Paranoia

‘Zekiel’s Point Of View’

Tears fell from my eyes as five-year-old me watched my father go into the fire.

“Come on child, you can’t stay here!” A man picked me up and threw me over his shoulders as he made for the exit.

“N-no, please no. What about father?!” I protested, kicking and hitting, but he didn’t react. He just kept running.

“It’s for the best child,” was the only thing he managed to say in my despair.

My mother died giving birth to me, I couldn’t possibly lose my father too.

But I did.

“Your best soldier is dead, Your Majesty.” The man who had carried me declared.

She wiped the tears from her eyes. “Where is the child?”

“He’s here,” the man said, as he gestured for me to be brought in.

My cry was the loudest thing in the palace that day. 

My father was dead. The only person I had. I was nothing but a soldier’s son.

I didn’t know what was going to happen to me.

They handed me over to the queen and she placed me on her lap.

She forced a laugh. “Hey little one, why are you crying?”

My cry only grew louder.

“Shhh,” she said as she stroked my hair softly. “Daddy isn’t gone, he is just somewhere you can’t go yet.”

My crying finally stopped and I stared at her in confusion.

She giggled again, pulling me in for a hug. Little droplets of water began seeping into the back of my shirt.

“F-for now, you’ll be with me. You have absolutely nothing to worry about. Y-you, Kael, and Lucien will have so much fun.” She said in between sobs.

She pulled away, stroking my hair once more before whispering the words, “It’s going to be okay.”

Later, she took me to meet the two boys.

“Say hello to your new brother.” She placed me in front of Kael and Lucien.

Kael looked exactly like his mother, grey eyes and lush black hair. 

Lucien on the other hand had ice cold eyes like the king, though his hair color was a very unique silver which neither of the parents had.

Kael’s eyes widened. “Woah! Mother made another one of us.”

The queen smiled as she picked up Kael. “No Kaelen, I can’t take the credit of another beautiful woman. But regardless he is your brother.”

Lucien stared at me with an indifferent expression.

Her attention shifted to him. “You didn’t say anything Lucien.”

He shrugged his shoulders.

“Do we have an agreement?”

He gave a slight nod.

She patted his head. “Good.”

“Lucien isn’t much of a talker, but he doesn’t mean harm.” She said as she placed Kael down. “I’ll leave you three now, have fun children.”

Kael grabbed my hand as we ran down the hallway.

And for the first time I didn’t feel like I was  just a soldier’s son. 

I felt like a prince.

I wore the same attire as them, ate like them, learnt what they learnt. 

Lucien would relate with me a few times but it was really Kael and I who hit it off from the start, though we’d fight a lot. 

One time we entered mothers room despite all the warnings.

“Come back! We can’t be here if mother isn’t,” Lucien yelled in a low tone.

But we didn’t listen.

There was this new crystal vase that was wheeled in the other day and it sat beautifully at the center of her desk. 

Kael picked it up instantly.

“Stop, I wanted to hold it first,” I said as I latched onto the other side.

We began dragging it between ourselves.

“I’m warning you both.” Lucien’s voice was low but stern.

A sharp crack rang through the room as the glass hit the ground, sending pieces flying everywhere.

I hissed as some grazed my feet, so did Kael. 

Lucien just stood there with a face of ‘I told you so.’

“Look what you did Kael!”

“Me? Are you oka—”

“WHAT WAS THAT!” Mother’s voice echoed throughout the hallway. She appeared in less than a minute.

Her expression darkened as she saw the pieces of her vase everywhere. 

She shut her eyes. “Who did it?”

Everywhere was silent.

“For the last time, who did it?!” 

“It was m—” Kael was about to speak before I interrupted him.

“It was me, I’m sorry mother.”

“Zekiel is lying, it was actually me, mother,” Lucien interjected.

Her eyes remained closed but her expression had relaxed.

“I’m going to count to three. Whoever I see on three, is the culprit.”

“One.”

“Two.”

We screamed as we ran away.

~~~~~

“Why are you laughing?” Kael asked as he stared out the window.

“Remember that time you broke mother’s vase?”

Kael gave a low chuckle. “Yeah I do.”

Everywhere was quiet for a while.

“Wait. What do you mean by ‘you’?” Kael demanded.

“You know what I mean,” I said, smirking.

“Mad man,” he muttered to himself.

“I heard you.”

“As you should.”

A laugh escaped me just before it turned to a sigh.

“But seriously, we have to get to the end of this. The more I think of it, mother’s death was truly not normal.”

“I’ve been saying this. It was far from mere sickness. And now it’s clear someone is trying to hide something. We have to tell Lucien.”

“Agreed.”

Kael kept staring out the window.

“You’ve been spacing out since you returned yesterday.” 

I grinned knowing what I was about to say next would trigger him.

“Or your unreal woman has suddenly become real?”

He turned in the blink of an eye. “Shut up.”

“Oh sorry, did I hit a spot?”

He crossed the room in a second, tugging on my collar. 

I shut my eyes and hung my head sideways while sticking out my tongue like a dead goat.

He shook me violently before letting go. “Seriously you’re so annoying.”

“So am I right?”

He didn’t answer.

“Look, let’s go to the entertainment room together tomorrow night to clear our heads a bit.”

“You know I’ve never been interested in such, Zeke.”

“You’re not getting any younger Kael.”

“We are the same age.”

"At least I’m living life.”

“No I d—”

“No protests this time!”

********

‘Evadne’s Point of View’

Every unusual sound made my hair stand.

I tried to kill the thought of potentially being watched, but it just wouldn’t die.

Mira.

I really wanted to see her, especially since she still sounded unsure after her husband being arrested, but paranoia had made it skip my mind.

“Stupid, stupid,” I muttered to myself as I hurried home in the chilly evening.

I got to my door and the first thing I noticed was that the handle had been tampered with. 

Not broken or spoilt. But obviously rattled.

My eyes scanned the ground. It had drizzled this morning so everywhere was slightly muddy.

My heart dropped to my stomach when I noticed it.

Footprints. 

Half of it led up to my door, the other half had been washed away so I couldn’t see where it came from.

I couldn’t help but notice how curved they were. Whoever it was must be suffering from clubbed feet and I hope it continues to bend inwards and burst out from the sides.

I gave a justified nod at my thought because whoever it was didn’t want me to be at peace and they shouldn’t either.

As much as I hate to admit it, Kael had been right. 

I hurried inside and made sure the door was closed tight. I let out a relieved sigh when I looked around my house. Everything seemed like I had left it.

I moved to the curtains and made sure even a single beam of light couldn’t pass through.

I picked up a stone pestle as a form of protection, walked over to my bed then sat uncomfortably at its edge.

Time began passing by as I drowned my head with questions.

Why is this even happening?

Who could it be?

Is someone just fooling around?

If not, what could the person possibly want?

Should I be panicking more than I am?

A soft, sudden tap on my window snapped me out of my thoughts, making my breath hitch.

I didn’t dare to go check at first but then I heard it again. 

I cautiously made my way to the curtains, pestle in one hand, prayers in the other.

I pried them open slowly just before shoving it away completely.

There was nothing there.

I closed it back immediately, returning to where I was sitting.

My heart hammered in my chest as I laughed at myself.

Maybe I was the one going insane.

The laugh instantly faded to a frown. 

But was it selfish that I had a glimpse of hope that maybe, just maybe, Kael would be the one standing there wearing a smug look?

I rolled my eyes at myself because who did I think I was?

Not even after how I behaved.

I laid back, and stared at the ceiling.

There was no way I was shutting my eyes tonight.