SGE His Darkened Heart (A Japaric Fanfiction)

BONUS CHAPTER #5

Tedros and Agatha gave each other glances and as they silently contemplated Japeth's words, Japeth watched them, his icy blue eyes glinting.

"How should we trust anything that comes out of your mouth?" Tedros questioned, anger radiating off him in waves. "You killed Lancelot! You killed so many good people. You killed your own brother, so how can We expect you not to kill the both of us too? You're a liar, Japeth. You wouldn't not execute us, because that would be foolish on your part."

Japeth felt a flare of anger come to life within him as he regarded the blonde prince in contempt. As much as he hated to admit it, Tedros was right about him being a fool not to execute them.

But, as Japeth promised to Sophie, he wouldn't harm them. All Japeth had to do was take in every little detail of Tedros and his princess's faces.

"You misunderstand, little prince," Japeth said, thrusting his face through the bars to glare into Tedros's gaze. "There will be an execution, and when that happens, the whole woods will believe the both of you are dead. But, you won't be. You can thank your friend, Sophie for that by the way."

Tedros and Agatha gave each other glances of disbelief, and suspicion still shown on their faces. Japeth knew they didn't trust him, and they'd probably never trust him. But that was okay. He didn't trust them either and he took solace in the fact that soon enough, Tedros and Agatha would be gone.

An execution was all he needed to make it possible, so Japeth made sure to imprint every little detail of the prince and Princess's faces in his memory before he gave the couple one last sneer. Than, he started out of the dungeons, his feet thumping against the dirtied floors.

Japeth had left Aric in his room after Aric, Japeth, and Sophie had had an awkward conversation briefing Aric on all that had happened during his time away. Japeth had been surprised to discover that Aric had taken the news of his marriage with Sophie quite well. Japeth had half expected Aric to freak out, accuse Sophie of casting some spell on Japeth to make him marry her. But as Japeth had told Aric earlier, he'd had to marry Sophie in order to complete the prophecy.

Japeth had gone to visit Tedros and Agatha in the dungeons with intentions to rile them up as well as get a picture in his mind of what they looked like. Japeth wasn't bluffing when he'd said there would be an execution. He'd already called a gathering in Camelot using Lionsmane to write the announcement in the sky; Behold! Tedros and Agatha have been captured and shall be executed at noon. All are welcome.

Of course, Japeth had promised Sophie he wouldn't hurt her friends. Luckily, he had two pirates who would take Tedros and Agatha's places. The pirates would be disguised as the prince and princess and their heads would be cut off in front of all the rulers of the woods. Everybody would think the snake was dead, slain by Camelot's One True King, the lion.

Japeth made his way along. It didn't take him long to reach his bedroom. The door was closed and he pushed it open, expecting to find his best friend sitting on the bed.

But the room was empty and a prickle of fear crawled into Japeth's heart as his gaze scanned the newly repaired room. He knew he should have never left Aric alone. For all Japeth knew, Aric could've gone into the kitchen to get a snack, or he could've been kidnapped by some of Sophie's other friends who'd snuck into the palace to rescue Tedros and Agatha—

"Aric!" Japeth hissed, spinning to head out of the bedroom, his gaze bouncing around the halls as he began to frantically search for the raven haired boy.

Japeth started down the staircase and saw a guard looming at the top, his jaw hard and dark eyes haunted. Japeth recognized Kei instantly. Rhian had made Kei captain of the Camelot guard after all, but if Japeth remembered correctly, Kei had been as fond of Aric as Rhian had been.