Chapter Twenty-Seven:

I'm Only Human

Dmitri

Eight-fifty-seven.

I clipped my scabbard to the belt of the prince’s suit I wore, then slid the beautiful blade Gerard had given me into its holder. I delicately placed one last piece of hair in place, then opened my bedroom door and descended the steps of The North Castle. The staff that were sticking around for the holidays were chatting lightly amongst the foyer, and when they heard me close the door behind my back, all turned to stare in awe at the suit I adorned. I smiled warmly to the group, and gave them a slight nod as I passed on my way to the dining room. It was the first time that the staff had seen me as Prince Dmitri, not Cavalry Number Four. It was also the first time in five years that I had worn royal attire, and the clothing felt extremely foreign against my skin. They shared a few whispers, some excited and some stand-offish, but I didn’t blame them for that.

When I entered the dining hall, Cerelia and Andrew looked up from their plates and beamed lovingly at me. “Don’t you look dashing!” Cerelia chimed as I sat down politely.

“Thank you; it’s been quite a while since I dressed up like this,” I joked, ruffling Ramah’s fur, who had come to sit in the chair beside me with a happy flick of his tail.

“Do you like the colors? We chose black and gold so it would match your sword.”

“It’s wonderful, really. More than I could ever ask for.”

“Well, you still are a prince, so you should have at least one formal suit,” Andrew joked, but his eyes fell slightly as he looked me over, “You look exhausted; is everything alright?”

“More or less.” I whispered into the brim of my coffee cup.

He went to push further but Riley entered the room, wearing a suit similar to mine and a happy smile. “Good morning everyone; sleep well?” He chimed as he sat down across from me.

“Oh, um, yes, we did. You’re quite chipper?” Andrew prompted.

“Well, not a whole lot to be displeased with at the moment. I’d like to be in a somewhat decent mood before The Committee comes to shit on our day.” Riley and Cerelia shared a soft laugh, but Andrew and I stayed silent as Ramah nuzzled my hand, his eyes full of sadness.

A moment later, the sound of carriages pulling up to the main gates echoed, and made everyone sigh uncomfortably. “Looks like everyone is here.” I whispered stiffly.

“I suppose so. I’ll go greet them; why don’t you all finish up and meet us upstairs?” Andrew offered, standing and fixing his crown before ghosting out of the dining room.

Cerelia followed him out, and Riley excused himself politely, leaving the cat and I alone for a moment. “I wish I could be there with you.” Ramah finally whispered.

“Me too,” I admitted, “but alas, I must be a man for once in my life.”

“Do you know what it’s about?” He hesitantly asked.

“I'm sure many things, the most important being whether or not they’re going to ship me back to The West.” I numbly replied.

“Ship you back!?” He snapped in horror, “Joshua would kill you if you went back!?”

My head sunk into my lap, “Yes, he would, but that’s not Jeremiah’s problem. If I'm not doing as they say, then I don’t have immunity.”

“You have done everything and more…?”

“I'm sure they’re going to try and pull the card that the whole kidnapping thing was a set up for me to relay information to Joshua...” my lips trembled as I said this.

“Jeremiah isn’t that cold…?” He tried, but when I turned and gave him a hollow look, he slowly fell quiet. I stood and patted his head twice, then trudged from the dining room.

“Welcome your highness; the meeting is on the second floor, in the conference room.”

“Thank you, dear,” Adelaide said to Atticus before turning to see me heading towards the staircase. “Dmitri, darling!” She called, making me pause.

“Hello…” I cheerfully tried.

“Don’t you look incredibly handsome! Let me get a good look at you…!” She stood me before her, smiling bright, “You look so much healthier!”

“I feel it,” I said, smirking. “Where are Serena and Alan?”

“They’re on their way in; I saw Serena and Ethan talking to your brother, and Alan is catching up with Slane.”

“Ah, I see; Gerard and Andrew are in the room already with Cerelia and Julia, if you’d like me to escort you?”

“That would be lovely…” She sighed deeply before taking the arm I bent for her.

We walked the steps and crossed the second floor, where I opened the door to the conference room and lead Adelaide to her seat. She touched my cheek once endearingly before I sat beside Cerelia, who was staring at the table as if in a trance. Ethan arrived with his children, and sat down to light a cigarette. Andrew pulled one loose himself, then tossed the pack on the table for whoever wanted one. I slid it over and procured my own, making Cerelia raise an eyebrow to me. “Don’t ever tell Michael.” I murmured as I pressed it to my lips.

