Part Four

Phoenix

Thomas stared as he watched the guards drag an unconscious Hunter away from the room. He was reeling from everything that had happened, not knowing what to make of the events since…well, he supposed since he first woke up.

“--mas?” a voice asked him. “Thomas, son, are you okay?”

Belatedly, Thomas realized that Matheson was standing next to him, trying to talk to him. His voice sounded like it was coming from far away, ebbing and flowing around Thomas.

“Thomas? Can you hear me?”

Thomas nodded, still in shock over everything. He looked away from his father, taking stock of the room around him. The door leading out into the hallway was open and Thomas could hear guards scrambling about, shouting to each other as they ran down the hallway. He and Matheson were alone in the room, causing him to shiver as he remembered what had happened the last time they were alone together.

“Are you okay?” his father asked. “What did he do? Did he hurt you at all?”

Thomas dumbly shook his head, hesitant to tell his father what had exactly happened. Sure, Hunter had hurt him, but he hadn’t meant to. Thomas had simply startled him and grabbed him when he shouldn’t have.

The same thing had happened with his father just that morning. He had done something he shouldn’t have, something Matheson told him not to do.

But according to Hunter, Matheson hitting him was wrong and Thomas should stay away from his father because of that. But Hunter had also hurt him physically. Was that wrong as well? Should Thomas stay away from him because of that?

But Hunter elbowing him was an accident. He could tell that one the instant Hunter rounded on him. Hunter had realized as soon as he saw Thomas on the ground that he had done something wrong. Whereas Matheson had intentionally cornered him up against the wall, had intentionally yelled at him, and had intentionally slapped him. Then proceeded to act as if nothing had happened while he left to go to his meeting.

But Hunter didn’t just physically hurt him.

He had betrayed him, lied to him, and used him. In the process, he had entirely broken Thomas’ trust in him. Was their friendship over now? Was Thomas better off without having him in his life? A part of Thomas wanted to scream that yes, Thomas was better off without Hunter, without his lies, and that their friendship was now over in light of what he did and said.

And yet…

Hunter had been his friend for years now. Hunter had been the first person to ever tell him about his parents. Hunter took him to Northfield to meet Kathleen and later to Castle Tascela to meet Matheson.

Who then had quickly turned from a loving father into a…a…

Monster, Thomas’ brain finished.

Thomas visibly tensed at that thought, revolted by the fact that he had even finished that sentence with that word. His father wasn’t a mon--that. He was his father.

And fathers were supposed to love and care for their children.

And hit them when they do wrong? a voice in his head asked, a voice that sounded very similar to Hunter’s voice.

“Thomas, are you okay?” Matheson asked again, chasing Thomas’ horrible thoughts away.

Thomas nodded. “Y-yeah, I’m fine.”

“Are you sure he didn’t hurt you at all?” Matheson gestured over to where Hunter’s knife was on the ground. “He had a knife, Thomas.”

Thomas nodded again. “Yeah, he didn’t hurt me.” He was slightly scared by how quickly the lie fell from his mouth. Shaking his head, he tried to not focus on that and instead on the consequences of Hunter’s actions. “What’s going to happen to Hunter?”

At his question, his father’s face darkened. It was the same expression that had been on his face when Thomas had asked about the archers just that very morning.

“Don’t worry about him. I’ll make sure that bastard can never get to you again.”

Thomas blinked, remembering what Matheson had told Hunter when he had ordered his arrest.

“You are accused of treason against the Aspayan Empire and are to be hanged for your crimes after a trial before the Tascelan Court.”

“You’re going to kill him,” Thomas breathed out, feeling as if the wind was knocked out of him yet again. Looking his father in the eye, he repeated his statement, louder this time. “You’re going to kill Hunter.”

“Of course I am,” Matheson said, looking over at Thomas as if it was obvious.

“No.” Thomas shook his head emphatically. “No, you can’t kill him. Matheson, please.”

Matheson blinked, looking bewildered by Thomas’ demands. Speaking as if he was talking to a child, he said, “Thomas, he has committed treason against the Empire by holding onto his officer pin after the Tascelan Archers were banned. He broke into the castle to see you and just now, he came into my suite armed with a knife and spouting nonsense. Those are two things that I see as a direct attack against you, a member of my family, and myself. He needs to be punished for what he did and what better punishment than death?”

Thomas shook his head. “No, Matheson, please. Hunter is my fr--”

“You never saw me as a friend, did you? That’s why you haven’t visited Ridgecrest ever since becoming Michael’s apprentice. You’ve never cared for me. It’s all been a lie.”

Thomas cut himself off as he remembered what Hunter had done to him. Hunter wasn’t a friend, not anymore. Right? Or was he wrong? Was Hunter still his friend?

Before he could spiral too far into those questions, Thomas rephrased his sentence. “Hunter was the one to tell me about you and Kathleen. He was the one to bring me to Tascela to meet you for the first time. Doesn’t that count for something?”

Matheson scoffed. “Do you really think it was out of the goodness of his heart that he did that, Thomas?”

