13 No longer innocent

The sky was grey, practically black. The rain was pouring non-stop. A little boy around twelve years old was staring outside from the window. He was standing in the front of the visible glass as he watched the rainfall. He had black hair and yellow eyes like the sun but it didn't shine like it. There was no light in his eyes. They were composed of emptiness and loneliness.

Someone knocked at the room.

"Your highness, young master Artes Glaid is here to meet you. Should I let him in?" A maid spoke at the other side of the door.

"..."

There was no response back to the question.

"Let me go in. I'll deal with him." A little boy spoke.

He had black hair but with slight blue. His eyes were a mixture of grey and blue. He was wearing a black shirt with golden patterns on it with black pants. He was almost around the same age as the child inside the room.

Artes slowly opened the door and sneaked in, trying to not make any noise.

"Cousin." The black-haired boy finally spoke.

"Oh my, did I get caught?" Artes asked with an awkward smile as he scratched the back of his head.

"You betrayed me." The little boy glared at him as his yellow eyes shone like fire. He had an overwhelming aura all around him.

"I-I didn't." The little boy mumbled.

"You did." The boy approached Artes as he backstepped and fell to the ground.

***

"Wake up."

Artes opened his eyes, finding Jack in front of him, staring with a killing glare.

'Hah. A dream?' Artes chuckled as he thought and scratched the back of his head. He was still sitting on the sofa of the guest room of the royal palace.

It had the same design as the royal family with a golden colour and soft red fabric.

"Why did you come here?" Jack asked with an unhappy tone, standing with his arms crossed.

"Ah... well, I think my sister is causing misunderstandings with you and the queen. So I came to meet her and expl—"

"No need." The black-haired man cut him off.

"Are you sure?" Artes asked making sure once again so Jack wouldn't regret his decision.

"Get out already. You guys piss me off." Jack stepped out of the room.

Artes sighed as he stood up from the sofa and slowly headed towards the exit.

***

It was around 7 pm. The sun was setting down, letting the moon shine once again.

Jack was doing the paper works that were neglected for the past month. Then, he noticed a red fluid fall on the sheet.

"What... is this?.." He slowly mumbled trying to examine the red liquid on the paper. He realized it was blood. But who's?

In a few seconds, there were more drops. Only then did he realize that something was running down his cheek and it was his blood. He slowly reached his eyes. He wiped the liquid and looked at it. He was correct. His eyes were bleeding, again. He shivered for a second.

The man stood up abruptly and rushed out of his study room. He stepped fast and slammed the queen's bedroom door.

Ave got shocked as she looked at Jack smacking the door and come into her bedroom. She shivered at one thought.

'Did he just discover I'm not his real childhood friend after thinking over everything weird I had done!?' She gasped. 'God save me!..'

Then she quickly examined his state.

The man in front of her was covering both of his eyes with his hands and some blood was dripping on the ground and some were rubbing down his hand.

"What the hell?" She spoke after a few minutes of silence.

"Avi!" Jack rushed and sat on her bed. "It's starting again." His hands were trembling as his eyes kept bleeding.

Ave slowly removed his hands and looked into his eyes. His eyes had turned red once again. She was shocked by the view but closed her eyes quickly to control her fear.

'I'd be scared to death too if I was him. Crazy king or not it's still scary.' She thought as she glanced at the maid present in the room.

"Go get some bandage." She ordered her with a firm tone.

The maid bowed as she walked out of the bedroom and closed the door behind her.

"Jack, you should lay down."

Jack slowly laid on the soft bed.

Ave took off his shoes so he could rest comfortably.

"What are you doing?!" Jack yelled.

"Wh- I was just taking off your shoes?" Ave nervously spoke with a hesitant voice.

"What do you mean Avi?! We have servants! Why would the Queen do something like this?!" Jack got pissed off by her behaviour. He felt she was being quite shameless to do this. No noblewoman would ever do this. They were too arrogant and prideful.

'Does she have no pride at all? How can it be?!' Jack's thoughts were getting wilder with each second that Ave stayed silent.

"Calm down." Ave frowned. "I used to do everything on my own. So of course, I'm not used to using maid everywhere!" She yelled back at him.

'Who does he think is?! A king, ok but not like in my past life I ever had maids to take care of me like a princess!' The blonde woman rolled her eyes as her blood was boiling in anger.

Then, there was a huge silence. None of the young couple uttered a word.

The silence broke only when the maid had knocked on the door.

"Your highness, I have brought the bandages." She spoke with a soft voice."

"Come in," Jack spoke breaking the awkwardness inside the bedroom.

The maid put the box of bandages on the bed and was about to leave when Ave grabbed her hand.

"Y-your highness??" She said with a nervous tone.

Aveline chuckled as she grinned with her thin lips.

"What have you put inside?" she asked as if she knew that something was fishy.

"N-nothing, your highness. There are only bandages." She groaned as Ave pulled her hand at her back, holding it right.

"Really?~ Shall we verify?" Ave asked with an amused expression on her face. She found it funny how this maid was trying to cover up her mistake.

'Oh wait, it's not a mistake.' She laughed out loudly.

"What are you doing Aveline?! Have you gone crazy?!" Jack yelled as he sat up straight on the bed and glanced at the blonde woman 'bullying a poor maid'.

"Let her go!" Jack ordered his wife.

"In your dreams." Ave glared at him back just as he was glaring at her. "Now, open the box for us, will you?" Ave whispered with a soft voice but it was still loud enough to be heard by Jack.

"I-ok..." The maid slowly stepped towards the box. She slowly opened in when a dark black snake came out. It bit her instantly before she had the time to run away. She fainted instantly as the poison was very venomous.

"What the?!" Jack hurriedly got out of the bed and stood beside Aveline.

"What, scared?" Ave giggled at his reaction. Ave grabbed a stick and gave the snack some time to roll around it. She then headed towards the window and threw it away.

"How did you?.." Jack muttered in disbelief. He always thought Ave was an innocent and ignorant girl. He couldn't ever imagine her knowing how to deal with snakes, far how to figure out what a maid was conspiring.

"Ah my dear husband, you still think I'm so innocent?" Ave took a seat on the bed with a grin on her lips as she crossed her legs.