Chapter 96 - Not A Bad Dream

"You did a great job," Amaru complimented.

Kazar smirked at the compliment. He strode over to the window where Amari stood. "I just did what you asked of me," he stated. "It wasn't that hard to rattle the prince up," he added victoriously.

"I knew you would be the right person for the job," Amaru said.

"What I don't understand is simple. Why would you want to upset the prince on his birthday like this?" Kazar questioned.

'I need the prince to be mine. It is only possible if he gives up on other people, the love he has for them is changing the future which I can't have. I will ensure that the predicted future comes true, no matter the cost,' Amaru thought while gazing at the sky.

He didn't like to do this to Ander buthethe boy left him with no choice. He had a plan and it was all ruined when Ander decided to give his family a second chance. He chooses to let go of his anger and try to make everyone happy.

Amaru was mad. Not only did he willingly give up his childhood infatuation to his father but he didn't announce their engagement to the world and instead chose to get close to the chosen one.

The thoughts of what he had witnessed in the prince's bathroom made his blood boil with anger. It wasn't supposed to go like, he was the only one who was allowed to touch the prince. Only he should be the one to fill him with all the pleasures of the world but Avan stole that from him.

"What are you thinking about?" Kazar found himself asking the boy. He had been watching him for quite a while and read a lot of emotions from him. It was so captivating to see such a beautiful face up close.

He couldn't resist the urge to hold Amaru's chin. Amaru came out of his thoughts when he felt a gentle touch on his face. He looked down at the hand that touched him and frowned.

"What are doing?" he asked in the iciest voice possible. Kazar trembled at his voice and retreated his hand.

"There was something on your face," he said sheepishly.

"Oh," Amaru said unconvinced by his lame excuse. "Doesn't matter, tonight the black moon dragon will be mine forever," he uttered.

"What if your plan fails?" he asked the beauty next to him. He wished in his heart that the plan would fail so that he could have Amaru to himself. He hated how everyone always falls off the prince. They always seem to find him so special when he wasn't.

So the prince was good-looking, he was a dragon and a powerful witch. What if he had the prettiest smile and was damaged attractively. That is not a good enough reason for everyone to go for him.

"I never fail," Amaru replied. He continued to stare at the sky not missing the stare he was receiving from the boy next to him. He took a deep breath, feeling the lust, desire, and intense attraction from the boy. He smirked.

"But if you do, surely you must have other options of people to pick from if the prince doesn't love you back," Kabar stated.

"Why? Are you interested in being one of those options?" he asked him. Kazar looked away from him hiding the red color on his cheeks from being called out. "I only have eyes for the prince," Amaru added.

Kabar frowned.

*****

Francis and Sofia helped Ander to his room and waited on him as he slept. They were terrified to leave him alone after what happened at the party. Francis laid beside him to the right while Sofia laid to his left.

They held his trembling hands to comfort him and give him the feeling of being safe.

"Why all of a sudden did that boy return to the palace?" Sofia asked her anger very evident in her face.

"I don't know. I mean everything was going well. The prince was letting go of his own accord but now," Francis said. His heart was heavy with guilt. Of all the harsh things that he had spoken to Ander.

He just needed a reminder of the past for his fatherly instincts to kick in fully. He started seeing how wrong the choices he had been making were and how selfish he had been all this time.

"Now I fear, he might return to distancing himself from the world again," Sofia completed his sentence.

"I just want him to come out of this fine. Nothing should happen to him," Francis let out.

The door to the prince's room came open. The King came in with a plate of food. He walked over to the prince's bed and watched them. The way they laid on the bed together, it looked like a family. The worry in his beloved's eyes didn't skip his notice.

"Francis," he called setting the food down on the bedside table. "You and Sofia should have something to eat," he said.

"I am not hungry," they replied in unison.

His chest tightened. He could count the number of times the two of them said the same statements throughout the day. It's like the two of them could read the mind of each other. They found a mutual interest in his son that he didn't understand and we're being so protective of him.

"What is going on. The two of you are acting weird?" he dared to ask to at least be aware of what was wrong.

"Why do you care. Ander doesn't matter to you so don't try to act concern," Francis replied him. His statement shocked both Sofia and Alex. He spoke the truth but it was unlike him to be so rude to Alex.

"I will go outside and give you time to talk in private," Sofia said. "Take care of him."

She excused herself and walked out of the room. Alex moved to the other side of the bed and laid down beside Ander, he reached out his hand to hold Francis's hand.

"Things have been tensed since we got reunited with each other. I understand that it will take time for us to find our way back to each other again like before. But Francis, all that can only be possible if we are on the same page," he explained slowly for Francis to understand him.

"If we get married then Ander will be our child. How do you expect for us to live happily if you don't accept him?" Francis asked. His eyes were filled with tears.

"If it makes you happy then I won't mind forgetting everything and accepting Ander," Alex said to him.

"It would make me happy if you accepted him and gave him the love and respect he deserves from you. Don't just treat him like a slave that has to do whatever you say," Francis stated.

Alex happily agreed. "Now that we have made up. Mind telling me why you are acting this way?"

"Stop..i...I didn't..please...i...stop," Ander muttered in his sleep while turning.

Francis let go of Alex and held Ander in his arms. The nightmares were back. "It's fine. You are fine," he said rubbing Ander's hair to calm him down.

"He is just having a bad dream. No need to be so worried," the king said adoring how Francis was taking care of Ander.

"It's not a bad dream but a bad memory, which you would know about if you took the time to know him," Francis said harshly.

His words pricked the king's heart. The fact of things was really painful for him to digest especially with Francis pointing them out accusingly. It made him guilty of the hate and anger he has always had in his heart for Ander.

"I will do better," he said.

Francis tried all that he could but Ander was only getting worse. Things in the room started flying around, glasses broke, the lights in the room flickered and the temperature started rising.

"He must be dreaming of the fire," Francis let out. The King joined him in trying to calm the prince down.

Just then the door swung open. The Queen Mother along with Mordecai, Malia, Sofia, Malcolm, and Avan rushed into the room.

"Alex, are you fine?" the queen's mother asked.

"I'm okay. Ander is the one who isn't fine," he replied trying his best to wake the prince from his sleep.

"I was just worried. The seer came to the party. He told me that before the sun rises tomorrow, the king of dragons will be no more," she informed everyone.

Francis took Ander into his arms and held him tightly. His fears were getting worse with the information that the Queen Mother had just dropped on him. He was frightened with the thought of Alex's death just as much he was afraid of Ander getting hurt.

"Avan, I..." the prince struggled to say. He inhaled Francis's sweet scent that smelled like lavender with a mix of mint. 'You should never leave me," he whispered before he bit Francis on the neck and sucked on the bite before falling unconscious.