The Tyrants Reign

Chapter 8

Matheus Cassius alacar

The festival we had been planning was vastly approaching and I was exhausted. I can handle the planning and job assigning but on top of that after enlightening my siblings on the situation and letting them know of my Change, Hitomi was set on having me venture out into the kingdom more. For the past few weeks I have been busy doing community service, helping out random citizens, and feeding the hungry. I did whatever I could when I had time after class and thankfully it was seeming to work in my favor as the paper that was published weekly showed my diligent work in the community.
       I was just satisfied that my people were seeing more of my soft side and truthfully, I needed the distraction. A certain someone was plaguing my mind in a way that was not welcomed. After our rather tense encounter in the student council room I had been avoiding any interactions with her and it's not like my schedule allowed me to have any free time. As intrigued as I was by clover the last thing I need right now is a woman and more distractions. I needed to focus on my fight for the throne, everything else was a disturbance and the last thing I needed was my focus being shifted knowing the fight I currently faced. I didn't put it past Alaric and his 'father' to use underhanded tactics during my days at the academy knowing it was prohibited.
  The laws stated that we were not allowed to harm each other or use others to do so before the time of the fight but if you cannot prove their involvement then it's valid. It was currently the weekend before the festival and I decided to visit my family before dealing with the headache of a festival on Monday. It also was a great excuse to use, ever since Sevyn and Orion pledged their loyalty to me they have followed me everywhere even going as far as switching their classes to mine. I have told them many times it was unnecessary but apparently it was their 'duty'. I let Hitomi know I was planning to go to the palace but she decided to stay behind as she had plans with her academy friends. After packing, I made sure I had everything before going through a portal to my palace with sylph.
      We stepped through the portal and I closed it taking in my surroundings. I stood in my old room in my palace, I missed this place and as much as I would love to jump in my bed and sleep I had a date with my younger siblings that I was late for. I put my things away as sylph shifted to her smaller dragon form and jumped on the bed stretching out to take a nap.
I left taking a portal to the main palace common room where my siblings most likely were. "Your late Matheus, you said you would be here at 10:30 it's 11:00" halo said with her hand on her hip, attitude extremely present on her face. "Hi halo I missed you too" I said sarcastically and she rolled her eyes putting her book bag on her back. "Where's Rui?" She shrugs "he was just-" Rui pops out from behind the couch "rawr!" He yells and I pretend to be shocked clutching my chest dramatically. "Haha I scared you brother" he laughs running up to me, once he reaches me he hugs my legs and looks up at me with a big cheesy smile. I smile back at him picking him up and spinning him around as he giggles. I put him down ruffling his hair I look up at halo glaring in annoyance.
"Can we go now? And you still haven't told us where we're going or what we're about to do." I roll my eyes creating a portal, we step through and go in and I close it letting them take in their surroundings. "Ouuuu brother can we go to the pastry restaurant! I want to eat cheesecake." I practically drool at the mention of cheesecake and we head straight for the pastry restaurant. The server seats us in a secluded area and my siblings look through the menu before somehow getting into an argument about wanting the same things. "You weren't thinking about cheesecake and milk until I said I wanted it!" Rui pouted and halo stuck her tongue out at him teasingly. "Oh well! it sounded good so it's what I want and I'm going to get a strawberry shortcake that I won't share with you!" He picks up the menu slapping her arm with it before she does the same and I sigh.
"If you both don't act like your royalty I'll just take us home and no one will get any sweets." I say dryly looking at my menu. The bickering stops as the server comes over taking our orders and within a few minutes we were in sugar heaven enjoying our sweets. "Thank you big brother! It's really delicious." Rui says with a mouth full of food, halo grimaced at the site scooting away from him. "Rui chew your food before speaking that's revolting!" Halo scolds, Rui ignores her continuing his assault on the cheesecake. "Brother, are you truly ok? I know you have been trying to change and be more involved with the common folk but are you truly alri-" before she could finish Alaric, Titus, Hercules, kaiman, and the woman who I almost killed walked up to our booth smirking. I truly don't understand how they always seem to find me, it was as if they put some hidden tracker on me.
