A/N—Drew a picture of Japeth (left) and Aric (right) above. I think it turned out pretty good, what do you guys think?
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~JAPETH'S POV~
It was a relatively normal day in the Foxwood School for Boys with its cloudy sky and the boys grumbling about Dean Burnhilde's spiteful attitude. But like most normal days in Foxwood, it was also quite uneventful for the most part.
Japeth had been with his twin, Rhian, in Arbed House since they were around ten. They'd been attending the Foxwood School for Boys for around four and a half years now, making them almost fifteen years old. Two fifteen year olds without their mother, that is.
Japeth found that over the years he and Rhian began attending School in Arbed, Rhian had slowly became distant from him. With Rhian barely giving Japeth a glance and sometimes acting as if Japeth was a total stranger, it might've seemed that the two weren't blood related at all let alone brothers, if only it wasn't for their obvious twin ship.
Sometimes, Japeth hated that Rhian acted so hard toward him. Ever since Rhian befriended Kei two years ago, it was like Japeth didn't even exist in Rhian's eyes anymore. It was only when Rhian wanted to lecture Japeth on something or to tell him off that Rhian would actually speak to Japeth. But when Rhian did try to nag his brother, Japeth would only ignore him because he'd gotten sick of Rhian's attitude.
In Arbed House, Rhian wasn't there for Japeth in a way a brother should be. Rhian didn't care that Japeth was angry at him for his "new shiny persona," or that Japeth felt like Kei had replaced him. All Rhian cared about was himself, and if that wasn't selfish, than Japeth didn't know what was.
"King Rhian. May I request a banquet to be thrown in honor of your Coronation?" Kei's voice sounded through the air, and Japeth swiveled his head to see Rhian and Kei laughing like they'd heard the funniest joke ever.
"We'll get there someday, Kei," Rhian told his friend and Japeth leered at the smile that crawled across Rhian's face. It's as if Rhian believed his own words to be true. He truly believed that someday, far off in the distant future, he and Kei would make it to Camelot.
From a young age, Rhian had always been fascinated with the great legends of Camelot and the legendary King Arthur, who pulled a magical sword from a stone and claimed the throne as king. Rhian always blabbered about wanting to go to Camelot one day and meeting King Arthur himself, but Japeth and Rhian's mother, Evelyn Sader, would always shush him.
It was one day that Rhian happened to come across a letter addressed to their mother from the King of Camelot himself and he excitedly claimed that Arthur was their father, but Japeth never believed it. If Arthur was their father, wouldn't he know that he had two sons? And wouldn't Japeth and Rhian have been welcomed in Camelot instead of living in a poor cottage down on their luck?
But no refusal to believe Rhian's so called claims could stray Rhian from his new obsession. He'd already told everybody in Arbed House that he was the true heir to Camelot, but of course nobody believed him...Except for Kei at least. But Kei and Rhian were fools to believe that Rhian was somehow the lost King of Camelot and true heir to the throne.
Yet no matter how much the other students in Arbed House laughed at Rhian and Kei, Rhian would still go around with his friend making dreams of someday ruling Camelot as if it were even a possibility. It was only when Dean Burnhilde told Rhian and Kei to "quit their shenanigans," that the two would actually shut up.
But today was no exception for Kei and Rhian's imaginations to go wild as their minds turned to Camelot once more. They were laughing and blathering about going to Camelot like they always did, only causing Japeth's annoyance to grow into a raging inferno.
"When I'm King of Camelot, I'll bring peace to the woods and be the greatest ruler you've ever seen!" Rhian's voice rang across the School's courtyard, and Japeth gritted his teeth to keep himself from doing something particularly stupid.
Having enough of his brother's foolish escapades, Japeth stormed away, hearing Kei's laughter recede behind him as he hurried down the cobblestone path to get away. Japeth swore that if his mother was still here, she'd have punished Rhian for even bringing up the name "Arthur." Besides, it's what Evelyn had done whenever Rhian would bring up anything about Camelot in the past.
The thought of their mother brought a tiny prick of pain like a thorn piercing Japeth's heart. He'd tried so hard to love his mother in the way a good son was supposed to, but she never seemed to show him enough affection, or at least not the same amount of love that she'd shown Rhian. As much as Japeth loved Evelyn, his attempts at affection were in vain.
Now Evelyn was gone, it seemed like Rhian wanted to forget about their childhood, so he chose to hang out with that insufferable Kei rather than the only other family he had left in his life. Rhian chose to pretend that he wasn't hurting Japeth by always hanging around Kei, but it did hurt. It hurt more than Rhian could ever possibly know.
That's how Japeth found himself crawling into a bush to hide away from the pain of seeing Rhian being content without him. The leaves itched his skin and the thorny branches poked at his face, but Japeth found it comforting for the briefest of moments. Finally, it was quiet and Japeth was alone where he didn't have to listen to his dreamy eyed brother talking of impossible things that would never happen.
