bored.
Wilhelm replied quite calmly, “She knows we are cursed but she doesn’t know what the curse consists of.” His heart leapt with fear—Alric was obviously playing with him for amusement.
“And Rusuto,” stated Alric. “What do you wish of him?”
Wilhelm’s body began to lose its calm composure. Alric would attack Rusuto instead of him that just seemed out of the question. “Alric…” Wilhelm’s words were captured in his throat.
“Then leave,” muttered Alric. “I wish to not look upon you. I do not want you anywhere near this place, Wilhelm. Understand?” Alric sneered in the darkness out of Wilhelm’s view. He’d give them time until he felt they were close enough. Then, with enjoyment, he’d rip them from each other’s arms. He’d kill Rusuto. Wilhelm still needed to take care of Alric, after all.
Wilhelm paused before saying, “You will allow this?”
Alric walked away without a reply. He slid open the shoji door and stepped out to find the daffodils still in full blood. The plum trees that lined the walkways were beginning to lose their petals. He was dreading the upcoming winter but somehow, in the marrow of his bones, he knew that the last few days of his life were going to be fun.
Alric planned on spending his time torturing Nieves as much as he liked. She wasn’t going anywhere any time soon due to the chains and shackles. Of course, this made Alric want to laugh.
Yet, the giggling of someone stopped him in the process of his maniacal laughter.
“Jacob, catch me!” Eliza yelled behind her with a giggling sound—a sound that made Alric’s stomach twist in disgust. “Catch me! Catch me!”
Alric headed down the path towards the two children racing about the field. Eliza was only ten years of age and she’d lived at the main house since birth. She was one of the cursed unlike her older and younger siblings. Strangely, her parents did not want to keep Eliza even though she was kind hearted and gentle—completely innocent compared to most children cursed.
Jacob, also a young child, age nine, was abandoned at Alric’s home. His father had died from heart failure while his mother never wanted to look upon the child’s face again—she had claimed it reminded her too much of his father. He was a shy child, Alric noted through time, only speaking to Eliza if speaking at all.
“Children.” Alric’s cold voice stopped them in their laughter—Jacob hadn’t been laughing but smiling instead. “What are you doing in this part of the garden?”
Eliza pulled her hands behind her back, stretching childishly at the thought she’d be in trouble. “We just wanted to play, sir. We cannot play in the fields today because there is a gathering.”
“Gathering,” Alric thought mildly. He could not recall there ever being a gathering for any form of holiday. In fact, Alric couldn’t even recall what day it was. He knew it was the month of January but the date itself—even the day of the week—was completely oblivious to him.
Eliza nodded her head as if she’d read the thoughts from his mind. “They said Danzig passed away last night.”
“Did they?” Alric gave a sneer of delight.
Eliza laughed a little, pleased that Alric was smiling though she was far too young to understand that his smile was anything but positive. “So, Jacob and I came here to play.”
Alric’s smile slipped and his expression became plain. “In my garden?”
“Well, we thought…” Eliza bit back her words, noticing the dramatic change in Alric’s visage. He seemed rather upset and ready to strike if provoked. “We thought…”
“What?” Alric glowered. “What did you think?”
Eliza gulped down her fear and sputtered, “We thought that since there was a princess in your room you’d be nicer to us.”
The right corner of Alric’s lip lifted a fraction as if slightly amused. “You thought that I’d be nice to you, Eliza?”
The little girl found it slightly hard to reply to
Wilhelm replied quite calmly, “She knows we are cursed but she doesn’t know what the curse consists of.” His heart leapt with fear—Alric was obviously playing with him for amusement.
“And Rusuto,” stated Alric. “What do you wish of him?”
Wilhelm’s body began to lose its calm composure. Alric would attack Rusuto instead of him that just seemed out of the question. “Alric…” Wilhelm’s words were captured in his throat.
“Then leave,” muttered Alric. “I wish to not look upon you. I do not want you anywhere near this place, Wilhelm. Understand?” Alric sneered in the darkness out of Wilhelm’s view. He’d give them time until he felt they were close enough. Then, with enjoyment, he’d rip them from each other’s arms. He’d kill Rusuto. Wilhelm still needed to take care of Alric, after all.
Wilhelm paused before saying, “You will allow this?”
Alric walked away without a reply. He slid open the shoji door and stepped out to find the daffodils still in full blood. The plum trees that lined the walkways were beginning to lose their petals. He was dreading the upcoming winter but somehow, in the marrow of his bones, he knew that the last few days of his life were going to be fun.
Alric planned on spending his time torturing Nieves as much as he liked. She wasn’t going anywhere any time soon due to the chains and shackles. Of course, this made Alric want to laugh.
Yet, the giggling of someone stopped him in the process of his maniacal laughter.
“Jacob, catch me!” Eliza yelled behind her with a giggling sound—a sound that made Alric’s stomach twist in disgust. “Catch me! Catch me!”
Alric headed down the path towards the two children racing about the field. Eliza was only ten years of age and she’d lived at the main house since birth. She was one of the cursed unlike her older and younger siblings. Strangely, her parents did not want to keep Eliza even though she was kind hearted and gentle—completely innocent compared to most children cursed.
Jacob, also a young child, age nine, was abandoned at Alric’s home. His father had died from heart failure while his mother never wanted to look upon the child’s face again—she had claimed it reminded her too much of his father. He was a shy child, Alric noted through time, only speaking to Eliza if speaking at all.
“Children.” Alric’s cold voice stopped them in their laughter—Jacob hadn’t been laughing but smiling instead. “What are you doing in this part of the garden?”
Eliza pulled her hands behind her back, stretching childishly at the thought she’d be in trouble. “We just wanted to play, sir. We cannot play in the fields today because there is a gathering.”
“Gathering,” Alric thought mildly. He could not recall there ever being a gathering for any form of holiday. In fact, Alric couldn’t even recall what day it was. He knew it was the month of January but the date itself—even the day of the week—was completely oblivious to him.
Eliza nodded her head as if she’d read the thoughts from his mind. “They said Danzig passed away last night.”
“Did they?” Alric gave a sneer of delight.
Eliza laughed a little, pleased that Alric was smiling though she was far too young to understand that his smile was anything but positive. “So, Jacob and I came here to play.”
Alric’s smile slipped and his expression became plain. “In my garden?”
“Well, we thought…” Eliza bit back her words, noticing the dramatic change in Alric’s visage. He seemed rather upset and ready to strike if provoked. “We thought…”
“What?” Alric glowered. “What did you think?”
Eliza gulped down her fear and sputtered, “We thought that since there was a princess in your room you’d be nicer to us.”
The right corner of Alric’s lip lifted a fraction as if slightly amused. “You thought that I’d be nice to you, Eliza?”
The little girl found it slightly hard to reply to
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