"Could it be that his already broken heart was shattering even more so?"
———————
~ JAPETH'S POV ~
Rhian's Reckoning had come. A reckoning that'd been overdue for a while now.
For four days since leaving Camelot, Japeth had hid himself away inside the School Master's tower and evaded students and teachers the times he'd roam into the Schools searching for food to eat.
It was on the third day that Japeth found himself in the school for good, looking for the kitchens, when he saw a few familiar faces in the crowd. It was Tedros, Agatha, and the many friends of theirs that'd been meant to be executed until Rhian stupidly called off the execution.
Japeth hid around a corner and spied on them. Tedros and Agatha were distraught still over Dovey's death, but they also were determined to take action and somehow restore Tedros to Camelot's throne.
"Sophie's still there," Agatha breathed. "She's there, by Rhian's side for a reason I don't know."
"She's the worst kind of evil," Hester butted in, tapping her warted foot in impatience. "That's what the worst kind of evil does; betrays their friends for a boy. She's done it before with Rafal! What makes you think she wouldn't do it again?"
Anadil and a few others murmured in agreement, but Agatha only shook her head in disbelief. "No," Agatha said defensively. "I know Sophie. She wouldn't betray us again. She wouldn't betray me. She'd rather die than marry Rhian."
"If you're so sure about her loyalties, than lets go rescue her," Tedros said, shocking the rest of his friends who knew full well Tedros disliked Sophie.
"The wedding date went up," Hort stated, shaking his head in confusion. "Why would Rhian change the wedding date and not marry Sophie sooner since that's obviously what he wanted her for; to be his bride, his queen. It doesn't make a lick of sense."
"It makes as much sense as Rhian calling off the execution," Agatha said, tapping her lips in thought. "Perhaps...Rhian isn't as bad as we thought he was. I mean, he showed us—his own enemies—mercy, and since then, news has spread that the other rulers are finally beginning to doubt Rhian's place on the throne." Agatha turned to Tedros, and there was a glint of hope glimmering in her brown eyes as she said; "Perhaps this means we've been given an opportunity to restore you to the throne. Perhaps this means we finally have a chance—"
Tedros shook his head, disagreeing with his princess. "No," he said, sounding so broken and disheartening that Japeth felt a flare of satisfaction stir in his gut. "Just because the rulers doubt Rhian's place on the throne doesn't mean they believe him to be a bad king...He's King Arthur's son and his true heir by birthright; He proved that when he pulled Excalibur when I couldn't even pull it."
Japeth felt a flare of irritation override the previous satisfaction he'd felt before. The mention of his twin was enough to turn Japeth's mood sour in a heartbeat. And the way Tedros had spoken, the way he'd seemed so adamant that Rhian was the true heir to Camelot's throne, made the irritation grow ever so greater inside Japeth.
Tedros was a fool, as were all his friends, and as was Rhian for believing that Rhian, Japeth's idiotic brother, was the true heir to Camelot's throne. The whole endless woods was made a fool of when Rhian pulled Excalibur and tricked them all into believing he was King Arthur's eldest son.
Japeth had made Rhian that fool. He'd strung Rhian along like a dog on a leash until there was no doubt in Rhian's mind that the two brothers were the sons of King Arthur.
Japeth would love nothing more but to sit back and watch Tedros and his friends come up with a plan to take back the throne. He'd love nothing more but to see Rhian be overthrown by the people he thought were worthy of life, the people he showed mercy to and expected them to show mercy in return.
But as much as Japeth would enjoy seeing his foolish brother be felled by his own stupidity, Japeth had other plans for Rhian. After the way Rhian had treated him, Japeth wanted revenge.
But in Japeth's mind, it wasn't revenge he would be enacting upon Rhian. No. This would be justice for the way Rhian had thrown him in the dungeons and then made him leave Camelot. Most of all, this was payback for Rhian breaking his promise to Japeth.
Japeth was hurting, and it was all Rhian's fault. Since he first arrived to the school for evil, he'd only had one goal in mind, and that was the goal of making Rhian pay for refusing to bring Aric back. Rhian deserved to suffer after all he'd done to Japeth. Japeth hoped Rhian was suffering.
Japeth wanted to face Rhian again and have Rhian grovel at his feet and beg him for forgiveness. He wanted Rhian to renounce his claim on the throne and pass it over to Japeth, because as much as Japeth loathed Rhian for all the pain he caused, he doubted if he'd have the guts to bring himself to actually kill Rhian.
But the only way Japeth could bring Aric back was if he brought Aric back himself and became king in Rhian's place. One could argue that the only way for Rhian to stop being king was if Japeth killed him and took his place, but Japeth was conflicted over the thought of killing his brother or showing Rhian mercy. If he showed Rhian mercy, he decided he would simply imprison Rhian in the Camelot dungeons the same way Rhian had imprisoned him.
But whatever Japeth's decision was, either choice would nudge Japeth towards his new goal of replacing Rhian's place as king of Camelot. Japeth never wanted to be Camelot's king before. He had gladly allowed Rhian to be Camelot's King because he knew in his soul that he wasn't fit to be a king. Rhian had been the perfect choice to be king. It'd been Rhian's lifelong dream after all to be Camelot's king.
