Astoria

f i f t y - o n e

Antony stiffened as the words hit him like a slap in the face.

Jonathan?

He wanted to deny it; he tried to. However, a closer look at the prisoner revealed that, even if he looked a bit older and rougher, this man, this murderer and enemy, was his older brother.

"How could you?" he found himself saying, each word short and clipped, anger in his face and in his words. Jonathan laughed sadistically.

"It is amazing," he said. "How easily one can disappear if they have the incentive."

Antony remained where he was, staring down at his brother, still in the exact place where the guards had forced him to his knees before the king.

"Wouldn't you like to know how I did it?" asked Jonathan silkily. "After all, you have your brother back now; what more could you want?"

Antony narrowed his eyes. "I was better off thinking that you were dead. After all, what man rejoices to find that his brother is a villain, a murderer?"

Jonathan smirked. "I've missed you so, Antony. Always so serious about things."

"What would make you do something like this, Jonathan? I looked up to you."

"Did you mourn?"

"Of course I did. You were my brother; I loved you."

"I was your brother?" Jonathan chuckled. "Your use of the past tense amuses me."

"Until a few moments ago, you were dead to me."

"You know," said Jonathan. "There was a part of me that regretted the day that I disappeared. Two ships met in the middle of the ocean and I transferred to the other, leaving my old life behind with the burning of my previous ship. I had been planning this, of course, but actually doing it..." He chuckled. "I was leaving behind the life of luxury I had known. My hate of the empire didn't extend to my own riches and kingship, you know. I always planned on coming back someday." He smirked, a cruel glint entering his eyes.

"Is that what this is? You believe you shall simply reenter the palace and retake the throne?"

"You cannot deny that I was king. I am the older brother, almost eleven years your senior." Jonathan paused, his face twisting in a look of false interest. "Besides, Antony...I seem to recall that you were...reluctant...to take the throne. If any of our discussions turned towards that topic, you gave me the impression that you had no desire to ever do so."

"If you are implying that I might be happy to hand over the throne to a maniac such as yourself, you are gravely mistaken."

"Do you believe that I will leave without a fight? Being on the throne would be highly advantageous for the position of myself and my men."

"I am High King of Astoria now, Jonathan," said Antony, firmly, holding his head high and looking down on his older brother. "You gave up that right the day you chose to give your allegiance to someone other than the people you took an oath to protect. Under that same oath, I cannot stand by and allow you to march into King's Palace and demand the crown."

Jonathan laughed darkly. "You have changed, dear brother," he said, shaking his head as though amused. "The boy I knew would have given me anything I wished."

"The boy you knew looked up to and admired his older brother. I am no longer that boy."

Jonathan stood, the guards immediately going to each take an arm, securing their prisoner. Antony watched as his brother attempted to make a move for the sword of the guard on his right, but the soldiers managed to subdue him.