Chapter Thirteen:
The Reunion
Dmitri
Monday morning, The Cavalries moved through the motions of our schedules without a hitch, then made our way to the second-floor conference room. The meetings we had attended prior to this were remedial, such as talks of how our week was going, or updates from scouting parties, but the tone of this request proved this was no longer fun and games.
Andrew, Cerelia, Zachary, and a few other commanders were seated around the table when we arrived, though I could see Andrew shaking through his façade. He kept his eyes on me as we bowed to the group, then pulled our chairs out and took a seat. “Good evening, everyone. I hope your day has gone well?” Josiah asked with a slightly uneasy calm.
“Very, sir,” Gwen replied.
“Thank you for being patient with us on such short notice; I'm sure you’re very tired.”
“No need to thank us. What can we do for you?” Stefan added.
Andrew slid a hand through his beard before pressing his mouth into the space between his thumb and pointer finger. He huffed a miserable sigh, mentally prepared himself, then finally said, "Alexei has requested a meeting between all the countries…”
“When?” Michael asked seriously and professionally to Andrew’s surprise.
“Tomorrow. Everyone will be there; all seven rulers, as well as The Committee.”
“They’re coming out for this, but not to put him in his place?” I scoffed angrily.
“I feel the same way, but this isn’t the time for that. This meeting is extremely unpredictable and unexpected. Had I known earlier, I would have taken months to prepare for it, but we don’t have time to do so…”
“You’re hesitating…” Martha accused, “Why?”
He bit his lip but stayed silent, which made me slowly sit up in disbelief, “Get over it,” I snapped cruelly, which made The Cavalries squeak in shock.
Andrew raised an eyebrow at my response, more surprised I had caught him than anything, but knew exactly what I meant. “I'm trying to,” he muttered back.
I gripped the edge of the table as I spoke, glaring deeply at Andrew, “I’ve told you once if I have told you a thousand times; I am a Calvary, and it is my job to protect you and your wife at all costs. If you think I’m going to back down because Alexei is coming here, you’re wrong. I did not work this hard to run from him when you need me most.”
“Even if Joshua is with him?” He breathed back.
My throat did tighten, but I narrowed my glare, “I am not scared of Joshua,” I hissed.
Cerelia blinked in awe as Andrew shifted uncomfortably, “I didn’t say you were scared.”
“You also have no confidence in me. This is my chance to prove myself to you, to all of you, and I will not let my emotions interfere with that.”
“All right, all right. I just…” he fell quiet when he saw the look on my face.
My entire demeanor changed with the tone of the conversation, so much that it made Martha shift away from me slightly. “I say we get this over with and slit his throat while he’s here.” I offered, crossing my arms casually.
Stefan choked wildly on the water he was trying to drink, “W-What?!”
I tossed my hand casually, “No need to play nice; if the almighty king is so intent on staging an extravagant flaunt of his power, let’s give him and his posse the warm welcome they deserve.”
“I agree,” Michael sniffed.
“Are you trying to get yourselves killed?” Zachary snapped.
“He isn’t going to bring more than twenty men with him; any of us alone can easily pick them off. Send The Cavalries in to clean up the mess while I chop his miserable head off.” I said, shrugging nonchalantly.
“He’ll have his own Cavalry, who are just as good as all of you…?” Piers offered.
I snorted a laugh obnoxiously, and had to hold a hand over my mouth to hinder myself. The Cavalries and commanders stared at me in disbelief as I spoke, “Excuse my outburst, sir, but those kids don’t know their left hand from their right. I promise you no one is being trained properly. Joshua wants bodies, and that’s all. The one’s he’s serious about get trained at the castle, not the academy. He had to pick Calvary from the academy to abide by the Gods Sent, but by no means are they the soldiers he wants. He may have begun training them, but it’s only been a few weeks. They’re as scary as hamsters that tend to bite.”
“You’re pretty easy-fucking-going about this, Snake?” Zachary accused.