Japeth hadn't given Rhian the throne because he thought Rhian deserved it, or because he thought he was doing right by granting Rhian's one wish to be king. No...The only reason Japeth had let Rhian take the throne was for the same reason he'd allowed himself to be the Snake in him and Rhian's plans to take over Camelot; Because Japeth was doing it for Aric.
And now, Japeth was still doing everything for Aric. In order to get Aric back, he was going to have to either kill Rhian or lock him up. Perhaps Japeth's profound dependency upon Aric was unhealthy, perhaps it made Japeth insane even, but Aric meant too much to him. Japeth couldn't give up on Aric, not now. Not after everything he'd gone through without Aric.
Leaving the heroes to their planning, Japeth went to resume his search for the kitchens.
It wasn't until later when Japeth's stomach was full after a hefty meal of the food he'd stolen from the kitchens and when he was sitting in the windowsill of the School Master's tower that he finally came to a decision about what he was going to do.
No matter how much it was going to hurt the both of the brothers, Rhian had to pay. Japeth had to make Rhian pay, because Japeth was too bent of bringing Aric back to ever let him go just because Rhian insisted he do so.
So that's how Japeth found himself writing a letter, just a simple one detailing his return to Camelot, before he sent it out, knowing it would arrive to the people it was designated to be given to in a matter of hours.
Then, Japeth watched the sunset sink below the tops of the twisted trees that made up the endless woods looming beyond the school gates before he grabbed the silver robes and mask he'd left near the bed and climbed down the tower, not in the mood to go back all the way through the castle to get out.
Japeth began his journey back towards Camelot, conjuring up the ways he could go about enacting his plan once he got there.
The trip took longer than he expected though. On the roads were various transports ranging from horse drawn carriages to riders on camels. Japeth realized these travelers taking up the roads were elites and royalty from various kingdoms, and they were all headed towards Camelot, making him believe that perhaps Rhian was holding an event in Camelot or something.
It was only when Japeth made the bold move of slipping behind a trotting horse on which a royal guard rode, donning the colors of PifflePaff Hills that he overheard the guard speaking to another guard wearing an identical uniform beside him; "Can't believe the King spared those traitors' lives," the first guard muttered.
"I agree," the second guard responded. "Now the whole woods don't know what to think of King Rhian. At least our kingdom had the balls to side with Nottingham, Pasha Dunes, and Bloodbrook against the King's decision to cancel the execution. But the other kingdoms are full on loyalists to Camelot, and I can't say I blame em. After all, King Rhian did slay the snake and protected our lands from the Snake's attacks."
The two guards continued to bicker over whether Rhian made a better hero than he did a king or vice versa. Japeth fell behind, allowing the two guards to go further ahead, knowing that if the guards would've even given him a single look, they'd recognize him immediately no doubt.
This was good for Japeth. If he were to be king and take Rhian's place, Camelot would be in need of strong allies. Considering only four of the ninety-nine kingdoms in the Endless Woods (other than Camelot) had turned their backs on Rhian, Japeth would still have plenty of alliances with other kingdoms. As King, Japeth would need those alliances in case a few kingdoms decided to wage war upon Camelot.
Besides, it'd only be a matter of time before those four kingdoms that had deserted Rhian happened to side with Tedros and Agatha who'd no doubt convince them that Rhian was a fraud. But Japeth didn't care if Agatha and Tedros decided to wage war on Camelot while he was Camelot's king. All that mattered to Japeth was bringing Aric back, and it wouldn't be that hard considering all he'd have to do was take Rhian's place as King, marry Sophie, and burn the Sheriff's ring that Rhian might or might not have burned yet.
Seeing that it would be impossible to get to Camelot if he continued to linger behind the slow paced carriages and other transports in front of him and not wanting to be spotted, Japeth decided to cut through the woods.
By cutting through the woods, Japeth managed to make it back to Camelot by morning. He stayed back in the woods for a while on the fourth day and set up camp close to the edge of the Camelot village, but not too close, for he didn't wanna risk being caught by Camelot guards. If he was caught now, the plan he'd settled on to enact the justice he so deserved would be ruined.
Later, after spending the whole day within the shelter of the trees, darkness finally settled over the endless woods. It was only then when the night sky provided him with the cover of darkness, that Japeth finally went through with his plan.
First, Japeth had snuck into Camelot and managed to sneak into the palace past some guards. He then set to work enacting every little detail of his plan; Finding Kei wasn't hard, and subduing him was easy. After hiding his unconscious body in some bushes behind the palace, Japeth snuck onto the balcony to the King's chambers and peeked through the glass door to spy on Rhian and Sophie as they crawled into bed together and snuggled close. When he was certain Rhian and Sophie were asleep, Japeth collected Kei's unconscious body and staged it in Rhian's bathroom for him to find.
The only part of Japeth's plan that was improvised was the part involving Sophie. He hadn't expected to find her at Rhian's side and literally in his bed. He assumed she'd be in her room which he could lock her up in to keep her from interfering with his plans.
Instead, Japeth had quietly used a few scims to tie Sophie's wrists and legs together. But when a Scim went to cover her mouth and gag her, her green eyes snapped open and when she saw Japeth looming above her, she tried to scream for help.
"Don't you worry, little minx," Japeth scowled at her as the Scim tightened around her mouth to muffle her cries. He smiled through his father's silver mask and sinisterly stroked a cold finger down her cheek. "You'll be made anew soon enough. My perfect puppet to pull the strings on."
