House Of Madness

Chapter 23 King Of Hearts

Every murder needs three people, the one who did it, the one who was at the wrong place at the wrong time, (this person helps clean/dispose of the body) and the fall guy.
Ari did it, Nik was there at the wrong place at the wrong time for his brother so fortunately, that left Morris was the fall guy.
Fortunately, because Kelly Morris was a major dick.

As Morris burned, Nik used his magic to cover  Victor with dirt.
Nik hadn't lied, the best way to dispose of a body was to light them on fire.
He had just forgotten to mention to Morris the best way to dispose of a body was to bury someone's ashes on top.
Once Victor was was thoroughly covered Nik added about another two feet of dirt than he used his magic to blow Morris's ashes on top.
disposing of a body was like making a cake, you needed layers.
Lastly Nik added another compact layer of dirt on top of Morris's ashes.
Satisfied with his work Nik left with a smile on his face.

Nik hadn't gone back to the House Of Madness that night.
He wanted Ari to worry that Victor's body wasn't taken care of and worry that Morris had dirt on them.
Of course everything was peachy, with Morris dead he couldn't do anything, or say anything to anyone.
Hence why he needed to die.
Nik hadn't felt the least bit of remorse, he was a corrupt politician at best.
At worst a selfish man who was more than willing to have anyone suffer to gain him power.
With Victor properly disposed of there was nothing to worry about.
Except that Ari didn't know either of those things.

Ari had been in so much shock he hadn't heard Alice calling for him.
With Finn and Victor gone there was no time better for a prison break.
Ari hadn't thought of anyone but himself, when he finally heard Alice he told her it was, "too risky."
His mother the evil queen, knew of Alice since she was the only person who would/could give her sons offspring.
With Alice gone, queen Hestia would put together Victor's death too fast.
Alice tried to explain that it wouldn't matter because by the time she did, she would be living with Terrett and Nivens once again.
Ari had said this, "she would never stop. You and every person you have ever met would be on the run.
She would brutally kill Kit, Nivens and Terrett and make you watch."
That had been the deciding factor, Alice was desperate to leave the House Of Madness but not at the cost of her families life's.

Breakfast at the royal dining hall was awkward to say the very least.
Nik had said he was back at the palace because he wanted, 'more responsibility'.
He hadn't, but it wasn't a total lie because he had wanted more responsibility in regards to the House Of Madness.
His father king Tyrus was thrilled and as expected his mother was more hesitant.
The real reason Nik hadn't gone back to his flat was because Ari was the weak link.
Nik knew he needed to stick around to keep an eye on his little brother.
Ari had a big mouth and Nik had no doubt in his mind that it was only a matter of time until Ari fucked up somehow, and said something that hinted at Victor's death.
Nik had been right, but fortunately for him Ari lasted a lot longer than anyone could have expected.

Almost a year.
It had been a seven months, Alice was now seventeen.
Still stuck living in the House Of Madness.
That sounded like a long time for queen Hestia not without realizing her confidant is dead but in fae time it was practically nothing.
The way Victor's death was revealed was so stupid.
The queen had made a comment one morning about meeting Morris to talk about his campaign.
When Ari couldn't help himself and had said, "that's kind of hard with him six feet under."
Fae couldn't lie.
Nik had regretted telling his brother anything.
The worst part was, Nik had been careful!
Only telling Ari that Victor and Morris were both successfully dead and hidden.
The queen put together the connection between Morris's and Victor's death within a day.
The queen's anger was so grand, she hadn't cared that Alice was her only chance at having diverse genes for her grandchildren.
All the queen had cared about was getting revenge.
She was on her way to kill Alice.

Nik had known his 'family', well enough to know what they would do.
Nik had known it was only a matter of time but he really, really didn't want to kill his mother.
Not because killing his mother was bad or terrible but instead because he would have to kill his father as well.
Because Nik's father would try to kill him for killing his wife.
Not because king Tyrus cared about his wife because that meant he would have to actual be king instead of his wife's puppet.
Nik knew after he killed his mother, he would kill his father.
It pained Nik to his core, because with his parents both dead that meant he would be king.

The queen hadn't made it five steps until she was thrown against the cold wall of the House Of Madness.
She had to kill that human before her boys became more attached to it.
That's right, once queen Hestia learned of Victor's and Morris death she searched her sons minds.
At only a mere glimpse she knew it was better for her children to not have a heir than to have it with that vile human they both seemed so fond of.
The queen needed to teach her boys a lesson, apparently blowing up the Rocky Hotel hadn't been enough of a lesson.
"What are you doing?" Hestia hissed at her oldest son.
"I can't let you hurt her", queen Hestia could see how deeply both her sons cared for the human but she couldn't feel it.
Queen Hestia could not feel their love for Alice as a result the queen hadn't known Nik and Ari would choose Alice over her.
Queen Hestia was good at many things, having empathy or understanding basic emotions were two things she could not do.
It hadn't even crossed the queen's mind that her sons, would pick a vile stupid human over her; their own mother.
"I'm doing this for you.
Having feelings makes you weak.
It is a weakness your enemies can exploit."
"Your wrong, 'having feelings makes me strong", Nik said as he drove his iron dagger into his own mother.
It shouldn't have been that easy to kill the all mighty powerful queen Hestia.
Queen Hestia was many things, a hypocrite being one, because she had been made weak by her own feelings for her son.

Nik made quick work of his father.
Nik found him drunk as usual in his chambers.
Nik had grabbed his dagger out of his mother's chest from the House Of Madness and brought with him.
Nik wasn't very poetic but he thought killing this parents with the same dagger was poetic justice.
He plunged the dagger still covered in blood from his mother into his father without a word.
Nik had felt nothing but anger, because of his idiotic brother he now had to be king.

Nik hadn't bothered to hide or bury his parents.
There was no point, he had been right because within the day many fae had noticed their absences.
Most had noticed that the queen was missing, she had never been late for anything a day in her life.
While only Chessler had noticed king Tyrus's absence.
Their bodies were found and not only was Nikolai Ignatius praised for murdering his parents; he was crowned as king of SkyWood.