“I am, and you all should be too.” I grew serious again, my tone lowering dramatically, “Alexei Mortimer is all bark and no bite. He has everyone else do his dirty work so his pretty little hands don’t get filthy. If Joshua isn’t there to fight his battles for him, he’s practically useless.” I paused to ponder what I said, my leg shaking wildly under the table with impatience I couldn’t seem to dampen, “I mean, I can’t entirely say that. He can cause damage, or else he wouldn’t have trained the few of us that he did so well. But pin him against us? He won’t last long. He learned to fight in The West; I learned all over England, and will gladly take care of him without thinking twice.” I growled demonically.
“Take it down a notch, Kevorkian,” Andrew said, patting my arm, “Unfortunately, no one will be killing anyone tomorrow. If you kill Alexei, I will be forced to put you to death.”
“Rule twenty-seven of the God’s Sent; if anyone, no matter the circumstance, should kill a royal figure outside of a battle zone, then the murderer shall be put to death. God damn the bloody Gods Sent…” Gwen hissed bitterly.
I tsked and sat back in my chair like a toddler throwing a tantrum, but a moment later, a twisted smile crept across my face. “I can eviscerate Joshua though?” I breathed maniacally.
“Unless he isn’t Prime Minister already? Christopher is dead, isn’t he?” Stefan added.
I snorted in disgust, “Prime Minister? Don’t make me laugh…” I fell quiet as the thought danced through my head momentarily. I slowly dropped the hand I had on my arm, my eyes widening, “Oh God… What if he is the new Prime Minister…?” I croaked.
“On the contrary,” Cerelia said, leaning forward with a creepy smile, “The keyword is, kill. You cannot kill Alexei or Joshua. But, you can severely maim them.”
“I like the way you think, your highness,” Michael cackled as he cracked his knuckles.
“It never said I couldn’t snap his Calvary’s necks?” Stefan offered.
“That would ignite a war, though?” Martha reminded.
“Which we are so not ready for.” I scoffed sadly.
Andrew cleared his throat to break into the conversation, “I appreciate the enthusiasm from you all dearly, but let’s try and be civilized. If we plan on an attack, we’ll be too focused on that to think straight during the meeting. I want this to go smoothly, if possible. Let’s hear what the maggot has to say, then decide after that. I don’t want to risk any of your safety, either. We also don’t know if he is planning anything against us. If he does, I need you in peak physical and mental shape to counterattack,” Andrew turned to us, but eyed me especially, “But I will make this very, very, clear; if Alexei Mortimer, King of The West, or Joshua Eckles, Prime Minister or not, should try to attack any of you, you are allowed to defend yourself. Under no circumstance can you kill them, but you can severely damage them. Am I understood?” He patronized.
“Crystal clear.” Stefan hissed, smiling devilishly.
“Let’s just hope they decide to misbehave tomorrow.” I chuckled darkly, which made The Cavalries join in.
╬
The following morning, after quite the restless night, I dressed prim and perfectly in my official Cavalry uniform, sprayed my best cologne, and slicked my hair back under my hat. The boys fastened their boots with shaking hands, their eyes wide with worry in the reflection of the mirror I was getting ready in. I realized that, especially yesterday, I had been letting my ego get to me, and needed to reassure my team instead of throwing myself headfirst into the flames. I turned to them with a small smile, “I'm going to fetch the king and queen; are you two all right?”
“Yes, we’re fine. We’ll see you in a moment.” Stefan whispered emotionlessly.
I crouched before him and clapped a hand on his shoulder, “Try to relax, it’s going to be just fine. I wouldn’t want anyone else at my side as we face this.”
Stefan’s shoulders slacked in relief, and a grin tugged at the corner of his mouth, “Just jitters, I suppose. I’ve never been this close to either of them before, but it’s better to rip the bandage off now I suppose, right?” I nodded once, which he returned before I saluted them both and walked out the bedroom door.
I went to the royal couple’s second-floor suite and knocked politely, waited until Cerelia invited me in, then entered with my hands behind my back. The two were dressed in beautiful royal attire and wore masks of pure discomfort. Andrew was pinning badges onto his coat, and Cerelia was fighting with a necklace, which made me chuckle before I offered to help. She sighed in relief and watched me clip it together through the mirror, but didn’t say a word as I fastened it into place. “Are you ready, your highnesses?” I asked warmly.