Sophie's gaze went wide in fear and she struggled against her binds. Japeth had to throw her over his shoulder to keep her from thrashing on the bed and risk waking up Rhian who was still sound asleep. Luckily, Rhian always was a heavy sleeper, so he didn't wake up at anytime as Japeth crept out of the room where three tall shadows were waiting for him in the hallway.
"I praise you for coming by on such short notice, sisters," Japeth greeted them while struggling to keep Sophie still as she began to pound her bound fists against his back.
"Your brother was wrong to call off the execution," the middle shadow, Alpa, said. "But there's still hope because you returned here. Now, you must claim your place on Camelot's throne and eliminate Rhian before he makes things even worse."
Japeth nodded, tightening his grip around Sophie as she writhed over his shoulder, her screams muffled by her gag.
"Yes," Japeth responded. "But I will show Rhian mercy if he changes his mind about granting my wish—"
"No!" The shadow on Alpa's right side hissed, Omeida. She took a step forward, her cracked lips set into a frown. "Showing mercy was Rhian's mistake. He fell for Sophie's tricks and his treachery will cost him his life."
The third Mistral Sister, Bethna, piped in; "Besides, the plan all along was for you to become the One True King. You know what Rhian doesn't, so you are the only brother who'll wish for Rafal back."
Japeth narrowed his eyes. Sophie had miraculously stilled in his arms and was no longer thrashing. Instead, she seemed to be listening intently whilst searching desperately for a way to escape from the situation she'd found herself in.
"The only person I wish for is my true love," Japeth insisted. "What does Rafal have to do with anything?"
Alpa sniggered and took a step forward. The hallway's torchlight hit her face, giving Japeth a view of her leathery looking skin that sagged and her high wrinkled forehead.
"Bringing Rafal back was our whole goal all along, young Rafal jr.," Alpa pointed out, and her two sisters nodded in agreement. "He gave you a chance to know of your true origins and escape from your mother's lies because he had a shred of faith that you would be the one to fulfill the prophecy and attain the powers of the Storian for yourself. He didn't much believe in the prophecy as your mother and us did, but he wanted reassurances that he could return from death if his supposed 'true love,'" Alpa glanced at Sophie and scowled, "killed him."
Japeth scoffed. His father was a fool for choosing Sophie over Evelyn Sader and abandoning his sons in the process. What good would be done from bringing his father back from the dead? Japeth had never had much curiosity about meeting his father or getting to know the man he used to be. In fact, part of Japeth hated his father for breaking his mother's heart and leaving her for someone as daft and stupid as Sophie.
"My only interest is to bring my true love back from the dead," Japeth reaffirmed his goal. "Unfortunately, the School Master is not apart of that goal."
The Mistral Sisters were stiff as if they were disappointed with Japeth's response. It seemed like they were about to object and argue with him, but Japeth cut them off before they could; "Now, if you'd be so kind to help me deal with Sophie..." He dropped Sophie to the floor and she stared about, her fists clenched.
The Mistral Sisters moved forward in unison until Japeth could finally make out all their faces. Despite looking annoyed at Japeth ignoring their desires to bring their brother back, there was also an intensive look in the Mistral Sisters' eyes as they snatched Sophie's arms and pulled her towards them.
Japeth crept up behind Sophie and brushed her hair off her right shoulder to press his cold lips against her ear. "I hope you're ready for a wedding, Sophie," he whispered.
The scims tied around Sophie's feet and wrists and the Scim covering her mouth shot off her and all but two of the Scims attached back to Japeth's scaled suit concealed beneath the silver robe he wore. Sophie instantly spun on Japeth and readied her fist to belt him in the face, her green eyes blazing in anger.
Before Sophie's knuckles could do so much as impact with Japeth's cheek, the two remaining scims shot forward at lightning speed, spearing into Sophie's ears at both ends. A painful cry ebbed from Sophie's throat at the sudden invasion, and she stumbled forward and fell to the floor at Japeth's feet.
Japeth expected her to get back up or at least writhe around on the ground in pain, but Sophie laid still. Japeth realized she must've passed out.
"We shall deal with her," Alpa spoke up as the three Mistral Sisters gathered around Sophie. Alpa's gaze flickered to Japeth. "Now, go deal with your brother...No mercy."
Japeth gave her a curt nod before he braced himself and slunk back into Rhian's bedroom where Rhian still laid in bed, fast asleep. For a moment, Japeth stared down at Rhian's slumbering figure, and he felt anger sink into his bones.
Japeth had been so conflicted the past four days over everything Rhian had done to him. Part of the time, Japeth was furious at his brother for everything he'd done to hurt him, and the other part of the time, Japeth was saddened and distraught at the fact that Rhian had stolen away the hope he'd had of getting Aric back.
Time and time again, Japeth had chosen his brother over Aric. The time Aric had begged him to come with him when he was banished from Arbed House, Japeth had refused and chosen his brother over his best friend.
But now, after everything Rhian had put him through, Japeth was choosing Aric over Rhian. He was choosing friendship over brotherhood. Love over blood.
Rhian's face was the image of a person who rested peacefully. His eyes were closed, his one arm slung over his chest while the other rested at his side, and his chest rose and fell with each steady breath he took. Japeth wondered how Rhian could sleep so peacefully after everything he'd done to hurt Japeth. Japeth wondered how Rhian's sleep wasn't restless or riddled with nightmares the same way Japeth's sleep had been ever since he'd left Camelot behind.
