Sangria (BWWM) (On Hiatus)

Chapter 10- A Disgrace

The sons of Cezar were always a bizarre bunch. There was always something strange about the entire royal family, but those boys... Cezar, when he was alive, knew that the children he sired were, for lack of a better word, unconventional. They never played by the rules. And surely it would stay that way long after he passed.

In most monarchies, the first-born son would be the one to inherit the throne should something happen to the ruling monarch. Ioan, however, was never fit to rule. The boy was selfish, shallow, unreliable, and frankly, downright annoying. Not to mention that he was the least powerful. Cezar wanted his strongest son to take the helm, he pushed for it. Ioan was not that.

Fane was the next in line, second born of his four sons. He was the most bizarre. Since he was a little boy, he marched to the beat of his own drum. His eyes always attracted unwanted attention, for they were two different colors. Some people considered him demon possessed, thought that the devil inhabited his body. It did not help that his strength and power were five times that of his older brother. His father always tried his damndest to make the boy interested in fostering his natural-born talents, but Fane could never be bothered. He never seemed to be proud of his family or his rank or his duty to the throne. When he was old enough to leave, he took the first opportunity to do just that. When Cezar was murdered, Fane was half-way across the world.

Dracul, the third-born, was the most like his father. He was motivated by duty. He was a natural-born leader. His father found him adequate for the throne. Dracul was never bothered by the fact that he was not the first choice to rule. His father made certain that he was to be the best ruler possible, strong and unwavering, wise and patient, yet gentle and thoughtful. At least, in terms of his kingdom and his people. Family duties and feelings were not always a priority.

That's not to say that Dracul did not care about his family. On the contrary, he cared very deeply about their safety. It did not always translate in the actions that he took, though in the long run, his intentions became apparent. So when Vincentius turned up at his doorstep after all these years, the need to protect his family became his priority.

The boy was nothing but a traitorous leech! The fact that Celeste was so bent on welcoming him back in his ancestral home with such open arms burned him to his very core.

"Dracul, please talk to me," she pleaded as he stomped his way toward their shared bedroom.

Finally, he stopped and turned quickly to face her. His indignation was in plain sight for her to observe. "Have you so easily forgotten what he has done to us? How could you be so naïve?"

Celeste sighed deeply. She knew that the subject of their first-born and his actions was a sore spot for him, even after all these years. "Dracul, he is our son."

"He was our son when he made his choice, Celeste. That fact did not stop him from doing what he did."

"It has been years since that happened, mon amour. He's grown so much over the years, and I do forgive him."

Dracul scoffed in response. "The boy staged a coup with our enemies and put our lives in danger! You and Nikolai could have lost your lives, and you forgive him? I could have lost you, Celeste. Do you not understand that?"

She nodded. "I do understand. The fact that he is my own flesh and blood has made it even more difficult to accept, but I think I can finally push passed it. Somewhere he is still the loving young man that we raised. Plus, since the monarchy is dissolved, it is now ancient history."

"Ancient history? You cannot be serious..." He wiped his face in frustration. "Celeste, people like him do not change. He is a selfish leech who only cares about himself, and there will always be something that he will put over the well-being of his own loved ones. He cannot be trusted. That Gabrielle girl will learn that the hard way when he fucks her over. She's engaged to him and doesn't even truly know who she is cavorting with."