White Fire

Chapter Forty One: Intruder

Prince Sebastian

I stood in my father's private study, watching him talk quietly amongst two of his royal advisors. They seemed to be in a heated debate, and I knew I'd entered at the wrong time.

I patiently stood against his wall, thinking about Anya, which happened to be my most dominate thought as of late, and yet she constantly pushed me away. Did she really not like me? Even after both instances where we'd kissed? She'd wanted it. I'd read her body language and knew how easily her body would sync with mine when we were close enough. It only took a second, but her rage for me always turned into a fit of passion.

That's it, I thought. All I needed to do was make her angry.

She wanted me when I ticked her off. And as my father sat there discussing matters with his men, I thought of all the ways to get her riled up.

Shortly after, the two men rose from there seats and silently excused themselves. I looked at my father, who seemed more interested in staring at his polished brass cup of wine than looking at me. Whatever discussion he'd had with those men had him tense with worry. He spoke before I could.

"We're in trouble," was all that he said, and his deep voice wavered, showing signs of weakness. When I took a closer look at my father, I saw the worry lines etched across his forehead, and for the first time, there was no pride in his eyes.

I walked further into the room and sank into a seat. The weight of his words and the defeat on his face had hit me like a blast of deadly fire. My father had never uttered such defeating words, meaning we were definitely in trouble.

"Why?" I asked him, hearing my own voice crack.

"Guards discovered a group of Firelanders not too far from the castle. It means they are here and prepared to attack." My father put his head in his hands. "What have I done?"

I could've answered that question in so many ways, and as I sat there, I ran each idea through my head.

Well father, I began. You threatened to take reign over the Fire Clan because their ruler was just a boy. To prove your superiority, you snuck hundreds of soldiers over the boarder to invade their villages. In the process, many of their men, women, and children died.

You tried to expand our territory by freezing parts of their land, although that hadn't worked well. Even then, it had done damage to their land - land we did not own.

Let's not forget the countless of lives lost in your own country because of your wickedness. The royals who suffered the loss of their fathers and grandfathers because they spoke against your doings! Hundreds dead, because you couldn't admit that you were the one who was in the wrong. And what about me, father? Your son? The man who you raised to become heartless. Did I ever have a say in the amount of blood spilled on my hands? You ruined me. You ruined us all.