Japeth continued to gaze down upon Rhian's sleeping form, his gaze tracking the way Rhian stirred slightly in his sleep and his ears picking up the sounds of Rhian's light snores escaping from his parted lips.
Japeth thought about waking up Rhian right now, while he was asleep, while he was at his weakest, to kill him. Japeth would stab him in his sleep just like Sophie had once tried to do.
But that would be too easy.
So Japeth drew back into the shadows and waited, knowing it wouldn't be long now until Rhian sensed something was amiss, until he realized Sophie was no longer beside him. The last thing Japeth did before shrouding himself in the darkest corner of the room was search for Excalibur.
It didn't take much effort to discover Excalibur tucked away beneath Rhian's bed. Japeth picked it up and placed it on the bathroom floor. If it came down to a fight between the two brothers, it was only fair that Rhian was granted easy access to his treasured sword.
Then, when all was said and done, Japeth hid in the shadows. Eventually, Rhian did awaken only moments later, found Sophie gone, and ventured into the bathroom in search for her.
But all Rhian found there was his best friend with a gash in his head. And he also found his brother, the brother he'd treated like trash, stepping out of the darkness after taunting him.
Now, Rhian was clutching Excalibur in both fists, his gaze wild. For a long, tense moment, the two brothers stared at each other, neither one of them daring to make a move.
"Don't hurt her, Japeth," Rhian said, referring to Sophie.
"Why would I hurt her? You're the one I intend to hurt, Rhian," Japeth fired back, his voice as cold as ice. The two brothers were feet apart, yet so close. Japeth had awaited this moment for so long now, and it was finally here.
Rhian's reckoning had come. A reckoning that'd been far overdue...And Japeth was going to relish every single part of Rhian's suffering.
"You threw me in a cage, made me leave Camelot, broke your promise, and ripped Aric and I apart," Japeth seethed, his anger so palpable that his scims writhed in fury.
Rhian's fists tightened around Excalibur's hilt as if he were prepared at any second to strike Japeth, but Japeth saw the pain flickering across Rhian's face and knew Rhian didn't have the guts to hurt him anymore than he'd already had.
In fact, Rhian bent down to rest Excalibur upon the floor before he straightened and held out his hands to Japeth in a gesture of peace. Slowly, Rhian approached Japeth like he was approaching a wild animal.
"I know it doesn't condone my behavior," Rhian said, his gaze brewing in regret, "but I do love you, Japeth. You're my brother, my twin, my other half. You and I share a bond that can never be taken away...That's why I did what I did. I thought I was protecting you that way—I—I thought I could make up for my mistakes, for treating you like I did."
Japeth knew Rhian was referring to Arbed House and how Rhian had rejected Japeth and treated him like an outcast when all Japeth wanted then was Rhian's love. It seemed a lifetime ago when the two brothers had been together in Arbed before Aric came around and made Japeth feel wanted.
Rhian said that it was his love for Japeth that had driven him to push him away in Arbed House, and that it was his love for Japeth that had made him banish Aric without a second thought. But if Rhian loved Japeth, he wouldn't have made his best friend leave.
"But you were wrong, Rhian," Japeth whispered, traitorous tears brimming in his blue eyes. "You were wrong."
Rhian looked upset, his expression crumbling before Japeth's very gaze. For a long second, Rhian twisted his hands around in anxiety before he forced his hands to still, looking back at Japeth.
"I know I was, but I wasn't wrong about him," Rhian told Japeth, obviously avoiding saying Aric's name. "I know you didn't see him in the way I did. I know you saw him as a friend, but it wasn't like that for me..."
Rhian trailed off, his voice catching before he seemed to compose himself, his eyes screwing shut.
"Thing is I got used to our routine in Arbed," he admitted. "Kei and I messing around and you—You were just there, alone. And before Aric came around, it felt like you needed me. You were alone, Japeth. You never hung out with any of the boys in Arbed and I liked that I was the only one you could trust. But then he came around and I saw you pulling away from me, really pulling away from me more than usual. Part of me felt like something...like something became broken between us and I was scared, Japeth. I was scared that he'd hurt you, turn you against me—"
Japeth still was ambivalent. Part of him refused to hear the words Rhian was saying while the other part of him urged him to hear Rhian and to remember the bond the two brothers shared. It was a bond even Japeth and Aric's friendship couldn't break. Japeth felt the very weight of him and Rhian's twin bond pressing against his chest even as his heart implored him to draw away.
Instead, a familiar twinge of hope crawled its way into Japeth's soul as he took a step forward, taking in the sight of Rhian looking so defeated. This was what he'd wanted, wasn't it? He'd wanted Rhian to be so broken and to be so guilty of his actions. He'd wanted Rhian to beg for forgiveness, to say he was sorry for all the things he'd done to hurt him.
But something was wrong here, because here Rhian was, opening his mouth to plead Japeth for mercy, for forgiveness...and all Japeth felt was somber. Japeth was supposed to feel triumphant and satisfied at Rhian's apology, but he felt far from it.
"I went through the red door and it showed me how it was," Rhian blurted, his face red in intensity as he reached out to touch Japeth, but Japeth pulled away before he could. "I saw you and I...I saw how awful I was that day in Arbed House, and A—Aric? You were right when you said he was only defending you. As much as I hate to admit it, you were right about him being your friend. He wasn't the monster then—I was, and I'm sorry I didn't see that before."
