Eyes, Blood, Hell - FINISHED

Chap. 37

Now told in Dan's perspective, in third-person...

Dan took the fastest way back to the palace: calling a hover-taxi from his ePhone. He hailed one and then asked the driver to hurry to the palace. The driver, noting that he was a prince, hurried as requested.

Upon arriving, Dan rushed into the palace. The guards glanced at him as he darted past them, confused expressions on their faces.

Dan found Arther in the hall.

"Oh, Aedan! You're back!" Arther greeted him cheerfully.

Dan ignored him.

"How could you?" Dan seethed.

"How could I, what?" Arther asked.

"Don't act innocent! You killed our parents!" Dan yelled.

Arther froze. Then he sighed heavily.

"Look, I hated father and his ways of ruling. He was so stupid. So I killed him, there? Are you satisfied?" Arther asked.

"What about mom?"

Arther rolled his eyes. "She was a witness who saw me kill father. I couldn't let her live."

Dan trembled with anger. "Then what about me? Why didn't you kill me?!"

Arther paused. His eyes softened. "....Mom and dad were horrible. But you weren't. And you were my baby brother. I genuinely love you."

Tears rolled down Dan's cheeks.

"Why? Why did you kill them? Why? Just, why?" He sobbed.

Arther rubbed his temples. "Fine. Want me to tell you? You won't like it though...."

Dan clenched his hands into tight fists.

"Tell me."

Arther exhaled. "I found out our parents were horribly people."

As Dan tried to protest, he held up a finger.

"No, let me finish."

Dan snapped his mouth shut with a scowl.

Arther spoke softly. "Dad was taking the poorer people in our kingdom and shipping them to the other continents as slaves. He was trafficking the poor people and forcing them into labor secretly."

Dan gasped. Then his eyes sharped. "Lies." He snarled.

"I have proof," Arther said. "I found the documents in father's office one day, when I had gone to ask father to order a new tablet for me. I still have them with me, and I'd be glad to show you."

"S—Show me." Dan's voice trembled.

Arther hesitated, before nodding. He gestured for his brother to follow. Arther led Dan into the king's personal office. Arther shuffled through the drawers and then pulled out a sheet of paper.

"Here," He handed it to Dan.

Dan grabbed it and his eyes darted over the words. And reality hit him. The truth. Arther had been telling the truth.

Dan trembled. He shook violently as he stood there, his eyes locked with Arther's own sad eyes. Tears fell from Dan's eyes, devastated cries escaping him.

"N—No, this— this—" He hiccuped.

"I'm so sorry," Arther whispered. "I didn't want you to find out. Perhaps.... It would have been better if I hadn't revealed this to you. Then maybe you would have just killed me and all would be ended."

"Who said anything about killing you?!" Dan demanded, angrily but also shocked.

"....I killed mom and dad. I.... I was a murderer." Arther said, looking puzzled.

"I wouldn't kill you! Even if you murdered our parents, that doesn't mean you have to die too! I— I was just gonna put you in the dungeon!" Dan said.

"Aedan.... You have to be harsher than that..." Arther sighed.

Dan's hands trembled. "Mom and dad really were horrible people." He said softly.

"Father.... He.... This contract.... It means he willingly agreed to take people from his kingdom and ship them into other grounds to force them into labor.... Why... WHY?!"

Dan collapsed to the ground, shaking and crying.

Arther kneeled beside him and rubbed his back. "Stop crying, idiot." He said with a sad smile.

Dan hugged Arther tightly, unable to speak or stop his tears. Arther hugged back, small diamonds sliding down his own cheeks.

The two brother cried together on the floor of the office room. 

A/N: so.... Arther is a morally grey character... he's the villain but also a hero?!! anyway, this story is nearing the end :'(