SGE His Broken Heart (Sequel to His Darkened Heart)

Chapter 18 The Bloody Door

"Perhaps your fear for Aric was not your greatest weakness, but your greatest strength."
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•• RHIAN'S POV ••

Rhian didn't know how much time had passed since the day of execution, or the day that there was no execution to be technical.

The rulers had been in shock over Rhian's decision to let Tedros and his friends go. Throwing Tedros and his friends back in the dungeons would be the most logical thing to do since Rhian had canceled the execution, but Rhian couldn't bring himself to do so, so he let them go.

It was either lose the rulers' trust in him by showing Tedros and his friends mercy, or lose Sophie by going through with the execution and killing all her friends. Rhian had chosen Sophie, and in the process, he'd lost the rulers' trust towards him just like he expected. The one thing Rhian didn't think he'd lose though was his brother.

Japeth had been furious with Rhian's decision to call off the execution. He'd been on the verge of exploding and in an instant, he had indeed exploded when he attacked Tedros and Agatha and ended up killing Professor Dovey. It was the first time Rhian had seen Japeth so...so broken, so shattered.

Rhian had once thought he'd had his brother figured out. He thought Japeth could get past the cold demeanor he'd attained since he became the Snake. Rhian didn't think that Japeth could become the Snake that the two brothers had made up all in their plan to seize Camelot. Rhian thought the Snake had died and that his brother could be saved. But he was wrong because it'd been the other way around; Japeth had died somewhere along the way, not the Snake...and now Rhian's brother was more lost than ever.

Japeth had given Rhian no choice when he'd admitted it was that...that sadist he wanted back over their own mother. Aric had tried to kill Rhian. Aric had stuck a dagger in Rhian's skull, and Japeth thought he loved him?

Rhian couldn't bring Aric back! Aric had been nothing more but a wall keeping the two brothers apart. A monster with no soul in him.

So in the end, Rhian had let Japeth go. He couldn't bring himself to keep Japeth in the dungeons any longer, so he instead decided to make Japeth leave Camelot. Rhian chose the cowardly choice and instead of forgiving Aric for the pain he'd caused and instead of forgiving Japeth for loving Aric, Rhian threw all his forgiveness in the trash. Because letting Japeth go was far easier than keeping Japeth locked up in a cage for weeks on end.

Rhian and Sophie's wedding had originally been scheduled the day after the execution, but after having thrown his own twin in the dungeons, Rhian and Sophie hadn't gotten married. Rhian made up an excuse to the rulers saying him and Sophie had both agreed that they were moving too fast in the relationship and needed some more time before the wedding.

So far, the new wedding date was undecided, and Rhian didn't think he even wanted to marry Sophie after all. Of course, he still loved her. She'd been so supportive to him during all that time that he'd been breaking down from his decision to lock Japeth up. It was Sophie actually who insisted that Rhian release Japeth from the dungeons in the first place, because she could no longer bear seeing Rhian so down and depressed.

Sophie had been there for Rhian those nights he'd lamented about Japeth being locked up in a cold cell, alone and bitter. Sophie had been there to support Rhian in a way a fiancée should, and Rhian had been grateful for her presence.

At some point though, Rhian asked Sophie if she'd like to leave Camelot and go back to her old life. To be with her friends and go back to her duties as Evil's Dean. Sophie had only told Rhian that she'd think about it.