Nicholas's POV :
"Happy birthday Nicky....."
A soft, gentle voice spoke up really close.
Opening my drowsy eyes, I met with my mom's calm, smiling face. She was here to wish me.
"Thank you, mom." ...
I woke up with a start, gasping for air, as hot tears rolled down my cheeks relentlessly. So it was all a dream. But it felt so real as if she was actually caressing me, coaxing me to her soothing touch then wishing me...
The sound of the main door opening brought me back from my trance...
Felix?!
Two muffled voices were heard and the door closed immediately, leaving me wondering if he left already. Hopefully, the soft footsteps, careful shuffling sounds assured me, he was still here and was being as much silent as possible, only to ensure that he didn't disturb my sleep.
The soft caring angelic heart he has! How can I not be overwhelmed by his presence?!
Wiping the tears, I tried to look as presentable as possible. He can't see me like this, it'll burden him more. Also my day will be ruined if not destroyed, he might have prepared something for me.
Calming down for more few minutes, I braced myself with courage as I left the bed, neatly arranging it again.
Knocks were heard on the main door, the door opened again, muffled voices came again, this time it felt more fierce as the door was closed with quite a force.
Just what's going on?
"... Darling Nicholas...Darling?!!! Who do they think they're?! What right do they have to call him that?!..."
As soon as I opened the door, Felix's outburst reached me and I stood still.
There were many gifts wrapped in colourful papers, some gift cards, a flower bouquet stacked at the corner of the door frame and Felix was....well he was frustrated over another bouquet which might have a small template and he was seriously glaring at the poor paper. If glares could burn, it would have already caught fire. Amusing.
Just as he decided to put down the bouquet finally, I cleared my throat to measure his mood. But he turned total 180 degree there.
As with a dazzling smile, he chortled, "Nicholas! Happy birthday!"
Tightly embracing me in a bone crushing hug, he added, "this will be your best birthday, trust me."
Breaking the hug, I looked at him carefully, thoroughly processing my thoughts, I asked "you're not angry on me because of those gifts?"
For a moment I almost thought that he would lash out and tell me to throw them away.
Instead with the same radiant smile, he responded, "why would I be?! Those gifts mean that people remember you, your birthday, they care for you and they admire you. These are a part of your special day! Why would I oppose it?!"
Did I ever mention that he is not only an angel from his looks but his heart is also of an angel?!
"And for the bouquet?"
I watched his reaction turning into a grim one as he failed to cover his true impression on them. So he was indeed jealous!
Amusing.
Should I tell him the truth? Or let him brood over this feeling?
Seeing his eyes again glaring at the very recently sent bouquet, I decided otherwise. "That one is from Dean Jones. He has this weird habit of addressing people with various kind endearment. And the other one is from professor Jones, he doesn't like to show much illustration if it's not an art."
"Oooo..."
I'm telling you, you should have seen his face, it almost turned into ripe tomato and he just stared at his feet for a good second only to hide the embarassment. An inevitable smirk playing on my lips, as I looked at him struggling to compose himself.
Then as if a coin flipped, he returned to his normal self, "Don't just stare at me like that! Go on freshen up! I have my surprise!"
Enthusiastic as ever, today it felt almost overwhelming.
Almost.
Approx fifteen minutes later when I finally presented myself as freshened as possible, a very familiar aroma of vanilla came wafting at me, as if wrapping my very heart with it's weave. On the small tea table at the centre, Felix had laid the treats - a normal birthday cake, a few vanilla cupcakes and few chocolate flavoured cupcakes. He himself looked at me intently as if nervousness was gnawing him, but why?
"Wow! These are for me?!"
Voice reaching an almost high pitched one, my jaw literally dropped. They looked so delicious.
"Ummm...yeah. I couldn't find myself time to get something more precious." His eyes focused on the chocolate cupcakes, he muttered.
"What do you think I'll do with some precious things?! Felix... I'm telling you this....this is much better than other gifts! You prepared a celebration for me! That's the best thing I'm having on my birthday since my mom..." My mind realised it much later what my mouth was saying.
My eyes darted to the cake as I took the seat opposite of him, changing the topic, "you made all these?!"
He looked really relieved as I changed it, then with a soft smile, he denied, "no. But I helped."
"That's amazing! Who can think that a so overbusy soon to be doctor can handle kitchen stuffs?!" I was genuinely surprised.
Immediately a shy smile spread over his face, coating his ears and cheeks an alluring shade of red.
"Stop it, Nicholas. you're making it hard for me to stay infront of you without blushing!" A fake glare, then with a soft chuckle he scolded.
So soft! So cute! Who would think that this guy is an undercover spy who can actually have the ability to slit throats like doing autopsy?!
