The Dream Life

Chapter 9

Aries was sitting on the couch of his father's study. Before arriving home, Gemini had given him a vial necklace. Inside the vial was lavender, and it was the one thing that always helped Aries calm down. It was why he loved the colour purple. It was the reason why Gemini always wore a purple shirt or cardigan. Aries felt his stomach knot. Gemini had always been so thoughtful, but he was too blind to see it.

Aries looked down at the necklace in his hand. He let out a heavy sigh. He knew why his father wanted him to marry Gemini. Gemini was Aries's opposite, and he would be able to control Aries's emotions without facing any repercussions. Aries bit the bottom of his lip. He straightened up when the door slammed open. It made a loud thumping sound; a sound he was all too familiar with.

He couldn't bear to turn around to greet his father. He was scared. His body froze. "Well, are you not going to greet your mother and I?" A deep, stern voice asked. Aries slowly stood up and turned around. He bowed to his parents. Monoceros covered his mouth. He lowered his brow with concern. He looked at Phoenix, who was angered by Aries's lack of manners. Monoceros grasped his husband's elbow tightly.

"My love, could you please be more kind around our oldest?" He asked. Phoenix treated Aries differently from Circinus and Musca. He knew that Aries was the rightful heir to the duchy the moment he was born, and he was set on that belief. He raised Aries strictly while his two youngest were raised with more love and tenderness. Circinus and Musca didn't understand why Aries loathed them, but they saw the strained relationship between their older brother and their father.

Phoenix looked down at Monoceros. "No," he answered. "He will be the duke when I die, and I expect him to be like me. He must be prepared for any trouble that comes to him. Ari-"

"And your preparations have left me a broken man and son," Aries interrupted. He looked down at his calloused hands. Phoenix and Monoceros looked at their son. Phoenix was enraged, but he had no emotion on his face. A faint smile appeared on Monoceros's face, but that smile quickly dropped. He was responsible for the man Aries grew into. He was negligent of his eldest's needs. He was busy taking care of Circinus and Musca, and he wasn't able to nurture Aries the same way. Phoenix forbade him to.

"What did you say?" Phoenix asked. His voice was deep and quiet. He let go of Monoceros and walked towards Aries.

"You, Mother, and Mister Strauss have caused me immense pain!" Aries exclaimed, holding his hands up. There were the healed cuts from the punishments he was forced to go through. They came from ruler slapping or whips. Aries inched closer to his father. "These came from the cruel punishment you and Mister Strauss have done on me. I was never allowed to express any feelings or I would have been beaten for it! My anger had been suppressed because I was never allowed to express my frustrations about you and Mister Strauss. I never had a mother because I was separated from him. The person who gave birth to me was never allowed to be a proper mother to me!"

Aries sniffled and showed the amethyst necklace to Phoenix. Phoenix raised an eyebrow. A painful smile appeared on Aries's face. "I have harmed the only person who has shown me compassion… the only person who let me be angry. Because of my cruel uprising, I have harmed my fiancé… and he has broken our engagement. The school I go to has turned into my own personal playground when I've harmed so many of my peers and friends… you are raising me to be like you. You are raising me to be a cruel father and husband."

"I am no cruel father and husband! I love your mother with all my heart, and I have been working myself sick to make sure you and your siblings are strong individuals!" Phoenix screamed. Aries's eyes were wide with anger. He was dumbfounded and speechless. His father was too blind to realise his own wrong. Phoenix's nose was scrunched with anger, and his left eye was twitching. "I have made sure to condition you into a strong leader. I don't want you to be ruining this family's legacy because I raised you to be a coward and weak. You need to be strong for the cruelty that comes from the responsibilities of being the duke!"