The Rebelero Brothers' Curse

Nineteen

"There is no way in hell I'm going back there," I said angrily as I pounded my fist on the wooden table before me. I was seething with rage.

"You must Lucian, by order of your father," Celeste winced as I looked her in the eyes.

I spoke slowly and deliberately with indignation. "How dare he order me back to that hell-hole. I refuse to go back. He has disowned me from the family, you said so yourself. I will not return to a place where I have clearly never been wanted. He made his point so what would possess the man to want me back?"

She grew uncomfortable under my glare and looked everywhere else that was not me. "Knowing your father it would be to keep up the facade and keep a better watch over you. He sees you as traitor now, but to the people you are still his son."

"No. Tell my dear father I refuse to return under these circumstances. If he has a problem with that I will leave to Indomania. He will never have to see me again."

"Lucian quit talking nonsense. It has been 4 days. Just return and live as you have always lived. Just do not irritate your father"

"Lived how I have always lived?" I was livid and beyond bewildered at her audacity to brush things aside as if it were that simple. "Live enslaved to a man who has never cared for me as his son? Live as I always have following orders and being treated as if scum from the man who gave me life? Live my life in the shadow of another, caged as an exhibit for others to see? Is that what you mean Celeste because that is no life to live." My voice broke with emotion and I silently cursed my weak heart. I loved my family. I did. But I can no longer live amongst people who exploit me and leave me trampled in the dirt.

Her mouth dropped and her eyes grew teary. I didn't stop though. Nearly 21 years of suffering was coming out and I could not hold back the dam of resentment and pain back anymore. "I have tried and tried countless of times to please him. I was a child of 6 years when he got tired of me and made David teach me the ways of war and combat. Hours of my days were spent learning how to be a warrior when instead I should have been playing with my brother if not doing what children do. He crushed my hopes of ever seeing my mother again. It was a childish hope sure, but saying my mother abandoned me because she did not love me is no way of ridding her of my mind. When I cried as a child what would he do Celeste?" I paused to see if she would answer, but as I expected, she could not defend him. I continued on with my rampage of words. "He would slap me and tell me to shut up. He would make me fight the older boys to teach me. I was only a young boy! When I would do things for him and even when I accomplished something, instead of praising me he would call me names and point out something else I had done wrong. He could never admit his wrongdoing or mistakes. I was taught from a young age to keep a smile on my face no matter how much my own blood hurt me! Celeste you cannot pretend he did not beat me! What he did, ripping apart my flesh on a pole is not new. Making it public was. That is where he drew the line. My "traitorous action" was not traitorous to my homeland to which I serve. It was he who has done our Kingdom wrong. He calls me a traitor in fear of me speaking what I know about him. He has turned many people of the Kingdom against me; he has invalidated my word so that if I were to speak no one would believe a traitor. You have no idea what he's done. He knew what he was doing from the moment he sent for me that day. He has never cared about me as his son. To him I will never be his son. I am a bastard to him. I refuse to live pretending I'm loved, pretending I am someone I am not." I was drained and a tear had fallen on my cheek. I angrily whipped it away. Celeste suddenly threw herself at me and embraced me. Tears flowed down her face as truth hit her hard.

"Lucian I am s-so sorry," she sobbed and rubbed my back as if to comfort me. "I have failed your mother in taking care of you. I turned a blind eye to your suffering."