Chapter 0
AGAPE ⎸ a-ga-pe⎹ the highest form of love, selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional love; persists no matter the circumstance
280 years ago..
Blood was slowly dripping from the tips of my long fingernails - drop by drop, on the floor, creating a small pool of its dark material by my feet, while my heartbeat was getting back into a steady rhythm.
I have no idea if anyone ever slapped someone so hard they drew blood from the other person’s cheek, but I did. And I had no remorse. Not a single fiber of my being was feeling guilty. I knew, even in my deepest rage, it was a well-deserved slap.
His eyes were getting darker. From the kindest shades of blue to a deep blue - deep like the oceans infested with monsters. I could see his lips tremble, slightly opening as his canines expanded and took over most of the free space in his mouth. In the past, just watching his dark eyebrows narrow would make me frightened, but this time - this time I needed to slap him just the same across his other cheek.
‘’You… You… ‘’ The spit was slowly coming down his chin. ‘’You dare to touch your Prince!’’ He roared a few inches from my face.
A drop of his dark, almost purple blood was slowly coming down his jaw from one of the claw marks I left on his skin.
I lifted my chin just slightly, keeping my back straight, so that I could see his eyes better. ‘’I dare to do much more to my brother. Don’t test me, Nikarion.’’
He took a step closer to me, the tip of his nose just two inches away from mine - probably because of the height difference. ‘’I’ll tell our father about your behavior.’’
A chuckle escaped over my lips like a bubble. ‘’You sure do that.’’ I chuckled once more as I took a step back and turned on my heel. They say to never turn your back on your enemy, but I just had the need to add oil to the fire. I wanted to dare him to touch me just so I could beat his spoiled, stupid, narcissistic ass properly. ‘’And while you’re talking to him, don’t forget to mention you got my personal maid pregnant. He’ll love the fact you’ve created another bastard.’’ Fourth bastard to be exact.
For someone his age - young of one hundred and seventy-seven, he sure couldn’t keep his pants closed and his cock dry.
The heavy breathing he was creating gave me a signal he knew he lost the battle. And he probably knew I was ready for his attack - desiring for him to show his true colors and for those colors to be beaten to the ground.
When I came to the door of his bedroom, I opened it - just so anyone in the hallway could hear me just as fine as him, ‘’And just for you to know, it’s going to be a boy. So, please, get yourself ready in the next hundred years for your head to be on a stick.’’ With the last word, I slammed the door behind myself so loud the dust flew up in the air.
-
‘’Here.’’ I handed a woolen bag with a few dozen golden coins. Ironically, most of them had portraits of my older brother. ‘’You’re going to travel as far as you can, without looking back, or even thinking about coming back. Never tell a soul about the father of the boy in your belly, alright?’’ I placed the bag in my maid’s open hands.
A shiny tear was just about to escape from the corner of her blue eyes. Her lips were trembling in fear. ‘’M’lady, are you sure I’m carrying a boy?’’
The fear in her eyes was highly justified.
If my father finds out about the gender of my brother’s bastard, he’ll pull it out of her womb and feed it to his Beats.
That boy will be the reason my father’s throne finally falls. I could just feel it.
The power oozing from that baby while he was just the size of a bean was so great I could barely touch his mother’s flat belly.
‘’Ozanna, listen to me carefully.’’ I focused on her eyes - because seeing her tears come one after another as she was hugging her belly protectively. ‘’You’re going to hide. Don’t tell even your child the truth until the right time comes.’’
Ozanna looked down at her belly, holding the bag of coins in her right hand, while the left hand was holding the base of her belly and cuddling it. ‘’How will I know when the right time comes?’’
I let out a sigh, looking down at her belly too. ‘’Oh, you’ll know, my dear. You’ll know.’’
That boy will be our end… Or our beginning. I still wasn’t sure in which scenario I’d live to see him thrive into the darkness of power already surging through his blood.
‘’My nephew will be the strongest among the strongest…’’ I whispered just for her ears to her. ‘’But he will have the path of a hero - ‘’ so much suffering in his heart, so much blood on his hands, so many sins I couldn’t even see. ‘’ A hero who will dethrone my father once and for all. Hopefully sooner than later - before so many go mad.’’ I pressed a soft kiss on Ozanna’s forehead as a sign of giving her my blessing. ‘’And when I die, I’ll make sure your son has my Beast close to protect him.’’
Ozanna’s bright eyes shot straight up to mine in fear and shock. I was a bit taller than her - since my royal blood was making my body stronger than hers. And even in my best shape, the most vital stage of my being, I was just a fiber of the boy’s strength.
‘’M’lady… Will you die? Will you die because of my sin?’’
If by sin she meant my brother’s awful way of luring females in his bed by using his Gifts, then yes. But I wasn’t going to tell the truth to this fragile young female.
‘’No. I’ll die by my father’s hand soon. Because of his greed for power.’’ I kept my voice calm as I placed my open palm against hers on her belly. I could feel the warmth of the boy’s power, but I had to make sure he was stronger. Much stronger. ‘’I, Thalynara of The Seventh, gift you, my only nephew - ‘’
Ozanna’s eyes widened in shock even more. She tried to step back from my hand, but the power of my being was already oozing into her baby. ‘’Lady, please, no, it’ll weaken you - ‘’
I glanced at her eyes, silently telling her to be quiet. ‘’Thalrnor of The Seventh, my Gift of protection from the Za.’’
I could feel the Gift from Za slowly unwrapping my soul, sneaking down my hand, and wrapping itself around my nephew’s being.
Ozanna grabbed my hand with her free hand. The tears were coming down her cheeks even faster. ‘’You won’t be immortal and protected from your father’s hand anymore, Lady Thalyanara. His Beast will kill you.’’
I gave her my relaxed smile as I lifted my eyebrows in delight, finally free of immortality. ‘’And that’s the only Gift I could give to the boy you’ll name after me. I hope that name will haunt my brother and father just as I plan on haunting them in my after-life.’’
