A Bloody Mess

Arthur's footsteps echoed through the empty corridor as he made his way back to the manor. He had been looking forward to returning home after the ball at the palace. He couldn't help but feel uneasy that his sister Beatrice and her fiance Edward had not made an appearance. 

"AAHHHHHHHHHHH" 

He was suddenly jolted by a piercing scream that echoed through the house. His heart raced as he frantically searched for the source of the sound. It was Beatrice's scream, which still echoed through the empty halls of the manor, sending a shiver down Arthur's spine.

He had never heard her so angry before, and he knew something must be terribly wrong. However, even in her fury, he found her just as adorable, ahhh… what a lovely adorable Beatrice. 

As he approached, he saw Edward sprinting away, stark naked and seething with anger. The sight made Arthur's blood boil. This man! How could this man, a royal no less, dare to lay a hand on Beatrice?

The mere thought of Edward doing something indecent to his sister was enough to make him lose control. He didn't care if Edward was a royal family member; he would kill him! He felt a surge of rage, the likes of which he had never experienced before.

Without hesitation, Arthur sprinted after Edward, caught up to him, and delivered a powerful blow that sent him crashing to the ground, unconscious. He knew he had to make sure Edward faced the consequences of his actions. He then took him back to the room that had been left open, where the maids were peeking inside but too scared to enter. 

"Move," Arthur growled, his voice low and menacing.

One of the maids fell as he bumped into her, but Arthur didn't waste any time. He needed to know what was going on. As he stepped into the room, his eyes widened with shock.

The room was a mess, with shattered glass and wine bottles strewn across the floor. And then he saw his mother, unconscious and naked, with a wound to her temple. His sister was on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. Now he knew what had happened.

He threw Edward to the ground and strode towards the butler, who was attempting to cover his mother with a mantle. Arthur's voice was cold and distant as he demanded, "What are you doing?" The butler's hands shook as he stammered out an explanation.

The butler looked up at him, his face filled with shock. "My Lord, your mother-"

"I can see that," Arthur interrupted, his voice still eerily calm. "Leave her be and don't forget to bring the whip and rope."

The butler looked at him in shock, not sure if he had heard correctly. Was Arthur really asking for a whip? But he knew better than to question his Lord's commands, so he simply nodded and scurried off to retrieve the whip and rope. He also chased away all of the peeking maids and closed the door. 

Arthur approached Beatrice with a gentle touch, pressing a tender kiss on her temple as he carefully lifted her into a nearby chair. He wiped away the tears that had fallen and began to rub her back soothingly, asking in a soft voice, "Please calm down, Beatrice. Can you tell me what happened?"

Still, in a state of shock, Beatrice stared at Arthur with a desperate look before realizing that Edward was still in the room with her. She suddenly stood up and cried out, "I'm about to kill that man!" and made a move toward the unconscious Edward. 

But before she could do anything, Arthur held her close and spoke in a calm voice, "Shhh... don't do that, Beatrice. You don't want to get your hands dirty, let me do it instead." His embrace was a mix of tenderness and contempt. He was happy that she was in such a desperate state and needed him so much.

Arthur and Beatrice were close in age, just two years apart, and had developed a strong bond. Arthur loved Beatrice deeply and always wanted her to depend on him. He had always been there for her, especially after her nanny's death, and he loved nothing more than to see her vulnerable and dependent on him.

He had become her protector, her confidant, and her constant companion. But now, as she grew older and more independent, he felt his grip on her slip away. It was a realization that cut him to the core.

However, the recent incident had given him hope. Seeing Beatrice in such a traumatized state, he knew that she would need him more than ever. Perhaps this could be his chance to solidify his hold on her. He even entertained the idea of her giving up marriage altogether and staying by his side for the rest of her life.

As he looked at his mother lying unconscious on the floor, a twisted smile played at the corners of his lips. He couldn't help but feel grateful to her for always being a part of Beatrice's misery. He knew that his mother's actions had played a significant role in shaping Beatrice's life, and he had no qualms about exploiting it to his advantage.

