She used me!
How dare she?
I couldn't believe I fell for it!
Damnit!
I was not entertainment for the Ice Court. I…
My thoughts trailed off at the sight of Duke Velron. It took my brain a moment to subside from anger to process what he was doing. I didn't even think anyone came out here. Most people stayed away from the mini forest behind the Palace except to hunt. And we all knew royals never went hunting unless it was for show.
I approached Velron with caution. Then refrained from getting closer than needed. His crimson face mirrored the blood on his fist. He inflicted punches after another on the oak tree in front of him.
"You scoundrel!" One hit resulted in more blood on his fist. It never slowed him or his anger. "You were supposed to return. Why didn't you? Why? Why? Why?"
I sank next to a tree, dumbfounded.
Velron was never the type to show anger. He irritated those around him as if it were a game. When the tables turned, he never cried or got angry. He accepted any punishment dished out to him with a straight face. Sometimes the fucker even smiled. Never had he ever lost his shit. Not like this.
He stopped, dropping his hands to his sides. Blood dripped to the forest floor. Pants flooded the air. His shoulders slouched. "Why did you have to die? You were supposed to come back." A sob broke free.
My chest tightened. I rubbed at the ache, not sure what it was for. Was it sympathy? Or empathy? I hoped it wasn't either. Velron was the last person I wanted to sympathize with. I was sure he felt the same.
I popped off the liquor bottle cover I stole from the winery before my abrupt departure for safety. Velron's head snapped around to me. His eyes narrowed. I held up the bottle, saluting him before drowning my sorrows with the strong sweet, tangy liquid inside.
"What the fuck do you want?" He snapped.
My point taken. How could anyone empathize with Velron? They would be out of their minds. This man was too unbearable to like.
I chose to drink my liquor instead of answering.
He wiped his face, leaving blood stains on his cheeks. His tsk tore through the silence. "Can you just fuck off?"
I ignored him.
If anything, it angered him more. He stormed over to me and snatched my liquor away. Some of the contents spilled over our hands. "I said fuck off. I'm not in the mood. Not today."
I grabbed the body of the bottle and yanked it from his grip. "Why should I leave? This is a free kingdom, isn't it? I don't care about your shit. I have mine to deal with."
He cackled. The leaves shook with the disturbing sound. "What kind of shit could you possibly be going through? Huh? Tell me, Mr. I-don't-want-to-be-King. Grow the fuck up. You're a royal. It's your duty to put self behind and think about your kingdom. You're marrying one of the most beautiful Queens on this Globe. The horror." His face contorted in a fake look of terror. It disappeared with his next words. "Suck it up and the get the fuck out of my sight."
I stretched out my legs. "Thanks for the lecture. Tell it to someone who cares."
Velron's jaw ticked. When I thought he would take out his anger on me—which I wanted—he did the opposite and flopped down next to me. I handed him the bottle of liquor.
"Who died?"
He gulped down the beverage at my question. "None of your business."
I bobbed my head. "Was it a lover?"
It had to be since it brought him to tears. Velron crying was some strange crap.
This time he answered with some level of honesty. "A friend."
I snorted, wondering how honest that statement was. "Nah, I think it's a lover."
He scowled. "Are you asking or telling me?"
My shoulders bounced. "Both. We both know you don't cry for a friend."
"Why the hell not? What the fuck do you take me for?"
An heartless asshole but my assumptions were wrong. Heartless people didn't cry over the death of their lovers.
"You and Anubis were…are friends and most of the time you fight," I justified. "I don't think you would cry if he died. And he wouldn't for you. You both would give the other an extravagant burial and then make some snippy comeback about the other was a disgusting fucker and that would be end of it."
"That's because Anubis is different. You don't show weakness around a guy like that." His statements rolled over and over in my head. "We only fought when I messed with his precious little brother. He was very protective of you. That's why you turned out like this. If only he had let the King have his way, you would have turned out better."
I tried not to take offense to his words. I turned out just fine. I could be worse.
"Let the King have his way?"
Velron smirked. No doubt he was glad he knew something I didn't. My fingers curled into a fist. The thought of punishing the shit out of him outweighed the others. "Oh, you didn't know. The late Fire King was going to send you to join the army. He thought you needed to grow a backbone. Some little birdy told him, if you faced the bad side of the army, it would toughen you up. Oh," He raised a finger, "how can I forget that you were almost betrothed to the Loam princess. That was an amazing time. Best summer of my life."
