War of the Roses

19. Love and Regret

Henry sat on his dark cell, he started to grow impatient as the uncertainty of his future disturbed his mind. The sound of the rusty metal cell door opening made him look up, and the last person he expected to see appeared before his eyes.

"Brother.." He said, purposely sounding cynical.

"Leave." Philip slightly moved his head to the left side letting the guard behind him know it was him he wanted to be out.

"My lord, I can't..."

"I said out!!!" Philip yelled.

The guard ran away.

"Well well brother, what are you so upset about?" Henry asked sarcastically.

"You know what upsets me? that you are still breathing." Philip replied closing his fists.

"Sorry to disappoint his majesty, the king not always gets his way after all." Henry chuckled trying to provoke his brother.

"What a fool you are. You should have known that this was going to take you nowhere but to execution line, yet you decided to betray me, your brother."

"You speaking of betrayal..." Henry said sarcastically. "The very man who keeps his mistress under the same roof as his wife and selfishly expects her to endure the humiliation of it. Let me tell you this,  no one is more responsible than yourself."

"She is my wife and you are my brother!!" 

"A wife that you mistreated. You don't want her, you want Alice, I only took Samira out of your way, where's the betrayal in that ? I'm in love with her and I can promise you one thing brother, I won't rest until I have her."

"She's not for you to have, she's my wife." Philip replied with gritted teeth. "You exposed her to excessive danger with your actions, her life is in jeopardy right now and if something happens to her I swear on our father's memory that I'll kill you with my own hands." 

"Your wife? funny how YOUR WIFE..." Henry made emphasis in the words 'your wife'. "threw herself at me hours ago." Henry started to laugh trying very hard to be as loud as possible.

"You bastard!!!" Philip lost the last thread of patience he had left and ran over to his brother throwing him across the floor with one single punch.

Henry quickly recovered and drove his fist deep into his brother's face, Philip felt the metallic taste of blood overpowering his mouth. In no time both brothers became tangled in a dangerous wave of violence and struggle.

"You thought you could have everything, guess what... you don't, you have the crown and I have your queen." Henry huffed.

In that moment Philip's sight got blurred by rage, he could not longer control himself. Somehow he managed to storm over his brother landing right on top of him. Suddenly images of Samira kissing Henry while he slowly caressed her body popped in his mind and like if being in a trance he savagely delivered punch after punch on his brother's face, each stronger than the previous one. Blood splashed everywhere and nothing seemed to make him stop. 

Henry's body was starting to slowly weaken when the cell door suddenly opened up. Three guards ran in removing Philip off his brother's unconscious body.

"My lord, please, you'll kill him." One of the guards said.

Philip quickly snapped out of the trance, immediately taking in the scene that unfolded before his eyes, his rage was still there but somehow this time he managed to keep it at bay.  He stormed out of the cell. With long steps, bloody fists and face headed to his study, leaving every person who crossed his path in utter shock and disbelieve.