Once Upon A Lie

Thirty-three:

Thirty-three:

When Aleksander was younger, he had had piano lessons. For a time, he'd even been called on to give concerts. He was wildly considered to be a genius in the field of classical music. Everyone had him pegged at being a teenager. But then, the summer before his fifteenth year, his father took him aside the night of one of his concerts. They had had a celebratory dinner for him at home after, and Eric pulled him out onto the back porch.

"Son," said Eric, "you did very well tonight."

Aleksander smiled. "Thanks, Dad."

"But you must know that next year, you won't be taking piano lessons."

"What?" he stared at his father. "Why?"

"You're going to be entering high school soon. Ravka Academy is very expensive and hard. You need to focus on your future. Pursuits that can set you apart at universities. You're rich, but that doesn't guarantee you a spot. They need to know that they are going to have the best students amongst them. Students that are going to thrive in their time there. You've got to focus on academics, on your extracurriculars----football, student council."

Aleksander could only stare. "Dad, you know how important music is to me. Mom and I have even been looking at conservatories for me to go to."

"Music is not your future, Aleksander," said Eric, "The Fold is your future. Alina is your future. Everything else is secondary. It must be secondary. Do you know how rare it is for people like us to get this far? I came from nothing, and I don't intend for it to be taken from me. From us."

"What are you talking about? Alina? What does she have to do with anything?"

"Everything," he told him, "she's Leo's daughter. She inherits half of everything. If she marries someone, they'll get part of it. And then their children. We must keep The Fold together. And so, you must keep Alina as part of your plans. Part of your future."

"I love Alina, Dad, but it's not my choice who she gets to be with. And I'm not going to pressure her to be with me."

Eric huffed. "Then, you're a fool."

"Alina's my best friend. She's already everything to me. If she wants to be with me, I won't stop her because I want to be with her too. But I won't force her to be. And I thought you said that I was too irresponsible to take over the company."

Eric glowered at him. "You are my heir. This company is going to be your responsibility after I pass. You must do everything in your power to make sure that this company stays with our family. So, you're going to give up the piano."

"Dad, music is important to me."

"And this company is what should be important to you. This company is your future. Not music. Do you like your life and all of the fine things that it can bring you?"

"Of course," said Aleksander, "but----"

"Then," said Eric, "if you wish to keep all of those luxuries that you enjoy so much, then you will do exactly as I say. You are my heir. You are a reflection of me. Everything you do, they will associate with me. Don't you ever forget it."

"But Dad I-----"

"I mean it, Aleksander. The minute you stop doing exactly as I say, I will write you out of my will. You will receive nothing from me. And I will make certain that you are kept away from Alina as well."

"Dad please," he begged, "you're being unreasonable."

"I am preparing you for the future. Give up the piano, Aleksander. Or I will make certain that you have nothing. Is that clear, my son?"

Aleksander had always had a difficult relationship with his father. He was cold and distant. But he had never hated him. At that moment though, as Eric forced him to give up something he loved, something that made him happy, he hated him completely. His father was taking the piano away from him.

How soon would be before he took something else away from him? Or someone? Someone like Alina, who was his best friend, and the girl he was completely in love with even if she didn't know it yet? He couldn't let that happen, and he'd do everything on earth to make sure that it didn't.

He might have had all of the money in the world and all of the things that came with it. But none of it mattered if he didn't have Alina.