I scrunched my nose. "She's like six years older than I am. Father would never."
Velron's smirk transformed into a smile. "Oh, the King would have. Anubis and I found out about it when we were snooping around in the King's office. You were going to marry her that winter. Don't you remember that time the Loam Royalty came to visit?"
Of course. How could I not? My servants fussed over me and…
"Shit!" I snatched the liquor, and down most of it.
I was not even a full pledge teen.
"Yeah, shit. I can remember how furious Anubis was. His plan to get you out of the contract was magical. He was even going to deflower the sweet loam princess if his father never backed out of the treaty. I thought Anubis would commit treason the way he went at things. My hero." Velron chuckled.
Only he would laugh at someone's demise. It was clear my brother was … a bit aggressive at times. It was the same reason he and Velron's relationship thrived. They were two peas in the same pod. Both were psychos. But Anubis had a heart. A guarded one, but it was there. Deep down underneath all that horrible anger and unorthodox way of thinking.
I swallowed. "Thanks for telling me I'm the reason Father and Anubis's relationship was strained."
Not only had my brother almost got punished that summer, but it also made Baron angry. It was the first time I had seen my eldest brother upset with Anubis. In the end, Baron accepted the punishment for whatever Anubis did. He was lashed for all to see. Out in the court. Made an example to anyone who tried to go against the King. Back then, I had no idea what Anubis did. No one told me anything. Anubis locked himself in my room for two days. In those two days, Baron was alone being tortured by our general.
I really didn't know it was my fault.
Like a fool, I thought it was just some other dumb uncontrollable fit Anubis often had. A cycle our brotherhood always went through. Anubis would do dumb shit and Baron would cover for him or take the punishment. Anubis protected me. Baron protected him. A system that worked for years. It brought us closer even on those days when Baron wanted to kill us both. I bet he would have if he never loved us. He could have. No matter how much people didn't see, Baron was and will always be the strongest of us three brothers. Even after Anubis got the King's title. It was why Baron became the protector of Cordal.
"You're welcome." And the real spiteful Velron was back. I would never waste my sympathy on this guy. Never.
"Is this your ploy of distracting me from asking you about your lover?"
"He was not my…you know what, whatever. He's dead, so who cares."
You. You care.
"When did he die?"
Velron scoffed. "That's the thing. I don't know. I didn't know he was even back in Cordal. He was supposed to be married and happy. Not dead."
"So…" I allowed my words to trail off for his benefit.
He picked up on the hidden question. "So, I'm going to find out who killed him and make them wish they never touched a hair on his head."
Good for you. Sounded like something Anubis would say.
"How did you know someone killed him?"
"Someone had to. He was healthy the last time we spoke."
"Well, if you need any support, I'm always here to help. Anubis would have wanted justice for his loved ones too. And I know you would have helped him to get what he wanted."
Velron eyed me. "We aren't friends, and we never will be."
No shit.
"Believe me, you are the last person I want to be friends with. But if your friend was murdered, then I can't just turn a blind eye. He needs justice."
Velron had the heart to applaud me. "Always the hero, aren't you? It's pathetic."
I sneered. "Fuck off and take the help. I have my brothers behind me to aid at any time. You don't have the option of refusing."
"I can just seek Anubis's help for myself."
"Anubis is King," I shot back. "He isn't going to drop everything to do dumb shit at every one of his friends' beck and call. He has to put his Kingdom first. He's under a lot of stress right now, so even if you reach out to him, he won't be able to help you until after he sorts out his affairs. I'm already here. I can help."
Velron leaned against the tree. I took his silence for a yes. He wouldn't say it, but he needed my help as much as I needed his. Now more than ever. I was taking on a position I didn't want. Velron knew this kingdom. I could bet he knew who was behind the poisoning. The best way to get answers was to befriend the devil.
The key to gaining his trust was through aiding him with something close to his ice heart. This was it.
"Why are you even out here anyway?" I asked. "I thought people cried in the safety of their rooms."
He smacked his lips together. "Kings don't cry. They rule even through the pain."
I rolled my eyes, knowing damn well his logic was true. Maybe if Kings cried a few times, Kingdoms would be better. "You're not a King."
"Neither are you."
Right. And that was the way I liked it.