You Think I Won't Talk?-Chapter 37

[WARNING: Mentions of Violence]

The silence continued for a few seconds until the Emperor decided to end it.

"Ahem! Hm... Well... Or– Duke, let me send a physician to your daughter, since you are here as guests, it is the least I can do."

"...I appreciate it."

"Then–"

"But I will have to decline."

Francois was surprised by Orland’s refusal. It didn’t make sense to him.

The man who was desperate for years and would jump to search for a doctor to treat his daughter because of a tiny cut of paper... was rejecting the opportunity to get The Royal Physician to examine Marianne.

"...Why?... You! Why are you acting like this?! You never said anything concrete about her illness! Now that I’ve seen it, how...!"

The Emperor gritted his teeth and his face stiffened, knowing that he shouldn’t continue to reproach him. Francois realized now that, the reason why Orland never told him anything clearly about what symptoms his daughter suffered was...

’...! .... I... I never asked... not even once.’

The realisation shocked him. He felt how his blood went cold and swallowed incredulous at himself.

"Calm down Frois... It’s still early to know if it’s something serious."

The hand that his friend put on his shoulder as he told him to relax, made Francois widen his eyes. He knew that Orland was clever enough to understand what was about to go through his foolish mind.

"B-but she..."

A soft smile appeared on the Duke’s face.

"You know... she... Marianne stopped talking when she was six. I haven’t heard her voice ever since."

These words captured Zeleskiaz’s attention just as he was about to decide to leave the room, causing him to stay to hear further.

"At the time, she began acting strange and refused to eat or leave her room for months... and when she finally came out... there was no trace of emotion on her face. I did everything I could for years and even until recently, I was still looking for any clue I could get..."

"..."

"... But... The day after I announced her assistance to the Ball... do you know what happened?"

"..."

"She came to my office for the first time, drank tea with me... I saw her write, and managed to have a conversation like this. That child... even comforted this useless father of hers..."

"...Orland..."

"She’s getting better... I know she is. We just need to give her space."

Francois stared at Orland astonished by all he was told. He took a second to organize his thoughts and replied to his friend.

"..... I understand. I won’t meddle anymore, just... tell me if anything happens."

The Duke displayed a face showing disgust at the Emperor’s suggestion and said harshly.

"..... I don’t want to."

"Why!?"

"You are annoying! Just look at yourself! Why in the bloody hell are you crying now?!"

"Shut up! It’s all your fault!... Insensitive b*stard..."

"Stop now. I should go back for now....... Mm, your Highness..."

The Prince who was lost in thoughts, motionless, met the Duke’s eyes. It was a great thing that he had a poised attitude when in thought; since it allowed him to conceal his lack of attention.

"I am terribly sorry that I have shown you such unsightly behaviour. Please, do not think badly of me."

"... I do not mind."

Nodding in acceptance, he turned to look at his father and in a mocking tone, added.

"It was quite entertaining to watch."

An almost unperceivable sneer was displayed by him.

The Emperor, who was wiping his face with a handkerchief, perceived his son’s gaze as he uttered those words and decided to act busy to avoid meeting those devious hyacinth eyes.

’Tsk! What did I even call him here for?! D*mn brat...’

"I see... Then, if you will excuse me... I will take my leave. Let us meet next time, Your Highness... your Majesty."

The Duke left the Room, leaving the embarrassed father with his apathetic son.

In this situation, Francois wouldn’t last long. So, soon, he would turn his back and leave as well, permitting his son to retire to his quarters.

As soon as he saw a slight sign of movement, the Crown Prince spoke in a distant voice, stopping the Emperor from leaving.

"I did not know you were so close with Duke Sylfinnier."

He said as he walked in his direction with silent steps, and passed by his side as if he was mere air. Once at the door he said as a farewell, a line that, given his personality, was most certainly perceived as a bad omen.

"...I am glad to know, Your Majesty."

Alone now in the ominous stillness, the virtue of a Royal Audience Room, Francois could only release a weak lengthy sigh... comprehending that, from now on, the little authority he had over the Crown Prince would only get more difficult to maintain.