“When did you start smoking?” Serena asked angrily.

“When Joshua beat my ass.” I mumbled back, which made her cast her eyes away in shame. Smoke filled the foyer, but the smell bothered no one since most had been smoking cigars their entire lives.

After everyone had taken their seats, the doors closed, and an eerie silence filled the air for a few moments. “Good morning, everyone,” Andrew started, taking his seat at the head of the table, “Let us begin, before The Committee shows up. I’d rather have this discussion without Jeremiah’s opinions getting in the way.” He closed his book, lighting another cigarette and kicking his legs up on the table.

“It has become quite apparent that Joshua has gotten out of control,” Gerard started, his voice dead, “and we are running out of options. His attacks have grown much more aggressive, and we are burning through bodies faster than we can blink.”

“He’s been out of control for a long time, but lines that have been crossed have been obliterated. Alexei has given him full reign to torture everyone and anyone in their path while he hides in his castle like a little bitch.” Adelaide added.

“We need to lay down ideas, and come up with a plan to finally end this.”

“It’s obvious, is it not? We bring the war to him.” Alan said.

“Yes, well, that was apparent, but how we do it is just as important.”

“Personally, we’ve lost five head of command in little over a year. Zachary is barely holding the fort, and if we lose him as well, we are shit out of luck. The battle that took place in July was a huge test for Joshua to see our weak points, and he definitely sniffed them out. The targets on not only Zachary’s head, but my Cavalry, are huge, and it’s going to cause big problems very soon.” Andrew stiffly said.

“The South is getting raped, plain and simple,” Ethan barked, “Every time we turn around there’s an explosion, fire, or fight. He is trying desperately to get rid of us, and at this rate, he’s going to win. Our Cavalry are barely holding it together, and they haven’t even been initiated yet. Serena hasn’t been off the field in a year, and it’s driving us as well as her insane.”

“I can only do so much…” Serena whispered seriously, “but I need more help. The problem is, if I take soldiers from any of your kingdoms, then you’re left with openings that Joshua is looking for. We can’t risk that kind of insolence.”

“At the same time, if we don’t help, The South will perish,” Julia added.

“So, what do we do?” Cerelia sighed.

“The answer has been in front of us all along; all three countries will band together, and bring one giant, catastrophic war to The West.” I said, which made everyone turn to me in awe.

“Band together, you say? What makes you think this will work?” Gerard kindly pressed.

“I’ve been sifting through thousands of maps for months, and have thrown a plan together, if you’re willing to listen?” I hesitantly asked.

“Please; we’d love to take any ideas?” Adelaide said gratefully.

I put my cigarette between my lips and procured one of the maps I had been fooling around with, then pointed to The West Castle, “The little bitch and his posse aren’t going to leave the throne room unless something big happens, so our job is to pull them from it. We need to make enough noise to draw Joshua out, and from there, attack at all angles to close him in and leave him defenseless. From there, we dispose of him and his army, and deal with Alexei’s tyranny once and for all. Here is my hypothesis of what each kingdom’s job would be…” I pulled my trusty notebook from under the table, which when opened, revealed hundreds of scribbles and notes I had taken throughout the years, “The South is best known for its stealth tactics. They are quiet and sneaky, which means they can lie in wait until given proper signal to do what they please. The North is going to cause the noise factor. We have big, strong soldiers, who can most definitely hold their own. We will declare war and obliterate as much of their army as possible. While The West army is busy with us, The South will slip in and attack the main castle, clearing out Alexei’s defenses…” Murmurs of agreement echoed around the room.

“What of The East, or civilians? How do you evacuate an entire country?” Cerelia asked.

“More importantly, how do we make sure The West doesn’t try and go after our kingdoms while we’re out on the battlefield?” Adelaide added.

“That’s where The East comes in, for support on the battlefield and protection of the castles and borders. We can work on evacuation procedures once we get everything situated with how we’re going to prepare our attack.”

“How long will this take?” Gerard asked.

“Unfortunately, it will take time to prepare everything. We need to correlate three armies into one, as well as find a proper captain for this massive attack.”

“What happens if a pre-war erupts before then?” Riley pressed.

“More men to take out before the extravaganza.” I simply said.

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“This plan could work…” Ethan breathed.

