I am your king.

Chapter III | Part II

Rumor of the ceremony spread around the castle. Vincent went from being a lowly Phantom soon to be royal guard, to a rabid dog only tameable by the prince, soon to be king. People trusted him even less than before due to his 'violent display of emotion.' 

"What is the prince going to do with Sebastian?" Grell hurried over to Vincent and sat down next to him. The two stared out at the fountain in the center of the royal garden. Rachel and Adrian walking arm in arm, smiling and laughing, talking about trivial things. 

"I don't know. He hasn't mentioned anything to me. I imagine he will stay in the dungeon for quite some time."

"Will he be tortured?"

"No, of course not, the Queen couldn't care less about an assassination attempt on my life. His cell might as well be a room at an inn." 

"That's good, I suppose, but how are you taking the whole thing, Vincent?" Grell placed his hand on Vincent's arm, struggling to find the words to offer complete comfort. He was pleased that Sebastian was going to okay but he was also conflicted about where his concerns should lie. 

"I'm fine." 

"You can keep telling yourself that but I know it's not true," Grell shook his head. "You've had the same lost expression on your face for the past few days. You have to talk about this stuff properly, you know? Mourn and all of that." 

"I'm fine," he repeated. 

"Vincent," Grell paused for a long sigh. "In the short time that I've known you, you had relations with the prince, saved the Queen's life about three times, watched the prince you're attached to marry a woman, and saw the death of a boy you cared for like a son die in your arms. You've been through quite a deal and haven't reacted properly to any of it. It's one thing if you're Mr. William T. Spears who has been totally mute to emotions from the day of his birth but you aren't the General. You're a man that was, from what I can tell, heavily regarded as a machine in the Phantom life and rather than stay there, you ran away. So, Mr. Phantomhive, stop saying you're fine." 

"I'm officially the royal guard, Grell. I have to stay focused on my job." 

"If you won't talk to me, you have to talk to someone," Grell frowned. 

"Grell, I'm going to die. It's only a matter of time." Vincent folded his hands and stared at them. 

"W-what?!" 

"Don't raise your voice. The prince will notice. It's true, I'm going to die. If not from within the castle then from outside. I'm going to be killed. Phantoms or royals. It doesn't matter where I go, I'll die. My mother is facing a threat she can't control and is going to come here to get me. Once I've done what she asks, she will kill me. If I refuse, she will kill me. Do you see this impossible situation?" 

"What are you going to do about it?" 

"I'm going to die." 

"You can't die!" 

"Quiet," Vincent hushed. "You can't change the inevitable. People are born and people die. I'll just die a bit younger than everyone else, that's all." 

"Why are you telling me this? I'll just tell the prince."

"You can't tell the prince," Vincent shook his head. "If you do, tell him after the coronation. He has enough to worry about and he can't push it back any further. He is still hoping his brother will come home to save him from his own impossible situation." 

"You talk as if he died, but that has never been confirmed." 

"He is dead." 

"You can't possibly know that, Vincent. You've never even seen the guy!"

"He is dead, Grell. I killed him." 

"Why would you even utter such a thing! That can't be true!" 

"I shot the arrow that burned the ship and sent him out to sea. I may not have seen him die with my own two eyes but I orchestrated the whole situation. He couldn't have survived such cold waters. He is dead, Grell." 

"Why?" Grell refused to believe it. "Even if this was true. You should've taken it to the grave. Why tell me? This information makes you a true traitor to the crown."

"Someone has to know," Vincent sighed. "And you will know the best possible time to tell the prince." 

"You're placing an awful lot of trust in me, Vincent." 

"No. I am just trusting in your kind heart and long-lasting relationship to the prince." 

"What are you two talking about?" Adrian asked. His leisurely display of 'affection' with his wife was over. 

"Events of the future and of the past," Vincent replied. 

"That's quite a coded answer for someone that is supposed to tell the complete truth." 

"In time, you'll understand." 

"I'd like to understand now, thank you very much. You haven't said a word about anything since the ceremony and now you're talking to Grell?"

"Are you jealous of your most loyal servant?" Grell gasped. "You must know that I would never dream of seducing your royal guard! Although, now that I think about it," Grell pondered for a moment. "A scandalous affair with the royal guard does sound intriguing. Two servants never meant to be, one a former assassin and the other a loyal member to the royal house. How will this romance succeed?" 

"It won't. The prince, aka me," Adrian placed his hand on his chest, "will put an end to it right now." He grabbed Vincent's arm and dragged him away. Such a comical sight that Grell nearly forgot the gravity of the conversation he'd just taken part in.

"I do wish these days will last a bit longer...I don't want anything to happen to either of those two."