*******

The bedroom was dark. The curtains, along with the windows had been closed until now. The stuffing air felt reassuring to breathe in.

Clean pure air would only complicate the confusing thoughts echoing continuously in his head. Therefore, he did not think of opening the windows in the slightest. Such pure oxygen would help him disclose some kind of answer to the questions... Questions he did not want an answer for.

’Why?’

Grasping the edge of the cloth that hid the cage, Zeleskiaz began to recite one by one all the doubts wandering, without taking a clear shape, in his head.

’She’s not supposed to speak.’

’She’s not supposed to smile.’

’...Nonetheless... she did.’

Recalling the slight movement of the Lady’s lips as she said the unheard words, and how, little before that, a supposedly inconceivable smile took shape in that delicate visage, made him suspect greatly of what he saw.

"...an illusion..."

Letting the cloth drop off his hand while muttering the conclusion, he went towards the window. Forgetting his previous unwillingness to open it, he did it without opening the curtains properly.

Fresh air slowly entered through the gap between the curtains, causing their fabric to flutter slightly to the soft breeze that found its way into his lungs.

’It must have been an illusion...’

Reflecting on his conclusions, the motive for this possibility was merely that... she was too beautiful to be true.

For the Crown Prince to think that way was already unthinkable.

Until he heard what the Duke said about his daughter... He considered what he had seen the day before, as solely something that could rarely be seen. However, now he knew that was certainly not the case.

Such a scene was not supposed to happen.

’... to smile at me and not her father...’

"Ridiculous."

The bit of light slipping in through the thick curtains, along with the dim wind, fell as a thin line on his countenance, slowly unfolding his locked nature. His cold amethyst eyes suddenly became full of crimson red. The fast engulfment of his violet colour incited the splitting hunger to emerge.

However, a different thirst took over him this time.

One that he had yet to experience until now.

Not able to identify the new craving, he did as he usually would.

In a big step, he closed the distance to the hidden cage. Grabbing the fabric, he violently took it off the cage and, unable to control his strength, ripped it thanks to the forceful movement.

He opened the cage, and, as he did, a big roar came out of him.

"Bring it!!!"

The strong voice made the Palace tremble. Every servant knew what to do at the alarming noise that could only come from the Crown Prince’s bedroom.

Zeleskiaz began taking bird after bird out of the cage. As soon as he caught one, his big hand, tensed by the voracious hunger, crushed the creature without pause and squeezed it strongly enough for the body to fall off, leaving only the ground up head on his hand. Dropping the remains on the floor, he took the next one and the next one until they could not be counted anymore given how rotten the bodies had become.

When only two remained untouched inside the cage, a quick knock on the door was heard.

No answer was necessary. The servants entered hastily with three enormous covered cages and left as soon as all three were inside the room.

The countless new brought creatures were smashed one by one, mercilessly, without delay.

None was left alive nor whole.

Even so, it still was not nearly enough for him.

Gasping for breath, he looked at the lifeless disfigured bodies on the floor, covered in a thick pool of an almost black liquid. The smell was suffocating, but it did not affect him.

Before calling for additional cages, he stepped on several corpses and made sure that those he stepped in, did not leave a trace of their existence.

The feathers that resisted this obliteration, were slowly swallowed by the blood. Disappearing without leaving a trace over the gore that engulfed them.

Around when the seventh body was erased, he stopped in place while looking at his feet.

An impassive countenance that could not be read, possessed the Prince.

Overly conscious of the sound of his own breathing, he roared once again, louder than earlier.

"IT’S NOT ENOUGH! MORE!"

His voice rumbled through the walls and, just as he ended his bellow, servants entered with one last special cage. As they moved it with great effort, Zeleskiaz went to a corner of the room, where his two-bladed sword was kept. Lifting it from its podium, he turned fastly and threw the weapon to the still covered target, as if it were a weightless lance.

The sound of pierced flesh, along with a weak howl, was heard from under the fabric. One end of the long sword could be seen peeking out of it.

As he shortened the distance to the cage, the little trembling of the blade ceased completely.

Whatever was inside that cage... had already perished to the impact.