Chapter 11 - Season Finale

Days passed by, then a week. By that time, the dungeon under the annex was painted red.

The Anonymity came by every day, taking in his shivering hands a bucket of water and a mop. Then, slowly, he wiped the blood away. The second prince never moved from his seat at the window ever since, only a few times to touch his food. The door was always locked, and even when it wasn't, he never moved.

Bodies of prisoners and criminals piled up, then maids and servants. The second prince didn't move. The red from the dungeon spread to the second prince's annex, where the most expendable servants were. The blood streaked across the cold marble floor, soaking into the mats and crawling into cracks in the wood. Then, it was only the Anonymity left, inside the annex of the Royal Palace.

There was a rumor, that when the first prince was mad, he took his sword and would strike anybody he saw, rip off their fingers, their arms, until their heart snapped or their head came off next. The Anonymity, with his shiver hands, mop and bucket, washed it all away.

"Your-Your Highness," The Anonymity muttered, creaking open the door a little. There were no more guards to guard it. The second prince still sat at his desk, his head facing the gardens.

"What is it you want to say, Anonymity?"

"P-Please... Please stop the crowned prince," The Anonymity said, shivering. His hands were wet from the cold water, his eyes starting to become wet too. "I... I beg of you."

'...I don't want to do die too, Your Highness.'

"Did you spill his misdeeds?"

"N-No, Your Highness."

"Then leave. You have no business with me." The Anonymity's eyes widened, and he let the tears spill out. His whole body trembled now, his hands balling into fists as he stared down at the ground.

"N-no... no.. please.."

"Leave."

He ran away, clutching his head in his hands. He ran until he reached the corridor, then went down the stairs to the kitchen, which before had so many people. People smiling, talking, the clanking of silverware and plates, the whirling of machines.

It was silent now. But, in his head, all he could see was blood. Pools and pools of blood, spilling everywhere, choking him, wrapping around him tightly, burning his skin like the cold water did.

He crouched down, still whispering  no, nonono. please, stop. stop it. 

"O-Oliver?" The Anonymity gasped, his head jerking upwards to stare into the vacant but concerned eyes of his step-brother.

"Elias?" He whispered. "What are you doing here?" Elias bit his lip, sitting down beside the Anonymity and wrapping his arm around him.

"I was trying to find you. Y'know, about the murder case." He smiled at him, a forced smile. "And, I haven't seen you in a long time." The Anonymity laughed bitterly, but leaned into his step-brother.

"Geez, what happened?" Elias asked, leaning back on the wall.

"I can't tell you," The Anonymity replied. "Royal orders."

"Pff. How arrogant. You think you're better than me just because you're a higher rank now and I'm blind?"

"Yeah."

"Ugh."

-

He left the door open, Easter thought, absentmindedly staring at nothing. He didn't care about how his brother liked to torture his servants, nor the fact that he was given a royal order by the crowned prince to stay in his room. Osiris... he probably wasn't here right now. He liked to take out his anger at night. Honestly, Easter didn't have any concrete ideas as to why his brother was so angry. He had some clues, though.

It didn't matter, really. In fact, he openly encouraged it. If there was commotion inside his annex, or if servants were randomly disappearing, would Mother give him a little more attention?

Mother didn't even spare him a glance when the Puppet died. Although it wasn't his intention to kill the Puppet, Mother didn't blink an eye when it happened. Neither when he fainted and was sick in bed for days. Nor when he abused his maids or the new slave boy. Now, if Osiris's murder spree didn't spark her interest, would he have to kill Osiris himself to get even some acknowledgement from his mother? He was going insane thinking about it.

He did all the tasks Mother asked him to do so well. He disguised himself so much that he even forgot his own personality. He killed so many people, but Mother never really talked to him. Never really looked at him. Even if they were on friendly terms to the public, and to Osiris and Father, he was truly invisible in her eyes.

"Easter." Lady Rose was standing outside his room.

"Oh? What brings you here, My Lady?" He asked, putting on a smile. She frowned.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Lady Rose let herself in, staring at him with cautious green eyes. She sat down on a sofa in the middle of the room, and he poured her some tea he had poured himself earlier, sitting down opposite to her.

"Your Highness... Are you loosing your mind?" Easter almost choked on his spit, but it was a reasonable question, he supposed.

"I hope not," Easter replied, coughing a little. 

"What about your brother, then?"

"What about him?" Rose's eyes narrowed.

"Don't you think he's being too out of control right now?"

Easter sighed. "Please, My Lady-"

"I won't spill it. Just, I beg of you. Stop that awful tantrum of his."

"...Alright."

-

"Alright," was what Easter had said, but as he faced his brother, for the first time, he didn't understand the look in his eyes.

"L-Laura- That girl," Osiris muttered. "S-She- Pff, haha... Hahahaha..."