That was until he peered through the fronds and saw a figure stomping down the cobblestone path like a raging gorilla. Japeth could see the tension in the man's shoulders and the way his head dropped as if he were in a terrible mood.
At first, Japeth thought it was Rhian he was seeing, but this stranger's hair was black in the dim sunlight, not a rich copper color. And when the man turned around, Japeth saw he wasn't a man at all, but a boy with lethal violet eyes and ghostly pale cheeks. The sleeveless black shirt he wore was not apart of the School's uniform, indicating he might've been of a rebellious type, and his black hair was spiked and thick.
"Who's there?" The boy sneered, teeth gnashed and fists up as if he were prepared for a fight, and Japeth stilled in his hiding spot, holding his breath.
Japeth recognized the boy as the new student who'd arrived at Arbed House only a week or so ago. Japeth couldn't think of the boy's name, but he recalled the rumors surrounding this boy—rumors that he'd been dumped in Arbed House because he had a mean streak that'd gotten him in trouble back at home. It was said that he'd burnt an entire village down and attacked a young girl as well as mercilessly Killed a bunch of animals.
Japeth wasn't sure if he believed the rumors to be true or not, but something about the way this boy held himself made something in Japeth stir, like a prickle of curiosity winding itself around his heart.
"Scared?" Japeth asked as he slowly extracted himself from the bush, brushing his shaggy hair of leaves.
"Me? Scared of some boy hiding in a bush spying on me? Never!" The boy said, but Japeth saw the amusement twinkling in his eyes as the tension slowly ebbed away.
Japeth didn't recall what else him and the boy said to each other, only that he soon came to learn the boy's name was Aric before the two went on their way to cause some trouble.
It was Japeth's idea to deface the Circle for its stupid concept. It'd just be like a redecoration of the garden behind the building.
Dean Burnhilde was obsessed with the rose plants and tulips and variety of herbal leaves the Gardner planted every year in the warm weather seasons. She'd use the herbs to make tea and she made every student in Arbed House drink the tea because apparently tea was 'good for easing temptations,' or something like that. Japheth's first thought of Burnhilde's tea was that it was poisonous or worked in warping her students' minds, but he'd been drinking her tea for about five years now, and there was nothing wrong with it.
Still, if there was one thing the Dean of Arbed House adored more than anything, it was the garden. That was why the garden was the Perfect place to wreak some havoc. Sure, Aric and Japeth would most likely get into deep trouble for ruining the garden, but it was worth it if it meant ruffling Dean Burnhilde's feathers.
So Japeth and Aric set to work stomping on tulips, plucking roses and muddying the ugly statues. Their hands became dirty, but in the end when they stepped back to look at their work, it looked like a train of wagons had crashed through the garden, leaving over drowned plants and ripped petals scattered everywhere.
"We should skin some animals and nail their pelts to that back wall," Aric encouraged, wiping mud off his hands as Japeth stood beside him, surveying the scene.
"This should be enough," Japeth said. "Besides, the Gardner is due to come back soon, so we should make ourselves scarce by than. If we get caught now, all our fun will be over too soon."
Aric's violet gaze bore into Japeth as he contemplated Japeth's words before he gave a potted plant one last kick and chased after Japeth down the walkway. The two boys found themselves racing to the front of the school to the lawn where the rest of the students at Foxwood School were already eating lunch for the day.
Japeth didn't need to seek out Rhian to know where he was. Rhian always sat with Kei at the edge of the grass, and today was no exception. Japeth's brother was chowing down on a turkey leg while Kei sipped at his drink like they were having some grand picnic. It made Japeth sick watching them, so he tore his gaze away and pulled Aric to sit with him on the steps of the school.
"Why won't you sit with your brother?" Aric questioned, looking over at Rhian across the lawn.
Japeth couldn't help the foul taste that stuck to the roof of his mouth as he crossed his arms indignantly.
"Doesn't act like a brother to me," Japeth leered. "Acts more like an annoying prat than family if you ask me. But I suppose I should be used to it by now, yet I'm not."
Japeth didn't know why he was telling Aric this when they'd only just met today, but something about the concern in Aric's voice tempted him. For the briefest of moments, when him and Aric had been deconstructing Burnhilde's garden, Japeth had forgotten about his worries. In that moment, he didn't remember his bothersome twin he loved but hated so much.
Because For the first time since being in Arbed House, Japeth had made a friend in a stranger. A stranger he wished to confide in and share something with like a bond of brotherhood he never seemed to share with his actual brother.
Perhaps Aric could be that friend.
"Oh well, than," Aric muttered. His voice tore Japeth from his thoughts and he turned to see Aric leaning casually back against the stone steps, gaze fixated on Rhian. "Who needs him anyway? Sounds like a stuck up jerk."