"Now, Nicholas, we don't have the whole morning! We both have classes and the breakfast hour is about to be over. Cut the cake!" Breaking my trance, he probed.
A single candle swayed it's flame as if inviting me to extinguish it. I gathered my courage, closing my eyes, I made a wish -
please let him stay.
Opening my eyes I met with his amused one, totally loosing myself in those honey brown orbs until a ring caught both of our attention.
"That's it! I need to leave Nicholas, or I'll be late for my class!" Hurrying up, he started collecting his things.
"But the cake..." I interfered.
"Save me one portion. I'll eat at night. And don't forget our outing in the afternoon." As he unlocked the door, he suggested.
"I'll have to make a run for the hospital...." Muttering that he vanished behind the closed door.
Helplessly looking back at the treats, I decided to taste, afterall he prepared these for me and I needed to eat at least something for my breakfast. Cutting a slice from the cake, I took one bite. The creaming of vanilla immediately melting in my mouth with the aftertaste of chocolate flavoured cake.
The taste too familiar. Too much known. Too much missed.
Mom.
Before I knew, the whole slice was eaten. My eyes stung, my throat tightened, hardly gulping down the cake, I couldn't help myself from breaking into a half chuckle, half sob as it was too complicated to decide whether to be happy or sad. She sent her wish this way, hidden, unknown, through a spy, and that spy is none other than Felix. So he knows where is my mom is kept and he had already met her.
Just like that I tried the cupcakes, the same taste as mom's, finally a huge grin broke free as I felt my heart itself absorbing the love, care, poured into those cakes. Moving to the chocolate ones, I had to stop. Mom wasn't usually fond of making chocolate flavoured cupcake as she often made them too sweet.
Hesitant, I took only one small bite, only to be surprised by its softness in texture and richness of chocolate that sent a warmth run through my throat. This wasn't mom's. Then I remembered Felix's nervous gaze on the chocolate cupcakes a while ago. So this was Felix's. My mind felt a serenity engulfing it as I let the fulfillment settled down in my inner self and in minutes two cupcakes were devoured.
Another bell. Final warning for class hours. I packed the rest of the cupcakes and a slice of the cake for Chris, he needed to know it, he also missed mom as much as I did. Then I hurriedly left for his department, hoping that the professor doesn't start his class yet and professor Jones understands my reason for being late.
Almost sprinting into the Political Ethics department, I was relieved that the classes hadn't been started yet. My constant sprinting turned into long hasty strides. However that was halted at the threshold of the very first class, and that by none other than Matthew freaking Lawrence. He was as normal hanging out with Julian.
Gosh! Why do they even have the same major?!
"Woah! Slow down there, Hammond!"
"Matthew! I'm in hurry. So not now."
Still breathing heavily, I warned him with a glare.
"I just wanted to say.... Happy birthday."
Looking at me up and down, he muttered with the most stoic face. Can you believe that? He wished me and let it fall like he was sending his condolences!!
"Much appreciated! Now, if you don't mind..."
Already walking backwards, I excused myself, striding towards the final year classroom.
As if the whole universe had very opposite plans for me, I was stopped rendered at the threshold of the second year class. Harris Clive and his gang had been occupying the whole corridor like they owned the property!
How unlucky I am to see him on this very day! He had been suspended from classes since that mud scandal and he had to just return today! Trying hard to avoid any more scandal, I tried to pass them as fast as possible and that seemed the most impossible thing that ever had to happen.
"Well well, look who's here?"
The meanest ever smirk lurking on his obnoxious face that I wished to thwack immediately.
"Harris, it's good to see you back, finally! Hope you aren't planning to get suspended again this early!"
I had to hold back the urge to already push him aside and go forward.
"Oww! It seems like you're really in rush! Why though?" Checking me up and down, he pondered.
"That's none of your business!"
I retorted, instinctively hiding the small carry bag.
His eyes glinted with the most dangerous shade of malice as he noticed that.
"What's that?!"
"Clive! Stay out of it!"
My voice rose involuntarily, as I barely contained my rage.
"You guys see that! Princess Hammond is getting angry! I wonder what's so important in there?!"
With that he snatched away the bag! Like a predator. I didn't even have the time to register what just happened and he was already peeking inside.
"Don't cross the line, Harris! Give that bag back now!"
I gritted out each word with much difficulty.
"Oww! Looks like it's the birthday of our mamma's boy!"
The group broke into a series of mocking laughter.
My eyes darkening slightly over the overwhelming rage I was feeling inside.
"HARRIS! GIVE. THAT. BACK. NOW!!! OR ELSE..."
My voice rose another octave as I hollered. At this moment, I heard footsteps, someone was approaching.
