The Fall of Vequera

Chapter forty-one | Nikolai

TW MENTIONS OF: BLOWJOBS (?) (NOT FADE TO BLACK & IT'S CONSENSUAL) (IT'S COMPLICATED. SORT OF)

LOCATION: ARCADIOS, VEQUERA

YEAR: 621 C.E

THUNDER ECHOED THROUGH THE HALLS OF THE PALACE IN A LOW RUMBLE.

The crown prince sat in the great hall with his family, silent. What else could he be? He did not favor any of these people and nor did they him. He scraped his fork across his plate with gentle strokes as his hand clenched it. All the chatter around him annoyed him. It more than annoyed him, it irked him. He wanted all of them to be quiet. Prince Erato, lord of Goldenstone glanced at him over the chatter with disdain. Rain padded against the windows of the great hall, yanking at his mood, roughly. "How is the meal?" Tessia asked in a calm manner. She was placed next to him on purpose. His eyes wandered to his younger cousins, Ella and Erato as they played with wooden horses but Erato had a wooden dragon in his other hand, he flew it through the air, dramatically.

"The meal is fine." He grumbled.

Tessia smiled but it did not meet her eyes as she glanced over to her father for a moment. Nikolai blankly stared at the children before he stared back at his plate. His mother and father seemed to be engrossed in a conversation but he did not care enough to listen to it. He wondered when they were leaving the palace. Henry laughed with his mother. "I received a letter from Aeros. He had been gifted his robe and Nasryn has finished her studies."

"And Irene?" Helena asked with hope in her eyes.

Nikolai didn't know much about his cousin, Irene except for being married to a low-born lord. He didn't care to find out his name. "Just gave birth to a girl. She wrote." Helena sighed in relief as she smiled. Her nails nervously rubbed at the table.

"That is good. That is good." She repeated with sadness dripping from her tone.

Her husband placed his hand on her shoulder before whispering something in her ear. Princess Helena nodded before returning to the leftover food on her plate. Nikolai's lips fell into a thin line as he watched the exchange. Screaming erupted from the children. "Give it back. Father, tell him to give it back." Ella screamed for her father. Nikolai flinched at the noise. Erato had snatched her horse away from her, keeping all of the toys for himself. Dimitri turned to his wife, Celeste Llywelyn and she shook her head. His cousin sighed as he stood going to the floor where his children were.

Ella reached for the toy once more but Erato jerked away from her. They continued that way for a few seconds before Dimitri took the dragon from his son's hand, giving it to Ella with tired eyes. He whispered something to the both of them before he stood from the floor, going back to the table.

The dinner went without another issue and Nikolai ambled to his chambers. He undressed, removing his doublet. A tunic hung from his chest. There was a knock on the door and Zion stood in the doorway. "What do you want?" Nikolai asked with a sharp tone. Zion said nothing as he shut the door behind him. He stood by the door, unmoving and it took him longer than what Nikolai would've wanted for him to answer his question. "I wanted to see you."

"Well, here I am."

A certain type of hunger invaded Zion's eyes but Nikolai knew they would not do anything. They never did. It irked his soul. Zion was terrified of his father finding out. "Is that all? Or do you want to kiss and then leave again?" Nikolai's questions rang in the air, causing the young lord to flinch at the accusation. Was it an accusation or the truth? The lordling refused to have sex with the prince. That was the simple truth of their relationship beyond what it was founded on. The death of his mother and Lord Whitlock.