LUCIUS.
"Remember, the big plan is tomorrow night. No one is messing this up."
"Tomorrow we take the throne."
"Write in your requests; I'll kindly grant them all once I'm King."
"If you're King, he's Prince." Then what are we?"
"We'll definitely make something for the both of you. Trust me, it'll be something nice. So tomorrow night, without failing, the King must meet his maker."
I waited for a while as I heard their retreating steps. I also wondered if they could see each other or if they were individually invisible.
I went back to my room and laid on my bed. It was tomorrow. If I hadn't gone to the forest or killed that rabbit, would my father have gone just like that? Or she would have sent someone else to save him.
Not long after, there was a knock on my door.
I opened it, and my men bowed to me, handing me the ingredients.
"What do I do with it? Tomorrow, we meet and we discuss how you all would make this root work; do not misplace it no matter what, okay?" I said, and they nodded and bowed before leaving.
Since that one was already sorted out, I felt better. I went back to my bed and laid on it. I had until tomorrow night, when I'd be able to tackle those murderers with no fear of whatever they might have in hand.
~
The next morning, I and my men met in the library, and I showed them the book and told them to read.
"It says it might sound easy, but it is not easy. So how are we making this into a potion that fights against invisibility? I need it before nightfall." I said, and they looked at each other, thinking fast of what they could do.
"I know someone." One of them said, and we all gave him attention.
"But he's in the dungeon. You all know him; he's been locked up for years for performing Illegal sorcery." He said, and I gave a sigh and crossed my arms.
Alfonzo, probably one of the greatest sorcerers in the Kingdom, was detained due to illegal sorcery. My man was right. If there was anyone who could make the potion perfectly for us without any problems, it would be him.
This sort of thing was what he'd call as simple as the Alphabet.
"But it might take a little time, as he might not listen to us." Another of my men said, and it was a considerable thought. With his power came pride.
"Don't worry, he'll listen, because I'm going with you." I said.
~
The dungeon was dark and spoke of hopelessness.
The guards there stood to their feet when they saw us.
"Order is not an entry unless authorized by the King." One of them said, and I step into the light. They looked at themselves uncomfortably.
"Oh really. So I just turn around now, walk out that door, and ask the King for authorization?" I asked, and they shook their heads and cleared the path for me and my men.
"You can as well get it for us." I heard one of my men whisper to them and then laugh.
As we passed by the bars, I stopped as I saw Dusk. She was sleeping with her back against the dirty wall. She was so pale and looked to be barely breathing. She was really just a weak omega. After a few days in the dungeon, she was already reduced to her current state.
I continued moving until I got to Alfonzo's cell.
He looked up.
"It's been ages since anyone came to visit me. But wait, who do I see? Isn't this Lucius?" He asked, and I smiled.
Yes, it's Lucius, and there's no time for small talk; I need you urgently. If you're told to make a potion here, can you see?" I asked, and he nodded.
"Of course, your highness, I can see. What potion do you want me to make for you?" He asked, and I smiled.
"Do you think I'm going to owe you a favour if you make this potion? No, Alfonzo, you're wrong. I owe you nothing, even after you make this for me." I said, and the light in his eyes died like fire after being drowned with a bucket of water.
"There's something I need to tell you, though. The potion might not work effectively as I've not practised for decades now." He said, and I smirked.
"You're going to hang Alfonzo. You think I'm a fool? You think I believe you've slacked? Tell you what, man, if anything goes wrong with this, trust me, you'll hang." I said and saw the fear in his eyes.
"What potion?" He asked, and I held out a hand. The book was placed on it, and I gave it to Alfonzo, who looked at it and gulped.
"I'll need the ingredients." He said, and I stepped back and allowed my men to do the rest.
I watched Alfonzo as he made the potion skillfully, as though he had never, for once, stopped making potions. When he was done, he handed me the potion, but there was no way of ensuring it was going to work because there was no invisible person to test it on, and I didn't want to take him out of the dungeon.
"And how do I know this is going to work?" I asked, and he pointed to the book.
"It tastes like lemon." He said, and I had one of my men taste it, and he confirmed it, nodding his head continuously.
"I'll consider you." I said to Alfonzo, and his eyes lit up in joy. As I passed by Dusk, I looked at her once more but took my eyes off her quickly.
She was good, but just not good enough.
~
I assembled all my guards and told them that the moment the King entered his room to sleep, they were to line the hallways without his knowledge. They were scared to cross the King, but they were also scared to cross me.
I needed my rest before stalking those losers in the night.
I lay on my bed minutes later and drifted up, only to awake to a sharp knife pressed to my neck.
"Don't do a thing, or you're gone."