A Brother's Rivalry II: Wildfire
Sequel to "A Brother's Rivalry: A Selection Story". Hope you all like the sequel! Please read and review! I am always open to suggestions and requests from my readers on what they would like see happen! I am even game for some character requests! Post them in your reviews or PM them to me!
News of Rio Parker's alleged poisoning of Queen America is spreading like wildfire and Illéa is been spiraling out of control. With everyone searching for the new outlaw in the Illéan Wilderness, including the Schreave Brothers, no one notices the new looming threat that could destroy them all. Will Damon and Caleb prove Rio's innocence, repair their relations, and find true love? Or will everyone go down in the royal wildfire?
Chapter 1: So Far Away
Maxon's POV
"Your Highness, they've found him."
I looked up at the guard from behind the stacks of paperwork in front of me, his words not registering with me. I was consumed by the plan to abolish the caste system and rebuild the Illéan society from the ground up. It was something that I had promised the country years ago but I became too involved with my own life to worry about theirs. In that sense, I was just as bad as my father was, if not worse.
"Found who?" I sighed, running my hands over my face. I didn't have time for these games right now. I had been neglecting my work for too long and now with America on the mend, I could back to it.
"Prince Damon, Your Highness," Officer Avery said with a small frown.
I raised my brow trying to read his expression. Something wasn't right in his eyes or body language, leading to me believe that something was wrong.
"What happened? Is Lady Parker with him?" I asked, standing at my desk and putting my hands on the table.
"Well Sir…I—" Avery stammered just as Aspen walked in with a small sheet of paper in his hands.
"Maxon, you're going to need to sit down for this," Aspen said, as my eyes grew wide. That never meant good news.
"What happened?" I sighed again, putting my hand over my eyes as I sat. I expected the worst at this point.
"Well, the Angeles Police have Damon in custody but he didn't come easily."
"Meaning what?" I could feel my pulse starting to race. My parental instincts were telling me that something terrible had happened to my youngest son.
"They shot him in shoulder by mistake, Maxon," Aspen sighed, shaking his head at the floor. "I guess they tried to fire a warning shot and it hit him in the process. I think that if they had better training that it wouldn't be an issue next—"
"They shouldn't have even been firing at him!" I raged standing up and slamming my fist down at the table. Aspen looked down at the ground with a light frown on his face. "He could potentially be our future king someday! What were they thinking?"
"I don't know, Sir," Aspen said quietly. "Would you like me to get the names of those responsible?"
I clenched my fist and sat back down in my chair, knowing that I was fighting a losing battle. "No, it would be a waste of time and resources. Just tell them not to shoot at the royal family." I hated how stupid that sounded, and I instantly wished I could take it back. "Where did they find him?"
"At May and Michael's house. May is currently in the infirmary with a concussion. I guess she got a little rowdy in trying to help them get away and the officer hit her in the head with the butt of his gun. They said it was the only choice since she was obstructing justice. I don't agree at all, though I know the temper that runs in the Singer family," he said with a slight chuckle.
"So they injured two members of the royal family," I sighed. "Great…just what I need to explain to America when she wakes up…"
Aspen gave me a small knowing smile before continuing. "However, Lady Parker escaped into the Illéan Wilderness outside of Angeles. We have a full bulletin out looking for her and a request for her to be returned without harm. You said Caleb found something on the footage?"
Just as I opened my mouth to answer, Caleb came charging through the door. He held a small laptop in his hand and a smile on his face.
"Look, she didn't do it!" Caleb said, setting the computer in front of me. Aspen joined us behind the desk just as Caleb hit play.
As I watched the screen, both Damon and Rio were playing some form of music, as America lay unconscious in the bed. At the end of the song, the pair looked at each other and then towards the waiting room. Damon then stood up and left the room and Rio continued to sing, holding my wife's hand. I smiled at the thought of her comforting her potential mother-in-law; it just seemed so natural and right. It wasn't long before Damon joined her again and was singing along with her. I hated to admit it, but Damon and Rio did make a good pair. They just complimented each other in a way that reminded me of America and myself.
"And this is where it happens!" Caleb said, breaking me from my train of thought.
I refocused my eyes just as Damon and Rio got up and left the screen. Caleb quickly fast-forwarded the footage to fifteen minutes later when hooded figure entered the room and took a syringe.
"Stop," I said, turning away. I couldn't stand to watch someone trying to murder my beloved wife. She and the children were everything to me. I would be nothing without them.
"See, it's not her!" Caleb said, a bright smile on his face. It seemed like ages since I had seen him smile. Suddenly I realized that there was a real problem: both boy obviously had feelings for the same girl.
"Yes but who is in the black hoodie?" Aspen asked, continuing to fast-forward through the footage looking for answers. However, the mystery figure never turned their head towards the screen. It was as if they knew exactly where all the security cameras were hidden.
"It can't be any of the selected," I said, pondering what I just witnessed. "They wouldn't have been able to access the information on where the security cameras were hidden."
"But wouldn't they have had to poison her after she woke up?" Caleb asked, sitting down on my desk.
"Not necessarily," I sighed. "The doctor said it is a slow acting poison so it takes at least twelve hours to make itself known."
"Who else would have been able to access a poison from plants only found in those provinces though? It has to be either Rio, Natalia, or Katie. I sent Katie home, so its not her. The physic looks nothing like Natalia, so I don't think it could be her either. The person in the footage is extremely pale and Natalia has tanned skin," Caleb said, thinking out loud.
"Aspen, can you get a team together to go through all the castle footage since the Selection started and see if you can find any evidence?" I asked, knowing that they culprit would have had to slip up somewhere.
