Filed to story: The Rejected Werewolf Princess (Camilla & Tyson) by Didi Adeyemi >>
“Where do you think he is?” I asked and for once, he was completely speechless. “This doesn’t make any sense, why would he leave his army. Unless he knew that they were going to lose. He had to have known.”
“Maybe the army wasn’t his game plan, maybe he just wanted to get into the palace.”
“If you were Frederick, where is the first place you would go?”
He hesitated before speaking. “If I knew I was going to lose, I wouldn’t attack in the first place. He wants to be king but he has to know that he can’t.”
I facepalmed at how stupid I was. I didn’t know how I didn’t even think about it. “I know where he is, come with me.”
I didn’t wait for Steven as I ran towards the throne room. It was the only place that made sense considering that the one thing Frederick wanted was to be recognized as king. As soon as I opened the door, I saw him seated on the throne almost bored. I held out a hand to Steven and he turned to me in shock and confusion.
“Stay outside,” I told him and although it looked like he didn’t want to agree, he did as I asked. Once the door was shut, I made my way into the room until I was standing in front of the throne. “I should have known you would be here.”
“It did take you longer than I expected to find me. I was beginning to get bored.”
He sat up straighter on the throne and I noticed that he had a knife in his hands but from the way he held onto it, I doubted he knew how to actually use it.
“This doesn’t have to end this way,” I began slowly.
If it were up to me, I would have just killed him and been done with it but I knew that if Camilla were here, she would have offered him the chance for redemption. She would want her half brother to have a chance and I was willing to give him that chance but something told me he wouldn’t take it.
As expected, he sneered at me. “I don’t want your pity or sympathy. I want what was mine by birth. I want what I was owed.”
“You are not the heir to the throne.”
“I am his firstborn son.”
“What makes you think that?” I asked making him fall silent. “He could have easily had another child with someone else.”
“It is not my problem if they are too weak to rise up and take the throne.”
“You cannot have it.”
“Then I will die trying.”
He charged at me with the knife but all it took was one carefully planned maneuver and I had his own knife at his throat. A little pressure from me and he was going to die. I could tell the exact moment that awareness dawned on him because he slackened in my hold.
“This is the onloy chance at redemption that you will be given,” I reminded him. I desperately wanted to just slit his throat but I had to remember Camilla. I knew what he did to her but for some reason, she still had a soft spot for him. “Think about it, Frederick.”
“I would rather die,” he spat then he pushed me off. I expected him to attack me but to my shock, he lifted his hand and slit his own throat right at the bottom of the throne. I knew that image would be forever burned in my head.
I watched his b*dy slump against the floor and I took a step back so the blood wouldn’t seep into my shoes. I called in Steven and he took one ook at the scene and grimaced.
“Call someone in to clean it up,” I ordered. “But take me to my family first.”
We walked back to the painting in silence and as soon as the door opened, I was ambushed by a tiny b*dy. I held Audrey close to my chest wanting a semblance of normalcy with my child before I had to think about what had just happened.
“Did you beat the bad guys, daddy?” she asked and I nodded. How did I tell my daughter that the bad guy was her own uncle. “I knew you could do it.”
“Audrey,” Christine called out. “I think we should give your daddy and mummy some time.”
Audrey reluctantly released me and I saw Christine offer me a small smile of encouragement before she left. Steven disappeared with them leaving just Camilla and I. I didn’t need to be a mind reader to know that Camilla was pissed at me. I reached out to her but she shook her head and I had to let my hands fall.
“Frederick?” she asked and I sighed.
“He’s dead, killed himself in front of the throne that he so desperately wanted.”
“What about his men?”
“I assume they’re all dead too. If any are alive, they will be in the dungeons.” I waited for a response but all she did was hum. “Camilla, I’m sorry.”
“Are you?” she asked and I fell silent. “You locked me in here without a second thought.”
“I was protecting you.”