Thomas’ eyes widened at his father’s question. At the start, he had believed that one completely. He had thought that Hunter was taking him to his father just because he wanted to. That belief had begun to weaken when they had left Northfield, upon the revelation that Hunter had lied to him about not knowing his mother and when Braya started warning him to be careful around him. And just now, he had discovered the truth behind Hunter’s intentions, that all of it had been in an attempt to avenge his family, Michael, and his dreams.

For Matheson to uncover the truth so quickly…it made Thomas realize just how stupid he had been to follow Hunter to Castle Tascela. To commit a crime by turning away from the Enlistment Act, to have been so blind to what had been apparent to other people.

“Sure, he had a secret plan,” Thomas started to say, “but that doesn’t mean that he shou--”

“A secret plan?” Matheson echoed. “So you knew he was planning something. Tell me, what was it?”

Thomas opened his mouth, about to tell the truth, when something inside of him told him not to, that the truth would only cause problems for both him and Hunter. Listening to his instincts, Thomas shook his head. “N-nothing. He didn’t tell me. I knew back in Ridgecrest that Hunter had an ult--”

“Don’t you dare lie to me,” Matheson interrupted, a fire of anger building in his blue eyes. He took another step forward and Thomas took yet another step backwards, his back hitting the wall behind him. “What was Wright planning?”

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Thomas stared wide-eyed at his father, unsure of what to say. He was reminded of just that morning, of what had happened in the stairwell following breakfast.

“How dare you?” he asked, his face scrunched up in anger. He looked to be a man filled with rage at what Thomas had just done in the dining room.

“I-I--” Thomas stuttered, folding in on himself as he stumbled backwards. Matheson followed him, stepping forward and pushing Thomas backwards until he hit the wall in front of the stairs.

“Answer me!” Matheson shouted, bringing his hand up and slapping Thomas across the cheek.

Thomas stumbled, his cheek smarting and his eyes watering from the hit. He kept his balance, just barely. The hit hadn’t been as much of a surprise as it had been that morning--some part of him had been waiting for it--but that didn’t make it any less scary.

Only this time, Thomas was beginning to understand that maybe, just maybe, this wasn’t normal.

Perhaps fathers weren’t meant to act this way. Maybe his father didn’t love him or care for him as much as he said he did.

And with that slow dawning realization, Thomas also started to understand that Hunter was right. He had to get away from Matheson.

But that didn’t matter now, not when Thomas was still standing in front of the man with no way to remove himself from the situation.

“What was Wright planning?” Matheson asked again, bringing his hand up.

Immediately, Thomas flinched, squeezing his eyes shut. He started stammering a response to Matheson’s question, anything to stop his father from hitting him again. “H-Hunter said that he was using me to get to you, that he wanted to k-kill you for killing his parents and Michael and for banning the Tascelan Archers. That’s why he ran here with his knife. He was trying to find you so that he could kill you.”

Matheson paused, then asked, “What do you mean ‘using you’?”

“H-he said that he was going to use my relationship with you. That way then he could also get close enough to you to get himself a position in the Aspayan Army and then take down the Empire.”

“He didn’t want to just kill me then,” Matheson said. “He wanted to destroy Aspaya. He was planning a rebellion.”

Thomas’ eyes widened. Sure enough, his instincts had been right. Telling his father Hunter’s intentions had spelled an even worse fate for him.

For just the simple charge of treason meant a hanging.

The charge of starting a rebellion, though, was a slow and painful death.The Empire knew that rebellions were rarely planned by one person; they were a group effort. And they would try everything in their power to figure out who else was involved in the rebellion, including months of endless torture. The people charged with being a rebel didn’t just die like traitors to the Empire. No, they virtually disappeared off the face of Esmaya, never to be heard from again or even spoken about.

“No, no, he wasn’t,” Thomas hurried to say. “He’s not a rebel. He said he couldn’t go through with it because he sees me as a friend.”

Matheson raised his eyebrow. “Are you sure about that? Because that little knife over there seems to be all the evidence I need to prove that Wright was starting a rebellion. An attack against the Aspayan Advisor…” Matheson tsked. “It could easily be twisted into an attack against the Empire.” Matheson paused, looking thoughtful. “Do you know what the punishment is for people starting a rebellion, Thomas?”

The boy nodded. “Yes, I do. And, please, Matheson, believe me. Hunter isn’t a rebel. He wa--”

“And you’re his friend.” Those four simple words immediately stilled Thomas. “Anyone would think that you were planning a rebellion with him.”

Thomas shook his head. “No, Matheson, I wasn’t. I didn’t know. I didn’t find out until just now. I-I would never go against the Empire.”

Matheson tilted his head. “Never? Are you sure about that? Why, just this morning you were speaking out against the emperor’s wishes at breakfast. I think that’s all the proof a court would need to find you guilty.”

Thomas’ eyes widened. “No, no, please. I would do anything.”

Matheson smirked, seemingly pleased at Thomas’ reaction. “You would do anything?”

Thomas nodded. “Anything, Father.”

