The Cursed Princess Club fanfic: The Secret of The Plaid Family

Ch. 7

Ch.7

The late morning sun shone through the tall windows of the Plaid Castle's grand dining hall. All the members of the Plaid family were seated at the long dining room table. Save for one.

King Leland, as expected, was seated at the head of the table, tucking into a bowl of oatmeal topped with colorful fruit. Blaine was seated next to him with the same meal, taking small bites with very little enthusiasm. Lance was seated two seats away from Blaine, stirring his oatmeal around mindlessly. His wide jittery pupils were fixed on the thick milky surface of his breakfast. The queen was, as usual, sitting far away near the end of the table. Blaine cast a glance over to his younger brother. Lance looked awful, his tan skin was paler than milk saturated tea, his eyes were red rimmed, moist, and bloodshot; He looked like he had been crying the whole night. His normally loose and carefree body language was now stiff and tightly wound like a pressured bed spring. Blaine also did not get much sleep that night, but he was able to hide it with plenty of cover up and water. When Lance's eyes locked with his, his heart ached as he took in the pure sorrowed laced desperation shimmering in their depths. Blaine mouthed out "You okay?" Before Lance could respond, their father cleared his throat, everyone turned to face him, except for his wife.

"Boys, I have terrible news. Last night..... There was a murder."

Blaine's heart skipped a beat; Lance held his breath as he clenched his spoon so tight his knuckles turned white. "The monster has escaped. He attacked and killed one of the guards and put the other one in the infirmary in critical condition."

Blaine felt himself shiver as the grim news descended on him like a storm. On the other hand, Lance let his body go slack as relief flooded his tense muscles. Their Father's eyes darkened as he spoke again, "This is a call to war, boys. This barbaric beast somehow snuck on to royal grounds and has been among us for god knows how long. Do you know what this means? It means that we have been too soft on beings like this. We knowingly allow their kind to socialize in our town, own businesses, and even marry and have relations with..... Other humans. Just the thought of someone deranged enough to permit such a defilement to themselves..... Even have a child with them..... Makes me sick to my stomach. We have been too lenient on these abominations to nature, we need to start making more rules to contain them.... Keep them in line. Or else more bloodshed will happen." Suddenly, The king stood up, knocking his knees into the table causing it to shake. "That is why, as a response to this call to anarchy and debauchery, the kingdom will see the creation of the Royal Creature Control unit. An armed force that will be tasked and trained to fight off these beasts and protect human lives." His cold hard eyes peered down to his sons,

"Blaine. Lance. I'm counting on both of you to lead in the creature control campaign."

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While his eyes were still closed, Frederick smiled happily as the warmth of the sun chased away the cold of the night. His whole body felt like he was embraced in a soft blanket; He curled deeper into it, wanting to soak in all its comfort.

Wait a minute......

He forced his eyes opened, to see that the tan yellow canvas of a tent. What the-!? He sat up with a jolt and scanned the small space. Where am I? How long have I been asleep? Did I just get kidnapped? Shit, how did I not wake up? Then he hears a sizzling sound outside the tent. He crept over to the flap and pulled it open. The first sensation that came to him was the savory aroma of eggs and frying meat. It would have made him relax if he didn't see what was in front of him. A large, heavy built man with snow white hair was leaning over a small fire, back to the tent. FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKK.... Ok, just.....quietly head over to the treeline.... Wait, he'll catch me in no time... Oh, how about I push him into the fire and then make a break for it... Yeah that's a way better plan. Frederick slowly crawled out of the tent and towards the stranger, ready to do just that.