"Murderers are not monsters, they're men. And that's the most frightening thing about them."
― Alice Sebold, The Lovely Bones
"Your highness". A servant said coming in and whispering in Decimis's ear. He sighed and dismissed the servant and stared in his glass. All of his small council members were there waiting for Decimis to speak; they had been there for an hour in silence and Decimis said nothing. The uproar about the death of Grace was still going on two weeks later. "I guess we can be happy that the great fire from months ago has been overshadowed by this servant girl's death". Decimis finally said.
"But it has shaken everyone to the core including the queen". Decimis said, taking a sip of his liquor. "How long was the great fire ago"? Decimis said looking at Thomas who cleared his throat and sat up in his seat. "Five months ago soon it will be winter". Thomas said. "And how long do you think this event of the servant girl's death will last"? Decimis asked. "I do not know". Thomas answered. "And how long was your daughter in bed recovering from the fire"? Thomas asked.
"Pardon my rudeness your majesty but I don't see the correlation". Thomas said. "I said how long did it take for your daughter to recover"? Decimis repeated. "Of the five months she took four to truly recover". Thomas said begrudgingly. "Why don't we say the servant girl didn't die and that she's recovering". Decimis said. A heavy silence fell over the room more heavy than the one where no one spoke for an hour. Everyone exchanged nervous looks and sat up in their chairs.
"Your majesty, that is impossible". A council man muttered. Decimis sighed and sunk in his chair. "I know". He groaned. "Any one word on Sealed Lips"? He asked Elric who shook his head. "And of the section in the newspapers I told you to put in"? Decimis asked. "It has been put in your majesty. The people are showing positive reviews about it". Elric said. Decimis nodded and went quiet again. And again the room was filled with nervous and awkward silence.
Decimis began to look at each and everyone of the men in the room judging them in his men. Comparing them to each other but when he placed his eyes on Thomas he didn't have any complaints about him. That was until he remembered that Shayan Tsosie had been staying in his brother-in-law's house for the past two weeks and a jealous and unease rose over him. "The crown prince". Decimis began. "Ive heard you've been hosting him or your brother in law rather has been hosting him". Decimis said.
"Yes your majesty," My brother in law Lumis offered for the crown prince to stay after the events at the ball. The crown prince seemed rather startled". Thomas said. "Startled? Or rather trying to comfort your startled daughter"? Decimis joked. "Ah yes young lady Amara is quite the beauty". They began to say and chatter to each other. Both Thomas and Decimis were confused. Confused on Thomas's part because he didn't remember Shayan and Amara having any interaction. Confusion on Decimis's part because why was Amara Whitewood mentioned all of a sudden. "Lady Amara"? Decimis said, raising an eyebrow. "I am talking about Canary Whitewood".
The room grew quiet once more with the men exchanging looks between each other. "Ah yes lady Canary is also a beauty". But Thomas felt as though this was a backhanded comment for he thought all of his students to be handsome and beautiful. "Speaking of my daughter as an afterthought will not be tolerated". Thomas said, frowning. "Marquis Whitewood I didn't-". "Let us move on to the next topic". Thomas said not wanting to hear the excuse the man was about to say.
They moved on to a different topic of the great fire, then on the crops, and many other roof conversations and when it came to an end it felt as though the whole day had gone by. At an intense moment the men were ready to go home. Thomas being the main one among him but Decimis would not let him go so soon. "Thomas, stay a while, would you?". He said. Thomas nodded knowing it had to be important how few these days did Decimis call him by his name instead of Marquis Whitewood.
"Thomas"? Thomas chuckled after everyone had left. "Yes, let us old friends have a conversation". Deicmis said, pouring both himself and Thomas a glass of wine. "Only one cup". Thomas said, sitting down with Decimis. "The plan to say the servant girl is recovering, do you think that was a crazy thing to say"? Decimis said. "I think it was absolutely ludicrous". Thomas said seriously. But Decimis just laughed. Decimis had always laughed at these moments between him and Thomas because Thomas was always serious, never joking in business matters.
