A distant scream startled Seth awake. His face felt stiff and bruised as his dislocated himself from the ground like an extra layer of skin. Had he been crying? There’s always holes in his memories. It’s been so long since he felt like he was not his own. Seth tried to brush his hair out of his face, but his hands didn’t make it too far past his waist. His ankles was also restricted with his eyesight and he was a bit cold. “Where am I? I’m hungry.” Another scream echoes around him that he could recognize as female. He should see what that is. It is his job to protect the castle and King. He could use this break as an excuse. The king would not take that excuse, though. Seth have been in worse situations.

Seth dropped his arms to the ground then bent them behind his back squeezing his right shackle until it warped and snapped. He then took his blindfold off in time for the screams he heard be masked in sobs. It was Elaine. He heard her cry enough times to know. She must be having another episode. It’s usually not this public. Seth wondered if something was truly the matter as he looked around the slightly familiar room. The ground was covered in dirt, but he knew there was boards underneath. The walls were covered in stone except for a door, but he knew another smaller room was on the other side. A long writing table was about two feet to the right of him covered in journals, two chairs, one with a pillow. To the left was a chamber pot and a jug of water. Seth’s stomach growled at him as he set his sights on the water as his next course of action. Then there was a closed door in front of him with several footprints in the dirt. There was no way to tell how fresh. There was no information so far and the jug of water distracted him from any in-depth thought process. He looked down to find the reason for the draft, he was completely naked. He didn’t usually wake up naked in a room like this. With Alex, Stranger, or even alone in a bed, but never a room such as this. What is going on? “Hello, “he called loud enough for if someone was near, they should hear, but not a scream. There was no return. He did the same to his left shackle that he did to right. His right hand is considerable weaker, so it took three times as long, but he got it in time. Seth rocked back in forth on his heels until on the fifth or sixth rock he rolled on to his feet, shattering the chains in the process.

He stretched side to side, touched his toes, reached up and curled his toes melting into the satisfying pops and cracks. How long was he in that position? It doesn’t matter. He ran to the melting tear drop and inhaled the stale water. Clothes, luckily the door was unlocked. He peaked around the corner and all the chaos came flooding in. it was a bit overwhelming to the dull headache echoing throughout his skull.

“Who did it? I wanna know who did it?! …My poor baby.” Elaine was hysterical through her sobs. Seth could hear whispers and many footsteps. What was going on? It doesn’t sound like an unwarranted fit. He didn’t have the time to find out. He need to get dressed before anyone witness him this way. It sounded like all the commotion was in the opposite direction of his room. There should be a uniform at the foot of his bed. He walked around the door slowly, easing it closed until a click. He heard more steps adding to group. Should he go back inside, but there was no door. “tch!”

“Rat!” he turned and located the splitting image of his mother down the hall staring him down without shame. “Where are you running of to? Come here” Others began filing out the room. Seth covered his privates left over right. “Lady Gabriella, I must change first.”

“Come here.” She demanded. Seth looked to where the door was, the direction of his room, and then back to Gabriella. “Now!”

Cameron came from behind her. “What’s going?”

“I found Seth, that rat. He did this and now he’s hiding.”

“Seth, why are you naked? Come here brother.” Cameron removed is shirt tan on display. Reluctantly Seth walked towards the chaos. He didn’t like where this was going. “Here.” Cameron stretched out his neck hole and pulled the shirt over Seth’s head down to his waist, the constant gentleman. “What happened, brother?” He looked down at Seth understandingly. Seth did not understand. What did happen? He looked from Cameron to Gabriella Annemarie to Gabriel to Raisin (a young boyish maid) to Elizebeth inside what appeared to be a little girl’s fantasy bedroom and there on the ground was the beautiful Elaine towered over a small blanket. What is going on? Elizabeth looked up. Her eyes swollen from excessive tears. “Brother.” She breathed. She has never acknowledged him as her brother. “Brother. Why. She was child.”

He took a step towards the door.

“King, Father.” Everyone greeted the King. “Brother.” And Alex heading to the crowd. “What is going on here?” all children moved out the way for Vess and Alex to make their way into the room. Alex eyed his sister then bent down to the young Alda-Cassidy placed his hand under nose. “What happened?” Alex asked.

Elaine looked up noticing Vess, Alex, and then Seth. “That monster. Get rid of him. He’s a monster look what he did to my baby.” Seth came closer taking notice of Alda-Cassidy appearing as a small parian doll devoid of all lusters. Her normally bouncy curls disheveled and dreading. “There.” Elaine pointed to his neck, “that there proves your little pet is a monster.” Seth felt his neck and he felt three long close together scratches and one shallow scratch. Alex stood up, removed his hand, and examined what appear to be deep scratches. Seth took more notice of Alda-Cassidy: her nails was broken, and neck was bruised.

