Dark Magic | Alex Sho × Reader

Chapter Nine

Prince Alexander's (Sho) POV

"Your Majesty, the King is on his deathbed." The guard said desperately, his hand gesture ushering me to go up and meet Father.

The room felt cold and the concrete walls didn't help one bit. My eyes never left the iron bars since the guard came in. My breath is surprisingly even though my heart raced as if it wanted to escape from my ribs.

"Your Majesty, I beg you, he is asking for you." The guard lowered his head in defeat.

I lifted my feet heavily and went up the stairs. The walk to the king's chamber felt long but before I knew it I was already standing face to face with the door, a dimmed coughing noise made its way into my ears. I sighed. I know that in a few minutes, I will be walking through the same door, the only difference is me being fatherless.

"Alexander, son...?" Father said weakly as he saw me approaching his bed.

"Yes, Father." I replied, eyeing his weak figure laid on the bed.

One of the physician walked towards me then whispered into my ear, "Your Majesty, you should stand beside your father, he doesn't have much time."

I wanted to approach him, to hold him tight as he said his last words, to kiss his forehead and wish him farewell. But I couldn't. I couldn't. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate my father, I respect my father, but love is so much more complicated than that.

"Rest well, Father," That's what I ended up saying. But that's not what I wanted to say. I wanted to say how much I wanted him to love me and how much I despise it when he is dissapointed at me. I wanted to run to his frail body and laugh then cry and cry and cry until there is no life left in the both of us.

With a hollow heart and eyes that sucked back tears, I spun around and made my way to the door. I hate to leave it like this, I hate that the only father I have and will ever have will die and the last thing he saw will be his son leaving his side. But what can I do? If I let myself go to him and let my guard down then I'll probably scream and shout and lose my sanity and I don't want that to be the last thing he ever sees. So I took a deep breath and laid my hand on the door knob.

"Sho?" The word pierced my heart.

My spine felt as if it has lost all its support. My body trembles and the tears that I managed to keep in poured down. I run toward him and let my emotions take the best of me.

"I hate you so much, Father!" I screamed, my face wet from tears.

"I hate you and everything you ever did to me!" I dropped down beside his bed, my tears filled eyes trying its best to see his face.

"I hate you, but I don't want to!" I chocked back my tears.

"So, stay...," I looked up at him, "stay so I can love you....please." I wiped my tears off. "Live, at least until I can love you."

I grasped the carpet with both my fist, trying to get control of my breathing.

"Sho..." he managed to breath out again.

"No, stop...stop calling me that." I cried weakly.

"Sho" he tried to sound stern, though his raspy voice didn't let that happen. I stood up, tears still dwelling in my eyes.

"I'm sorry." He said. "I am harsh on you, I have always been. I just wanted you to be ready to be the next king," he looked at me in the eye and smiled, "but, my ways were wrong."

"So, it's okay if you hate me, Alexander. Because I'll never be loving like your grandpa, but I do love you. I do love you, Alexander."

Time seemed to stop. In the blink of an eye I have a father who loves me, then I have no father at all. And suddenly his heart stopped when mine only beats faster.