The fall

Chapter 14

Blake

"What happened to you?" Said Lucian while raising a questionable eyebrow at my very visible red hand mark across my cheek. I reach my hand to rub it soothingly with an annoyed sigh—we are walking to our father's estate on the other side of the soldiers inn's districts, I reach my hand for the door knob as I mumble.
"I do not want to talk about it."

Long story short, I flirted with my girlfriend too hard that she slapped me in a panic. She apologized immediately and of course I forgave her immediately, cause the things I'd go through for her.

Me and Lucian head inside the estate and there he was—the former commander of Sylvan, our father. He stands up from his chair before kneeling down slightly to give Lucian a hug before embracing me with an old man laugh.
"There are my sons, how's the soldier life treating you?"

That smile was as fake as his entire personality, he only kept up this act in front of Lucian or Penelope—but when he was with me, he only cared about work or business. Not his own sons.
Lucian looks up at him in admiration before speaking in a slight excited tone.
"It's been great, dad, I have to show you the tricks brother and Penelope has taught me!"

Dad ruffles up Lucian's hair with an affectionate smile before gesturing to the servants across the halls to escort him to his room, guess I'm in for it now.
"Go too your room for now, I have too talk too your brother—I'm excited too see what you've learned."
Lucian scurries off with the servants immediately before my dad sits back onto the couch, crossing his legs and arms. Waiting for me to sit down aswell. In which I do after a moment.

He looks at me with that fake smile of his.
"How is everything going for you?" He starts.

I sigh, so this is how we are starting.
"Very well, everyone is treating me nicely as the new commander."

He nods in confirmation.
"And Penelope?"

I look down, clenching my fists hard. I knew he'd ask for updates as usual, but my chest hurts—the burden of hiding this huge secret from her is isolating me. I can never have her find out the truth, she will hate me for the rest of her life.
"She's doing alright, still isn't suspecting anything after all these years."

He nods once more before leaning into whisper in my ear as his eyes are widen in slight danger, I sit up straighter before averting my head at my father's threatening whisper.
"Good, we can't have you slipping up now that your relationship is serious. If she finds out we are the ones who killed her mother and not the people of Valort, she'll kill us all. Understood?"

I bow my head, correction—you killed her mother, father—not me, not anyone else. You. I was three, watching you slaughter an innocent woman by the Valort boarder while taking her infant daughter from her. Cause you wanted the disguise as a "hero" in Penelopes eyes, saving her from a danger that was right in front of her. While here I was, your eldest son calling out for your approval.