The Crown Of Tears

Three masked men captured Prince Augustus. They dragged him across the royal infirmary and threw him at someone's feet.

Lifting himself, Prince Augustus looked into the face of the man who dared to attack him. "Angelus!?"

Prince Angelus cut open his palm with a dagger, he let his blood drip into a silver chalice. He stared blankly at the color of his blood as droplets of it fell and gathered in the cup.

"Angelus, what is the meaning of this?" Prince Augustus raised a question. "I demand you release me this instant!"

Prince Angelus darkly shot him a cold glance. Prince Augustus met his gaze with a vexing hostile stare.

"I'll have father punish you severely for this if you don't let me go! " he threatened.

Angelus sneered. His father, the king, already punished him severely for simply existing. There was nothing worse than having his father get the man he loves married to his sister on his birthday.

"You won't live to tell him anything so save your breath, " Prince Angelus coldly spoke. Prince Augustus went black. His heart thundered in fright, and Angelus's darkened eyes terrified him.

He picked up a wooden spoon and stirred his blood. He took out a vial from his satchel on the table. Prince Angelus emptied the green liquid into the chalice.

"What is the meaning of this? "

"I also want to know that. What is the meaning of anything? " Prince Angelus fired back.

He swirled the mixture and let it blend. Prince Angelus tried to brush off the events of the day, but they relentlessly tormented him.

The king's decree, his subject's hatred, the king's betrayal, the wedding, and Davon's confession. Everything replayed in his mind like a broken record, and he refused to stop. It all left a burning feeling in his chest and a sour taste in his mouth.

"I know what I want, Augustus, and I desperately want what I know, " he owned up. "But there are so many people, obstacles standing in my path. I need to eliminate them to get what I want," he added.

"What does that have to do with me?" Prince Augustus asked.

"It has everything to do with you," Prince Angelus hurled the document he got from Cassiel over to his step-brother.

Prince Augustus caught it mid-air. He cast a suspicious glance at Prince Angelus before opening it. His eyes perused through the sheets of paper. Prince Augustus was stunned at the contents he read.

The King wished to name him the heir apparent to the throne by depositing Angelus from his current position as the Grand Prince of Sevigoria. Prince Augustus felt warm and happy to know that his father found him worthy of being king after him.

His lips curled up into a smile. He held the documents tightly. His eyes read through it over and over again to confirm its content to be real. Prince Augustus's face lit up when he verified the king's seal on the sheets of paper. He was beyond overjoyed.

"Don't smile. I'll see you dead before you take my crown," Prince Angelus sounded.

Prince Augustus snapped his head up. "Aah," he gasped. His body registered how close Prince Angelus was to him. He'd been too occupied with the document to notice Prince Angelus walking up to him.

"I'll send your corpse to the king. Let me see how he makes a dead man king, " Prince Angelus flatly let out.

Prince Augustus's mouth fell open. His eyes went wide, almost popping out of their sockets. Prince Angelus seemed serious and willing to live up to his threat, which is what made Augustus shiver.

The man before him wasn't the person he grew up hearing about. The Grand Prince of Sevigoria was said to be lazy, indifferent to his title, and useless. The stories made him out to be someone unworthy of the crown and a person oblivious to royal politics. But that was far from the truth.

Prince Angelus understood royal politics and thought like all royals. He eyed the throne and was ready to go the mile to ensure that the crown rested on his head.

"Father will have your head if you dare to harm a hair on my body, " Augustus warned.

"A dead man can't have my head, " Prince Angelus raised the chalice and shot his head back at his step-brother, "The king has ruled for so long. It's about time he stopped being king and ceased to breathe the same oxygen as me. Don't you think? " he asked.

Augustus's confidence faded. Prince Angelus looked half-dead. As though he had everything to gain but nothing to lose. Prince Augustus wondered what transpired to turn his brother so cold and lifeless.

"You speak of treason, brother, " he pointed out.

"Oh, I'm shaking in my boots at the thought of what my words mean. I hope no one heard me," Prince Angelus expressed sarcastically.

"If you don't fear the king, at least fear the heavens, " Prince Augustus cautioned.

"If I can't bend the heavens to my will, brother... I'll rise to hell to do my bidding, " he retorted.

Tears swam in his eyes as he thought about Gael. His brows snapped together when he squeezed his eyes tightly shut.

"Drink, " He handed Augustus the chalice. Prince Augustus stuck his nose in the air. He felt the urge to puke at the thought of drinking the contents of the cup. He witnessed Prince Angelus pour his blood into the cup.

"Are you crazy? I'm not drinking your blood, " Prince Augustus shoved Angelus's arm away.

"You can either drink my blood or your mother's blood..." he paused momentarily. Augustus went white, color draining from his face. "I can't promise it'll be from her palm. Her neck perhaps... "

Prince Augustus seized Angelus by his collar and bore into his eyes. "Threaten my mother and I'll kill you. "

"Bring her in!" Prince Angelus ordered.

One of the masked men stepped into one of the other rooms in the infirmary. Prince Augustus walked the door to see who was being brought out.

His eyes went round as the man returned holding his unconscious mother. The man set the royal mistress to the ground, pulled her to a kneeling position, and positioned his dagger at her neck.

"My blood or hers? You choose, " Prince Angelus yanked Augustus's hands off and straightened his clothes.

Prince Augustus was left paralyzed on the spot. His step-brother's cruelty knew no bounds, he stared helplessly at his mother.

"Kill her," Angelus coldly commanded his man. Augustus gasped, he hastily grabbed the chalice and gulped down the liquid inside. Prince Angelus raised his hand and motioned his man to pause.

"Don't hurt my mother, " Prince Augustus pleaded. His vision blurred, and his head felt heavy before he collapsed to the ground the next moment.

The chalice hit the ground and rolled over to Mistress Diane's feet. Her hand moved and picked up the cup, she lifted her head and smiled at Angelus.

"Ferocious, I love it, " she expressed.

"All of you can leave, " Prince Angelus commanded his men. "Make sure no one sees you exit the castle. "

"Yes, master, " they accepted the orders and exited the room.

Royal Mistress Diane rose from the ground and approached the prince. "What now, darling?" she snaked get fingers on Angelus's shoulder.

Angelus grabbed her hand. "Can you not call me darling with that face? It makes my skin itch, " he let out a heavy sigh.

"You're the one who asked me to wear this face, " she said.

"Change back... please, " Angelus softly pleaded.

"For you, anything, " she let out, she veered around him and stepped out in a male appearance. "When we parted today, I didn't think you'd call me to see you so soon, " Cassiel voiced.

"Hmmm... What can I say, you left quite the impression, " Angelus admitted. "I'm glad you are here. "

"I wish it were under better circumstances," Cassiel said. "Don't get me wrong, I don't mind helping you kill someone but I was in the mood for something more sultry and less murdery... " he summed.