"Your highness, let me bring a physician."
Lucian shook his head and Jade's frown deepened.
"But your highness, your fever is not going down I have to do something."
"Listen to me Jade. I don't need nor do I want help. I just want to be alone."
Jade was about to protest but Lucian cut her off. "It's an order, and don't tell my sister."
Lucian had no energy to deal with Alexander's sister. He was already in enough pain. Why he was so sick he couldn't understand but he couldn't just lay here. He came here for a reason, for revenge, but got so distracted and now he was even more confused. Who was the woman that hugged him and why did she make him feel the way he did.
Despite knowing that she would only be a distraction Lucian wanted to meet her again. He had so many questions to ask.
Lucian pushed himself out of the bed with a groan. His whole body ached, then he summoned Julian with a spell that he had learned.
Julian appeared so quietly as if he had always been there in his room. "Your highness, you don't seem well. He said upon seeing his face.
"Any news from outside?" Lucian ignored his remark. He had no reason or energy to explain his condition.
"Well the citizens are not very impressed with their new king, in fact, many of them dislike him, especially the poor since he raised the taxes for them. This will be to your advantage. We have now spread some rumors that you might be alive and people seem to respond well, they have hope that you might be a better ruler than your brother."
"Good." Now he only needed to get rid of his brother but getting rid of him was not enough for Lucian. He wanted to torture him, to make his life so miserable that he would want to end it himself. He would make him beg, he would make him wish that he was already dead.
But first, he would pay him a visit.
Lucian boiled with anger upon seeing his brother sitting comfortably on the throne while ordering some servants around proudly. He didn't deserve to sit on that chair or have that crown on his head. He didn't deserve to order people around and fill his stomach while his people were starving.
"Oh look who is here. Come in." He said standing up from his seat. "How is your stay here?"
Lucian walked inside while he spoke. "I like it very much." He faked a smile.
They made their way to a table and sat down. Pierre ordered a maid to bring some snacks and then turned back to him.
"I heard you were looking for some maid who caused you some trouble?"
"Oh…" Pierre waved dismissively with his hand. "It's just some servant who needed to be punished, but we have found her so everything is fine." He said.
Found her? Lucian wanted to laugh. His brother still lied easily.
"How is the wedding preparation going?"
"Her Highness is very specific, she wants the wedding to be extravagant and I want her to be satisfied, of course."
Alexander's sister was spoiled and arrogant. She and Pierre deserved each other Lucian thought.
"But I am a little worried…" Lucian began, "I heard your brother is alive."
Pierre was about to take a sip from his wine but paused.
"Which one?" He asked.
"The youngest one."
Pierre laughed, almost nervously.
"Oh...I can assure you all of my brothers are dead. People just like to gossip."
"If you say so...then we have no problem."
Pierre narrowed his gaze. "You look pale." He pointed.
"Yes, I haven't been out much lately, which I usually do. I should go out for a while."
"Yes of course. We have beautiful places here in Decresh. I could arrange for someone to show you around." Pierre offered.
"It's alright. I will be fine by myself."
As Lucian left his brother alone he sensed that his brother was nervous and confused. He even called for the guards that killed Lucian to make sure he was dead.
��What did you do with the body?" He asked.
"We threw him in an empty well and burned it. He could not have lived through that, Your Highness." They assured him.
"Of course not." Pierre said with a smug look on his face. He was relieved again, but that would only last for a short while.
As soon as the sun set Lucian took the first step toward his plan. He found one of the guards who burned his body and followed him to somewhere quiet where he was wanted to pee. Just as he was about to pull his trousers down he felt someone standing behind him. He froze in place, who was this, he was sure no one had followed him. He slowly reached for the dagger in his pocket and then turned to swing the dagger but it only cut through thin air.
No one was there. The soldier frowned. He was sure he felt someone standing behind him. He looked around carefully but not a soul was around. Maybe he had too many drinks he thought and proceeded to pee. When he was done he pulled up his pant and when he turned he almost walked into someone.
His heart jumped up to his throat and he was about to curse whoever it was when he saw what he thought he would never see.
No, it could not be possible. Right in front of him stood someone who was supposed to be dead, someone who could not be alive. This had to be a dream.
"It's not a dream, but I sure will make it a nightmare." Lucian's lips curved into an evil smile.
The soldier still stood frozen. Adrenaline rushed through his veins but still, he couldn't move. The horror made him completely paralyzed and soon he couldn't even stand still so he fell to his knees. This couldn't be true but it felt so real.
Lucian looked at the soldier in front of him. All the blood had drained from his face and he shook in fear. "Yo..yo..your high...ness." He stuttered when he finally could speak. He reached his hand to touch him as if to make sure it wasn't imagination or a dream and when he ensured that it was indeed real he began to shake his head in refusal.
"Im...impossible." He said crawling backward.
Lucian took a few steps toward him and the soldier kept crawling backward until the cement wall behind him blocked his way.
"Pl...please. I did nothing wrong. I...I just did what...what I was ordered." He said shaking in fear. "Please...I will do whatever you want. Just...don't kill me." He said throwing himself at Lucian's feet.
Lucian had no intention of killing him...yet. "Yes, you will. You will go and tell Pierre that I am coming for him. Tell him to be prepared."
******
Pierre was enjoying his time with his women, or maybe not much. Hazel kept coming to his mind and he wondered where she could be hiding. Why he was so obsessed with her he couldn't understand but the more she resisted him the more he wanted her. He was determined to make her his.
"Are you not enjoying yourself, Your Highness." One of his mistresses Kayla spoke next to his ear as her hands slid down his chest.
"No, I am not. You should all leave!" He said standing up and pulling up his robe. They looked at him confused for a while but then left quietly.
He was in a bad mood although he couldn't understand why. He had everything, he had money, power and beautiful women, lots of them. He couldn't be feeling down because of one worthless woman whom his brother had already used. No, he would not let himself feel down because of her.
Pouring some wine into his glass he was about to sit down and relax when suddenly someone knocked loudly on the door. "I need to speak to you, Your Highness. It's important."
Had they found Hazel?
"Come in!" Pierre called.
One of his guards David barged into the room, panting, looking like he had seen a ghost. "Your highness…" He looked like he was going faint anytime.
"What is it?"
"I...I…" He tried to catch his breath. "I just saw His highness Lucian. He is alive."