Fenix
"Jameson left." Iris bounded into my chambers another time. She had been confiding in me recently More times than she had since we had been children. "What do you mean, he left?" I reached past her to turn the door handle and continue my walk outside. She followed me instinctively, keeping on my heels. "He's gone. The Sugarland authorities alerted me about ten minutes ago that the princess saw him leave into the night on one of their boats."
My eyes widened. "Do you think he went to find her?"
"I absolutely think that. " She said, holding up a book that also held a note inside its open pages.
"What is this?" I eyed her while taking the note. She continued, "This book is the book of indiscretions. It is everything that any criminal has ever done wrong." She held up air quotations for the word 'criminal'. "Okay?" I dragged out the word, trying to piece together what she was saying, "How does this book relate to his letter?"
"Just read the letter," She nudged toward it.
"My dear Iris, I am writing you this letter because we have become close and I have actually started to enjoy being married to you. Hard to believe, I know. But something else has been pulling at me. There is something I chose not to tell you, and that is because I couldn't have you taking it away from me. When we were first given the ruling books, I found something amongst them. It was a diary, Iris. It sucked me in, ate me up and used my mind to relieve its secrets. The author of these words has consumed me and there is nothing I can do but let him use me to fulfill his purpose. I did try to pull away, I did, but then I found him and then there was no use in trying. That ring Iris, once I put that ring on my finger, I was a goner. I am going to find Violet, Iris. That is not what the book said in so many words; it didn't say her name, but the author was in love with a mermaid, as am I, and he died trying to be with her. He didn't succeed Iris, and I need to now go and fulfill that purpose. I need to help him to be with her, by being with Violet. I'm sorry for everything I put you through. I'm sorry for the stolen kisses and making you believe I was invested in the kingdom. I did try. I really wanted to be part of this kingdom and rule it with you, but the need to fulfill this dream is pulling me more." Iris, there is something else. I know that you don't believe in criminals anymore and that you are going to let everyone go, that hasn't caused harm to another, so you cannot punish me, even if I were to return, and so in saying that, I need to tell you something that is going to make you want to hurt me, even more than you already do, opening this letter, because your mother is no longer around to hurt for this crime. I ask that you spare my mother of too much hurt as well when I tell you this. But iris, that man that is without a soul out in the paddock, the man whose ring I was wearing, is your father. I want you to re-read his punishment and understand what he went through. I know it's hard to believe the punishment that he went through, but if you read his crimes, I think you would understand why your mother had him punished the way she did and told you he had died. I have torn out some significant pages of the book for you to read, through his perspective so that you can try to understand why he did what he did. As for me, I do hope you understand the connection that I have to my uncle and the need to fulfill his purpose. I know you will do what is right.
I dropped the letter. It fluttered to the marble floor as I felt color drain from my face and my ears rang with pain. "Fenix..." Iris' voice echoed but I couldn't begin to process it enough to give her an answer.
I woke up in a field surrounded by ghosts of past men. I screamed, when I saw a man that was clearly without a soul sitting cross legged in front of me. He was unmoving, grey in color and his skin was wrinkled and old. "That is our father." Iris mulled, alerting me of her presence next to me. "Why did you bring me here?" the words came out pained. "You needed to see him." She replied, watching our father intently.
"What do we do?" I shook my head in disbelief. "Nothing." She replied, placing a hand on my shoulder. "How can you say that? How can you be so calm?" I exclaimed angrily. How could anyone have done this to our father? I will never forgive my mother - dead or not.
"What can we do?" She stared at him, blinking slowly. "He cheated on our mother, he was in love with a mermaid."
"And he deserved to have this as his fate?" My throat was beginning to hurt from the pain I was feeling and the screachiness of my voice. "I can't do anything about mother, but I will make sure aunty pays." She said, still too calm for my liking. My only hope was that she was planning something very sinistar for her.
We grieved our father, right there and cherished the happy memories that we did have with him.
