"If it isn't the bastard of a son in my fiancé's room," Holland said as his voice held anger and threat while he clapped his hands like he had just uncovered some eminent mystery.
The sound of his claps increased the more he took more steps into the room until he was finally in front of Simon and I. Suddenly, I didn't see any of those prominent facial features that I saw on his face anymore, as the only thing that I could pick from his face was disgust.
"Lovely," he said in a chuckle as he kept on clapping his hands.
I was confused and didn't know what was happening, and the look on Holland's face was only making me more confused. I turned to look at Simon to see whether he at least understood what was going on, but his expression wasn't giving out much detail.
"So this is what you plan to do, isn't it?" Holland said with a sarcastic laugh, but Simon didn't reply. I could tell that the silent treatment he was getting from Simon was only fuelling his anger.
"Answer me!" He yelled as I flinched, but Simon still didn't say a word to him as he kept his gaze fixed on Holland without moving his lips or body.
"And the king dared to call my lover a whore, whereas the real whore is right in front of me pretending to be a saint," Holland said, as my eyes widened in shock as I stared at him in disbelief. I now understood everything he had said. But how could a rational person jump to that conclusion without thinking? I've only known any of them for 24 hours, and he thinks I'd whore around with his brother. Why did he even care if I whored around with his brother?
"Aren't you ashamed of yourself, you bitch?..."
"Enough!" Simon cut him off his sentence, and I was glad because I was just about to return the insults and make him question his personality.
"Oh wow, look at who finally decided to talk. He couldn't bear to watch me calling his slut a whore," Holland added, and I could feel my patience getting thinner as my blood boiled.
"I said that's enough," Simon warned in a threatening voice.
"What are you going to do if I don’t stop?" I'm the heir to the throne and not the bastard son, remember? " Holland said again, as my lips parted in awe, and I began to wish that he had collected the hit from the king, rather than Simon; perhaps it would have been better if the hit had caused serious damages to him and perhaps it would have given him some senses that he clearly lacked. It's understandable if he hates or envies Simon, but why should he let his hatred cloud his way of reasoning?
"I don't want to exchange words with you, Prince Holland." Simon casually said, but Holland didn't seem to be interested in Simon's proposal of silence and peace. He irrationally and forcefully threw a punch at Simon's chest, which was in the process of healing as the wound reopened and blood started to flow from his bandage.
The impact of the blow on his chest was quick enough to reopen his wounds or even make them worse as lots of blood started to leak into the cream coloured carpet that was on the floor, making it change to a red colour.
"Simon" I called his name with my eyes widened in awe and my hands trying to fix the bleeding, but I couldn't bring myself to touch the wound as I didn't even know where to start from.
I raised my head to look at the man who wouldn't say anything or do anything back to his obnoxious half-brother. He only stood still as his gaze still remained on Holland, with zero expression on his face.
"Aren't you ashamed of your childish behaviour?" I yelled at Holland who immediately raised his index finger to silence me, and I swear, with the amount of hot blood in me, I was restraining every nerve in me to not smack his face or bite his finger off.
"Not to mention that I almost wanted to apologise to you for what happened earlier today, only to find you sneaking into this bitch's room in the middle of the night." Holland roared as he threw another punch to Simon's face, yet Simon didn't move again.
"You're really never satisfied with stealing what I have or want, aren't you?" Holland yelled. He really has no brain cells left in him if he had just referred to me as a thing he could possess.
"Stop this nonsense at once and get out of my room, Holland," I threatened.
"Or what? You'll return to your kingdom and be killed by people who want to take over Edessa? I have nothing to gain from you, so just leave and let me live my life in peace. " He instantly replied, but my temper had already gotten the best of me as I raised my hands to slap him, but Simon had held my hands before they were able to connect with his godforsaken face.
"Did you just dare to hit my face?" Holland growled as his canines grew out and fists folded into a ball, but before I could realise anything, he had raised his fist to smack my face as I squinted my eyes in anticipation, yet nothing landed on my face, but rather, a blow was heard and on opening my eyes, I saw Holland holding his face as I realised that Simon had hit him.
"You finally decided to show your character, huh?" Holland laughed like a maniac. I couldn't believe that the asshole of a prince had just tried to hit me for defending myself and protecting his half-brother, who got injured because of him. With his irritating attitude, he doesn't deserve to even be a king. He's a wild animal and should live an isolated life in the forest for the rest of his life.
I had thought I was at the peak of my anger, but it was nothing compared to what I was facing at the moment as my muscles contracted and my hands balled into fists. I could feel something growing out of my mouth, but something didn't feel right.
It was my canines that were about to grow, and I was gaining an unexplainable amount of strength in a short time. It was then that I realised that I was about to transform into my beast and couldn't believe it myself. The only time and last time it happened was when Alaric was in danger, but why was I transforming for Simon, even though Alaric said that I could only transform for him? What is going on here?
I tried to calm myself down as I couldn't afford to blow my cover in front of someone who already hates me. Only special females can shift into werewolves, and no one can shift into a beast like mine except me. I can't afford to expose myself.
"I've had enough of this and I don't want any problems, so you should leave." Simon said, but I could tell that he wasn't okay through his voice as his wound still continued to bleed.
"Mind you, you have no right to be in her room and I have a full right to be here," Holland replied.
"For God's sake, Holland, what don't you understand? I'm here to protect her. " Simon yelled, and this was the first time I ever heard him talk in a tone like that, and not only was his tone filled with pain and anger, it was also filled with sadness.
"No, you're here to steal her just like you've stolen every other thing from me."
"I have never stolen anything from you, Holland, but you just can't see that. You can't see the truth because you let your bitterness blind you. "
"I have never done anything wrong to you, yet you hate me. Do you even think I want to be here in this castle doing all of these duties and becoming a beta who will be forever chained to his Alpha? "
"I can fucking leave right now if I want to, but I care for you too much as my little brother, even though you don't see it."
"I've protected you all my life, but you don't see that. You never understand that the king loves you so much to the point of him assigning me to be your beta and to always protect you! Simon yelled as his eyes became red as I watched as he let his heart out in pain.
This must have been the reason why he took the hit for Holland, even though he knew it would have been painful. He didn't put himself first at that point but had put Holland's first because Holland could have died from the impact of the force the king used on him.
"I would never hurt my Alpha on purpose," Simon added,
"Then why are you in her room at 3am in the middle of the fucking night?" Holland cursed.
"Are you that blind to not realise that a lot of people want the riches of Edessa all to themselves and will kill Addison to make sure that no alliance is formed to protect her kingdom and give half their riches to us?"
"We need Edessa just as much as they need us. Our kingdom is going bankrupt and we have no wealth. We need the assistance from Edessa as much as they need our assistance, but you don't seem to care. "
"I don't blame you though. Rather than attending royal meetings to understand the concept of royalty and leadership, you'd rather waste your time mourning over not doing your duty and soaking up your hatred towards me. " Simon spat at the side of Holland's legs before walking out of my room, leaving me behind.
"Leave here," I said harshly, watching his expression change since Simon decided to pour his heart out on him.
"Fucking lies," he muttered as his anger resurfaced before storming out of my room.