“It will work; we are strong, and together, even stronger. But we must operate as one from this point on. Yes, our kingdoms are separate, but we need to coordinate each attack we make on The West concisely. You six need to be there for one another, and stay focused. If you can’t keep it together, none of this is going to work. There is no, my army is stronger. It is our army, and we will win the war. If you ever wish to stay separate kingdoms again, you need to be strategic in making sure your allies do not fall while you regain your strength. It is a plan I have been working on for years, and I bet my life will finish this war.” I snapped seriously.

As Adelaide went to speak, the door opened, and Jeremiah, Crispin, and Alden slowly slithered into the room. Jeremiah looked to each face before his eyes fell on the map before me, making him click his tongue in shock. “What are we discussing in here?” He hissed.

I immediately sat down, bowing my head as Gerard cleared his throat, “Dmitri was going over The West infiltration last month, and what went wrong during the attack,” he lied smoothly.

“Infiltration? Is that what we’re calling it? I prefer the term, blatant disobedience for what his king instructed him to do.” Jeremiah barked, glaring heavily at me.

“I think he understands the consequences of his actions, Jeremiah.” Andrew snarled.

“Well, I'm glad you all had time to get the conversation going, because I would now like to add my own input…” we all cringed as he slammed his briefcase down and sat beside Andrew, “We made it very clear that when you became a Cavalry you were to do exactly as Andrew and Cerelia say. You deliberately disobeyed your king, and not only did you act on impulse, but you could also have gotten yourself and your team killed. You are extremely lucky to have escaped with your life, Dmitri, but this event is not going to go unnoticed. I am not Andrew, and I will not coddle you for your mistakes.” Jeremiah scolded.

“I understand…” I breathed.

“Your insolence has caused a much bigger problem than there ever was. Not only did you waste Andrew’s time by being in the ICU for a month, but you caused another battle to occur during your abduction. We wasted men, money, resources…!”

“I hope to God you are joking?” Andrew scoffed, which made Jeremiah pause and turn to him in disgust for his outburst.

“Excuse me?”

“Are you actually trying to blame him for what happened?”

“Who else am I to blame, Andrew? He is the one who went into The West. Alexei, whether we like it or not, is king there, and has free will to do what he pleases with trespassers. Had Dmitri not been an ignorant child, none of this would have happened…!?”

“He was saving Riley’s life!” Adelaide growled, “Would you rather Joshua hung him?!”

“There surely was a much cleaner way to retrieve Riley that didn’t include sacrificing one brother for another.” Alden tried, though his tone was much kinder.

“Of course there was, but what other choice did they have…?”

“Andrew is to blame just as much as Dmitri; had he sent more soldiers out with The Cavalry, none of them would have been injured. What on earth were you thinking, sending teenagers out alone to retrieve a prisoner of war, in an extremely dangerous country nonetheless?!” Jeremiah yelled. Andrew’s jaw hit the floor, and his eyes emptied of all emotion. I stayed completely and utterly silent, and even trembled a little from intimidation as Jeremiah turned back to me. “How did you escape?” He snapped.

“My mother…” I whispered.

“Your mother?” Crispin prompted.

My hands were shaking under the table, “She brought me outside the castle, hitched me a horse, and sent me back to The North. I have no clue where she went, or how she found me, but had she not Joshua surely would have killed me.”

“I have a hard time believing that,” Jeremiah snorted to everyone’s astonishment. I stumbled for a moment, but he didn’t give me a chance to recover. “In all honesty, I think this whole thing was a huge setup. I think you and Alexei planned this from the beginning, and you took a few good hits to make it seem real. For all we know, you relayed every ounce of information you could to your brother, and only escaped because he let you. It was an elaborate plan to get both you and Riley to The North Kingdom, so you could equally spy on us and gain some points with the staff.”

Everyone was dead quiet.

Not a single person spoke, let alone breathed.

I was so hurt, so scared, and so shocked that my mouth refused to form a sentence.

I tried to utter even the slightest sound, but a chair squealed loudly, breaking the silence. Andrew stormed to the television in the corner and ripped a tape from his briefcase before slamming it into the player. “Dmitri, cover your ears.”

“W-What…?” Before I could argue, Cerelia shot up and did it for me, pressing her lips to my hair and turning me away as Andrew fast forwarded to the spot he desired. Once he hit play, the castle erupted in the sound of my blood curtailing screams. Everyone in the room, including the almighty Jeremiah, shuddered in absolute horror as Andrew pointed angrily to the scene.

“DOES THAT LOOK FAKE TO YOU, JEREMIAH?!” He screamed.

