Blood Bound To The Vampire King

XAVIER'S POV

I stepped out of the room. No destination in mind. I just wanted to get out. Get away from her. I wanted to hide this part of me. I never wanted anyone to see it, but today. Eliana saw it. The one woman who could see through my facade saw it.

What would she think?

How would she feel?

I gazed at my hands. My fingers trembled. I hurt someone. I was a monster.

I swore I would never do it again. I swore I would never hurt anyone but could I keep it? Was that a promise I could keep?

I strolled down the hallway when Magnus my advisor, approached me. His eyes glimmered with disappointment.

"What happened? Why did you do that?" He asked, I looked away, avoiding his gaze. No one could see me like this.

"I don't know. I don't know what happened." My voice cracked. "He was strangling her and I didn't know what happened to me. I felt those voices speak to me... Those things in my head spoke to me. They told me to kill him. They told me to end him." I said my lips trembling.

He sighed. "Well, the king wants to see you." He said and I could see the look in his eyes. I know what awaited me. I had injured and almost killed the King's son. I'm sure he wouldn't take It lightly.

"Where is he?" I asked.

"Follow me."

I obliged and trailed behind him. My mind reeling back to Eliana. I sighed dejectedly.

We reached the Meeting Room and Magnus tapped my shoulders. "I'm sure you'll be fine. You survived before." He assured and I couldn't help but chuckle.

He passed me an assuring smile then walked away. Leaving me in front of the big imposing doors. My fingers trembled as I reached for the door knob.

Fear swirled inside me. My heart pounded in my chest. I turned the knob to the side and pushed the door open. All eyes turned to me. Some looked at me with pity, while some with disgust.

I ignored their stares and made my way to the centre of the room. My eyes fixed on the King as he glared down at me.

"Xavier!" He snapped skipping the formalities. I flinched slightly. His voice echoing through the room.

"Father." I whispered, my voice low.

He stood up and walked to me.

I closed my eyes preparing myself for what came next. My cheek stung from the impact, my hair swept to the side my lips bursted and I puked blood. He had slapped me.

The spot stung but it didn't sting like the pain that echoed in my chest.

I locked eyes with him, my heart sinking, his gaze cold and unforgiving.. "How dare you hurt your brother. How dare you do that to him." "Because of a woman?" he added and I bit inside my mouth.

She wasn't just any woman. She was Eliana.

"I'm sorry." I rasped as though it could eased the density of the situation but knowing my father, this was just the beginning.

"If he killed her you could easily marry another one but your brother can't be replaced and you almost killed him? What is wrong with you?" He slapped me. Again. And again.

"Sire. Calm down." The royal advisor said and my father shot him a glare shutting him up. He faced me. I raised my head. "I'm sorry father." I sighed and he scoffed. "Sorry my foot."

"Just punish him Sire. Slapping him won't make him learn." Another man sneered.

"Yes. He should be punished."

"Kill him, he's not important!"

They all said and I balled my fists. It's true—

I'm not important.

He should just kill me. I wasn't his son anyways.

My Father lifted his hand and silence followed as they all anticipated what he would say next. "You will be flogged 400 times and imprisoned in the dungeon with no food or water for three days." He deadpanned and I looked up this time.

"Father." I rasped but he didn't spare me a glance.

"You can't do this to me!" I cried, wishing he would listen. Wishing he would hear my cry but he ignored me.

"Your punishment starts now!" He thundered and stepped down from his throne, his guards trailing behind him until he reached where I stood.

He shoved me with his shoulder, making me stagger then walked away.

How could he be this cruel?

Am I even his child?

The guards came to my sides and held me tightly like a criminal. A criminal that they felt I was.

They dragged me out of the room my eyes fixed on the ground.

Father…I wished he could at least look at me. Or at least stop the guards but he did nothing.

He just acted as though I didn't exist and yeah. I didn't…

Wow, dad.

My vision blurred, my lips clasped shut words too heavy for me to utter. My heart heavy with pain and anger. This was my life—

As the forbidden son of King Alexander.

I wish my mother could see me. I wish she could see the pain she left me to go through. She could have just ended me—

Why go through the hassle of bringing me into the world, when she knew the implications that followed my birth. Prince?

Am I even worthy of that title.

I was dragged to the courtyard and thrown to the ground. My fingers grazed the floor, my skin peeled, drawing blood.

My shirt was ripped off my skin leaving me, bare. The cold wind brushed my skin and I couldn't help but shiver slightly but the cold wouldn't compare to the coldness my father's eyes carried.

He was ruthless.

Cold.

Evil.

To his own son.

My hair fell over my shoulders covering my eyes. I wished I could disappear. To not feel their eyes on me, to not be seen for the mistake I'd just made.

The guards grabbed the whip and each walked to my sides and began the torture.

Their movements rhythmic and ruthless. As the whip grazed my skin I winced but hid it. It felt like hot coal burned my skin so hot. So painful. So unforgiving.

They continued. The sound of flesh breaking, the sound of blood dripping rang in the air. The clouds darkened and darkness seemed to envelope the earth.

Darkness.

One of my most favourite places to be.

A place that could hide my pain, hide my suffering. Hide my scars.

They continued. They reached hundred. Two hundred and when the lashed me thethree hundredth time. My eyes darkened, my hands pressed against the sand tightly.

I could barely see. My lungs contracted but they didn't stop. Until I heard a voice. A voice I recognised all too well.

"XAVIER!!" She yelled and I turned to her.

She stood there, her eyes widened in horror, her fingers trembled over her mouth

No. She shouldn't see me like this.

"Go. Get away from here!" I ordered with a grunt as the whip came crashing on my back.

She rushed towards me. "Stop it. Don't touch him." She cried but I knew better. The guards obeyed the king and the king only, they wouldn't listen to her even if she begged. She was just a princess—a pawn in their game. She had no say.

She pushed through the guards but they stood their ground, her efforts vain. They were too strong. "Leave here ma'am. This instruction came from the King and you have no right to stop us." The first guards sneered and she shit him a glare.

"He's a Prince can't you guys see? Why are you guys hurting him?" she asked. "Go Eliana. I deserve this." I said and she furrowed her brows.

"You deserve what? Being treated like a slave? How dare they do this to you?" She yelled pain evident in her voice.

"Listen to me!" I yelled this time and I instantly regretted it, she whimpered and I could see the fear in her eyes. But I kept my voice steady. "Get out of here now!" I ordered but she didn't listen.

Why was she so stubborn!

"I can't let them do this to you! I can't sit and watch them torture you!" She continued, her body trembling.

"He said get out." The guard on my left pushed her and she fell to the ground. It felt like something cracked open inside me when she hit the ground. My veins popped, my vision blurred and all I could see was fire.

Kill. Kill him….

The voice came again. I wanted to fight it. I wanted to ignore the voice, but the pain I felt in my head was too much. Too much for me to handle.

I raised my hand and slashed the guard across the face. My nails scrapped his skin leaving marks. Marks I wished would stay with him forever. I kicked him to the ground and bit him. Yes, I bit him. Right in the neck.

"Ahhhhhh" he yelled but I could barely register anything. The metallic liquid stained my lips but I didn't it care.

It felt good. So good.

"He's draining me. He's draining my blood!" The guard yelled again and it was then I stopped. What was I doing? Was this really me?

I opened my eyes, it was all an illusion. What was going on with me.

The other guard knocked me in the head with a plank and I tried to keep my eyes open, but my body failed me. My eyes closed and darkness enveloped me.