… 

The storm outside raged on, with thunder booming and lightning flashing in the sky. The eerie atmosphere inside the room was only intensified by the sound of the wind howling through the windows and the rain pelting against the glass.

Arthur's eyes gleamed with sadistic pleasure as he lit his cigar and took the whip and rope from the butler. He knew he had to punish Edward for cheating on Beatrice, and he relished the thought of making him suffer.

With calm and measured movements, Arthur tied his mother to the bedpost and bound Edward to the floor. The gramophone played a haunting melody, the voice of the singer sending chills down the spine of anyone in the room.

Edward jolted awake to the sound, only to find himself bound and staring at Arthur holding a whip. He started sweating profusely, his heart racing with fear. "Arthur, please, what would you do to me? I… I'm the third prince of this kingdom! M..my father wo..n't allow you to do this!" he pleaded, his voice shaking with terror. The sister-brother duo had become his worst nightmare.

Arthur let out a mocking laugh as he repeated Edward's words. "You sound like a weakling. Your father won't be able to save you from the punishment you deserve for betraying my sister," he sneered. With that, he kicked Edward in the ribs, sending him crashing to the ground in agony.

Arthur then cruelly poured the wine over her mother's bound body, causing her to shudder in disgust. As she struggled to regain her senses, she could hear the sickening sound of flesh hitting flesh. Arthur savagely kicked Edward in the ribs, each blow more brutal than the last. 

Edward's body writhed in pain as he struggled to catch his breath. "P-please…stop… this… Arthur," he managed to gasp out between coughs. "I'm sorry for what I did to your sister. Please, just let me go." 

But Arthur only laughed in response, his eyes glinting with sadistic pleasure. "Let you go? You really think I'm that merciful, Edward?" he taunted. "No, you deserve to suffer for what you've done. You betrayed my sister, and now you must pay the price." 

With that, he delivered another vicious kick to Edward's side, causing him to cry out in pain. Blood dripped from his mouth as he lay there, helpless and defeated. "Please… I'm begging you…" Edward pleaded, his voice weak and strained. But Arthur simply sneered and raised the whip again, ready to deliver another blow.

Duchess Alicia's heart sank as she realized the full extent of Arthur's sadism. The sight of Edward, once a charming and handsome young man, now reduced to a battered and bloody mess, made her feel sick to her stomach. Furthermore, she felt anger towards her son. 

"Arthur! What the hell are you doing!!!" she screamed in a fit of fury, her blood boiling with anger.

But Arthur only smiled in response. "So you're awake? You're just in time, mother," he said, his voice sending shivers down her spine. "This is only the beginning."

The son she had raised and loved was now a monster, reveling in the pain he had inflicted upon others. As she looked at Beatrice, calmly seated while watching the horrific scene unfold before them, the duchess couldn't help but feel a sense of despair. This was the only choice Arthur had left her with, and it was a choice she could never have imagined making.

The duchess's voice was laced with despair as she begged for mercy. Tears streamed down her face, mingling with the wine that had been poured over her. "Beatrice, please release me and have mercy on Edward," she pleaded, her voice cracking with emotion. "She is your fiancé, the one who has always loved you. This is all your fault too for not treasure him enough!"

But Beatrice remained unmoved, her eyes fixed on Edward's battered form as Arthur continued to whip him. The storm outside raged on, its fury matched only by the sadistic glee on Arthur's face.

As the whip cracked against Edward's flesh, he cried out in pain, his voice barely audible over the sound of thunder. The duchess's heart ached for him, knowing that she had played a part in bringing him to this cruel fate.

But Beatrice remained stoic and unmoved, her eyes fixed on Edward as Arthur whipped him mercilessly. The sound of the whip striking flesh filled the room, mixing with Edward's cries of agony. Blood seeped from his wounds as he fell to the ground, gasping for breath.

"Ple.. se…  Bea… I'm… so.. rry," mumbled Edward in a weak voice. But his pleas fell on deaf ears, drowned out by the howling wind and the sickening sound of flesh being torn apart by the whip. As Beatrice continued to watch him suffer, a cold and cruel smile was on her lips.