“As we’ll ever be.” Cerelia sighed, kissing my cheek lightly before allowing me to lead them downstairs to the ballroom. My comrades were already in line behind the chairs representing The North Kingdom, which Gwen and Stefan pulled out for their rulers obediently. They each sat down, clasped hands, then took a deep breath as I positioned myself between Gwen and Stefan. Gwen patted Cerelia’s arm; Cerelia squeezed her hand back gratefully.
“Do The West know Dmitri is with us now? Dumb question, I know, but I have to make sure.” Michael inquired under his breath.
“Not as far as we know, and I’d like to keep it that way,” Andrew replied seriously.
“Won’t they know it’s him?” Martha pressed.
“Cavalries aren’t officially announced until after the commencement ceremony, so it buys me a bit more time to fly under the radar. Plus, they haven’t seen me since I was thirteen; I highly doubt I look the same, but they won’t be paying much attention to me.” I assured.
A few moments of silence passed before cars finally made their way up the road and through the main castle gates. Adelaide, Ethan, and their children, Serena and Alan, were the first to enter; Gerard, Julia, and Tyler were next. Both families sat down and warmly greeted us all; Tyler beamed at me like a star, which made me roll my eyes playfully and he giggle adorably. It pained me deeply that a child so young was forced to endure a meeting like this, but I had done the same at his age and knew there was nothing Gerard could do.
In the next beat, three of the oldest surviving Mortimer’s entered the castle and brought with them a wave of anxiety and intimidation. Jeremiah, the father of Andrew and his siblings, was the head of The Committee, and guided his brothers, Crispin and Alden, to the large table with his head held high. The Committee served as the protectors of The God Sent Rights and were made of royal figures who had passed their kingdoms to their children. Jeremiah once ruled The East, Crispin The West, and Alden The South, so they were fully aware of the impacts this war was having on their previous kingdoms.
Instead of intervening, though, they sat in the shadows and watched the world burn, claiming this was an issue for the current rulers to deal with, and that created animosity like none other throughout the Mortimer family. Jeremiah was the only person to never once change his opinion that I was a backstabbing weasel, and from the moment I entered The East, he had a target on my back. When he sat at the head of the table and looked up to see me in line, as myself and not Alexander nonetheless, his eyes widened in disgust. “And what, exactly, is going on here…?”
“None of your business, that’s what. We have larger concerns.” Andrew echoed.
“Andrew Mortimer…!?” Jeremiah snarled, slamming his fist on the table.
“Jeremiah, I am not discussing this with you right now.”
“So you’re fully prepared for Alexei to walk in and realize his brother…?!”
“If you keep your mouth shut, there is a chance he won’t.” Crispin snapped, which made Jeremiah huff in annoyance and settle back into his seat. He, to antagonize me, continued to glare daggers at me from across the room, but I did my best to ignore him and not provide any ammunition. The last thing I needed was for him to give me up to Alexei.
Finally, the last car arrived, which held the royal family belonging to The West. It took every ounce of my ever-loving strength not to melt into a puddle when I saw them enter the hall. All three royal families hiccupped gasps, almost in my honor, at the group Alexei had chosen to bring with him today. Alexei, of course, was the first to enter, with Joshua nipping at his heels, followed by my long lost brother, Riley, and to my entire family’s surprise, my beloved mother.
I hadn’t seen her in over eight years, and finally knowing that she was alive made my heart skip a beat. I had to clench my fist to not run from my spot, and Stefan sighed sadly when he felt me do this against his hip. The turquoise eyes she and I, and only she and I, shared were empty, and her breathtakingly gorgeous face soulless. The honey-blonde hair she was so proud to adorn hung down her cheeks lifelessly; she looked like a beaten and tortured ghost. How she was alive, let alone moving at this point, was in itself a surprise. She let Riley guide her through the castle because if he let go of her for a single moment, I believe she would have died right in the middle of that foyer.