"Or else what, Hammond?! Let me guess... these.... Did your mom send them to you? Or your mom's clones sent them to compensate you?!"
A visible disgust prominent on his face as he spat those filthy words.
My eyes went blank for a moment, my blood ran cold, ears stung because of the constant ringing. Then the volcano erupted. All I could see was their disgusting mocking laughter, the sound didn't reach my ears anymore. Red. My vision filtered into pure flared up vengeance.
BAM!
"Shit!! Nicholas!....." Matthew's voice resonated somewhere near.
The first punch landed right on Harris's left cheek and he doubled over, crashing down to the floor harshly. I didn't care, another punch over that very spot, then another, one more punch on his nose, another landed on his left eye. I wasn't done yet, the gang tried to stop me, grabbing my both arms, someone tried to punch me in the gut while I struggled to break free. That's when my brother came, directly interfering.
"Not on my brother! You piece of a crap shit!!" A solid punch on that very organ of the assaulter.
The others who were holding me back were still shocked, as they turned to run away, they were met with the devils.
"And where do you think you're running away?!"
Jeremy's usually calm voice retained a cold edge as he grabbed the two by their collars, harshly throwing one to Matthew who had been flexing his knuckles since the beginning. Then it turned into a magnificent brawl, one could have seen in the history of Escortia.
Harris somehow regained his footing, and I gave a solid kick on his thigh, his knees buckled. As he laid flat again on the floor, I twisted one of his arm, that very much snatched away the bag. One of his knees hit me in the gut hard, making me falter, that enraged me further.
"So you know to fight back?! Com'on! Show me what you've got left!" My own voice sounded so foreign to me.
I laughed. A maniac. A madman who lost all sense of emotions.
Only rage left.
Only red left.
A hard punch on my cheek, my jaw clenched and unclenched, tasting a bitter taste of blood from inner muscles.
"ENOUGH!!!!"
A clear loud sharp voice bellowed, successfully halting us in mid of our chaos.
Professor Klein's jaw clenched and unclenched as he tried hard to conceal his wrath, his eyes glaring at the eldest two. Behind him Tristan looked troubled too, and professor Palmer looked like he wanted earth to swallow him. Except for these three, no single soul was present, they might have already faced professor Klein's dark expression.
"Why on earth it's you guys who always end up pulling this type of stunt against me?!" Professor Klein fumed.
Heaving another sigh to calm himself down, he continued, "is this how you guys will sought to solve everything?! For heaven's sake, grow up already! If your anger gonna make your decisions like this then you rather not make one!"
I got up from Harris's unconscious body. His face all smashed, there was bloodstain on his mouth, his hair, dress in complete disarray. Silently looking down at the others, I realised they were all unconscious, matching the exact state of their leader, and my mind felt nothing. Absolutely nothing.
The other three were standing really close to me, as if they wanted to comfort me, yet my vacant eyes warned them otherwise.
Professor Klein heaved an exasperated sigh, "crown prince Hammond! This wasn't definitely expected from you! You should have stopped him! How did you get yourself into it too?!"
Professor Klein had never called brother with that title as he knew how much he hated it, but it seems like this time he is really disappointed in him.
"He did nothing wrong! If I was in his place, I also wouldn't have stopped my brother from beating the shit out of them!"
Matthew's midnight eyes blazed dangerously as he confronted professor Klein head on.
"Crown prince Lawrence!..."
"Henry! They were... they were saying some really bad things... about Her Majesty, Queen Hammond. None of us just could tolerate it..."
Jeremy's anger subsided a lot as he explained in a clear mind.
"What....they dared!"
Professor Klein's jaw clenched again as he gulped down his raw wrath. It wasn't his place to do something about it, or at least in the broad daylight.
"Don't mind others. I'll handle everything with Dean Jones. Just hope, none of them dies." Looking at everyone intently, professor Klein advised.
Just then a voice shouted, "rescue on the way, please move aside!"
12 boys in hospital uniform came running towards us, each two carrying one stretcher bed. The others stood aside, and professor Klein let them do their job. Hoisting the unconscious bodies, they jogged faster towards the emergency section of the hospital.
"Steve needs to cover it carefully, or else you guys will be in deep trouble."
Professor Klein muttered enough loud to let all of us get the threat.
Then turning to us, he added, "you four too get aided! You look horrible with those cuts and bruises!"
Then turning back with Tristan, he walked away.
I might have heard Tristan saying, "if Felix was here, all of them would have been permanently unconscious by now!"
And professor Klein gave him a sideglance as if warning him, "don't you dare to utter a single thing to him!"