"Of course," Aspen said with a small smile. "Oh and by the way, I forgot to tell you that Mason is playing Cadence. They are with Lucy in playroom."
I smiled and gave him a nod. No matter what our past may have been, Aspen and I had grown to respect one another. Not to mention that Aspen and Lucy's son was Cadence's best friend. He was a year older than her but that didn't seem to matter. America always joked about the pair of them being married someday, and honestly, it wouldn't surprise me.
"I will give you both an update as soon as possible and Damon should be arriving to the hospital wing any minute."
"Thank you Officer Ledger," I said with a small nod.
"What happened to Damon?" Caleb asked, sitting in the chair across from my desk. He looked exhausted and worried but very pleased with his findings.
"He was shot trying to protect Miss Parked," I said with sigh, picking up my paperwork again. "She is still missing but at least your brother will be back. Hopefully he can help us locate her."
Caleb ran his hands over his face before looking back up at me. "I hope you're right…"
"Just promise me that you two will be civil when he returns." I gave Caleb a stern look. "The last thing we need is for you two to be at each other's throats. I need you both to be strong and act the way your mother and I raised you. Illéa needs to see us as a strong family unit. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Father."
"Even if that means one of you losing the girl." I looked Caleb straight in the eye. "I know how hard that is. I almost had to give up your mother in my selection…but I didn't have a brother I would lose in the process. You have to let her choose and you both have to be okay with it."
Caleb sighed before giving me a solemn nod.
"Now let's go over this plan one more time before it is officially dispersed the nation. The last thing we need is another rebel attack."
Damon's POV
I slowly opened my eyes in response to the loud police siren screaming in my ears. I felt like I had woken up from the world worst hangover but with a painful throbbing sensation in my left arm. It was then that I realized that I was in the back of a cop car and we were whizzing through the streets of Angeles towards the palace. I slowly sat up, watching the officer drive as I winced from the pain.
"Good morning, Your Highness," said the officer in a sarcastic tone. "Have a nice cat nap?"
I narrowed my eyes at the man, wondering where he got the nerve to talk to me in such a manner.
"What am I doing in the back of this car? Where is Lady Parker?" I watched at the obnoxious officer laughed.
"You're kidding right? That is if you are really are Damon Schreave. There have been so many imposters that its almost disgusting. You are the worst one I've seen yet but hey, your little girlfriend got away."
"I'm not an imposter!" I yelled, slamming my fist against the wire barrier. "I am Damon Mathew Schreave!"
The officer laughed again. "We will see if you really are Prince Damon when we get to the palace."
"You're an imbecile," I huffed, wincing from the pain in my shoulder. I shook my head and sat back against the seat, nursing my shoulder.
As the car drove, my thoughts wandered to the fear in Rio's eyes. I couldn't believe that I had left her alone in the Illéa Wilderness. I promised that I would protect her and now she was lost. How would she ever forgive me?
"Here we are, home sweet home," the officer mocked. I rolled my eyes as he harshly pulled me out of the car and pushed me up the step. "I cant wait to see their faces when you're not who they say. Its always priceless."
"Hey," said Officer Ledger, coming down the stairs and catching me from falling on my face. "How dare you touch the prince in such a manner? That could be grounds for treason."
"I-I thought he was just-just another imposter…I'm-I'm so sorry officer!" the man stammered instantly bowing down in front of me. It was my turn to laugh. "If-If I had known-that-that you were the actual prince, I-I never would have shot at you! Please forgive me? I have a wife and kids!"
"What do you think I'm going to do, kill you?" I laughed. I glanced over at Officer Ledger to see the smirk on his face too. "Go home, Officer. I'm not pressing charges."
"Thank you, your Highness," he said with another quick bow.
"Oh and Officer Marks," Officer Ledger said. "Please put out an four point bulletin to find Lady Parker. She is not to be harmed in custody. We want her returned unharmed."
"Yes, Sir."
I watched as Officer Marks climbed back into the car and quickly spend away. As I watched him go, I suddenly felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something wasn't right with Rio and it was all my fault. I had to find her before it was too late.
"Get me a car," I called to Officer Ledger.
"I don't think so, Damon," he laughed. I didn't understand why everyone was laughing at me today. I didn't see anything funny about my situation. Rio's life was in jeopardy out there! "You're going to the hospital wing to get check out. You were shot so the bullet is probably still in your shoulder and will need to be removed."
"I can do that later," I insisted, ignoring the searing pain. "I have to find Miss Parker."
"Damon, we have a team out looking for her. You need to come with me or I will have to put you under arrest," Officer Ledger joked.
"Great just what I need, to be taken into custody again today…"
"Come on, we will find her soon enough, I promise."
With that, I followed Damon into the palace and I had to admit, it felt good to be home. However something wasn't quite right. It was terribly quiet and very unlike the palace that I had grown up in.
"What's going on? Are the other Selected still here?" I asked, turning to see Winston walking by with a tray of tea.
"Yes they are still here and your father is about to make a huge announcement to Illéa in the Great Room," Winston replied. "He said to say that he would meet you in the hospital wing for a debriefing as soon as he is done."
"Great," I muttered as Officer Ledger continued to drag me up the stairs to the hospital wing.
"Damon!" Cadence shouted, jumping off a bed in the hospital wing and running towards me. "You're back, you're back! Where is Rio? Is she going to be my new big sister? I've always wanted a sister!"
I winced as she hugged me, her little arms touching my wound. I carefully kneeled down in front of her and ruffled her hair, as was customary.
"No one is getting married right now," I chuckled. "Whatever gave you that idea?"
"Caleb is getting ready to propose!"
OH no! What is he doing? Let me know your thoughts in a review! Hope you liked the new chapter. Remember I am taking character submissions or ideas!
~Kay