TRIGGER WARNING: MENTION OF AB*SE, KI*LING, R*PE
MOTHER REQUESTED that we all return to the palace and discuss what we should do before we do anything rash.
It took all of Henry's willpower not to run after them the moment they left for the palace but even if he did, he wouldn't be able to follow them since they had no leads on them.
They arrived at the palace half the time they did when they went to the cafe. Henry sped up, wanting to do something and find Anthony already. His thoughts were filled with him, his smile, eyes, and just his warmth. Henry wasn't ready to lose another person again. Not again.
After stopping the car, they all got out and quickly walked inside. Elijah, who told the guard before they arrived, thanked him and let the guard take care of the car.
Henry told the bunch to follow him, and they did. Henry led them to the lower floors of the palace. They passed the servant's quarters and the kitchen. Henry looked behind them if anyone was following them, once it was clear he called the others in quick, took a left and then a right. They arrived at a dead end.
"Where are we supposed to go now?" Elijah asked.
"Isn't this the random dead end in the whole palace?" Athena asked with suspicion in her voice.
"Are there ghosts here?" Alejandro asked.
"This place looks uncleaned," Eric commented. "No offense."
"None taken," Henry replied. Walking towards the wall, he lets his index and middle finger explore the rough edges of the wall, feeling the cracks as if searching for something. After a few seconds, his fingers come to a stop and he eyes it, before pushing it.
Henry pushes the wall, the wall becoming a door and revealing a hidden room inside. They cautiously walked in and found a room that seemed like the Round Table from the story of King Arthur. Surrounding it were flags of old teams, maps that were worn out in time, wooden dusty bookshelves, and old books scattered all around the floor both dusty and worn out.
Alejandro discovered another door leading to another more secretive room. Everyone followed, wary of what was inside.
They all seemed to be surprised by the huge space inside. It was a library that had a second floor. There were books everywhere, not only the shelves by the walls too. It was a book lover's paradise. Even the tables and chairs were occupied by books.
Athena ran down the stairs at the side. Eris not noticing her. Reaching the bottom, she scans the books, picking out one after being satisfied. She quickly searched for a chair but was all occupied so she cleaned up a little. Everything was dusty and covered in cobwebs. After cleaning quickly, she sat down and she screeched. Surprised at the spider, she hit it with her sling bag and sat down as if nothing happened.
"What are we doing here?" Alejandro asked. Breaking the heavy air between them. The door, giving a creepy creaking sound, closing behind them.
"My Mother asked to meet us all in here," Henry answered. "She's going to arrive anytime soon."
"Where was I when this was here?" Elijah looked around, both in awe and disgust. "When did you discover this? As far as I remembered, we were always together as children."
"I came up here when I'm sad," Henry smiles at his sad memories, reminiscing about his past, discovering the place, being told what to do, what not to do. Henry came up here to vent at random things. The state of the place was Henry's fault, tattered and cluttered.
"It must be hard being a prince," Henry felt the sincereness from Alejandro's tone.
Everyone was interrupted from rummaging through the stuff by clip-clopping footsteps of someone coming closer. Elijah moved in front of Alejandro as if defending him. Eric just sat closer to Athena, who was calm and reading a book she picked up beside her. Henry had thoughts of who it would be. Though his Mother would meet them there, there wasn't an exact time given and they might not be the only people who knew where this secret room was.
The door slowly swung open, the creaking sound echoing within the secret library. A worried-looking Mother appeared, walked up to Henry, embracing him. Releasing Henry, she moved to Elijah who was tightly holding Alejandro's hand.
She paused and placed her hands down.
"Let's move to the table and talk about what we shall do." The Queen spoke. Her face is neutral. Elijah quickly walked down the stairs and made his way to where Athena was, still holding Alejandro's hand.
"Eric, can you help them?" The Queen said, not even glancing at him. Her eyes were darted on the table the others were cleaning. Eric obeyed and ran down.
"How long has he been abducted?" Henry was silent, surprised at the question and counting back on how long.
"2 and a half hours," He replied with hesitation in his voice.
"Are you or are you not sure?" His Mother's stern voice sent chills down his spine. She had used that tone of voice whenever she was being serious and solemn. It made him think highly of his Mother. She was a great Queen and an even greater Mother.
"It's been 2 and a half hours, Ma'am," He spoke with respect. Family or not, a Queen is a Queen.
"Good," She responded. "Then let's go save your friend. I have a feeling Lord Timothy isn't finished with us."
Lord Timothy? Henry thought he already received his punishment, death.
The Queen walked down the stairs and to the table. At the other end of the table was the shelf. The Queen sat at the other end, Henry sitting at her right. Elijah at her right, Alejandro beside. Athena sat beside Henry, Eric beside her.
The Queen started to talk about where to start. Figuring out where Anthony used the clue and about Lord Timothy's escape from prison. Everyone had searched for a book to where they should ambush, Don't ask why the palace had that book. Athena and Eric went out to grab refreshments and informed the maids about the meeting occurring, and they kept it to themselves.
The Queen had Elijah make some calls. Henry had remembered the plate number of the car, tracing it with his laptop. It surprised everyone at his memory and eyesight. Alejandro had kept the table from being filled with papers and trash. Eric talked to the Queen all about Brandon, Alejandro filling up some details. Henry felt anger and hatred for Brandon and Anthony's family.
"It was really difficult for him to tell his past to us," Alejandro's face softened. "Even more difficult to soften up to us. It took us years to earn his trust and give him affection."
"It was only recently that he started his panic attacks once again. Like a week ago, when Brandon trashed the cafe. When he came back home, he looked tired." Eric continued.
