Skender looked at the boy sitting in front of him. He was surprised by the question. It was not the question he should be asking the man who killed his father.
"No. You can't." Especially not now when Lucrezia was messing with his mind and not when he had no one around he could trust.
The shades could be anywhere. They could be disguised as his guards or servants. And even if they weren't, the humans around him could be manipulated by the shades to reveal what they had seen or heard. He could only trust the Lords, but none wanted to help, especially Angelica. Rayven was busy dying, and the others didn't want to get involved after Lucrezia's warning. Even Acheron, who was the helpful one, refused to help him.
People thought he had power because he was king. The truth was he had no control at all. There were eyes on him wherever he went, and he was judged for his actions.
William narrowed his eyes. "Why?" He asked.
"Because even I don't trust myself." He couldn't trust his body and the demon who betrayed him every night; now, he couldn't trust his mind.
"Have you not been sleeping, Your Majesty?" William frowned, taking notice of his tiredness.
Skender sighed. I don't deserve sleep, he thought.
"My sister is alright." He said as if knowing his worries.
How could she be alright? She was ... he felt his stomach turn again when he thought about it. He would never forgive himself or Lucrezia for this.
"Your Majesty, I need your help."
"I can't help you." Skender hurried to say.
Everything took a left turn every time he tried to help or do something right.
"You should ask the man marrying your sister." He told him he was feeling a little suffocated.
"That man can barely help himself," William muttered.
Skender was taken aback. He had never seen such an attitude from William before. It seemed like something had happened between them.
"You are the one to help me, Your Majesty. I saw you in my dreams."
Dreams?
"King Alexander, defender of men. Your name was given to you with a purpose. It has a similar meaning to mine. I believe in the burden of names, Your Majesty. You will be the one to defend them until they can defend themselves. Isn't that why you sent me to military camp?"
How did he...know?
Even though he would never put it that way, the thought was the same. He wanted to make something of William before anything went wrong. He wanted to allow him to grow his potential and stand-alone one day. Be the man, the protector he wished to be. Something that would be difficult if he only stayed with his sister.
"If I can grow strong to defend my sister, she won't need anyone else. You are building something strong from the root instead of repairing the branches. You have the right approach, Your Majesty. I don't know why you don't trust yourself, but I can see you don't. You don't believe in yourself either."
What was happening? How did he know?
"You wonder how I know? I have a gift or curse, depending on what you call it." He said. "I am different like you."
"Like me?"
"I know what you are."
Skender nodded curiously. "What am I?"
"I just call you a monster," William said.
Skender burst out in laughter. A monster? If he only knew.
YOU ARE READING
Heart Of Darkness
FanfictionThey whispered in town about him. They called him a beast. They called him cruel. They called him ugly. People were repulsed by his face. They treated him like a deadly disease, avoiding him like the plague. They didn't dare talk to or in front of h...