The scene that played was Walter violently crushing my arm. Besides the obvious cries of agony, you could hear his insane laughter, along with the excruciating sounds of my bones shattering. Even with Cerelia blocking out the noise I could faintly hear the video, which made my teeth chatter underneath her palms. She kept kissing my hair, murmuring sweet nothings over the sounds. “Enough, Andrew… Please…?” Gerard whispered.

Andrew finally hit stop, but left the television on in case he needed further evidence. Cerelia slowly dropped her hands and moved to sit beside me, smiling a loving yet distorted smile. I nodded back to her to assure I was fine, which made her sigh in relief as her husband came over to clamp a hand on my shoulder. “These boys have lived a long, agonizing, miserable life. Every time they think there is a light at the end of the tunnel, something like this happens, and it sets them back. Enough, is enough. We cannot expect Dmitri to save peoples’ lives if no one will save his own. For you to think, let alone confidently imply, that this entire week of hell was a staged event makes me sick to my stomach.”

“What else do you expect me to believe, Andrew? Just because you trust him doesn’t mean I do. That boy was raised to be a cold-blooded killer, and for all you know, he stands over you with a knife to your throat while you sleep every night.” His words pierced my soul like daggers, but I stayed quiet and still.

“He is your grandson…!” Adelaide snapped in disbelief, “How dare you talk of him in such a way? He has done nothing but be compliant with your demands, and this is how you treat him in return? You are truly despicable!”

“Coming from the woman who told Andrew hiring him would mean the demise of his kingdom,” Jeremiah snorted. Adelaide gasped, shooting me guilty eyes that I refused to look at.

“What is the purpose of this event, Jeremiah? Why hold a meeting and ruin everyone’s holiday? If you’ve come to rile us up, you’ve done a wonderful job.” Andrew said acidly.

“My purpose, was to voice my concerns about your beloved Cavalry. You all are just falling all over him, yet you seem to forget the big picture. We hired him to kill people, nothing more, nothing less. When he is done, he goes back to The West, and we forget he ever existed. Stop with this childish fantasy that you are going to be one big happy family, Andrew. You are projecting your grief of infertility on a child that means nothing to you. If you want a son so badly, go find one roaming the streets. Don’t play house with a weapon of mass destruction, because it will only end with more suffering…”

“Jeremiah…!?” Crispin gasped.

I was positive Andrew’s heart had stopped beating.

He still held onto my shoulders, but he was so still I thought the universe had frozen him so he didn’t have to hear his father’s abhorrent words. Gerard was so disgusted that he went to stand and confront the despicable man before us. Julia tried to make him sit back down, but he shoved her away and stormed towards Jeremiah. Adelaide cried her brother’s name, and Ethan followed to try and convene as well. Riley, Serena, and Alan were shell shocked, and couldn’t process what had been said as Gerard screamed inaudible threats to Jeremiah.

Just as Gerard went to grab his father’s shirt, Andrew tightened his grip on my shoulders, lovingly brushed his thumb along them, and lifted his head, making everyone pause. Not a single tear slid down his cheeks, and he actually smiled a little as he spoke, “It’s pathetic, really, how low you’ll go to try and hold onto power. You seem to forget something, Jeremiah; The North is my kingdom. I was given it by my mother, my beloved mother, and you have no say on what goes on inside its walls. Your words may be harsh, but they hurt no more than a splinter. I have spent thirty six years fighting for your acceptance, but I, truly, am done. I will do what I please, and that is how it goes. Your job is to oversee that we all abide by the Gods Sent, and that is it. Until I break those rules, you cannot punish me for the way I chose to live my life. You are a cruel, heartless son of a bitch, and I refuse to follow in your footsteps.”

“Andrew…?” Cerelia tried to interrupt him, but Riley shook his head.

Andrew’s eyes were void of any emotion as he spoke, his tone so dead even that it was almost creepy, but his words penetrated all who heard them. “You are absolutely right; I live vicariously through him because I cannot have children, but that is nothing new. Throughout his entire life I have wished that he was my son and not Morgan’s. I have never once thought it fair that Morgan had three children and I could have none, when all I had in my heart for them was love. I begged Levi for years to let me take Dmitri and Riley, but he refused, because he thought he could win the war against Alexei. In the end, he failed as a king, and as a father, and his children suffered the consequences.

But I will be damned if I fail these two the same way.

