Vane walked down the poor lit passage way till he got to a door, he opened it with the key he was holding. He pushed the door open and the sight that he met made his lips curled up in a smile.
"Hello there." He mocked as the prisoner that had his hands chained to the wall raised head. His eyes widened in shock as Vane moved towards him. He removed the gag in his mouth and the prisoner coughed.
The prisoner was bare chested with red marks crisscrossed over his chest clearly made by a whip. His hair was disheveled and he facial expression between being ready to bite and chew Vane's head off if he drew closer and very sad he wanted to cry.
Vane walked up to the pot of charcoal burning at a side, his eyes was glittering as he brought out a branding iron, it was an S shaped. He moved towards him with a wicked smile playing on his lips.
"Its been five years, how do you like my little treatment, my brother thought he had everything under control but I am the prince of Autumnshell and I have many men working under me here." He chuckles as he trailed his fingers on the prisoner's face before tucking his hair behind his ears to reveal his face which would have been flawless except for the new cuts he had over it.
"The man that whipped you is one of my men, nice treatments he gave you" Vane chuckles his eyes filled with sadism.
The prisoner was still glaring at Vane as he shook is head only for Vane to grabbed his chin before sliding his fingers to his cheeks. The man had to tilt his head to lessen the pain from the force Vane was applying on his cheeks, the spot was starting to turn red.
"I searched for you but my brother was poisoned and that what all it takes for Duren and Goutra to get to work, my brother has a lot of talented people and what do we have here Morton Noth the bastard in the flesh and blood." He snarls as he yanked Morton's head back before twirling his hair between his fingers.
Vane's hatred ran deep as he stared at the man he had been looking for that eloped with his fiancee Krista the second princess of Lunarwell.
Vane met Krista when he came to the coronation of Xanxier. There father was bedridden and had to pass over the throne to Xanxier. It was the third day Krista visited with her mother.
Krista right eye was blue while the left was hazel, she had curly red hair and unusually beautiful with her heart shaped face, cute button nose and full cherry lips, she was don in a blue elegant gown with tiny white spots on it and right then Vane heart skipped a beat and he couldn't stop thinking about her.
Her mother proposed her marriage to Xanxier along with an alliance which would be signed after the wedding.
Krista had a date with Xanxier at the royal paradise garden, Vane had to watch from the window closest to the garden with a pair of binoculars. He watched as they sipped tea and talked, he didn't hear what they discussed but Xanxier stood up and left and he caught sight of how Krista hands shook a little before she folded her hands under the table.
The next day his father called him in his sick bed, he wanted Xanxier to marry before he dies since Xanxier refused and he doesn't want to lose face he decided to pair Krista with Vane.
He told Vane about the arrangement and Vane agreed immediately, he thanked Heaven for Xanxier rejecting the offer, he was so happy he felt like he was riding on cloud nine . He went on a date with Krista but Krista didn't seems happy, he tried his best to make her smile genuinely but all Krista gave him was a small distant cold smile as they walked in the garden. He even took her to the small lake behind the garden it was then she confessed she was only interested in marrying a King.
This made Vane started his preparation of usurping the throne. He included Morton who was his bodyguard and bestfriend and they both made plans, he was very busy trying to make the right connection and asked Morton to watch over the princess of Lunarwell. He was so in love with the princess.
After a month of him trying to win the ministers favour and he went to pay the Minister of Welfare a visit, he came back to see a letter. It was written by Krista. There she said she fell in love with Morton and they had eloped.
The Queen of Lunarwell was angry and she made threats for them to find her daughter and she left angrily along with her ladies in waiting.
Their father died a day after and Vane silently left in the night never to step foot in Autumnshell again.
It was after three years he heard news that Krista was getting married to the King of Agatha but still the whereabouts of Morton was unknown.
"Krista betrayed me too, even if you kill me she can never be yours." Morton said as he felt his scalp getting hotter like his head was about to be exploded but Vane refused to release his hair.
"Oh you got me wrong boy, I dont need her I just won't be satisfied with Xanxier sending you to a simple death, I rather watch you suffer and beg for me to end your miserable life." Vane pressed the hot branding iron on his chest, the horrifying scent of cooked meat filled the air.
"Mhummmmm." Morton bit his lips till it started bleeding, the pain was so intense as blood gushed out of the wound, he clenched his fists in agony.
"Still acting tough." Vane laughed like he was amused "Since you didn't die along with your subordinates it means you want to survive." Vane watched how Morton's face twitched between agony, pain and misery.
"I am a spy of Agatha" Morton confessed still biting his bloody lips.
Vane withdrew his hand. "Still chasing after your love?" He glared at him.
"No, for revenge... I will be the Deputy General soon and will be in direct contact with the King, it would be easy for me to kill Krista." Morton explained as he spat out more blood. "You what do you want?"
"Simple, your death, when you die I will go after Krista, wage war on Agatha and Lunarwell then she will suffer the same predicament you are suffering." Vane inserted the iron back in the charcoal pot and he brought out another branding Iron with was round like the person that made it spent extra care in shaping it.
"You are not the King of Autumnshell. Trenor house can't wage war on Agatha" Morton frowned. "Do you still have an idea about usurping the throne? What do you think your brother will do when he learn that you tried to steal the throne five years ago"
"Shut up!" Vane snapped. "You talk big for someone about to die." Vane pressed the Iron to his cheeks. "Lets see where this face can get you now!"
"Hummmmmm..... uhn.." Hot tears rolled down Morton's face as he continued biting his lips trying not to get Vane the satisfactory of being weak.
Blood gushed out of his lips as Vane withdraws his hand to insert the iron back in the hot charcoal pot.
"You being close to Krista to exact your revenge, I will do so myself and you should stop acting like I need you!" Vane yelled clearly annoyed at the weak attempt of Morton trying to convince him to set him free.
"I'm a dead man anyway I only feel pity to the King of Autumnshell for having a brother like you..."
"You know nothing you filth that doesn't deserve to clean my shoes with your tongue" Vane punched his stomach and smirked when Morton coughed out a mouthful of blood, he took a knife from the charcoal pot which was sizzling and shone with red light.
"Uh.. un....hu...." Mortons coughed. "You will never be happy at least I am happy but all you have is sorrow and your miserable life that knew no love not from your father, mother, brother or even from the girl you love most...."
"Shut up!" Vane yelled as the hands started shaking, his face red.
"At least me and Krista had a good time together....." Morton smirked.
"Shut up!" Vane knuckles turned white still holding the knife.
"We had this small comfortable house where we made love each night....."
"I said shut up!" Vane yelled and rushed forward with the knife, he was seeing red when he stabbed him in his chest.
Blood gushes out from the wound and his mouth as a small smile curled on his lips. "I'm sorry this.. is the... only.. way.." He coughed out blood. "to be even with you... but..."
"What?"
"You....." Morton spit out a portion of blood on Vane's face.
Vane stepped back looking at the horror he made, he wasn't supposed to stab him. He wanted to enjoy toying with him to make him beg miserably.
"Are...." Blood trails out of Morton's lips... "Nothing"
"I say shut up." Vane didn't care anymore, he only pulled out the knife and stabbed him repeatively till Morton took his last breath.
"You are not supposed to die yet you this shit!" He yanked his limped head back before leaving it as it dangles.
What had he done. He only wanted to question him.
He threw the knife on the floor before rushing out, he didn't bother to lock the door.