Leading The West’s beloved Queen were two brothers: one of twenty-three, one of twenty-eight. Alexei, the oldest, had his champagne-blonde hair covering a completely vacant face. His cold, glass-like eyes were void of any kind of emotion, as they had been most of our lives. He was not a being who could understand compassion; Alexei Mortimer was a disturbed man, and to this very moment, was never able to show any signs of emotion regardless of the circumstance. He wore the crown he had stolen from our father as if he had any right to it, as if Morgan was not standing right next to him. His sharp cologne and perfume of over indulging in cigars flooded my sense, and made me slightly dizzy since the smell was all too familiar.
Riley looked as thin and pale as the ghost our mother resembled. His skin was not bruised but his psyche was, and he walked with his hands submerged deep in his pockets. He, too, shared the same colored hair as our mother, which was stuffed delicately under a crown, and his green eyes flicked to and from each face in the room. It took a moment for him to recognize me, but when he did, his frown turned into a breathtaking smile that I gave back to him secretly.
Joshua moved to stand before Alexei in case someone decided to make a move on them, as expected since he usually was the voice for whatever political decisions were made for The West. For years Alexei had chased after Joshua’s shadow obediently, allowing him to make all decisions concerning the conquering of England. It kept Alexei’s hands clean, but it also put Joshua so high on a pedestal that he was near untouchable in that court… and he knew that.
Joshua’s flat, dark hair and even darker eyes were soulless beyond comprehension, and always held a look that meant he was scheming ten steps ahead of whomever he spoke with. His eyes were full of child-like happiness, as any psychopathic killers usually were, though he did not dare show weakness in front of the other rulers. As evil as Alexei could be, Joshua far surpassed his king, and his presence brought more weight and fear than Alexei’s ever could. Joshua was responsible for the deaths of every citizen and soldier taken by the war, yet he smiled over the idea of his successful pillaging. I thought my false confidence would guide me through this meeting, but the moment he and I were only a few feet apart, a bead of sweat slid down my forehead, and my stomach turned wildly.
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Oddly, Zachary began scrambling down words on a sheet of paper in the back corner, his eyes wide with concentration as he did. I side glanced at Gwen to find she saw this too; she shrugged before we directed our attention back to the royal family. Morgan sat down morosely with Alexei; Joshua was smiling brightly, though Riley gave me a look of pure despair that broke my heart. Their Cavalry stood behind them, adorning the menacing red of their country’s flag. They all looked like they had signed up for the wrong fucking job, and regretted every second that they stood behind Alexei and Joshua. I did feel slightly guilty about their situation, but this wasn’t the time to mourn for soldiers I’d probably kill in the near future.
“Hello everyone,” Alexei began in the same dejected tone he always spoken in, “I’d like to thank you for allowing us to convene on such short notice.”
“Short notice indeed,” Cerelia hissed.
Joshua tightened the grip he had on the back of Alexei’s chair, his voice thick with malicious intent, “Well we’ve much to discuss, and what better time than right after we’ve made a game-changing decision in regard to the war?”
The moment he spoke, my entire body froze.
I had never, not once in my life, shut down like this, and it was a feeling I simply could not handle. The room began to spin so drastically that I was sure I was physically swaying, but somewhere in the chaos my mind was creating, a hand slipped through mine with a gentle squeeze. That squeeze halted every anxiety in my mind and brought me back to the present that very instant. I slowly brought my gaze down to my left, where Gwen was standing as perfectly as she had been this entire time. The only difference was our interlocked fingers, which, when she saw I had noticed, made her break form to flash me a heartwarming smile.
That smile, made me feel invincible.
My shivering ceased, and I found a way to return the gesture before slowly turning to face Joshua again. Whatever she had done to me was something I would have to thank her for, for a million years. Morgan, who had been watching this small exchange between us, cast a grin that wasn’t threatening, but not fully kind, either, before bowing her head once more. Did she truly not recognize me amongst the crowd? My own mother?
“What is this meeting about, Alexei?” Gerard snapped.
“A bargain, a compromise, a companionship,” Joshua answered automatically, which pissed Gerard off to high heaven.