Japeth couldn't help the laughter that bubbled to the surface to rip from his throat. He'd never heard anybody talk about his brother that way, but to finally hear somebody say their true and honest opinion about Rhian made something within him glow like a firefly in a sea of darkness. It was especially amusing to hear that there was somebody else who didn't like Rhian in Arbed House.
For the years Japeth and Rhian had been in Arbed House, all the students and even Mrs. Burnhilde came to put their trust in Rhian as if he were a beacon that they were drawn to. He never acted out and always stayed on his best behavior despite his fascination with that idiotic Camelot kingdom.
To everybody in Arbed House, Rhian was the golden boy, the best of the best. But to Japeth, Rhian was nothing more but a foggy eyed fool who had to snap back into reality. If Rhian was blind to the hurtful ways he was treating his own brother, than how amazing could he really be?
"Calling Rhian a Jerk isn't how I would partially describe my dear brother," Japeth said, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips as he turned his attention back to Aric.
Aric arched an eyebrow in question as he reached out to pluck a blueberry from the prickly bush growing next to the steps. He popped it into his mouth and chewed slowly as he held out a closed fist to Japeth. Japeth watched Aric's fingers uncurl to reveal three round berries sitting in his palm.
"Thanks," Japeth murmured as he hesitantly accepted them. He took one into his mouth and sunk his teeth into the berry, juices exploding across his tongue. It tasted sour but with a hint of sweetness that contrasted nicely with the sour tang.
"I get the whole family issue thing," Aric explained, throwing his arms over his head to stretch. "I mean, someone I once called family left me when I was just a kid. I was stuck in a cave for a long time after that, believe me."
Japeth looked at Aric in surprise, contemplating his words. Had Aric really become stuck in a cave by this so called family member of his? Or was Aric just making up a story to make Japeth feel better about his relationship with Rhian?
Whatever it was, Japeth didn't care. He looked into Aric's deep violet gaze and saw his own reflection staring back at him like Aric's eyes were a mirror to Japeth's very own soul.
Japeth looked into Aric's eyes and saw something that made his heart skip a beat as if he'd just laid his eyes on a ghost. But it wasn't a Scared reaction. It was an understanding one.
Because Japeth saw himself in Aric's gaze. He saw a fellow boy who didn't seem to really belong in Arbed House. A boy with a broken past that lingered after him every which way he went, following him like a shadow.
Japeth saw a broken soul, so like his own.
"A cave?" Japeth questioned, gaze narrowed as he tore himself out of his thoughts. He looked to Aric and feigned a smile as a way to make the atmosphere comfortable. He didn't know if this cave was a touchy subject for Aric and didn't want to accidentally drive his friend away by asking difficult questions.
Aric toyed with a blueberry, rubbing the top with a thumb before he let it fall to the step at his boots. He crushed the berry beneath his leather boot like a bug.
"It was a cave in the endless woods," Aric said, voice dripping with disdain. "But it doesn't matter anymore. Its nothing really. Is your brother's weird game the reason why you two don't get along?"
Japeth noticed how Aric dodged the question with a question of his own, and he turned his head to see Rhian and Kei squabbling around on the grass. Kei and Rhian had sticks and were dueling with them as if they were in some sort of sword fight. Japeth could hear them laughing all the way from here, and the other boys on the lawn stared at the role players as if they were inhuman.
Japeth felt his blood boil at the sight. It wasn't an unfamiliar scene though because Japeth had already witnessed Rhian and Kei's make believe sparring many times before. It really got old after a while and made Japeth slightly embarrassed to even be Rhian's brother at all.
It was absolutely ridiculous the way Rhian and Kei went at it like they were spoiled children. No matter what, those two always seemed to have hope in making their Camelot dreams come to life someday. It was never ending torment for Japeth.
Well, this would be the day that Japeth had had enough of his foolish twin's games. Today, Japeth was determined to take away Rhian and Kei's hope.
"Let's put a stop to their escapades," Japeth announced, lurching to his feet to storm across the lawn towards the boys.
Aric heard the bitterness in Japeth's tone and must've seen the frustration leaking out of Japeth's pores, for he leapt to his feet to follow Japeth down the steps, leaving his discarded berries behind.
Suddenly, Japeth felt his confidence grow as he watched Aric swaggering beside him, chest out and muscles flexing beneath his black sleeveless shirt. But Aric's muscles weren't what was needed to break Rhian and Kei.
No. This fight would be won with words alone. Japeth was just glad he had Aric's support in this.
"Your skills are too good!" Kei cried, blocking Rhian's stick with his own.
Rhian's brows were coated with sweat as he shot out his leg lightning quick and swiped Kei's feet out from underneath him. Kei fell with a shout of defeat and sprawled on the grass as Rhian stood triumphant over him, stick aimed at his friend's throat.