"So he was abused by his own family and boyfriend, escaped from that hell hole, made it in front of your apartment at the brink of death and now his family is after him again?" The Queen asked.
"His father's side, and yes, that is what seems to happen," Alejandro responded.
"Why do you think they're after him again?" Henry prepared himself for whatever would be said.
"Do you know of the family Creed, your highness?"
"I'm not quite sure, but I have heard that it was a kingdom named after the strongest Royal Family in that city. Don't tell me...,"
"Yes. He is the prince. Prince Anthony of Creed. First in line of succession. The oldest of his 4 brothers." Athena dropped her jaw. Henry felt all the hair in his body stand. He was (in love) friends with the strongest prince.
"I know that you must wonder why he abdicated it." Alejandro continued. "As you know he was abused by his father's side, it was because he didn't want to rule the way his father did. With force."
"He wanted to flourish the kingdom together with his mother, the Queen. But his father wanted no such thing as kindness because he said it would make them look weak. And so Anthony was trained to defend himself, sometimes would skip his practice and just sleep in his mother's arms."
"Then Anthony fell in love with the neighboring and enemy kingdom. Brandon." Henry dropped his forehead, eyes at Alejandro, emotionless, and spoke bullshit about the person. Alejandro refused to meet his eyes. Elijah holding him in his arms again. The Queen took a plate from Eric who was distributing food. Taking it the cake that was served.
"Henry," Henry took his mind off the gutter. "Rule 1 of my rules?" Henry didn't have to give it a thought because it was the most basic and effective.
"Don't show weakness through the eyes," The Queen, satisfied, motioned for Alejandro to continue.
"Both kingdom's people wished for them to stop both their kingdom's feud with their love. Alejandro blinded by love and support from Brandon failed to see what he was up to. He was sent as a spy for his kingdom. And once Anthony's father knew about it, he was beaten up for days. He was forced to kill a man a day or not the King would kill his wife, Anthony's mother."
Henry felt disgusted but refrained to show it on his face.
"Until 5 days after, he couldn't do it anymore and begged his father to stop doing this and that Brandon did no such thing. His father only punished him further. In the morning, Anthony awoke to the sound of his mother screaming. He ran to her room and witnessed his own brother killing his sweet mother."
Henry held his face to look calm. But turning his sight to the others, they were filled with anger. Athena played with a kitchen knife she bought back. Elijah, who was still holding Alejandro, squeezed Alejandro with one arm a bit tighter, and his face looking neutral but his other hand cracking his finger. Clenching it after, showing his very visible veins on his arms.
The Queen was a surprise. Henry thought back to when his Mother was extremely filled with rage, her face showed no emotion. Except in this case, if utensils were considered dangerous, his Mother would be the example.
Her face was stiff, eyes filled with multiple emotions all at once. The atmosphere became heavy.
"Continue," The Queen, trying to stab her cake, broke the small plate.
"He slashed his brother," Everyone was shocked. Anthony didn't seem to be the type to lose rationality even in extreme anger. "He tried to save her, but it was too late. It was then when he packed his stuff and left in a hurry. Grabbed any money he could salvage and took a train. Came here and that's when Eric and I helped him and in the present time, everything became normal. Until now." Alejandro's eyes were wet. Elijah brought him closer to him before his tears fell.
"Thank you for sharing this sensitive information," The Queen took a sip of the water beside her plate. "Are you all ready?"
Everyone gave a nod. "Well, then. Henry, Athena. Suit up. We attack in an hour." Athena gave a questioning look and it was expected.
"I mean, we go in an hour." The Queen face-palmed. "Old habits. Don't question anything." And no one did. We made the most of the hour. Just a few minutes more and we will leave.
"Stay safe, Anthony."
_______________________________________________________________
Anthony wished he could cry out for Henry's name.
After being successfully kidnapped, he was beaten up by the men inside the van. They touched him everywhere. He felt them vandalize him. As long as Henry, Alejandro, and Eric don't get hurt then it's fine, he thought. It was another hour of beating and vandalizing, but felt like forever for Anthony until he passed out cold.
He woke up on a cold floor, naked and bruised all over. He didn't have the strength to move and defend himself. His body facing the floor and his head facing the right.
He forced his arm to move but winced instead. A fresh wound was opening up. A bruise aches even more. He wanted to cry. To scream. But he would never give Brandon or his own family the satisfaction of seeing him cry. Just as his Mother would say, "Show your tears to the people you trust, consider how they would react to you crying and once you find someone you feel safe and loved, don't let them go because they only come into your life once."
He respected his Mother's last wishes. And from then on, he only cried in his room. If it wasn't for Eric and Alejandro, he would've not met Henry at all. He was grateful. He smiled at the thought of Henry's smile. He hadn't noticed 3 men getting inside the room. The lock on the door woke Anthony from his happiness. He alerted himself, prepared his body to endure even longer torture than what happened in the car.
"Looks like you've recovered since you were… smiling and all." He scoffed. "Are you ready for torture?"Brandon smirked.
"Like I'll succumb to what you want me to do," Anthony wanted to kill his confidence right there and now. "Do your worst, you wannabe homosexual." Anthony didn't want to rile up Brandon anymore but his mouth wouldn't stop. He knew Brandon denied any accusations of him being gay from his people and he knew it would anger him even more.
"You and your mouth. You really are a bitch," He walks closer. "Just like how you were a whore for me, you slut." His laugh, low and hair-raising for Anthony. He knew he was only fanning the flames but his pride couldn't stop his mouth from speaking insults.
"Well, I guess he would like you even more now." Brandon moves to the wall, smirking at his success. Whatever it was, Anthony can withstand it. "Come in."
"Hello there," Lord Timothy emerges. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Prince Anthony of Creed."