“I believe I asked Alexei, not you, Joshua.”
“Maybe so, but I am the commander of his military, and therefore I have a say in whatever decisions center around our advancement. Now, if you’d please, let me start with The North.” Joshua set a stack of papers down and slid them over to Andrew and Cerelia, then coiled back to grip Alexei’s chair again with a child-like impatience.
The two viewed the pages, and as they read further, their faces contorted into pure astonishment. “You have to be joking?” Andrew scoffed in disbelief, “I would never agree to this. You're not getting my kingdom!”
Joshua simply shrugged, “How about your soldiers?”
“Like hell! End this childish bullshit, now!” Cerelia barked.
“If we were to unite England, I would give you all a comfy spot in your own corner, and take care of the bigger burdens. No more war, no more fighting, and you still get to keep your servants. What’s there to lose?” Alexei attempted in a somewhat weak tone, a tone that made Joshua grip the chair tighter as he was annoyed by Alexei’s lack of confidence.
“You’re a bloody joke, you know that?! After all we have done to protect our citizens, you think we’re going to take the cheap way out, just to save our asses? You truly are a delusional bunch, and I’d rather settle this on the battlefield than ever succumb to any kind of treaty that harms my citizens!” Andrew bellowed, fuming so fiercely that he was bright red.
Morgan and Riley were dead quiet throughout the entire argument. Morgan’s siblings kept turning to her for some kind of relief from the insanity, but she had nothing left to give, and only sat like a statue. The only movement was an occasional wince when Joshua raised his voice with Andrew, and when she did flinch, Riley would squeeze her hand under the table to try and calm her worries. It utterly destroyed me to watch her be in this much pain. “How about you, kiddo, what do you think about coming to work for the strongest army in England?” Joshua asked Stefan, whom everyone turned to in an instant.
A dark cloud of seriousness consumed his expression, and he moved to grip the back of Andrew and Cerelia’s chairs protectively, “I would rather be killed on the spot than join your army. You and your country mean nothing to me.” He firmly declared, making sure to hold eye contact completely with Joshua as he spoke. I could see his legs trembling, but his upper half was solid as concrete. I made a mental note to praise him later for it.
Joshua hissed at the comment, “I can arrange that.”
“I dare you to try.” I growled back.
He gripped the edge of the table vigorously to try and control himself, “Surely we could use a good Cavalry such as yourself, little outcast?” He snickered to me, looking me up and down carefully, “I’ve heard all about you, the pick from The East Cavalry Academy. Alexander, was it? Did you dye your hair? It sure looks different…?”
Terror rocked through my core at his words, but before I had a chance to react, Alexei lifted his head. “Hold your tongue, Joshua,” he barked powerfully with a wicked glare. To everyone’s surprise, Joshua did fall back into place hesitantly.
“Before I cut it off,” Gwen added.
Joshua glared, and she glared back a thousand times harder, which made him scoff and turn away casually, “Trying to protect one another; how cute.”
Alexei rolled his eyes and flicked a crumpled piece of paper between two pens, “As one does when you hire a couple of worthless teenagers. My commander has spoken, and you imbeciles are in no shape to deny that a compromise is not in your favor…?”
“Shut your God damn mouth, you disobedient, spoiled, man-child!” Serena sharply shot.
“Big words coming from such a little girl,” Joshua laughed back in a puff of surprise.
Serena gripped the edge of the table, her pale blue eyes like as sharp as knives, “A little girl who sent your pathetic excuse for soldiers home with tails between their legs. Think about that the next time you step foot in my country, bastard.”
“Oh I promise, dear princess, that they were properly neutered shortly after their return,” Joshua hissed, which made the room shiver in unison.
“Anyway,” Cerelia redirected, eyeing Joshua, who began breathing something to Alexei and his Cavalry, “We are not negotiating anyone taking each other’s kingdom; if anything, we are discussing your immature behaviors, Alexei.”
“I'm not being immature, Cerelia, I am trying to be reasonable.” He replied in a, ‘we’ve done this before’ kind of tone, as if she were being the ridiculous one.