There were tears in Rhian's eyes and when he blinked, Japeth watched those teardrops roll down his face. Rhian's mute, unspoken words were like a light bursting forth inside Japeth, a warm light that radiated hope and forgiveness.
Japeth wanted to accept Rhian's apology. He wanted them to be okay, but after all Rhian had done to him, Japeth knew that he himself would never feel okay again. Nothing could change the fact Rhian had hurt him, and nothing could ease the pain brewing in Japeth's soul. From here on, nothing would ever be the same again, even if Rhian managed to walk out of here alive, that was for certain.
"I want to believe you, Rhian..." Japeth hissed fiercely, his words coming out hoarse. His blue gaze drilled into Rhian's soul, even as his own tears threatened to blind his vision. "I want to believe you so badly...but I can't. You know why I can't...It's too soon."
Rhian shook his head hard as if he couldn't believe Japeth hadn't accepted his apology and forgiven him. Slowly, Rhian took a tiny step forward and froze as if testing the waters before he drew close to Japeth. This time, Japeth rose to meet him and the two brothers suddenly found themselves in a tense grasp. Rhian's arm wound itself against Japeth's back while Japeth's hand rested upon Rhian's shoulder.
"Tell me how I can make it right," Rhian pleaded, despondent as he gazed into Japeth's eyes. "Tell me what I can do to earn your forgiveness. I can't lose you again, Japeth. I won't allow it."
"Perhaps you've already lost me..." Japeth breathed so quietly that Rhian's arm tightened around his back. Japeth felt Rhian's solid chest pressed against his own, felt the way Rhian's king's uniform seemed to caress the scales on his snakeskin suit. Rhian's proximity alone made Japeth doubt his original plan even more.
Japeth couldn't think clearly with Rhian so close to him. He couldn't bring himself to find the anger and resentment he felt towards Rhian with Rhian looking at him with that heartbroken, forgiving expression upon his tan face.
No...No, no, no. Japeth reiterated to himself that he hated Rhian for throwing him in the dungeons and making him leave Camelot. Most of all, he hated Rhian for breaking his promise, a promise that meant everything to Japeth.
Aric understood Japeth more than Rhian ever had or ever could. Aric was better for Japeth in every single way that Rhian was bad for him. But the thought of losing his brother, no matter how much he hated him for what he'd done, felt like a knife piercing Japeth's heart.
"Please, tell me how," Rhian begged, unhooking his arm from Japeth's back to grasp Japeth's cheeks in a loving manner. Japeth tensed as he felt Rhian's thumbs wipe away the tears staining his skin, and for a moment, he closed his eyes as if to imprint this moment in his mind forever.
But when Japeth closed his eyes, he was greeted by the darkness Rhian had thrown him in. The darkness and solitude of Camelot's dungeons. That familiar feeling of helplessness and distress he felt from being locked in the dungeons came back to him all at once, and Japeth opened his eyes to escape the oblivion that threatened to swallow him whole.
"There's only one thing you can do to make things right..." Japeth admitted softly, his hand falling away from Rhian's shoulder as he wrenched himself from Rhian's hold. "There's only one thing that can make me truly forgive you for what you did to me..."
Rhian nodded, listening intently. His chest swelled in anticipation as he awaited for Japeth's response, the silence thickening between the two brothers until Japeth swore he could hear the blood roaring in his ears.
"A long time ago, you made me a promise," Japeth told him, his voice breaking, betraying the pain raging like a storm in his darkened heart, "Only for you to break that promise...Because I still love you, Rhian, I'm giving you another chance to grant you what you swore I would have." Japeth swallowed hard to compose himself before he said; "Bring Aric back. That's all I ask. Grant me my heart's greatest desire, and you won't have to lose me."
In that moment, the exact moment those words tumbled from Japeth's lips, the whole atmosphere seemed to bear down on the both of the brothers. For a long second, Rhian's hands flew to cover his eyes as if he couldn't bear to hear the words Japeth said.
Japeth felt the heaviness of his own words sink into his bones and wrap about his entire being to squeeze his lungs until his heartbeat sped up, faster and faster, and all he could hear was the unmistakable silence lingering between him and Rhian. The sound of his escalated heartbeat came too, and Japeth caught whiff of the scent of his own sweatiness that had begun to form beneath his armpits.
It seemed the only thing that grounded Japeth in that moment was the feeling of his scims squirming against his skin, and the only thing that seemed to ground Rhian was throwing his hands over his ears in his struggle to forget or his struggle to refuse to hear the words Japeth had spoken.
It was all intensified; the emotions, the sounds, the scents, the touches, the hearing...The whole atmosphere was suddenly riddled with anticipation, anxiousness, and tension. The only thing that could break through that stifling heaviness the atmosphere brought was if Japeth heard the words he desperately wanted to hear from Rhian. That was all.
But seeing Rhian look so conflicted, beginning to pace back and forth like a madman and beginning to mutter under his breath, Japeth felt doubt creep up on him. At one point, Rhian raised his arms to the bedroom's high ceiling, gnarled his fingers into twisted claws, and screamed in frustration.
