Behind The Walls

Chapter 30 : Behind The Walls

Once Eugene was dead, I wouldn't even have to pretend to be him anymore; I could rule as Hugo. And so I did it.

The photo that was once tucked away by her in the diary slipped out. I still didn't know surely which prince the picture was of; Hugo or Eugene.

Although the prince in the photo wore a thin, silver chain around his neck. Now however...
It was time.
Time to finally read ahead...

The plan wasn't too complicated. In fact, I would be generous; let him die in his very favourite place. A place we both found together when skipping joyfully through the castle gardens as kids. A place that held our best memories. A place we cherished and had proudly introduced the discovery to mother. Our mother. Whom was now dead. Dead only because of this boy I loved and called my dear older brother. He was the most undeserving of the heir to the throne and so he would die in the same pain as mother did. I wouldn't even bother to bury him. I would shred his corpse into a thousand pieces and throw them into that very same cave. Hide them... behind the walls. No one would know where the 'rebellious' prince had disappeared to. No one would care.

My heart frantically jumped against my ribs. I felt as though I was being watched, whispered about. My eyes inspected ever dark murky corner of the cave; Eugene was here.

I harshly slapped the pages of the book shut. Now I was more awake than ever; not close to even blinking an eye. When a balloon fills up with too much air, it pops letting out all the coolness it had once collected.

I felt just like that, feeling my pent up emotions finally about to explode as I hugged my knees, rocking my body back and forth for comfort.

Was this really who I loved? I had saw this coming from miles away but ignored it like a dumb dear feeding itself to a hungry lion. This was not the Hugo I knew.

The Hugo I grew fond of even more in the two months of not seeing. This man was merciless. Narcissistic. Unjust. How could someone kill their own brother?

Their own blood... because the latter had a condition which they had no control over... for a occurrence in events they could have never changed?

I silently cried through my thoughts till the lightness of dawn emerged from the faults in the cave. Crying over everything. My irrational love for Hugo and well, my whole situation altogether.

Until the thought finally hit me... where  exactly was Eugene? My first instincts were to continue reading but I had no desire to know anything else about the past events. I stood up, and walked, advancing to the boulder at the entrance.

The tips of my fingers came in contact with the large rock before my hand fully melted onto it, gliding across it. I continued wending horizontally beside the dirt walls of the cave.

My hands skating across the walls, occasionally giving each section an expectant knock. All sections of the cave walls returned the same sound back; the sound of compact rock behind them... except one.

The knock returned a low-pitched echo, meaning, the wall was hollow.

Engraving my fingers into the stiffened mud, I tugged harshly to pull out a block of the weak material revealing a brick wall. Bricks held by a soup of dried slush, I didn't hesitate to tug at them too. Within minutes I found myself exposed to full brick wall and almost one whole brick pulled out.

As soon as it was plucked out, I was displayed to the most haunting view. I could feel my eyes starting to fill with tears and a shaky vibration spread throughout my body...

"Eu-Eugene!?"

Throwing my arm into the hole in the wall to gain more access and I extract a dozen more bricks.

It was him. Eugene. In the photo I was looking at earlier... and right before of me; i noticed the same silver chain from the photo hanging from the nape of his spine as I took in his horrifying mien.

My fingers slid down his frangible ribs, subconsciously counting each one. I stared upon his scrawny figure. My hatred had quickly turned into guilt and embarrassment. The taste of my salty tears filled the corners of my lips; I had really been standing here for twenty minutes now.

The path that lead me to this destination was unquestionably not a pleasing one. My view filtered with the tormenting sight of the skeleton, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding,

"Hugo... how could you do this?" I sniffled between sobs.

I had pointlessly hated a tortured soul. Eugene. Not anymore. Regardless of whether or not the war had ended, I would go see Hugo. Question every single wrongdoing.

Did power really mean more to him than his own brother? He would answer me... wouldn't he? He did miss me according to Arthur. He would provide me at least some answers... A muffled pair of footsteps and a movement at the entrance alarmed my ears.

"Princess Adelaide!~" a cheery voice chirped, not yet noticing the corpse my body was attempting to hide. "I bought you breakfa-"

"I want to meet prince Hugo!" I cut him off with a shrill shout. After a moment of silence he blinked rapidly in confusion, scrunching his brows, "but princess Ade-"

"Take me to him NOW!"

He compliantly nodded. I had no intentions to come across coldly towards Arthur but the last thing I wanted was for him to see and question me on the frame I was standing in-front of.