SGE His Broken Heart (Sequel to His Darkened Heart)

Chapter 5 Bleeding Out

A/N—Anybody who guessed B or C in my question for the previous chapter was sadly wrong...It was A.) Japeth gets beat up. Sorry! 🥺
———————-

~JAPETH'S POV~

Japeth had never felt so wounded. He stared blankly at his reflection in the full length mirror as he sat down hard on the king sized bed.

His left eye was blackened and sore. His lips were gashed and there was a throbbing pain in his side. In fact, everywhere seemed to hurt.

Japeth stared down at his scaled armor. Many of his scims had died and now patches of snowy white skin were visible.

Japeth wanted nothing more but to lash out at Rhian who was to blame for Japeth's very condition now. Hopefully, the prophecy was correct and Sophie's magical blood could heal him.

Japeth swung away from the mirror to look at the leather bag sitting on the bed behind him. He reached out to pick it up. From the bag, he procured the tattered blanket he'd brought with him from Foxwood.

Japeth buried his nose into the blanket's torn fabric to inhale its fading scent of blueberries and sweat. Somewhere beneath that smell, Japeth knew Aric's scent was somewhere there. For a moment, Japeth felt relieved at the memory of his long lost friend rather than anguished.

But than Japeth's Scims picked up the sound of footsteps coming down the hall before the bedroom door creaked open.

"Forgive me, brother," Rhian's voice was thick with regret as he stepped into the room without knocking.

Japeth shoved the blanket under the bed before Rhian could see what he was holding and straightened, turning to face his twin.

"It was all part of your dumb plan," Japeth reassured Rhian. "There's nothing to forgive."

Despite Japeth's reassurances, Rhian's expression still conveyed a look of shame. He stepped towards Japeth tentatively as if he feared Japeth would lash out at him. But Japeth didn't attack him even as his mind screamed at him to do so.

Although Rhian was the reason why Japeth's body was as broken and as torn as his heart was now, Japeth didn't despise him for that.

After all, without Rhian's stupid plan, the two brothers wouldn't be in Camelot now with Excalibur gleaming at Rhian's hip. But Rhian would've never pulled Excalibur without Japeth, for it was Japeth who'd snuck a piece of bloodied cloth beneath Rhian's shirt before all this started—A piece of cloth coated in Chaddick's, the true heir of Camelot's, blood.

"Well..." Rhian began, scratching the top of his skull like he didn't know what to say next. "I suppose we should go address the people?"

Japeth didn't respond at first. He winced as he stepped forward, so close to his brother that he could make out the scar etched into the top of Rhian's skull. He tried not to let his gaze linger over it and in an attempt to distract himself, Japeth's foot caught on the rug lying beneath him and he stumbled.

Rhian was quick to catch Japeth, his arms extended. Japeth struggled to steady himself as Rhian grabbed his shoulders to stand him back up.

"You need to sit back down," Rhian said gently. "You can barely stand with your wounds."

Japeth inhaled sharply as he straightened himself. Giving Rhian a soft look, Japeth pulled his brother close, and his hands found their way up Rhian's back as he searched for something.

"Rhian?" Japeth whispered, resting his chin on Rhian's shoulder so his brother wouldn't see his prodding gaze. "I...I love you."

For a moment, Rhian stiffened like he'd been struck a fatal blow. Than, slowly, he gently hugged Japeth back.