After his scream died away, a pained sound escaped from Rhian's throat as he finally found the courage to look back at Japeth. Rhian's lips were trembling as he uttered his answer; "I can't...I forgave you for loving him, forgave him for hurting me, said goodbye to mother, and still you expect more, Japeth...Don't you understand? I can't bring him back or I will certainly lose you."
Japeth felt like the breath had been knocked from his lungs, and his heart pounded against his ribcage frantically as if it wanted nothing more but to break free from his chest. Japeth had deep down expected Rhian would refuse to grant his wish once more, even after all the pain Rhian had caused him. But deep down, Japeth had also hoped that Rhian would accept his offer because no matter what, he loved Japeth and wanted to make up for the wrongs he'd committed towards Japeth.
The Mistral Sisters had told Japeth Rhian had become a weak link in their plans. Alpa insisted to Japeth that he show Rhian no mercy and disapproved of Japeth wanting to make amends with his brother even if Rhian did agree to bring Aric back.
Japeth didn't want Rhian dead. He should've wanted nothing more but to rip Rhian's heart from his chest with his bare hands after all Rhian had done to him, but he still loved Rhian too damn much. But perhaps...Japeth loved Aric more than he loved Rhian, just like he'd loved Aric more than him and Rhian's own mother.
That realization was the thing that made Japeth finally make a move. A dozen scims peeled off his suit to aim straight for Rhian and in an attempt to evade them, Rhian plastered himself against the wall, only to become trapped as the eels flew closer and closer.
"If you do this, you'll never forgive yourself!" Rhian warned, trapped against the wall with Japeth's scims pointed at his head.
"I know..." Japeth breathed, his chest tightening in pain.
The scims struck, whipping straight for Rhian. But Rhian was ready. With a Lion's roar, he crushed scims in his fists and dived for cover as a few scims sunk their knife sharp tips into his arms, drawing blood.
As the scims aimed for Rhian again, Rhian looked around frantically, his gaze scanning the room in search of something. Japeth followed his gaze to Excalibur resting on the floor, before Rhian looked up at him as if he could sense Japeth watching him. The two brothers' gazes locked and in that instant, Japeth and Rhian both dove for the sword, crashing into each other and only serving to kick Excalibur away from the both of them.
Rhian didn't relent though and scrambled to reach Excalibur, only for Japeth to grab his foot to keep him from getting to it. Flailing his leg to break free of Japeth's hold, Rhian brought his knee up, and his knee impacted so hard against Japeth's shin that Japeth's head snapped back.
Japeth let Rhian go, releasing his grip on Rhian's foot to touch his sore shin. But there was no time for delays, for Rhian was scrabbling across the floor, reaching for Excalibur with his bloodied hands. Japeth lunged forward, but he was too late.
Rhian seized Excalibur and rocketed to his feet, immediately slicing the blade through the air to cut scims in half. Goo splattered across the bedroom walls and floor, but Rhian didn't stop his work, obliterating any Scim that came near him until Japeth ceased the attacks.
Panting and his forehead beading in sweat, Rhian stared at Japeth. "Don't...don't do this," Rhian breathed heavily, his arms dripping with blood. There was a desperate look in Rhian's eye that Japeth didn't miss. It was a look that told him Rhian still wanted to beg for forgiveness and still wanted to make up for the things he'd done to hurt Japeth.
"Trust me, this was the last thing I wanted," Japeth said. "All you had to do was bring Aric back, not because you care about him, but because you care about me, and I care about him..."
Rhian didn't have a response for Japeth. He only shook like a leaf and remained quiet as if knowing deep down Japeth was right. If Rhian really loved Japeth, if he really wanted to make up for the way he'd treated Japeth, he'd have accepted Japeth's offer and wouldn't have allowed his hatred for Aric get in the way of reconciling him and Japeth's brotherhood.
But now Japeth saw it all clearly. He saw why Rhian had made Aric leave Arbed House so long ago and saw why Rhian hadn't just refused to bring Aric back once, but twice. It was because Rhian's hatred towards Aric was stronger than his love for his brother in the same way that Japeth's love for Aric now was stronger than his love for Rhian.
Rhian stared at Japeth, his whole body tense as if he was prepared for the second Japeth struck again. There was a pained look upon Rhian's face that reflected the pain upon Japeth's own face, but the weight of what was to come didn't stop Japeth from lunging forward.
No mercy, is what Alpa had said. Her voice hissed in Japeth's ear as Japeth slammed his weight into Rhian, so hard that the both of them fell to the floor. Rhian shot to his feet just before Japeth did and raised his fists clutching Excalibur over Japeth's head, about to bring the blade down upon his brother even as if his fingers trembled in hesitance...only to find that he wasn't holding Excalibur after all.
Instead, Japeth was clutching the sword in his own hands, and the blade caught the moonlight fluttering through the glass doors of the balcony, blinding Rhian with the glare and he shielded his eyes.
Japeth didn't feel like himself. He didn't feel the anger and hatred he thought he'd feel when he faced Rhian after everything Rhian had done to him, nor did he feel victorious in that moment as he brandished the sword in his hands.
Rhian's hand fell away from his eyes and his gaze bulged wide in shock at the sight of Japeth holding that sword in his hands. In that precise moment, Rhian opened his mouth to plead for mercy, to convince Japeth to put the sword down; "Japeth...DON'T—"
But nothing Rhian could say would change what he'd done to Japeth. Nothing he could say could make Japeth forget his love for Aric, the one boy who saw him when Rhian didn't.
