The Half Heir

7

    "You are just a lonely girl who feels like nobody loves you or will ever love you  because you are not good enough." I say, tilting my head.
 
    All colour drains away from Lucia's face, making her extremely pale and then as rage overtakes her, her face turns red. Well well guess who is angry now. She certainly does not seem to be able to take it well when people talk back to her or tell her about her insecurities.

   "You do not know what you are talking about you filthy half breed!" She kinda yells, walking towards me.

   "If i do not know what i am talking about or if what I am talking about is true, then why does it look like i hit a nerve?" I ask her, my voice smooth.

    "You do not talk to me like that you half breed! I will torture you in the most exquisite ways." She threatens and i laugh.

   "But you cannot do that can you Lucia? You cannot hurt me because if you do, your father will be very disappointed with you." I say, happy with myself to have found the weak spot.

   "I... no.... Father...." She trails off, looking away.

     For the first time since i met her, she looks like a girl. Not an heir or an hardened warrior but like a girl. She seems vulnerable. And then in an instant, it is gone. She snarls at me. She looks really vicious and i am really scared. I am risking a lot for this confrontation. But this confrontation is what i have been planning since the moment i met her. This confrontation is going to be the key to the many plans i have in mind.

   "You dont need to pretend anymore Lucia. I know. I know why you do what you do and why you pretend to hate me. I understand but you dont always have to play the bad guy. You do have another choice. You just dont see it." I tell her, softening my voice.

   Lucia's snarl falters and i see it in her eyes. I see the pain and the fear she tries so hard to mask all the time. But i see right through the mask. I know a hurt and lonely girl when i see one because i was a lonely and hurt girl once too.

   "I understand because i know how it feels. You feel this need to keep doing the bad deeds for him. You keep doing it to prove your worth. You do it for his love and attention. You do everything just to be acknowledged by your father." I say, my voice gentle.

   Lucia stiffens, unsure of what to do with me. She eyes her dagger for a moment but then drops the idea of chopping me into tiny little pieces. Then her shoulders drop and her entire posture relaxes. She sighs and to my surprise smiles at me. She gives me a genuine smile. Wow. I did not see that coming. She comes and sits in front of me, folding her legs. She looks at me curiously. I do the same.

   She looks really differnet when she doesnt look like she wants to kill me. She looks so much younger. She looks more human. Her silver eyes dont look like shards of glass anymore, they seem warmer. All this time, i thought she was the kind of beautiful which awed people but also terrified them. No one would ever reach out to her when she looked like she had wanted to kill them all. But now she looked really approachable.

  "How did you figure it all out?" She asks me. Her voice sounds so different when she isnt spitting insults.

    "I saw a little bit of me in you. Also when people are hurt, they tend to lash out without any proper reason. You have been doing that with me and Cheryl. You dont lash out at Edwin or King Lucas. You dont lash out at Edwin because he doesnt come in your way. King Lucas is the one who hurt you. But you cannot lash out on him. Not while he is so strong. So instead, you started working for him and when he liked what you did, it made you feel special. It made you feel like there is someone looking after you. So when Cheryl and i came over, you felt threatened. And that is why you have acted the way you have." I conclude.

   I have been studying Lucia the past few days. I have seen her talk to the soldiers she commands. She looked at home when she was with them. I had been really surprised when i had noticed that. Then i had seen how she was when she was with King Lucas. She was manipulative, strong and a stone hearted bitch. When she was with Edwin. She was kind and caring. She took good care of him.

    She was faking it when she was with King  Lucas. All i had to do was keep an eye on her and think about why she was acting the way she was. It wasn't surprising to know that King Lucas was a douche. Anyone would agree. The reason Lucia had it out for us, especially me was because of that selfish psychotic bastard. Well you all didnt think that i had just been chilling all these days right?

   People always expect me to be dumb. And i always let them underestimate me. I love to see the look on their faces when they realise that i know exactly what they were doing the whole time. Lucia was really complicated though. I guessed as best as i could but i wasnt exactly sure with where i was taking this. I needed Lucia to spill some of the beans and help me get to the end of her story.

    "You almost learnt the whole truth. Almost. You are right about me pretending and also about how i lash out. But you are not right about me trying to impress my father. Once, a few centuries ago, yes i would do anything for him but not anymore. Things have changed." She tells me, almost whispering.

    I look around to see if anyone is around but the training grounds are empty. I close my eyes and cast a spell that would make sure that no one would hear anything we speak. I am actually surprised that Lucia is opening up to me. I wasnt expecting it. I was kinda expecting her to threaten me and then break some of my bones. But then well i am happy that she is opening up to me. She is not as bad as she acts.

   "Nobody will be able to hear us. You can talk without fear." I tell her and that seems to lift a weight off her and she quickly started talking.

   "My mother died because a vampire attacked her. Father loved her very dearly. So when we lost her, he went insane. He went and found the The First Vampires and promised to be their slave for eternity if they turned us all. He had become very paranoid. He kept worrying that he would lose me and Edwin as well. I didnt want to be turned. I didnt want to turn into the thing that killed my mother. But he wouldnt listen. Edwin was so shocked and sad that he didnt even fight father. But I did. I fought until they had to bind me. When i was turned i was furious. I felt so violated. Father and i fought for decades. Edwin kept his distance from us but also kept us both alive. Father trained us very hard. He is very stubborn. A few decades later, The First Ones approached us. They wanted us to kill Anois. We did as we were told. Even though i fought for him and stayed by his side, i never forgave him. Edwin joined the Hunters and stayed away. I had to take up all the responsibilities of the kingdom. But no matter what i did, it was never enough for him. He kept saying that only a man can continue a man's legacy. When Edwin discovered about how Father treated me, Edwin left and vowed to never ever rule this kingdom. Father had no choice but declare me as the heir. But he wasnt happy about it and reminded me about it every single day. And then i decided to do what he did, i became him. I became an exact copy of him. I became a monster. At first he was weary but slowly he started accepting me. The more bad deeds i did, the more he accepted me. And that is how i have become the miserable and hateful creature that i am." Lucia explained.

   I just nodded along, i was going to need sometime to be able to digest everything Lucia revealed. Well i was happy i knew her side of the story. I truly felt bad for her. This just proved what i had suspected from the beginning, King Lucas is a monster. I just hated him more now. How can any man torture his own daughter like this? Lucia had to turn into a monster for him. Thats just not right.

  "Thank you so much for opening up to me Lucia. I wasnt expecting it but i am so grateful you trusted me enough to talk to me." I tell her with a smile, she smiles back.

   I feel a pang in my heart. She looked so beautiful and warm when she smiled. King Lucas destroyed her but not completely. She was still fighting. She wasnt a complete monster yet. That is great. I would make sure that she never truly turns into a monster. When i had found that i could turn into a monster, i was so terrified. I cant even imagine what Lucia went through all these years.

   "You havent even heard the best part yet Chantel." She says, her smile turning into an evil smirk.

   "And what is the best part?" I ask, feeling excited that Lucia is telling me more about her.
  
    "I am going to kill my Father and you are going to help me." She says without any hesitation or doubt.