That's when Kei's face changed. His gaze zoned in on the newcomers approaching, and his lips morphed into a flat line as his veins strained beneath the neck of his skin. Rhian saw his friend's change in mood, and spun in surprise.
Japeth smiled at his brother, gazes locked, and he felt all the hatred and frustration he'd felt since Rhian stopped hanging out with him grow stronger.
"Hello, brother," Japeth purred. He slunk towards Rhian as Kei scrambled to his feet, hair tangled with grass and fists raised as if ready for a fight.
"I didn't come to fight you," Japeth sneered, seeing Kei's ready stance. He turned his attention back to Rhian and felt himself harden. "I came to talk."
Rhian was still as if he were afraid to move. His gaze flickered from Japeth to Aric standing behind him. He stared at Aric a second too long, confusion fluttering across his handsome features, before his mouth hung open in surprise.
"There's nothing to talk about, Japeth," Rhian said, crossing his arms, but Japeth reached for him, and he took a step back. Kei lurched forward as if to defend Rhian, but seeing Aric's cold stare stopped him in his tracks.
"Nothing to talk about?" Japeth asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. "Really? We haven't spoken in months! There's plenty of things to talk about...like, let's say your damn Camelot beliefs for one."
Rhian was silent, shifting his weight from one leg to the other in a move Japeth knew all too well. There was a brief look of pain that crossed Rhian's face before it vanished, and he looked at Japeth with a disappointed frown.
"Its true though," Kei was the one to speak, facing Japeth with a bitter expression. "Rhian is King Arthur's son. Rhian is the heir to Camelot's throne, and that makes you Arthur's son too."
Kei's voice was deep and powerful. His voice rang across the lawn and students turned to stare at them as silence hung in the air.
That's when Japeth burst into laughter, gaze full of amusement he could no longer bring himself to suppress. Rhian glared at Japeth like he'd lost his mind, when in fact, it seemed to be the other way around.
"You think you're Arthur's son?" Aric butted in, violet gaze searching Rhian's face. "Camelot's Lost King!"
There was a crowd beginning to form around the boys like they were witnessing some great fight, and Rhian suddenly looked nervous, seeing all the boys' skeptical and amused faces. He knew nobody believed him to be the heir to Camelot, and nothing he could say would change their minds. He had no evidence to even prove his claims, so how could he expect for them to believe him?
"Japeth, stop it," Rhian groused, trying to wave his brother away. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but this has gone far enough. Go away!"
Japeth was kinda proud to admit that he took great delight in seeing Rhian's usual calm bright facade crumble to reveal a boy so unsure of himself. Oh yes, if Evelyn could see them now, Rhian would be deep in the mud for sure. He'd be punished properly.
"Mother would be disappointed in you," Japeth whispered, features slowly softening, and Rhian's eyes widened. Japeth knew it was a low blow to mention their mother when her abandonment had affected Rhian so deeply, but the look of agony on Rhian's face was too damn satisfying to ignore.
"Kei, lets get out of here," Rhian muttered, turning to leave. Kei shot Japeth one last glare as the two boys hurried away, tails between their legs like scared dogs.
"Keep dreaming, little boys!" Aric cried after them, tone overly sarcastic. "Don't worry! You'll get to Camelot in no time. HA!"
Japeth couldn't help the smile that crossed his face as the crowd dispersed, and he turned to Aric with a triumphant look.
"Thanks again, Aric," Japeth told him softly. "I don't think I'd have the courage to do that if you hadn't been here. I appreciate it."
Aric gave Japeth a long look before he slung his arm around Japeth's shoulder in a playful manner.
"Don't you get sentimental with me, Japeth," Aric warned, face stern as he lead Japeth back to the front of the school.
Japeth laughed. It was genuine laughter that made his insides flutter as he held onto Aric's bodily warmth for a just a bit longer. It seemed to keep him rooted and relaxed his mind.
"Would you stop being my friend if I did get somewhat sentimental?" Japeth asked, eyes sparkling in amusement.
Aric's arm fell off Japeth's shoulders, and he turned, gaze calculating as he searched Japeth's face. A smirk found its way on Aric's face as he rolled his eyes with a scoff.
"Never in a million years," Aric murmured, slapping the back of Japheth's head as Japeth ducked away.
Their laughter echoed the laughter of Kei and Rhian. That's when Japeth knew what it was truly like to have a friend, and that's when he could see just how much Kei meant to his brother. Because with Aric in that moment, Japeth felt all his worries ebb away and he felt the strange feeling of being not totally complete, but somewhat whole as a broken piece of his heart magically healed itself. Fitting into place.
It was a broken soul slowly healing its wounds.
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Hi guys. Sorry for the delay. I've been kinda wrapped up in my own world lately, so my bad! 😐
Comment and vote? Thanks for reading!
—Alexis Peters ❤️