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Oriel squinted. “How do I know if you’re not tricking me?”
Roth spread his hands slightly. “All of this time, I could have shocked you. Have I? I could have beaten you bloody to the point where you couldn’t even move when I had you cuffed to the cage. I also could have been fucking you senseless these past few days, but have I done any of that?”
“No…”
“I don’t think you want to die either.”
Oriel was the only one left in his family except for distant members. He had thought it would have been better if he died with the rest, but truly, he didn’t want that or to kill himself. His parents wouldn’t have wanted him to give up so easily either. Father didn’t raise his sons to lay down and die. In fact, if they had time to spare a thought for him when everything went to shit, they were probably glad he’d left the Hall earlier because that had given him a chance to live.
“No…I don’t want to die, but if I killed you, I’d never get out of here. I can’t get the collar off here in the city, I have nowhere safe to go, and they’d come after me. Even if I was able to hide your body in here somewhere, they’d know you’re missing pretty soon. I’d rather die by my own hand than in that room. Your Father’s insane. I could put on your clothes and wear a hood, but someone might realize who I am before I even get out. I can’t take that chance.” Oriel pulled back to lay beside him on the bed. “Who kicked your ass the other day?”
Roth was quiet for a moment. “Father did that.”
Oriel slowly turned his head. “Why the fuck would your Father do that? Does he suspect you’re not cruel enough?”
“Sometimes he gets drunk, and he calls me to his rooms to rant at me for the transgression of living, and if I don’t go, it’ll be worse later. He always hits me in places where it can be hidden so nobody sees it. If a bruise or something was spotted by accident, I’m supposed to say I got it in training or fell off my horse if asked. Something like that. Nobody asks.”
Oriel narrowed his eyes. “What the fuck? He bought you another fairy which I guess is a pretty grand present-”
“I’m not his son,” Roth said suddenly. “Sam wasn’t my grandfather either. He wasmyFather.”
Oriel froze on the bed. “What the fuck are you talking about? I thought he was a cousin then, but Lord Delwin said that was his Father. You even said-”
Roth shook his head before he turned to look at Oriel. “The main story is that Sam was simply a cousin. The family and general public are meant to think that, and it is true. We have more cousins than we know what to do with. Lord Delwin told you Sam was his Father so you’dpartlyunderstand his hate for King Leneer and you, and Sam was old enough to be his Father so it fit. But even if you blabbed what he said, no one would believe it because it would sound like you made up a terrible lie and are trying to make people believe he’s a bastard.I’mthe bastard child.”
“What happened?”
“My Mother fucked Sam shortly after marriage even though he was older. My parents married young, and I don’t think they were ready or even a good match. She didn’t get much choice. Father went away on business for a couple of months, and when he returned, she was pregnant, so it was pretty obvious she’d cheated.”
“Oh. Fuck.” Oriel could just imagine the lord’s shame. Cat fairies had a tendency to feel possessive of their spouses or lovers. Clearly, Roth’s Mother hadn’t felt the same about her husband.
“Father and Sam used to be close. I only call Lord Delwin Father because he was the one that raised me. Anyway, Father was ashamed and afraid of being called a cuck, so he claimed me and pretended it didn’t happen to the general public and the rest of the family. Babies can sometimes come a little ‘early’ with no issue, so nobody seemed to suspect."
“Then why did he come to beg for Sam’s life in West Bay?” asked Oriel. “He should have hated Sam, or did he want to kill him personally?”
Roth shook his head. “After I came along, Mother was more careful, but she didn’t stop her affair. They broke it off much later, and Sam went traveling. When they heard he’d been arrested, Mother refused to believe that Sam had committed such a crime. She said if Father didn’t get Sam back, she’d tell everyone the truth about me. They had a huge fight about it. As you know, Father failed to have Sam freed.”
“I’m sure Sam was guilty,” said Oriel. “There were witnesses. They were too late, but it was…vicious. They saw him on her, and I doubt they had any reason to lie.”
“I know. Honestly, Sam was mostly a bum while here. He never seemed to be that sort, but some people are good at hiding their darkness. And just because he never treated Mother badly doesn’t mean much. Still, I don’t know what she saw in him or why she loved him so much. I knew he was my Father, but he didn’t even have that much interest inme.Lord Delwin seemed more like a Father since he was around even though I was a blight in his life. Sam was more interested in Mother’s snatch.”
“And then…she died from food poisoning, so Lord Delwin didn’t have to worry about her blabbing?”
Roth shrugged. “She seemed to be getting better. I truly think he put a pillow over her face to suffocate her. That wouldn’t leave a mark, and the physicians said her body gave out from throwing up and dehydration.” He gave a bitter chuckle. “Like she was that delicate. Mother had the constitution of an ox, but a few other court members died from the fish too, so nobody thought twice.”
Oriel stared at the ceiling. Holy shit.
“Lord Delwin seems to miss her, and I think he did love her to some extent, but I also think everything has messed him up over the years. He wanted Mother to fully love him, and he kept chasing that in the hopes that she'd be entirely his. He bought her gifts and did all sorts of things, but he knew she didn’t feel the same because she kept fucking Sam in secret. With her about to tell, he would have been hugely shamed to have spent so many years raising another man’s offspring while his wife fucked another. He asked King Leneer to pardon Sam and was refused. In Father’s eyes, it’s King Leneer’s fault that Mother would have told. In turn, that means it’s also King Leneer’s fault that he had to kill the woman that he loved and wanted to be loved by. By chance, we had bad fish the night he returned, and he took the opportunity to silence her. He made the choice to put a pillow over her face, but he justifies it by blaming King Leneer. In turn, he tortured you to punish your Father.”
Two people stuck together by their parents might not have a happy marriage. Some could manage to coexist in peace and raise a family even if passion was lacking. A man that actually wanted to gain his wife's love would feel like salt was being rubbed in the wound if she was fucking others. He must have felt possessive about her and expected the same in return.
To top it off, Roth was a living, constant reminder. Lord Delwin didn’t even have another kid to dote on, so maybe he couldn’t produce children of his own. Years of failure and shame must have worn on him, and he kept looking for others to blame.
Oriel knew fucked up people existed in the world, but he hadn’t expected he’d be at the mercy of one.
“How come he doesn’t make sure you have an accident?” he asked.
“I’m his only heir. My parents never had a child together.”