“Reasonable?” Ethan scoffed, “You’ve killed thousands of our soldiers?”
“Well, if only you all were a little more…” Joshua tried, beckoning his hands as he searched for the right word.
“Obedient to your delusions? Over our dead bodies.”
The two exchanged heavy glares as a chair squealed; Jeremiah was the one to stand. “I think it’s time we discuss a new change.”
“Which would be?” Julia sniffed.
“Revoking Alexei’s right to be king, for what he has done to this country.” The room fell so quiet that the only sound was Alexei’s angered breaths, though he did not dare speak against Jeremiah. Joshua looked unfazed but was secretly tapping his fingers worriedly underneath the table. “I think it’s time the childish banter amongst my children, and now grandchildren, was silenced. We have plenty of eligible young men and women before us who can take his place, don’t you agree?”
“And how would we choose?” Julia asked.
“We vote; the highest voted grandchild shall become ruler. Alexei continues to disrespect The God Sent Rights with every step he makes in this war, and it has gone on long enough.”
Alexei slammed his fist on the table, “I have done everything by the book you son of a bitch, a book you and your ancestors have drilled into us from day one. You cannot use it as a weapon because I declared war. This is ridiculous, and exactly why we are at war!? You all are backstabbing, conniving fuckers who only use that book when it benefits you!?”
“Pot calling the kettle black over there,” Adelaide snorted to steam him up.
“What qualifications are we looking for?” Gerard continued to propel the conversation.
“Everything opposite Alexei,” Alan scoffed.
“Hold on one minute, when did we all agree to this?!” Alexei bawled.
A smooth, wicked smile stretched across Joshua’s lips, and he turned to me slightly. “What a pity we have so many kids,” he slithered.
Ethan reached over and grabbed his arm, his eyes full of death, “Watch yourself, Joshua.”
“Likewise,” he breathed, snapping his arm fluidly so Ethan would let go. Nothing in my life scared me more than that smile. No one had ever intimidated me or made my bones shiver the way this man did. I knew damn well that he knew who I was, and he was waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The other nineteen Cavalries in the room could feel his energy, too, and were just as on guard. “But,” he paused, flashing Andrew a wicked smile, “Who am I to say anything, as I’m not the king? Surely Alexei would love a little competition, wouldn’t you, sire?”
“We came to talk, not to kill each other!” Gerard shot back.
“It is obvious Alexei has disgraced this family name enough, making he and Riley no longer eligible,” Morgan began abruptly, and that made Alexei hiss at her disobedience, “and the only one capable is probably dead…” she added morosely.
“Here’s hoping,” Alexei scoffed. Morgan turned to give him the heaviest glare a human could give another, which made Alexei cringe slightly.
“He was your brother, Alexei. How soulless can you be?” Adelaide said unsurely, trying to avert her eyes from me with all of her might.
“Keep your panties on, sweetheart. The bastard child is no threat to us,” Joshua scoffed.
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Julia breathed.
“Oh, I’m sure,” he began to laugh before slowly tilting his head at me, peering at my face from under my hair. I was in the middle of fidgeting with my suit sleeve, thinking I had the chance to, just enough where he and Alexei accidentally caught a glance at my forearm.
Slowly, a gasp erupted from their lips as Jeremiah snapped something over the stiff air. “Alexei? Alexei, we are talking to you!” Joshua looked up into my eyes; Gwen turned to me in pure horror as I froze like a deer in headlights.
“I knew it,” Joshua whispered as he turned three shades of purple. Alexei stared at me emptily, then slowly, lowered his head and took hold of the table edge. He lifted his last finger and tapped it twice, a signal to tell Joshua to dispose of me immediately.
“Fuck…” I breathed, which made the North Cavalries and two rulers peek up at me. “When I give the signal…” I murmured through my teeth as Alexei began to visibly shake, and Joshua’s eyes narrowed as he looked for a way to attack, “Gwen and Stefan, grab the king and queen and get them away from the table. Michael, you and Martha hold off his Cavalries.”
“What do you mean? What’s wrong?” Stefan whispered.
