Spindle Wood (COMPLETED)

Chapter 63

"You are such an idiot!" Oscar snapped. "Do you realise how reckless you were being?"

"He's hardly a threat." Logan scoffed. "You don't even know him-"

"What and you do?" Oscar rolled his eyes. "You don't realise how incredibly foolish you were being, do you?"

"Oh, no, I realise." Logan muttered. He urged Sampson forwards, away from his brother. "I realise how foolish it was to let you catch me."

"Logan, don't ride away from me, this is serious!" Logan ignored him and pulled Sampson to a stop. He jumped off and led him towards the stables.

"Logan!"

Logan heard Oscar's boots collide with the cobbled ground and his heavy breath as he tried to catch up. "Logan, listen to me-"

"No, you listen to me!" Logan shut the door to the stables sharply and whirled around. "I have kept secrets for you, I have lied for you, I have hidden things right down at the bottom of my psyche for you! I have kept what you and Ax do behind closed doors a secret because it is my duty as a brother to protect you. Not only is it my duty but it is also my choice! I have hidden you away from would-be brides at parties and from father's prodding questions about the government and how you spend your time. I have stolen things and given things back for you. I have done everything for you! So don't you go on about me about how I am foolish and about how I am making a mistake and how you have no choice but to report it!" Logan drew himself up taller and lifted his chin.

"I love Pat in ways you cannot even begin to imagine." He spat. "So don't talk to me about being foolish."

Oscar pushed his glasses up his nose and looked around, sighing. "But a commoner, Logan. A peasant-"

"Pat is as smart as any prince."

"That is not what I am talking about." Logan knew it too. "How would you support yourself, you and him? You think the government would accept a nobody as a new ruling prince? You think father would accept him as a son-in-law?" He shook his head. "That's not even including your betrothed..."

"I should hope," Logan said, making his tone deliberate and even, "that my betrothed - if they are real - would have happiness for me because-" Oscar scoffed over the top of his words, "because I have found something so precious and so rare that most people don't even find it in a lifetime."

Oscar stared at him, his mouth falling open slightly. "Logan, this is not true love."

"You don't know that." Logan made to march past Oscar but his brother grabbed his arm.

"Logan, he is a commoner! He lives in the woods, he serves no king-"

"It is true love, Oscar!" Logan yelled. He ripped his arm out of Oscar's grip. "And I intend to cherish it."

"You don't know what love is, you're merely a child-"

"I'm nearly 16." Logan interrupted. "One year and I'll be of age-"

"But until then you are still my younger brother and father's young son." Oscar snapped. He shook his head and turned away a little. "You need to cut ties with him."

"Never." Logan hissed savagely. Oscar walked away without a word. Logan strode after him.

"Oscar! Make no mistake, I will not leave him." Logan insisted from slightly behind his brother. "Tell father or don't, lock me in the tallest tower of the furthest castle if you have to, I will see him again." Oscar paid him no heed. "You cannot lock love behind four walls!"

"You have never felt love!" Oscar yelled, whipping around to glare at Logan. "You are a child - an ignorant child - you don't know what love is!"

"I'm learning!" Logan shouted back. "Slowly but surely, I am learning. And Pat is teaching me." The anger in his face cracked and let through desperation. "He is good. Oscar, if you knew him, you would know- He is kind and smart and wonderful and clever and one of the purest, most reasonable people on this miserable planet. If he is a mistake, he is a mistake I don't regret making." Logan shook his head helplessly. "I cannot stop seeing him, no matter what. Betrothed be damned, father be damned, what you say be damned, I cannot stop seeing him. Try and tear me away, I will find a way back to him."

Oscar stared at him for a few seconds. He heaved a sigh and shook his head. "You're a fool, Logan." He said simply. "A stupid fool." He heaved another sigh, one of almost annoyance. "And there is no point arguing with a stupid fool. I won't tell father." Logan's face cracked into a smile of disbelief. "But you make one wrong move and someone else finds out, I will have no choice. Understand?"

WHO CAN TELL THAT I'VE BEEN READING TOO MUCH MONTE CRISTO?!
Bye,
Blaize