"It's an honor seeing you here and being in the presence of the fallen son." They mock bow as if they were truly greeting me before laughing with each other. "I love the sound of that name, fallen son. It's very befitting of the violent man, he dared lay his hands on me after speaking to his Ill mannered sibling. I was merely trying to help her out as a fellow princess and this-this demon got feisty." The woman spoke and kaiman chuckled "he's not a demon he's a injured dog that lashes out when he gets cornered. My father has enlightened me regarding your kidnapping situation, our poor prince, I do apologize for your trauma." They laugh again and halo glares at them. "Don't say that about big brother! He is stronger, kinder, and cooler than you will ever be you can't take the throne from my brother" Rui yells "oh? The little pipsqueak actually speaks, your actually quite adorable." the woman dares to reach for my brother. She clearly didn't learn her lesson the last time she put her mangy paws on my sister.
I immediately moved in front of my brother using telekinesis to move her hand away from my brother keeping it in the air. She tried to lower it but no avail, I wouldn't let her go that easy; not this time. I looked down at the short annoying woman "you clearly have not learned your lesson, throne or not I am still the heir as well as the emperors son continue to test my patience and I will show you the tyrant you declare me to be" I state eyes glowing slightly before going back to their normal color. I let go of my hold on her but not without twisting her wrist. She yelled out in pain as I released my hold on her with my curse and her brother moves her behind him stepping into my face. He was about 5 inches shorter than me so I'm not sure what he thought would happen but his height was not intimidating in the least.
"You love to throw your title around emperor son but it will not be your title for long. When Alaric defeats you I will personally kill you myself and that is a promise. Your family will be ruined and we will have all the power. A dog that bites the hands of his owner deserves to get punishe-" before I could get ahold of the brainless prince halo steps in between us using her wind curse to push them away. "You lot have clearly let his challenge of the throne get to your head. You know my brother is not able to harm him so you antagonizes him but the rest of you are not Alaric and I am not my brother. He is still the emperors son and you have made it clear that you do not respect the crown as you have insulted us many times.
      I hope you three are prepared for the consequences pertaining to your actions. Now, I suggest you leave or I will let my brother have his way with you" she folds her arms glaring at them as they roll their eyes making their way to the door "your sister saved you this time fallen son but I will be back!" Alaric yelled before exiting the shop; halo turned to me fixing my shirt before I slapped her hands away creating a portal. I left the money to pay for our meal on the table as We left the shop entering the palace into the common room where our parents were sitting as halo turned to me. "Matheus I-" I raised my hand stopping her apology. "I understand you meant well halo but I did not need your help, you should have let me handle it, I am your big brother" she shakes her head
      "It's not that I didn't think you couldn't handle it because I know that you can but if you lost your temper there they could use that against you! What if you lost your temper and fought Alaric? What if they told the press how you got aggressive? It wouldn't look good! You already hurt that woman's wrist they can create a story or narrative from nothing! They are purposely trying to get a reaction and if I hadn't stepped in you would have indulged and gave them one." "Wait what is going on? Wh-" my father grabs my mothers hand shaking his head. Rui grabbed my hand looking up at me with tear filled eyes. "Please don't be upset big brother, we just wanted to help! You protect me and halo so we protect big brother." He hugged my legs and I sighed.
     "I'm not mad I just... I'm supposed to be protecting you, throne or not I won't allow anyone to touch you or harm you both and that woman dared to reach out for Rui." Rui smiled "but Rui is ok! If that mean lady touched me I would bite her hand like this" he bites my hand and I flinch back shaking it and my family laughs. I roll my eyes creating a portal to my suite in my palace immediately heading for my bed to take a much needed nap.