“You are a stupid, stupid boy.” Casimir rubs at his temples.
“I’m older than you. I am not a boy,” I point out before trudging toward my closet.
Casimir follows with stomping steps. His wide frame fills the doorway as I begin sifting through clothes. Finally, he stalks forward. His fingers dig into my cheeks as he turns my face toward him, and with his free hand, he swipes a finger across the corner of my mouth. He pulls his hand away, showing me the sliver of pink lipstick I’d missed.
Shit.
He says nothing, just holds his finger up and stares.
“You’re one to talk.” I slap his hand out of the air before I take a step out of his reach and drag a pair of pants off a hanger.
“Idid not kiss King Melic’s wife. My sin is not punishable by death.”
I shove my legs into the stiff fabric, zipping and buttoning with more aggression than I should. “You do not know what happened behind closed doors.”
“Merrick!” he growls. “If I could put two and two together, so could anyone else. What if it was Basilus who had come knocking on your door this morning? Hm? Would he be so willing to keep your dirty little secret? And you know better than I that these walls,” he lowers his voice, “these walls have fucking eyes and ears. Nothing you do is a secret.”
“Well, this is. And I want to keep it that way.” My hands poke out of pressed white sleeves, my fingers quickly working to do up the buttons of my shirt.
“I will not fall for your sins, brother.” He says it calmly, but we both know it is a lie.
“I am not asking you to.” I clasp my hand on his shoulder.
“Damn it. Would you wipe your fucking face off?” He yanks a random shirt off its hanger and hastily scrubs my face while I sputter. He stops and I narrow my gaze.
“Is that better?”
“No.”
“Is it off?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t touch me like that again.” I point at him before clapping his back and walking past him. My stomach rumbles as I head for some shoes. “What’s for dinner—”
“Father is leaving.”
He’s still in my closet. His arms are crossed over his wide chest, his face shadowed under the singular pendant light. Tension riddles his shoulders.
“Where to?”
“I’m assuming wherever it is he always goes. He is packing right now and then heading off to ‘mourn.’” He rolls his eyes.
My lips curl with disgust. “What a fucking asshole.”
“Don’t... don’t do anything stupid. Don’t get yourself killed.”
Sinking my feet into my boots, I pull the laces tight. “No. I won’t. I’ve got a much better plan than to just lose my shit. Though I would really like to.” He nods his agreement. “I’m going to swoop in. Make sure I’m part of every plan he makes. Then I’m going to destroy everything he does. Find a way to rid him of his throne.”
Casimir groans. “I just said don’t do anything stupid.”
“You’ll see.” I shrug. For all I care, that man is not my father any longer. King Melic killed my mother, and I will make sure that the rest of his days are not worth living. He will not be allowed to grieve what he took away from himself. That’s not how it works.
“I’m going after him.” I start toward the door.
“Then I’m coming too.”
“No.”
