The Lazy Prince

Chapter 3: Royal duties and not so veiled threats

Valdis Spyridon Aritiri

Present

My body is thrown onto the black leather sofa in their common room by Prince Lucian. A fire place sits to my left centered between two sets of glass doors leading directly into the woods behind the house. All the princes surround me on the adjoining couches. Prince Silas paces in front of me absolutely fuming. Like smoke is literally coming off his head. I must have really pissed him off.

"You do realize that Quint bonds are sacred right?" Prince Silas starts. "They are a gift from the Gods themselves. The Gods approve all Quint bonds and they also have to agree when a Quint decides to break them. You can't just decide to break the bond on your own Lazy Prince. That's not how this works." Prince Silas throws his hand around the room gesturing to the other princes. A vein popping out of his neck as he practically shouts at me. "We all have to agree to breaking the Quint and I don't agree."

Prince Kyro leans forward in his chair. "Silas, I thought we agreed when we felt Atlas..." Prince Kyro chokes and Prince Callum places his hand on Kyro's shoulder in support or comfort or something more. I just can't tell with them. "When Atlas preformed the Ritual," he continues giving me a grimace with his glowing gold eyes, "that we would reject any other candidates."

"That was before Atlas chose his brother and the Gods accepted." Prince Silas sighs, his tone softening as he addresses Kyro. A soft broken smile forming on his face. He looks at his other bond mates before turning back to me with his scowl. "We agreed to not take a new member into the bond, but Atlas went ahead and made the Lazy Prince a member, so now we're stuck with him." Silas runs his fingers through is glossy black hair sighing.

Crossing my legs at my ankle I take a deep breath. It's time to start playing this role since they refuse to see me. "Do I get a say in any of this?" My tone comes out as snobby as I can make it. The scratch ever present in my broken voice. Callum and Lucian both give me a sneer so it must be just snobby enough. "I never asked for this." I tell them in case they really don't know if I did or not.

"It doesn't matter if you did or not." Lucian rumbles. "You're here and Atlas isn't. No matter what you may have wanted this is now your responsibility whether you want it or not." Lucian rubs his hand on Callum's thigh. "You will preform the role that Atlas gave you."

Panic starts to creep in. They can't be tied to me. Not when this temporary freedom hangs over me. Not when they will get hurt as collateral because of me. Instead of showing my panic I give a sneer of my own. "You want to be associated with me? Knowing exactly as the public does, that I am the Lazy Prince. Knowing that I will never be able to live up to anything Atlas stood for." I scoff and stand, smoothing the rumpled lapel of my suit jacket. "You want me to pretend to be a good person for what? For my Kingdom?" I let out a bitter laugh. "For my poor dead parents?" I snort. Sorry mom and dad, I'm sure you both were wonderful people. "For you four." I eye the bewildered expressions on all of their faces. "For Atlas?" I sigh. "I didn't even know him."

"And whose fault is that?" Callum accuses me. Trying to stand and come at me but is restrained by Lucians hand on his thigh. Right, they don't know that Atlas and I couldn't see each other. To them I'm a selfish brat that left my brother with all the responsibilities while I was off having fun and wetting my 'dick'. Gods.

Kyro speaks next his voice coming out stronger than Callum's. "I thought you would have been better than this?" My glowing purple eyes meet his gold and I almost falter. I want to be better than this but I have no idea what the fuck I'm even doing.

"I am who I am." I speak quietly. A thousand meaning under my words but of course they all only see what they have been told to see.

"If you don't preform your duties not only to this bond but to the treaties tied to them, then your life here will be hell." Silas threatens me.