“Joshua is going to try and kill me,” I growled, which made the four swallow in terror.
“Ignoring the moron…” Adelaide tried, “I agree it is high time we end this…?!”
In the next second, Joshua darted from his seat. “NOW!” I screamed, throwing myself between the royal couple and the table. Stefan and Gwen ripped them backward as Joshua went to stab me in the throat. He was met with my hand, which grabbed his wrist and flipped him onto the table. He crashed down wildly, sending his papers flying all over the room. As expected, his Cavalries darted to protect their commander while Joshua took care of business, but was met by Martha and Michael, who skillfully pushed them back.
Riley automatically snatched my mother and pushed her away, running to Zachary, where the two exchanged two objects frantically. Alexei simply backed away to watch the altercation, his eyes illuminated with anger incomprehensible. Gerard and Adelaide ordered their Cavalries to help Michael and Martha, who rushed to the rescue. Meanwhile, Joshua had spun and kicked off the table, fuming to high heaven. He flicked his knife out and darted at me full force, which made me smile demonically.
Fucking fool, what was the first thing you taught me? Never be the first to attack, because your enemy will see your weak spots. Impulse moves from an immature child.
He tried to fake me out, but when he went left I went right so I could grab his shoulder and spin him around fast. I went to punch him, but he grabbed my hair and slammed my face into the table, turning me onto my back to get a better look at my face. The sound of my nose breaking on the wood made everyone shiver, but I barely noticed due to adrenaline. “It is you!” He bellowed, his eyes crazy, “You little bastard!”
“Long time no see!” I snapped as I slammed my knee into his gut, sending him back enough for me to slide out from under the table.
“You little fuck! How did you get here? How!?” He screamed, lurching to grab my neck and slam the knife into my arm. I in turn grabbed his collar and whipped him fast, kicking his legs out from underneath him. Once he was on his knees, I really let him have it.
I began repeatedly punching him as hard as I could in the face, over and over again. I broke something in the process, and the more I hit him, the weaker his defense against me became. The rulers of all four kingdoms, Committee, and Cavalries did nothing but watch. They knew damn well not to get involved and just had to hope for the best outcome. When Joshua was loosened up a bit I threw him back on the table, my veins filling with unadulterated rage. He dragged himself upright sorely as I rounded the table to go after him. “All this time, you were hiding in the army… What a hypocrite… You became something you were determined to never be…” he weakly coughed past blood pooling in his mouth.
“I was determined to never be in your army,” I hissed demonically.
His eyes slowly filled with grief, and the last bit of soul he had left was sucked from his being, “You sneaky little shit, I knew you would be a problem from the moment you disappeared! Is there no leash tight enough to control you?!”
“I'm only a problem because I am not afraid of you,” I declared falsely.
He snorted once and used the last bit of his energy to lurch forward and rip me onto the table with him. He tried to go for his knife again, but I grabbed it instead and slammed him onto his back. He desperately held my arm back as I positioned it over his heart, my vision clouding due to the anger my body was boiling in. “Dmitri, please!” Martha whimpered, which made time stand still around me.
The ten seconds it took for me to make my decision felt like ten years. It started with Martha’s plead; her voice brought clarity to my thoughts momentarily. If I killed him now, I surely would end up dead as well, as Andrew promised, if he was Alexei’s Prime Minister. Then again, I’d never feared death, so what would be the big deal if I died now? This world would be free of both Joshua and me, a fate not as unbecoming as I, at least, could imagine.
Unfortunately, though, Alexei and his army would retaliate, and bring the war to this country solely, stopping at nothing until the castle itself was a pile of dust. Without me here, I couldn’t teach Andrew’s army how to defend against The West’s tactical advances, the same that had been killing them for the past ten years, and they may perish because of it. Yes, Joshua and I would die, but so would Andrew and Cerelia, and most importantly… The Cavalries.
Joshua scoffed once, his eyes bright with victory. “Go ahead, Dmitri, do it… kill me. See how far it gets you…” he maniacally taunted. His words were enough to make me realize what needed to be done, as I realized we had been right; he absolutely was Alexei’s prime minister.