Here Rhian was, pleading for forgiveness, for absolution, and there Japeth was, the monster to both brothers because in that second, Rhian was at his weakest. He wasn't moving to attack Japeth or even defend himself...he was just standing there, his expression full of regret and pain. Rhian was being hesitant.
It was just a moment of hesitance, but it was that precise moment that gave Japeth the perfect opening.
The strong metallic scent of blood filled the air, lingering in the room. Something warm and heavy soaked Japeth's hands as he twisted Excalibur deep into flesh.
Raw pain flashed in Rhian's gaze as he looked down at the blade embedded into his chest. Japeth's grip on the bejeweled hilt slackened as his fingers loosened slightly. Deep red blood dripped down the front of Rhian's golden shirt, trickling to the floor to form a puddle at the two brothers' feet.
"Jap...Japeth?" Rhian wheezed. Blood oozed from the corner of his mouth to paint his lips red and his hands found their way on Japeth's shoulders, his fingers digging into Japeth's skin as Japeth lowered Rhian to the floor.
"I loved you, I trusted you," Japeth whispered, staring down at his other half bleeding out from the stab wound in his chest. Tears rolled down his cheeks and a sob racked through him, a sound he couldn't muffle as he met the eyes of his broken other half.
"Arthur was never our father," Japeth admitted, watching his brother's pained expression morph into a mask of utter shock. "It was Rafal, the School Master. The same boy who killed our mother...But you could never know..."
After keeping the secret of their origins for so long, Japeth felt a strange weight lift up off his shoulders as he finally revealed to Rhian the truth. In that moment, Japeth watched Rhian's dream of ruling Camelot shatter before his very eyes.
Japeth stared down at the blood welling up from the wound inflicted in his brother's chest. The blood felt sticky on his hands. Japeth had felt blood before. He'd smelt it and seen it, but this blood felt different.
It was his twin's blood. It was blood that belonged to his other half. Rhian's blood shouldn't have smelt so rotten, it shouldn't have looked so dark and it certainly shouldn't have felt so foreign soaking into the scales of Japeth's hands.
Rhian's blood should've smelt sweet. Rhian's blood should've appeared lighter to show how pure he truly was inside. His blood should've felt familiar like a comforting sensation.
But now Rhian was inside and out, Japeth saw that his twin, the supposed good brother, was not as good as he'd thought him to once be.
"No more," Japeth hissed, blinded by tears. He swiped his fingers across his eyes to wipe them away and ended up smearing Rhian's blood on his cheeks. "There'll be no more lies. No more conflict..."
His hands trailed down to cup Rhian's tear stained cheeks and Rhian gazed up at him, choking on his own blood like a punctured balloon.
"I don't want you anymore," Japeth told him as Rhian's body twitched beneath him. "But I'll always need you, brother. I'll always need you to make me whole because you are my other half, my twin. That'll never go away...The bond we had. The times we fought against each other and for each other as well. Those memories will never be forgotten, I promise you."
Something inside Japeth broke. Could it be that his already broken heart was shattering even more so?
Japeth held Rhian close as Rhian's blood soaked into him like a permanent reminder of the sin Japeth had committed that day. He studied every inch of Rhian's pained face. A face that was so similar to Japeth's own. Japeth traced his bloody finger over the scar etched into the top of Rhian's skull as he hugged Rhian tight, cradling his bleeding brother in his arms like a baby.
"And unlike you, I'll keep my promise," Japeth vowed, his lips against Rhian's ear. "I'll be the kind of person you never thought I could be. I'll try my best to make you proud, because Aric never made me my worst self. Aric brought out the best in me and when I get him back, you'll see that you were wrong—"
"You will...be-be more broken than ever," Rhian coughed, staring up at Japeth. There was an intense expression upon the dying twin's face that Japeth knew would haunt him forever.
Japeth opened his mouth to protest, to object to Rhian's statement, but suddenly Rhian's chest caved in. Japeth saw the glassy sheen come to Rhian's eyes and than Rhian's head rolled back.
When Japeth searched for a heartbeat, a sign of life, he found none. There was nothing in Rhian's chest but a dead echo that rang through Japeth's ears nonstop.
Rhian was dead.
A mournful wail ripped from Japeth's throat as he cradled Rhian's body in his arms, rocking back and forth. Tears blinded Japeth and the emptiness in his soul lingered deep within him like a forever scar.
"Please..." Japeth whispered, his voice rising until it could be heard from all across the endless woods. "Please! I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!"
Japeth's cries alerted some Camelot guards who burst through the door, their swords drawn, only to halt when they saw the scene before them. Their swords clattered to the ground in shock.
"What—What's happened?" One of the guards asked, staring wide eyed at the body of Rhian clutched in Japeth's shaky arms.
There were three guards and all at once, their gazes landed on Japeth who was no longer wearing his Liege suit. His scims squirmed against his skin, visible for them to see and suddenly, all three men began to back away, their mouths agape in horror.
"It's the Snake!" The first guard who'd spoken shouted. "Warn the people—"
The man's cry was suddenly cut short as a sword out of nowhere impaled him. Before the other two guards could react, they too were cut down and their dead bodies spilled blood all over the floor.
Japeth watched as two figures stepped out from the hallway. One was a pierced boy Japeth didn't recognize and beside him stood Krushem.