“She loved that monster and look how he repays her, with death. Maybe more. I didn’t have the heart to check. Please.” she begged, “kill that monster.”

The King took a heavy visual sigh. “Everyone leave us.”

“King father, Mother.” Cameron warned. Cassandra came running down the hall barefoot in her night gown with two ladies behind her: one with slippers and one a brush. They all let her pass. When she entered the room and took in the scene, she gasp into the Kings shoulder. “What is happening? Is the baby…oh is the baby.”

The king took his wife’s small frame in his oversized hands and traced her form from her head to her waist. “Can you check?” he asked. “Everyone else, leave us.” All the children left except for Alex. “Seth.” With only a single word Seth knew that meant for him to stay.

Cassandra went and took Elizabeth’s position on across from Elaine. “Elaine I’m going to need you to focus with me.” She took her sister hands in her own. Elaine wiped her face and nodded. They placed their hand against each other like preparing a game of patty cake then they each put their right hand on Alda-Cassidy’s head and the other form a circle around her navel. Soon they began to glow, an innate calmness filled the room, all previous tension washed away. Seth could feel his muscles relaxing, his breathing slowing, and his mind clearing. He no longer cared what was happening. Everything felt right and then everything felt incredibly wrong. Very wrong, he was immediately nauseous, and shaking it was hard for him to stand. Alex noticed him and pulled him outside. Seth was panting, his head spinning caught halfway between a high and a panic attack. He grabbed the wall for support, sliding down to the ground. He was suddenly tired. Alex bent down discerningly looked him in the eye. Seth’s world was spinning and drowning, spinning, and drowning. He grabbed Alex’s sleeve for added support, but he yanked it away. Wiping where he touched him like he was poison.

Seth woke up in Alex’s bed, arms, and vicinity many times, but never went to sleep. He knew that he was not looking for him. It was hard to forget over the years, the affection in the spaces between time. He was a tool. For what: The King and Kingdom? His head bobbed up and down; away from direct contact with the energy radiating from the two women he felt more at ease like he just wanted to sleep. Alex grabbed his neck hard enough for it uncomfortable, but enough to block air and pushed his head up.

He decided to not struggle against him and let him hold him up. Seth heard the tail end of the conversation inside. “So, she’s alive.” Vess followed a previous statement.

“Yes, it seems her Elaine has been scrambled or the connection to her body weakened. That is very difficult for out kind.”

“My baby.”

Seth didn’t understand, did her mother’s name have another meaning the just being her mother’s name. Also, our kind?

“I still want that monster dead. Look at my baby. Did she struggle for her life? Sister, you were supposed to protect us.”

“We have baby sister, and we will, but we don’t have proof that it was him.”

“Does it matter? Look at him displaying his crimes. He couldn’t stay in here. That child is not pure.”

“Elaine- “

“NO! if you won’t do something I will.”

“NO!” Alex jumped up, nearly tripping inside the room. Seth has never seen him so undignified. Whatever it was he was late to.

“Husband? I need you. I’m sorry. I want to go home.”

“Princess, what happened, now you miss me?” somehow Seth heard King Victoriaon’s voice as if he was there. Seth crawled still disoriented from moments ago to see inside. There was no signs of Victor just Vess standing in the same position he last saw him. Alex kneeling at the foot of Cassidy. Cassandra sitting on her heels across from her standing sister. But her sister did not look like Seth knew her. She was taller, her skin the color of blush or peach, her eyes bigger and more deeply slanted like two cherry almonds with white centers. And most shockingly wings that look like broken butterfly wings made of shattered glass. In her hands was a tiny translucent Victor.

“Your child. They harmed your child. Their little monster.”

“Elaine, how long could you do this?” Cassandra was visibly just as shocked as everyone else. Elaine was too engrossed with Victor to hear anyone.

“Show me!” To Victor Alda-Cassidy out weighted Elaine. She did as she was told and scanned her child’s body as well as the room with her hands, stopping at Seth on his hands and knees. "Kill him, my Love. " she begged and a piece of her wings came crashing to the ground like an abandon catholic church window. “Don’t think such negative thoughts. You are going to get sick.” Victor said not in the sense of a person important to him or any real affection. “Vessuillus, I will be sending for my family sooner than expected, along with my prisoner tonight. As you can understand with the change in circumstance.” His arrogance radiated with his physical form present.