“Fine.” Matheson straightened. “I’ll make you a deal. I won’t breathe a word about Wright’s rebellion. I won’t even hang him for his treason. If, and only if, you never cross me again. Don’t speak out against me, don’t ask stupid questions in front of the other advisors, and don’t ever again make myself or any of the other advisors unsure of where your loyalties lie. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, sir,” Thomas said.

“In the meantime, Wright will live out the rest of his days in a cell. But the second you step out of line, I will tell the court that he is a rebel. Furthermore, I will tell them that you are on his side. You will both be charged with inciting a rebellion and will be dealt with accordingly.”

Thomas sucked in a shaky breath. He was already beginning to learn how little Matheson cared for him, but to hear him speak so flippantly about accusing him of something that he didn’t even do, of something that had a punishment worse than death…it just proved Hunter’s statement even more.

He had to get away from his father.

Thomas couldn’t believe he didn’t see it sooner. Was it really just last night that he was gushing to Hunter about how great Matheson was? Was it really just yesterday morning that he arrived here? How could he have ever thought that Matheson cared for him? That he loved him?

“Did you ever care for me?” Thomas asked, blinking back tears in his eyes. “If it’s so easy for you to tell the other advisors that I’m a rebel, do you truly care about me or love me?”

“You’re beginning to see it now, aren’t you?” Matheson asked, smirking again, almost as if he was gloating over his lack of love towards his own son. “Everyone has an ulterior motive. No one ever does things just because they want to be a good person or because they care about you. They’re all planning something.”

“Then what are you planning?”

“You already touched upon that answer. Just this morning, you asked me why Emperor Elliott didn’t kill the royal family of Tascela.” He paused before continuing to speak. “He’s planning on doing so. I just asked him for a little more time to produce an heir to the throne.”

Thomas frowned, trying to understand what Matheson was getting at. Then, it hit him. “Oh. The emperor promised you the throne, only if you had an heir. Which you do. Me.”

Matheson smirked again. “Exactly. So I suppose you could say I do care about you, but only so far as you secure the crown for me.” Then, he leaned closer to Thomas, speaking directly in his ear. “Face it, Thomas. All you are is a means to an end for me. You never meant more than that to me and you never will.”

He felt his heart drop to his stomach, his father’s words like another slap to his face. Matheson didn’t care for him nor did he even want him here. He was using him, just how Hunter was using him to achieve his wishes. All the people here only saw him as a way to achieve what they wanted. It was never about him, Thomas Hayes. It was only about themselves.

Matheson took a step back, a triumphant smile on his face. It made Thomas sick to his stomach and he let his eyes drop to the ground. His father knew he had won, that he could control all of Thomas’ words and actions with his threats.

“I’m going to go to the court now,” Matheson said, striding over to the door. “You are not to leave this room. I’ll send someone up with lunch for you. Besides that, no one else is allowed in this room.” Thomas could see in his peripheral vision that Matheson had paused in the doorway, though he kept his eyes fixated on the ground. With the continued silence, Thomas slowly raised his head, looking his father in the eye.

“Remember our deal,” his father said. “Disobey me even once and I won’t hesitate to tell the court the truth. Do you understand?”

Thomas nodded.

“Use your words, Thomas,” Matheson spat.

“Yes, sir, I understand.” He hated how meek his voice sounded, hated the fear in it, hated how much his voice shook.

With his affirmation, Matheson nodded, shutting the door with a bang.

Thomas slowly slid down the wall, letting himself sit down on the ground. He swallowed, trying his hardest to choke back his tears. Then, like a flood, he started to cry. He hugged his knees to his chest, leaning his head against them as he cried.

He cried for Kathleen, who had tried her best to protect him from his father, who had warned him to stay away from Matheson.

He cried for Michael, who had died protecting Hunter, who had also told him to stay away from Matheson.

He cried for Braya, alone in the forest, not knowing what had happened to Hunter, not knowing that Thomas had met her brother. She had warned him about Hunter and was one of the many people to warn him about Matheson.

He cried for Hunter, who had been arrested, his silver sunflower pin thrown into the fire. Who was grieving for Michael, his mentor. Who had lost his parents and his childhood to Matheson. Who would never be a Tascelan Archer because of Thomas’ father. Who had thought that the only way to avenge all of those things was to use Thomas to take down the Empire and the man who had ruined his life.

Above all, though, he cried for himself. He cried for all the betrayals he had gone through today, all the ways other people were using him to get what they wanted. He cried for the monster that his father turned out to be. He cried for what his supposed friend had done to him. He cried for his homesickness, for his desire to be in Ridgecrest, his only concern what trouble the twins were getting into and how Levi was going to be mean that day. He cried for the nightmare he had found himself in, the horrible situation life had placed him in.

I want to go home, Thomas thought as his cries turned into sobs that wracked his entire body.

But there was no getting out of this situation. He was stuck, well and truly, the only end in sight sticking to Matheson’s deal with him.

It was all up to him to ensure Hunter’s and his own survival. It rested solely on him and his ability to follow his father’s orders, to follow the Aspayan Empire with unswerving loyalty, to stand behind an emperor who could care less about the sixteen-year-old boys in his army or his subjects.

One small slip-up like this morning could spell the end for him and Hunter.

How in the world was he going to get through this?