My eyes finally focused on the peoples around me. Matthew met my eyes first, and for the first time ever, there wasn't any mischief in them, only silent understanding. But one of his eyes turned horridly scarlet-purple shade, his lips split too. Then I looked at the next person, Jeremy, who surprisingly looked much clean, only a swollen left cheek and splitted, bleeding knuckles. His gaze almost apologetic as if he was conveying thousands of explanations.
My eyes darted to Chris, who looked worried, sorry, pained, despite the clean cut on his forehead that was still dripping thick blood droplets, rolling on his left eyebrows, clotting there. His lips parted as if to fetch me back from my own abyss, but no words came out.
"Seems like someone had some kind of weapon with them."
Professor Palmer's sudden comment grabbed our attention back.
He continued, "that cut...on your forehead doesn't look normal, Prince Christopher. Someone had deliberately attacked you with a deadly sharp weapon."
A deep frown rose between his eyes as he pondered over the possibilities of some students actually carrying lethal weapons with them and then using it over a crown prince.
Deliberate.
Planned.
Meticulous one.
No suspicions.
A Clean cut.
What happened if he succeeded? Would Chris still be alive? Did that imposter rooted his spies this way too?
My throat tightened more, as the void stretched more. Suffocating my very inner self.
"Crown prince Lawrence, you're from the second year with PE major, Harris and his gang had been your classmates all along. Can you tell me if you ever noticed someone unfamiliar, or new face, or maybe...." Professor Palmer enquired, intently pinning Matthew with his unwavering gaze.
"Well at the start of the term, two new students joined us and they eventually ganged up with Harris...so I didn't mind them much...but it seems like I should have..." Matthew trailed, his voice tinged with regret.
"Hmmm. If that's the case then this needs to be investigated further... Tell me if someone else was here who might've watched the whole fight from too near, with a crystal clean head."
"Julian was here. When we heard Nicholas's shout, we both came here to check...but where had he gone?"
Matthew looked panicked for a second.
"Julian Hanson? We met him on the way, he is the one whom professor Klein sent to inform the emergency facility to come here... So we need to really sit and talk it out!" Professor Palmer heaved a shaky breath as if the thought alone frightened him.
Julian had gone to the hospital... Felix! He'll definitely inform him! No no no. This can't happen! If Chris had been attacked then there's no guarantee that I'll be safe! It'll endanger Felix's life too. I can't let that happen! I need to get away from here. Get away from him.
My legs started walking on their own as if every muscle of my body had its own mind and before I knew it, I was already running away.
Chris's voice trembled as he tried to stop, "Nicholas....."
But I already drifted far from them.
In the Kaiser territory, eastern watchtower and army camp : (Third Person POV)
"What do you mean they failed?!" The 'king Hammond' hollered. The poor spy visibly flinched with that murderous tone.
"Didn't I say that I wanted to see Prince Christopher's dead body today?!!!" Throwing the tea table at the end of the tent, he seethed.
"We'll send another troop to complete the job, your majesty."
Stooping low to the floor, the spy stuttered.
"And you think they'll not be cautious after this?! They had been functioning just fine under the very nose of mine! They even wiped away the whole spy system rooted in the Kaiser territory! Don't underestimate them!" He snarled at the face of the shaking man.
"Leave. Before I slit your throat open!"
The king hollered yet again and the spy literally stumbled across the tent to get away from that beast as quick as possible.
"Useless shit of piece! No information on the members! No news on that Felix Lawrence!
Failures! Just failures!"
A flower vase was thrown, scattering on the floor like trinkets.
And he walked on them. Barefoot. Blood trailed off the cut wounds and he closed eyes as if liking the feeling of blood itself. A sinister grin lurking on his face.
Striding in, another spy greeted, "your majesty!"
"What is it?!" His tone almost hoarse.
Only then the spy closely looked at the scene, his eyes trembled in fear, his face turned aghastly pale, as he stuttered, "we may have a lead to Felix."
"May have?!"
"This boy's hair isn't black neither short and he doesn't have any kind of birthmark on his face. He has shoulder length blonde hair, and his face is flawless, moreover his name is Felix Chase. But his facial features match with the portrait of the boy from five years ago."
"A disguise? Not bad! No wonder there was no clue before! Still everyone failed to track him. Where did you get him?"
"He is a medical science student. So he always had been there, we didn't take the hospital part in consideration."
"Medical science student. Escortia... Prince Steven Kaiser is the head of that department... So the Kaisers! Huh?! Interesting!"
A dangerous glint passing through the apparently stoic face.
"Samuel Kaiser! You've hidden them all along! Not bad, not bad, not bad at all! Let's see how long you can protect them!"
Voice seethingly amused, the "king Hammond" muttered.
"Spy! Lay the trap carefully. We'll meet this Felix very soon!"
With a maniac laughter, the madman ordered.