“Father!?” Alex protested.

“Father, I don’t know what’s happening. I didn’t do it.”

The miniature Victor sat down on chair that wasn’t reflected patiently waiting. His eyes darting between Seth’s fear and confusion. Alex’s stoic pleading. Cassandra’s confusion and the Vess’s neutral presence giving nothing away. “Very well, at day you may come. We must take of him here before delivering him.”

“Princess, does this suffice?"

“Yes.” Her voice was horse with exhaustion and defeat. Her wings fell away like fragile puzzle pieces into sand like salt pouring out of her back. She shrank down to an Elaine that Seth recognized then her legs gave out. She fell into a slow and peaceful hibernation.

Vess glanced down at his wife. “Get your girls to take them to the Aine Wing.” She left and returned with Annemarie, Raisin, and an older man with sharp features, white and grey hair that curled at the nap like they were allergic to his neck on top of butterscotch skin. The Older gentleman, Ravion carried Elaine out, while the two younger girls out with Cassandra following behind.

When it was sure they were far away Alex closed himself, Vessuillus, and Seth behind Alda-Cassidy’s door. “Stryard.” Alex tested. There was no response. Vess walked deliberately to sit in the windowsill overlooking the garden. “Seth.”

“Yes, father.”

“Stand up. Alex, you next to him.” They both immediately complied. “Alex, it has been many years-”

“I can fix it.” Alex kicked the back of Seth’s kneecap forcing him to the ground. Kicked him in the stomach repeatedly then stooped down, pulled him up by his neck then slapped him back down. Alex did this a few more times; pulled him up, slapped him down until Vessuillus intervened. “Alex. Stop. I know he did not do this. He cannot harm anyone under this roof.”

“then why? Why are we giving him away? What are we going to do if anyone knows who he is?”

“I had no choice. The Vladamin’s are nearly our equal. We could kill each other for centuries and as long as he lives no one dies.”

“then?”

“Seth.”

Seth struggled to move his head; every breath felt like swallowing rustic nails. his lips stung from the fresh cut on his face. It felt like he had a few broken ribs as he rolled onto his side to push himself up to his knees. “Ye….es, Father.” His eyes fell to the ground from the weight of his head.

“What is your name?”

“Sse…eth Gil…Gilbert Fangaria. Father.” His throat burned. Did he get kicked in the throat or was Alex’s slaps just hard? Ah…he’s never been to Alda-Cassidy’s room. Its as sweet as her. She’s the only one with no falsities behind there humanity. He noticed a diary peaking out the side of her pillow. something he imagines an elf making if they exist. At times like these he would always finds something to focus on while he took a backseat. Seth was a shield, for who or what? He did not know, but he knew there was not one for him.

“Who are you?”

“I am the second son of Kind King Vessuillus Fangaria rescued from Shadoorim (sha-ha-do-rim) slave traders at six years by chance as my best friend, brother, Bride Alex-” another slap across his face. He messed up their weekly ritual. Typically, it’s not this bad. He would go to Alex’s room and he would ask him strange questions. What’s your name? Who are you? What’s your youngest sibling’s name? What’s your father’s name? he never understood these questions. Maybe to check his assimilation into the family.

“Who are you?” Vess repeated. “I am the second son of Kind King Vessuillus Fangaria rescued from Shadoorim (sha-ha-do-rim) slave traders at six years by chance as my best friend, and now brother Alex was playing with street venders he found me and loved me right away. Four years later, at age ten my ancestry was found to be a young woman King Vessuillus briefly fancied, so you gave me the Fangaria name. To show my appreciation I have vow to be the sword and shield of this King and Castle.”

Satisfied Vess continued the usual tirade. “Who is your fourth brother?”

“I have no siblings.” Wrong again. Alda-Cassidy has such an elegant canopy bed, her room complimenting the garden outside.

“who is your fourth brother?”

“Gabriel eir Fangaria. He is fifteen years old, Eldest of twins.” Then it would repeat until no mistakes were made or until they were content.

“why are you dress this way?”

“I woke up unclothed restrained in an unknown room.”

Alex and Vess had a silent conversation with themselves. Seth noticed that Vess looked displaced in this room yet exactly where he should be. “come here, Seth.”

Seth stood up and walked over to his father and stopped about a foot away. “come here, Seth.” Vess repeated and so he did stop only two inches from his nose. “look at me.” Although painful to do so he listened. He looked Vessuillus in the eyes. He seemed to get lost; floating and drowning all at once, trapped either way. “STAY: you will stay as you are until you return here.”