I closed my eyes and slowly loosened my grip, letting the knife drop to the floor. The Cavalries sighed in relief, as did Joshua, but I wasn’t finished with him yet. I opened my eyes once more, and in the reflection of his, I could see the murderous intent on my face. He did, too, and actually shivered as I spoke, “As much as I would love to kill you, your time will come soon enough. I’d rather face you on the battlefield when I cut your miserable head off…” I snarled.
He chuckled once, “You’re adorable when you’re angry, little man.”
“Oh, I’ve upgraded from child to man? How endearing,” I taunted to make him fume. Before I let him go, I put all of my remaining strength into one final punch, which knocked him clean unconscious the moment it hit him. His eyes rolled back, and his head smacked into the table with a deafening thud, which was music to my ears. I slowly slid off the table and took a split second to compose myself before I grabbed his shirt and dragged him off. Martha and Michael backed away as I threw Joshua to his Cavalries’ feet, making them shudder. “Get him out of this castle,” I hissed to Alexei, who had sidestepped in disappointment at the sight of his fearless puppy dog on the ground.
“You’ll pay for touching him, you…?” One of the cavalries tried to whimper.
“Get out of my face before I touch you much worse than I did him!” I yelled violently, which made her jump before the five collected him. One stepped aside to lead Alexei outside, who did not utter a single word as he allowed them to escort him away. I had been so caught up in the fight that I forgot everyone else in the room. I turned slightly to them, blood pouring like a waterfall down my face, before I addressed Riley of all people. “Keep that mongrel on a leash, if Alexei is incapable of doing so.”
“I apologize for Joshua’s behavior today, as that is no way to act during a royal meeting.” He took my mother’s arm, flashing me tear-ridden eyes as he lead her across the room.
I nodded slightly to him, then stiffly moved to Andrew’s side. He sighed in relief and hugged me tightly, forcing back his tears as he did. “Thank you, for listening to me…”
“You’re getting blood on your suit.” I numbly replied. He sputtered for a moment at my comment, but I continued emotionlessly. “Are you all right?” I asked, standing back to survey him. I did sway a little from how hard Joshua hit me, combined with the blood flowing from my face, and that concerned The Cavalry immensely.
He blinked in shock at me, but when he realized I wasn’t in the mood for games, he slowly nodded, “Yes, we’re fine,” he assured me to somewhat calm my rattled nerves.
In the doorway I saw my mother pause, and look outside to see what her kingdom representatives were doing. She thought the coast was clear, so she whipped around fast, “Mon chérie?” she whimpered to me. I turned to Jeremiah, asking for permission to engage with her through my eyes, which he granted with a nod. “Je n'ai que quelques secondes; Riley a donné à Zachary tout ce dont vous avez besoin. S'il vous plaît, s'il vous plaît, faites ce que vous pouvez?” (I have only a few seconds; Riley gave Zachary everything you need. Please, please, do whatever you can?)
I clenched my teeth and nodded rigidly for her, “Je promets, je vais mettre fin à cela, mère.” (I promise, I will end this, Mom).
“Je t'aime, mon ange…” she sniffled.
“Je t'aime aussi...” I hiccupped back. She kissed her hands and blew the gesture to me before sneaking into the car, which was just preparing to leave. I prayed no one noticed her absence as they pulled away, ending the unforgettable meeting.
Gerard sighed miserably, breaking the tension in the room, as Ramah returned with Slane. She touched my arm, which made me jump a little before she lead me to the table to do a glance over of my injuries. As she tried to stop the bleeding momentarily The North Cavalries ghosted over, their heads hung low. Michael laid a hand on my back and patted it twice as if to warn me of what was coming next. “What was he looking at on your arm, Dmitri?” Gwen whispered finally, the only sound in the entire room.
“I’d like to know as well…” Andrew breathed.
I said nothing, so Gwen took it upon herself to slowly rolled my sleeve up. She, and everyone else in the room, croaked in horror as she revealed the words, North War, which Joshua had branded into my forearm six years ago. “Now you see why I don’t wear short sleeves,” I whispered painfully.