile forever hanging on his bloody lips even in death.