Bonds That Tie Us

Thirteen

~Eric~

"The ball last night was a success." Mother says, as I walk into the dining room, first thing in the morning.

"Was it?" I ask, still grimacing from the throbbing in my head. "I can't remember much of it."

She scowls at me, as I take my seat at the head of the table.

Alicent remains silent- unbothered even, as she eats her breakfast. And James...

Well, he's glowering at me, like he does with every meal of the day.

"Perhaps you would recall more, if you would stop your consistent drinking and smoking, boy." Mother snaps.

I rub my temple.

"Could you close the curtains for me, William?" I call out to him.

There's staff surrounding the room, watching us. Constantly, with our every move, and our every word.

The light in the room dims as William does as I asked.

Mother continues lecturing me, but I drown out her voice, as I eat.

I learned a lot last night, from Liana. It was a good thing, I told myself. Even if I ended up saying a hell of a lot more than I should have to her. I didn't share those kinds of things with anyone.

But I had been drunk.

I take a mouthful of water, feeling James' raging stare.

"If you have something to say, James, then say it." I put down the glass cup with more force than I intended, cutting Mothers words off short.

Silence fell as I stared my little Brother down.

"Or do you intend to gawk at me all day?" I smiled slowly, knowing it'd piss him off more.

"I have a lot to say," James shrugged. "But not in the current presence we have right now." He glances at the staff.

Alright, fine. He didn't want an audience.

"Leave us." I tell the staff, and the room clears out instantly.

"For God's sake..." Mother mutters, looking skywards.

"Speak up then," I encourage James.

I could tell he'd been piling up his thoughts, his problems with me. He had a lot on his mind since Step Father died.

"I deserve what's mine." He raises his chin.

A wonderful start.

"And what exactly, is yours, little brother?" I chuckle, watching him clench his jaw.

"This entire manor- the land that surrounds it, everything you've taken from Father, it is mine." He grits out.

Mother and Alicent remain silent.

"How so?"

James doesn't miss a beat, "Because you don't deserve it."

I sigh, at the ringing in my ears, the throbbing in my skull growing worse at his rising voice.

"Again," I drawl. "How so?"

"You drink and party away our money, you do not take anything seriously- you'll drive Fathers legacy into the mud!" He explodes.

"He did that himself." I deadpan, tilting my head at him, from across the table. "And he was your step Father, need I remind you."

"A Father is a Father." He says coolly. "He loved us."

He loved you, I thought. I couldn't even associate the word love with him at all. It was a ridiculous notion to me.