Page 30 of Royal Lies

My brother was all I really had back in the early years of my first life. But then I met him. It was slow at first, but I soon fell in love. His brown hair, his charming smile, his soft gaze. I loved him, and when my brother sought to fulfill his conquest, to havemy handsstained withmy lover'sblood. I refused.

For the first time in my life, I found something Itrulyloved. That I honestly cared for besides the twisted fates that had been thrown at me, the corrupt manner in which I was raised, the obsessive prowess of my Winter Court friend, and the hatred I felt towards everything else. I finally saw joy. He taught me that power might not be everything in this world.

At first, it was hard to believe but then I slowly understood what he meant.

Love.

That was far greater than any form of hatred, or title, even gold.

Killing my mother was the redemption for the pain and sorrow she caused me. My father was a dictator, not that my brother was any better but at least slavery was well deserved and not whipped into the innocent. At least there was food on tables and not scraps of rat tails on dinner plates. For that, I will commend my brother. For a time that was what made me look up to him in a way. But that small dropping of kindness was just that. A small drop in his massive rain of terror.

My lover showed me something better than royalty, than just ruling a court, because that's what I have been doing, ruling over my citizens. Looking after my friend. All I ever did was for my kingdom, but when I finally wanted something for myself-

I even offered alternatives to his conquest.

He didn't need my lover's life on a silver platter.

He didn't need it.......

Yet, I foolishly thought my brother would care for me.

On the day of our wedding, my lover and I had been idiotic worms ripe for the picking. Our trust was naive. I told my lover that guards weren't necessary despite his insistence. That if my brother did try anything I would protect us. That was such a foolish thing for me to say. For what my brother did, evenIhad not thought of it.

He told me he would help officiate our mortal wedding, a joining of two souls. This was something the fae with no magic and humans loved to do, and I found it amusing, nice, special. So I wanted to do it with my lover, seeing as he was hesitant about completing our mating bond with magic. Only true soulmates would have been able to form that bond. With how happy wemade one another it was no doubt that he was the one for me. So I didn’t need the traditional mating bond ties to confirm our love.

I had embraced my fiance in joy. It was then, in my moment of weakness, my brother struck. Plunging a cursed dagger straight through my lover's heart from behind, severing his soul in two, as we kissed to seal the vows we had made. It was then as my lover fell, as I sobbed, my brother smiled, a white tooth grin stained with blood, the blood of my fallen lover, as red pooled beneath his still form.

"Sister, don't you see. We don't need anyone, we don't need the false kindness of others. Don't you see? I’ve freed you now. My dear sister. Look at me. My dearest little sister, come look into my eyes and see your truth. I am saving you from being tied to this bastard of a king." He’d told me, his crisp silk-like voice, a voice that has fooled many others called to me. And I did so, but what I saw was not by any means kind or caring. It was a gaze I'd seen many times before, but for the first time, I saw the true wrongness in it.

The crazed madness of his terror finally sunk in as I let the scene before me tear me apart. His kind smiles and charming captivating grins, reflect the empty bitter look of what was once reflected in my own eyes. The nonchalant gaze I cast over everything and nothing.

Was I horrified?

No.

Perhaps that was what was wrong with me. That I didn’t know when to back down.

Solidifying my emotions I let the remaining tears fall down my cheeks. Maybe, I could have falsified it all, tried to get my vengeance another way. But he deserved better than my false acts, my lover. I could still feel the rippling pains from that day as my heart was ripped from my rib cage. I stood, tears burningmy eyes as I gazed at the King of Shadows, my brother, because I was never going to be his Queen of the Fire, at least I wasn't going to be anymore.

My brother and I weren't going to marry. If we were, I wouldn't have been given a fiancé. Instead, his wife would be nothing more than just that, a political bridge holding two families together. The same would have been said for my own husband. But the power would remain in both me and my brother's hands. We didn't trust anyone else back then. But now I knew better than to ignore the squawkings of a crow. No doubt that power would never have been shared. My brother would have always kept it all to himself.

"Yes, you're right. I don't need the false kindness of anyone, theirsoryours. I told you I loved him, false as it may have been at first, his kindness was true. I still love him, and you didn't trust my judgment on the matter. You ended the life of my only hope in this accursed world, and Iwillhave your life in return." I declared as I walked out composing my emotions behind my walls once more, I masked my pain, my anger, my grief. I wasn't even allowed to attend his funeral as his family had believed I partook in their son's murder.

Since that day my brother and I haven't been the same. Not long after my brother sought out a girl, a blond viper. Her brilliant smile of a thousand secrets.

I smiled because my brother finally seemed to care for someone else.

Someone I could use against him.

Despite my fury, my brother must have had some idiocy inside his brain, for he kept me by his side. But he did take away my crown at some point. It was after that I was little more than a pretty little bird to look at.

One thing I knew for sure no matter what my brother did was that I had to kill her. I had to make him feel that same pain I felt.So I poisoned her, killed her, or so I thought. Little did I know we would get reincarnated, all of us.

I still don't know how I died in my first life. I assume it was my brother in retaliation for his lover's death. Or perhaps the girl because she knew I was the one to poison her? No, that can't be right, for she wouldn't have entrusted me with those- No, she must have killed me because I tookthemaway.

Chuckling bitterly to myself I recalled when I had started to hate the viper decorated in gold. She had everything I'd ever wanted. Yet, why was she sad? How could she possibly be sad? She had a loving family, an adoring partner in crime, and a lover far better than that monster of a brother I am forced to share blood with. A lover of whom she didn't even acknowledge.

Gritting my teeth I avoided my gaze at the red vulture covered in blood.

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