NIGHTS OF HALLOW

Sthena’s eyes snapped open unlike how they had slowly closed on their own, and instead was welcomed with the dark decor of his room.

He loved the darkness, always did, and being a creature of the night who thrived in darkness added to his love for it. It gave him a sense of thrill and calm, to haunt just like how he had haunted the people in their dreams with his first kill.

Staring into the nothingness caused by the darkness enveloping the room, Sthena lay on the bed going down the memory lane of what he had dreamt.

His childhood and his past were something one wouldn’t love to experience. Every memory was ugly and filled with bloodshed. Not even a happy one could be found. But without the memories, he didn’t think he would be where he was today. They said experience was the best teacher, and he couldn’t agree more with it.

Sthena’s lips curved into a smile at the memory. Surprisingly today, he didn’t feel the usual pain of when his past haunted him in his sleep which was always caused any time he lay on the bed, instead, he woke feeling refreshed and energized.

Was it because he meted the same brutality the villagers did to his mother? Or was it that he didn’t have a hard time sleeping on his bed that triggered so many emotions and memories? Whatever it was thrilling.

That day he had his first kill in the presence of the villagers totally changed him. Either from good to bad or from bad to worst. He could vividly remember everything that happened after he killed the young man, and it was somehow the key to his accession as the king.

Funny how the same person they bullied and despised was now the same person they’re willing to lick his shoe and worship the ground he walked on.

Such was reality and how the world was. Wealth is power and power is wealth. And having both was like having the world in one’s palm.

Sthena rose from the bed and began to prepare for the day. No maid came to assist him because he told them not to.

After dressing, Sthena left his room and went to the dining room where everyone was seated excluding Prince Regan who was still in the cell enjoying the dusty days of his life.

Around the table sat Lady Rosamonda, Princess Sarah, Perdita, and Marco who all stood up and bowed at the king before resuming to sit on their seats after Sthena sat down while noting the tension hanging in the room.

The maids started to serve the freshly cooked food on the table, helping them to place napkins on their laps. ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

As custom demanded, everyone waited for the king to start eating before they joined him.

There was a minute silence in the dining room before it was broken by Lady Rosamonda whom Sthena knew would squirm in her seat because of everything happening in the castle.

”Your Majesty,” Lady Rosamonda called with a clenched jaw, trying to be polite. She could still remember what Sthena did to her two days ago.

”Yes?” Sthena answered nonchalantly, a smile plastered on his face that had Perdita glance at him for the third time he came into the dining room.

Perdita had noticed the unusual happiness of Sthena the moment he came in, and it made her wonder if anything good happened to him, or if it was one of his quirky ways.

Lady Rosamonda dropped her cutlery on the plate and stared at the king, but not after she glared at the siblings, especially Perdita.

She said, ”Your Majesty, I didn’t know non-royalties would be dining with us.”

”Well,” Sthena began and put the steaked meat into his mouth. He took his time to chew on the tender spicy meat before answering Lady Rosamonda.

He went on to answer, ”I believe you know it now. No?”

Lady Rosamonda pursed her lips in displeasure over Sthena’s answer. Unrelenting on making sure her message was passed through, she continued, ”Your Majesty, I think it is not appropriate. Not just anyone should eat with u...”

”Then you leave,” Sthena deadpanned with the smile still on his face. ”If you don’t like it, Stepmother Rosamonda, you’re welcomed to leave.”

”If you’re talking about my guests being the unnecessary people, then I’ll take that as an insult.”

Lady Rosamonda’s eyes widened in horror. She quickly bowed and apologized, ”Forgive me, Your Majesty. That is not what I mean.”

”Can you explain what it means then, Lady Rosamonda?” Sthena calmly asked. His calm demeanor was a stark contrast to the heavy tension hanging in the necks of Rosamonda and Sarah who fidgeted with her dress.

Lady Rosamonda exhaled deeply still annoyed with having Perdita and Marco dine with them.

”I was only stating the rules of the royal family, Your Majesty.”

”Rules of the royal family, I see,” Sthena hummed. He took the glass cup filled with blood tea and swirled it before taking a sip.

Perdita stared at the cup in Sthena’s hand and swallowed a lump when he drank it, the red liquid painted his upper lips and he leisurely licked it clean.

Sthena continued to speak, ”Lady Perdita and her brother are my guests. If any one of you is not happy with it, you can leave the dining room.” He asserted and continued to eat his food as if he didn’t say anything.

Perdita raised her head and stared from Sthena to Lady Rosamonda who looked as if she would burst into flames.

There was no way she would leave the dining room before the king. That was disrespectful and rude. And she was obviously not fond of eating with Perdita and Marco.

It was one option against the other, and there was no other choice than to choose the latter option which is to stay and have meals with the king’s quest who she did not know how long they would stay in the castle.

Perdita’s mouth stretched into a smile when she saw Lady Rosamonda pick up her cutlery to continue eating with a grumpy face.

In between the meal, Lady Rosamonda broke the silence again. ”Your Majesty, Prince Regan is not dining with us yet?”

”Don’t you know the answer to your question already? You can visit him in the cell and have him smell the scent of food on you to let him know what food smells like.”

”Your Majesty, he is a royal. Locking him up is like degrading his status and that of every member of the royal family.” Lady Rosamonda firmly replied with a deep frown now on her face.

”You should know that insulting the guest of the king is not something I would tolerate,” Sthena spoke, the smile disappearing from his face. ”You should be glad I didn’t cut off his hand because of his recklessness.”

At the mention of hand, Perdita peeked at the right hand of Lady Rosamonda, the one Sthena had frozen some days ago. The Lady had protected the hand from the eyes of others by wearing a glove on her hand, and this could only mean that what Sthena had done to her was severe.

Such a pity that the same hand that slapped her in this very dining room was the same one hidden behind a glove now.

Sthena’s voice brought Perdita back to reality as she heard him say,

”You Stepmother Rosamonda know what reputation and status means.” Sthena began with a smile returning to his face, ”You should perhaps inculcate more knowledge in your son on how to behave and not cause another problem. After all, he’s a Prince and that wouldn’t look good on his reputation.”

”Now, I do not want more interruptions till the end of this meal.” Sthena asserted and everyone resumed eating while Perdita had a subtle smile on her face, Lady Rosamonda looked as if she would slaughter them immediately.