"Hello again, Japeth," Krushem said, wiping the blood off his sword with a handkerchief. His gaze lowered down to land on Rhian's limp body. "Well, this isn't something I expected to see..."
Japeth was momentarily confused as to why Krushem had returned back to Camelot. For a moment, despite the stickiness of Rhian's blood that coated his hands, Japeth felt a sense of relief in his gut.
"What are you doing back in Camelot?" Japeth blurted, watching Krushem step over the bodies of the dead guards to draw closer.
"I remembered that you said something to me, and it really stuck with me," Krushem began, reaching into the satchel hanging from his hip. "You said that nobody knew Aric like you did. Now, I know he must've meant a great deal to you, and I thought it'd help if you had the one thing I remember Aric always seemed to cherish most."
Japeth could only watch as Krushem's hand withdrew from the bag, his fingers curled around a dirtied leather bound handle.
"Is that what I think it is?" Japeth whispered, reaching out to snatch the object from Krushem's hand. "But how—"
A wary smile found its way on Krushem's face, stretching out his scars. He glanced over at his pierced companion who showed Japeth his dirtied fingernails.
"Figured your friend would've been buried by Necro Ridge," Krushem explained. "We tortured some people for information first, and when we found his burial spot, we dug it up and retrieved the dagger."
Japeth was speechless. He ran his thumb over the rusted blade and inspected it closely like it was a prize he couldn't tear his gaze away from.
"I wish this could've been under better circumstances," Krushem said, glancing at Rhian's body. "And I'm sorry for your loss...again. I only hope you find what you're looking for later on, whatever and whoever that might be."
Japeth barely had time to let Krushem's words sink in before he looked up to find Krushem and his companion begin to make their leave.
"Krushem!" Japeth called after him and both boys stopped and turned back around to face him.
"Yes?"
"I must repay you for this," Japeth pointed out, stumbling to his feet and attempting to wipe his bloody hands off. "Please—I—I need to—"
Krushem frowned and his companion and him shared a look. Japeth stared at the two boys as he awaited for them to say their price whilst struggling hard not to look down at his deceased twin's body lying in a puddle of blood at his feet.
"There were rumors that your brother wanted the leaders to burn all their rings so he could control the Storian," Krushem's companion spoke up. "If that old tale is true and man can become pen after all, Krushem and I only wish for one thing from you."
Japeth listened, clutching Aric's dagger tight as if holding it grounded him. And in a way, it did calm him and he felt a cold resolve sink into his bones as he stared down at it.
"What Armeq is trying to say is that if you are looking to control the Storian, than we will gladly help you in exchange for one thing only," Krushem explained. His countenance morphed into a look of intensity. "I was once cast from my home in Altazarra by my family. I found myself in the School for Boys after that, following Aric. He gave me a purpose, and it is that purpose that I've carried with me since than." Krushem paused, never once explaining what that purpose was. His gaze was steady as he met Japeth's own gaze. "Just...bring Aric back. He was taken from this world too soon."
Before Japeth could utter another word, Krushem and Armeq turned to leave. They stepped over the dead bodies of the Camelot guards and retreated from the room, leaving Japeth alone, clutching Aric's dagger and looming over the body of his dead brother.
A long while after that, all Japeth could do was stare down upon Rhian. The puddle of blood welled up around Rhian's lifeless form and as Japeth continued to stand there, too numb to do anything but stare, the blood began to dry around the edges of the puddle.
Japeth didn't have the strength to do anything for a long while. It seemed forever had passed as Japeth stood there like a statue, staring down on his deceased brother, hoping more than anything that Rhian would wake up although it couldn't have been more than two hours or so.
Eventually, the time that had passed since than served to make Rhian's body change. When Japeth touched his brother's cheek, he found Rhian's skin was cold and that his body had become stiff. It felt surreal, almost like a dream, touching Rhian and realizing there was no life in him to be found.
Japeth felt lost in those first moments after Rhian's death. He didn't know what to do or how to go about anything else from here on out.
But then Japeth glanced at his hands stained with Rhian's blood and saw Aric's dagger clutched in his fist with its rusted, dirtied blade and worn, leather bound handle. It was the sight of the dagger that reminded him what he was supposed to do.
So Japeth gently leant over Rhian's body to drape a blanket over his corpse. Before he went to cover Rhian's face though, he took one last longing glance at his twin's expression. Japeth's hands were shaking in emotion as he took great care to stroke a single finger down Rhian's cheek.
Then, in one last act of brotherly love, Japeth bent his head and pressed his lips against Rhian's cold forehead.
"Forgive me..." Japeth mumbled against Rhian's forehead before he closed his eyes and felt a single tear slid down his cheek to fall onto Rhian's face, giving the illusion that Rhian too was sharing in Japeth's grief.
—————
I'm not crying, YOU are! 😣😖😫🥺😭
Omigod, this chapter was so emotional to write, but I hope you guys enjoyed reading it.
Honestly, I had doubts about killing Rhian off in this story. At one point, I had this plan that Japeth only THOUGHT he killed Rhian, only for Rhian to have lost his memory or something before he figures out who he is and goes to stop Japeth from bringing Aric back and all...
But than I realized Rhian's death would be needed to give Japeth emotional growth as a character I guess, so yeah...RIP Rhian Sader. 🥺
Anyway, comment and vote!
Thanks for reading!!
—Alexis Peters ❤️