For a moment Decimis's had thought back when he,Thomas, and Arley. Him and Arley ever joked and Thomas was ever only serious. For a moment he had missed Arley though Arley died with him and Decimis never made amends. "You've grown cruel Decimis". Thomas said, taking a sip of his wine. "Haning with your older brother Thaddeus lately". Decimis chuckled. "I've always been cruel to Tommy. It's just you've never saw you never wanted to see and it's the reason why me and Arley stopped being friends". Decimis said. Now he was serious and the room grew sad and quiet.
Thomas looked at the empty chair that Arley would have been sitting in at this moment but it was empty. Decimis noticed this and he too stared at the chair. "Many people think I killed Arley". Decimis finally spoke. "But I did not kill him". Decimis said. "I would never kill someone who was like family". Decimis drank the whole glass of wine and poured himself another. "Do you know of our argument that broke our friendship"? Decimis asked. Thomas shook his head. "I always asked you two and you never wanted to tell me". Thomas answered. "The argument was about Shimon and Curciana". Decimis said. "My ego prevailed over my friend and his advice". "So did my jealousy also". "He told me to treat Shimon right after the death of Curciana and I instead told him I was king and I didn't have to listen to his words". "Arley had everything going right for him, his marriage, his life and I was raised by a father who didn't love me and didn't want me to have the throne and when I finally proved him wrong I was overshadowed by the woman I loved". Decimis said. "Someone who I had always secretly envied and both admired was now giving me advice and scolding me I couldn't handle it".
"Arley told me after I had told him I was king and didn't need his advice that since I was king and didn't need his advice then he didn't need his friendship either for a king does not have friends". Decimis said. "I told Arley he would regret this moment and instead I was the one regretting it seeing both his and his wife's coffin and now I am in a battle with both my son and Arley's son". Decimis sighed.
"Why are you telling me this all of a sudden"? Thomas asked. There was a moment of silence before Decimis chugged down his glass of wine and set it down in front of him. He was contemplating on what to say next. He parted his lips, seeming to want to speak and closed them tightly before sighing. "During the event where the servant girl died and the papers happened, do you know who the first person I looked at to see whether they were okay was"? Decimis asked. "Ilaka"? Thomas said, throwing out an answer. Decimis shook his head. "Shimon". He answered.
"My firstborn, the beginning of my bloodline, I looked at Shimon to see whether he was okay". Decimis said, hardly believing himself. "And in those moments Shimon looked back at me and the look in his eyes brought me back to when he was a child and he got attacked by that assassin". Decimis pressed his hands hard together. "The look in his eyes looking for his father, seeing if he would protect but in the moment Shimon realized something that me and him were in odds so he looked away not expecting me to protect him". Decimis said.
As odd as it was Decimis was the one who set the fire in the countryside but Decimis as twisted as he was, made sure Shimon was nowhere near the fire when it happened. Decimis had never tried to indirectly or directly harm Shimon…no never once did he try to harm Shimon. In the first moments of Shimon's life he indeed did hold Shimon dearly but when the boy began to grow and he began to have the traits of the true kings of the Declan bloodline Decimis's fatal trait came in and he grew envious of Shimon and pushed him away.
But now the of the moments happening and the schemes of Decimis had fallen through Decimis began to grow tired of fighting with Shimon in fact he began to reflect on his actions and grew sad all the more of his fight with Arley and the decline of his relationship with Shimon. Decimis and Thomas talked evermore into the night and when it grew too late for Thomas to stay he began to bid Decimis farewell but at the door Decimis stopped him.
"I have more to tell you". Decimis said. "But now I will not tell you now for you may already know it yourself also". Decimis said. "I fear to know the truth". Thomas said. "I fear to let it plant in my mind". Thomas then left and left Decimis alone pondering on his thoughts.