Until I find Morgan, Cerelia and I are all they have in this world, and Cavalry or not, Alexei’s siblings or not, they are good kids. Dmitri has never questioned my authority or given me any reason to be suspicious of him, and Riley has done nothing but try to save his brother and his people. Until the day they put a knife through my heart I will protect them with my life, from everything I possibly can. I cannot shield them from war no matter how much I try, but that does not mean I can’t shield them from their horrible excuse for a family. They may fight long and hard on the battlefield, but they will always come home to ample praise, support, and love.

Nothing you say will ever change that.

My mother raised me to be compassionate and caring, and to spread those qualities to everyone’s path I cross. My citizens are England’s happiest for a reason, and it is because I have ensured their trust in my actions. I married a woman who has identical beliefs, and carries them out every day she graces this world with her presence. I have hired staff who help keep this kingdom running flawlessly, while still sharing smiles with one another as they go about their day; and I have found Cavalry who I believe will win this war. Since the day I hired them, all five have done nothing but fill my life with light and happiness. I, finally, am excited to get up in the morning. I want to hear about their adventures, share the jokes and laughter, and watch them grow and shine as young adults.

These two never had a proper figure in their lives to teach them how to be anything besides cold, and now that they live with me, it is my duty not only as their uncle, but as their king, to instill those beliefs in them. I believe there is hope in every person; some people’s lights shine brighter than others, but there is always a spark. I will equally shape them to be soldiers in my army, as well as incredible young men who can finally have enjoyable, passionate lives.

This is their final chance at redemption, and I fully intend on helping them achieve it to the fullest extent. The day will come when I can reunite them with their mother, and when it does, all of us will rejoice in incredible happiness. But until that time, it is my job to make sure they are taken care of besides the physical necessities. They are helping me win the war with The West, and I am helping them win the war with their past.

Now, if you’d be so kind as to get the ever loving fuck out of my castle, I would highly appreciate it. Until you can prove you are worth my time and energy, I do not want to hear anything from you that isn’t related to my country. And if you ever, ever, try and attack either of these boys again, let alone anyone else who resides in this kingdom, you will surely have quite the problem for yourself. If my decisions bite me in the ass, so be it. I will relish in the small amount of happiness I have while it lasts.” He said before proudly pressing his lips together.

Jeremiah had absolutely nothing to say.

What could he say, after all of that?

He simply closed his folder, nodded to the room, and took his leave. The door slammed shut violently behind him, making all but Andrew and I jump a little. There was a beat of silence before Crispin and Alden stood as well, shifting uncomfortably, “I wish we could be parting on better terms?” Crispin tried.

“It isn’t your fault that he’s so cold; we have no ill will with either of you. Have a Happy Christmas, gentlemen, and safe travels.” Andrew said stiffly.

The two bowed to the royal families before following their brother out of the room. Once the door shut, Gerard, who was still standing where he had planned to murder his father, turned in absolute shock to Andrew. “Where the hell did all that come from?” He breathed in awe.

Andrew finally broke.

His hands, which had been so firm and confident, were now trembling against my back, and he had to tilt his head down to try and not cry. Adelaide placed a hand on her heart and frowned to her brother as he tightened his grip on me to steady himself. Slowly, I lifted my head and titled it back, so that I was staring up at Andrew’s tortured face. I gave him a blank look, which made him clench his teeth together, “Please, don’t look at me like that…” he begged.

“Like what?” I whispered.

“I know you’re going to cry… and if you cry, I absolutely will as well…” he breathed.

Tears slithered down my cheeks a moment later, which made him stutter on a breath as his own began, “It’s amazing, how much you truly do know me…” I hiccuped.

He choked out a hard sob before falling to his knees, where he buried his face into my neck. I pressed mine to his hair and squeezed him back lovingly. He shakily reached back and grabbed Riley’s coat, then pulled him into the embrace. We both cuddled him as close as we could, our gratitude palpable in the air. Cerelia wiggled into the hug as well, and kissed Riley’s hair with a beautiful smile. Everyone in the room frowned, but their eyes were burning with empathy for the four of us. Andrew picked his head up and took hold of my face, turning me to him, “Listen to me; keep doing what you are doing, Dmitri. Keep being the amazing young man I know you can be, and I will tell Jeremiah every day for the rest of his life how wrong he is about you…”

“I promise, I won’t ever fail you…” I stammered before throwing my arms around him. He welcomed my gesture completely, and blessed me with a hug I had waited years to feel. It was so warm, so full of love and pride, that I wanted to die right there in his arms so that I would never have to live another second not feeling it.