Page 64 of Legacy of Succession

“I’m not stupid — I’m autistic,” William shouts.

“Same thing.” My father rolls his eyes.

“You’ve no idea about either of your sons, do you? Who we actually are? Autism hasn’t made me stupid. It’s given me the ability to focus. I can do things with a computer nobody else can. If you’d actually bothered to be a father to me, then you could’ve used my skills to further your stealing of artwork. But no, I wasn’t normal, so you disregarded me. And as for Nicholas, you’ve no idea what sort of man he is. You think he’s the arrogant bastard you’ve made him, and in some ways he is, but he’s a born leader with it. He’ll take the society into the future and make it great. You’ll just run it into the ground and have everyone, who doesn’t agree with you, arrested or shot.” William’s foot taps the entire time he speaks. I can tell he’s stressed beyond words, but he’s maintaining his composure, thanks to his tics.

“I don’t believe any of that for a moment. You’re both weak and feeble, just like your mother. Her genes have spoiled you both.”

“No.” It’s my turn to step up to the fight. “Her genes have made us the good men we are, despite the malevolence from you that runs through our veins. Enough games — you know that you won’t get out of here with Victoria. Let her go.”

Victoria’s watching me get closer and closer. Her eyes flick to the wound in my shoulder and anguish fills them.

“I’m walking out of here,” my father reiterates.

“And we’ll let you — just not with Victoria.”

“What do you see in her anyway? Elizabeth was the prettier of the two. She’s got no discernible features as far as I can tell. How can you let her ruin what we could do for this society? Isn’t there a part of you that wants more? We could rule the country together, you and me.”

“Victoria has everything. She’s beautiful, compassionate, and fiery. She’s made me see that there’s more to power than being a dictator. Plus, if you’d actually taken time to know her as a woman, not an object, you would’ve seen she probably knows as much about the art world as we do. Maybe even more.” With every word I speak, I’m edging closer to where my father holds Victoria around the neck. He pulls the gun away and points it at me.

“Stay back.”

It’s the chance I need. With the gun pointed away from Victoria, I’m close enough to leap at him. Despite the pain from my wound, I take him by surprise and punch him in the face. Reeling, he lets Victoria go, and she scrambles away. I need to disarm my father before he has a chance to fire off the gun again. I ignore the fiery spasms shooting through my body and wrestle him to the ground. I release his hold on the weapon, and I push it away. Now, we’re even.

“Give up Father. I’ll give you your life and a pension to live quietly somewhere, but this is over now.”

“Never. You weren’t born to lead.” He punches me in the shoulder, and I cry out, swearing I see stars.

Then, we’re on the floor and rolling over. I’m on my back when my father brings another blow down on my shoulder. If I have much more of this, I know I’ll pass out. That’s the last thing I want.

“William, do something.” I hear Victoria say.

“I…I…I…,” he stutters back.

I bring my good arm around and catch my father on the side of the jaw. He wavers a little but doesn’t fall.

“Why couldn’t you have just loved us?” I shout.

“Because he doesn’t have a heart.” I hear William shout — his voice filled with anguish.

A gunshot goes off, and my father’s body goes lifeless on top of me. William appears and pulls my father off me. Then disappears to the side of the room to tap out a rhythm. I notice the back of my father’s skull is missing, and my head swims with nausea. I don’t have a chance to retch, though, as Victoria slams her body onto the floor next to me and brings her lips to mine.

“I thought I’d lost you.”

“I love you. Everything he said was lies. I didn’t want to marry her. I want you.”

“I know. I know.” She kisses me again through her tears, which fall freely. I reach up and touch one.

“No more tears.” She’s cradling me in her arms, and I can feel the dark clouds looming again. I look toward William, and she follows my gaze. “Look after him for me.”

“What?” she stammers. “No, Nicholas.”

I don’t hear anything else for the world goes black.

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