Groom Wars

46. Flaming Ledge

Men often likened themselves to miniature gods on earth, royalty and government being the worst offenders. I had also accommodated such thoughts, placed myself above my peers, above my neighbours, and commanded others to do my bidding.

In many ways, Leandro was like a god, swift, intelligent, strong, and handsome. What intelligent creator would give one man so many gifts and leave little for others? An incredibly biased one, I supposed.

To not speak to the one I had kissed on various occasions—to not even look at him—to be as cold as a pond with ice covering its surface— had become necessary. I was not jealous of him. A man like Leandro had his own difficulties and burdens. With his form and intelligence, he was forever watched, forever under the spotlight, forever having others attempt to gain an advantage over him.

Even his own brother grudged him.

Not to mention the rest of the house; a few members of our party despised him. And as much as Leandro proposed that I would fall and lose in the upcoming match, I was not sure he realized how thin, how fragile the ledge he was standing on was, how many cracks had riddled it, and how lacking in support, it was close to falling. Yet, I was the one he tried to protect.

The only people who actually liked Leandro and cared for him were Luke and Mike, a pair of brothers Leandro had met on his first day. Leandro's blood brother, Steven, was finicky; he supported Leandro from time to time. Then, when others gossiped, degraded, threatened, or condemned Leandro, Steven added fuel to his flames. Little whispers. Sly comments. And so, I watched Leandro stand on his flaming ledge with his two supporters. I said nothing. Made no attempt to help him because I had decided to become a ghost that fourth month. Not trusting anyone. Not my alliance. Not Leandro. I walked back and forth with a blanket covering my figure, adopting a mad countenance. If people thought you were insane, they were more likely to give you a wide berth.

Forget you.

Leave you to your own devices.

I had left Cadmus to fend for himself as our alliance crumbled from internal friction; if our party members did not eliminate Leandro and Steven soon, they knew that Leandro, the god he was, would steal the princess's heart. They wanted to strike and betray him, but when? The timing was everything.

Luke and Mike were just as threatening as Leandro; they were also strong and attractive. People wanted to get rid of them too. But again, the players were having a hard time deciding when to betray them.

Being a ghost with my comforter, not speaking, not interacting, just watching, I overheard it all while drinking hot chocolate from my thermos. To summarize it, dear reader, men were not to be trusted.

In my apparently unhinged state, even I was considered a threat, not so much me, as I was thought harmless as a pup, but my partner, the lion that guarded the puppy, needed to be eliminated. It often seemed that our members would go up to the second floor for chats with Les Braves Hommes, and it seemed something was fermenting, filling the entire house with its stink.

Whispers followed me.

'He's lost it.'

'Hasn't been the same since his boyfriend threw him in.'

'Someone should just end his suffering and send him home already.'

'But he's still of use; you can use him to get to Leandro.'

'Only point in keeping him around. Kill them both with one sword.'

As I listened to their whispers, I heard the voices from the past and saw flashes of scenes long gone.