Chapter 3

This is the first chapter that was actually written by me! This will be the case now. P.S. I commented on some of your reviews at the bottom!

Lukas anticipated the return of Alexander every minute. He stayed in his room the entire day, watching the door, hoping that at any moment his brother would return and they could leave this place.

Earlier Lukas had requested a clock be put in his room, and he thought it would help him, but the constant ticking and the reminder of so much time passing without the return of Alexander made him even more nervous. He paced the floor, afraid to look out the window. The sun was setting, he knew that much.

Evening was passing and Alexander hadn't returned.

When the sun set and the sky grew darker, his nerves got the best of him and he left the room, searching for Charles, or a maid, or anyone.

He found no one. But the stars were covering the sky now and his brother could be in the woods alone in the dark. What if he hadn't reached their grandfather? What if he had been wandering for hours now?

The thought pushed Lukas over the brim and he grabbed a heavy iron candelabra from a table, prepared to use it as a makeshift lantern if need be. He put on his cloak, still slightly damp from the rain, and pulled on the door.

It didn't budge.

He pulled harder, thinking the problem with it was the weight, but as hard as he pulled, the door wouldn't move. He now knew it had to be locked.

"Is there something you need, sir?"

Lukas turned to see Charles standing behind him. He was close, too. Close enough that Lukas could smell the smoke on him from the fire he'd been boiling tea on. He took a step back and gestured to the door.

"Yes. It is dark now and Alexander hasn't returned. I need to find him and make sure he's safe. The door is locked, is it not?"

The butler gave a curt nod, but didn't move from his spot. Lukas grew weary just watching him.

"Please. I need it unlocked."

The tension grew between the two. Charles set down the tray of tea he was holding and neatly placed his hands at his sides.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, sir."

Lukas couldn't believe what he was hearing. His mind raced back to his brother, potentially in danger, and he took a firm step forward. "I need to find my brother!" His voice shook as he spoke, fear settling.

He was still denied his request with a shake of the Butlers head and a small, "I cannot let you, sir."

Charles didn't sound like he wanted to deny the request, but he didn't sound like he wanted to accept it, either.

"Why won't you unlock the doors for me? Why can't I find my brother?"

"It is the young master's orders, sir," was the reply.

Lukas' mind drifted back to the previous night and the meeting with the lord of the castle. He had heard him called Matthias, he remembered. He also remembered the feeling he had when observing the man, and felt the same as he had then, but far more intensely. His stomach clenched and he grasped it, head spinning.

"Are you alright, sir?"

Before Lukas could reply, he heard the heels of boots as they walked slowly and steadily down the stairs. He looked up, seeing Matthias himself. He was holding a light in his hands and had a strange expression. One that seemed to be a mixture of concern and curiosity.

"Would you explain to me, Charles, why our guest looks so pale? I thought his illness would have passed by now."

Lukas backed up into the door, wincing as his shoulder blades hit the hard wood. It was hard to look at Matthias any longer, but his eyes were stuck on him. He was wearing what looked like a scowl now.

Charles lifted the tray again, bowed, and said, "He has requested to leave the castle, sir."

"For what reason?"

Lukas spoke up. "My brother hasn't returned. He could be lost out there. I need to make sure he is safe." He fidgeted with his cloak, glancing back and forth between the butler and the lord. Both were glancing down, as if in deep thought. Charles looked over at Matthias, and Matthias' eyes flickered back.

"I will send out my own servants to find him. Your name is Lukas, isn't it?"

Lukas wanted to argue, but he thought carefully and settled on nodding. "Yes. And yours is Matthias."

Matthias' face grew more serious and he took a step forward. He looked upset for some reason, and Lukas pushed back against the door again.

"Do you think it's acceptable to refer to me so crudely?"

Lukas hissed through his teeth, not daring to respond. On one hand, he wanted to retaliate. But on the other, he was fearful. He settled for silence, his favorite form of spite.

After a moment, Matthias said, "Charles, send two servants out to look for the boy. Call for one of the maids to escort Lukas to his room."

Lukas set down the candelabra he was holding and stepped forward once more, finding just enough courage inside himself to speak up. "Why won't you allow me to leave?"

Matthias just turned away, whispering to Charles, "Be sure that you keep him in his room until dinner, so that he and I may have a proper conversation." With that, Matthias slipped a skeleton key into his butlers pocket and made his way up the stairs.

"Let me out."

It must have been the hundredth time Lukas had slammed his fist into the door and asked to be released. They'd locked him in his room and now it was so dark out. The only light came from the moon. They hadn't lit any lamps in the room for him and he couldn't even make out the time.

He slid down the door and buried his face in his hands, more frustrated than anything. He didn't know what Matthias could possibly want with him. He was trying his best to stay calm during this situation.

Just as he was about to hit the door again, he heard it being unlocked. He stood quickly, surprised to see the kind maid he'd met the night before.

"Excuse me, sir. The young master has requested your presence in the dining hall."

"Tell him I don't accept."

The maid seemed to feel sorry for him, but it was her job to do as Matthias told her, so she said, "You don't have a choice, sir. Please do as he asks. I promise you it will only be for a short time."

Lukas looked at the floor thoughtfully, then said, "And if I refuse?"

"You cannot refuse any of master Mathias' requests."

With that, Lukas sat down on his bed, arms crossed and head down. "I will not go."

The maid nodded once, then left him, though she was reluctant.

Lukas was thankful that she'd left a lamp on a small desk in the corner. He thought she might have taken pity on him and done it on purpose. He picked it up, set it on the table by his bed, and leaned back, finally relaxing.

After a while, he was getting drowsy. He was still worried about Alexander and concerned with his own situation, but his body was still weak from the illness and he laid down, body going limp.

He heard his stomach growl occasionally, but he tried to ignore it. He was so hungry, though. He hadn't eaten since lunch and when the maid opened the door, he had smelled the food and it only made it worse. At that moment, he wished he would have gone down, if only to eat.

Lukas opened his eyes when he heard a loud bang on his door. His heart was racing, the sudden noise scaring him at first. He scrambled to sit up, but didn't stand.

It wasn't Charles this time. He could tell it was Matthias. Nobody else seemed like they would have banged on the door like that.

"I was hoping you'd open the door for me, Lukas," a voice said. There was the soft clinking of the door being unlocked again and Lukas, unsure of what else to do, crawled back under the blankets and pretended to be asleep.

The door swung open and slammed into the wall behind it, almost making Lukas flinch. Boots clicked on the floor, getting closer until Matthias was standing next to the bed.

"It is strange to find you asleep. I would have expected much more protest."

Lukas tried to keep his breathing under control and his eyelids from flickering. He remained absolutely still. He heard another noise, like something being set down, and he tried to open his eyes slightly, but even with the light now in his room, it was still too dark to make out much.

"Though you could very well be awake."

Matthias shined the light in Lukas' face, catching him with his eyes faintly open. He tried to shut them, but it was too late. He'd been caught. Matthias put the lamp on the table while Lukas tried to sit up quickly, not liking the disadvantage of laying down.

"You have no excuse for refusing my request. I show you hospitality and you throw it back in my face."

The other was silent, looking away. His eyes seemed to be burning a hole in him now. He wished he could just leave. If he could find a way to get past Matthias he could make a run for it. But surely the door was still locked. He hoped with all his heart that there were other doors in the castle that led outside, and perhaps they would be unlocked.

Lukas' thoughts were interrupted by the sudden force of a hand on his face, gripping his jaw tightly and digging into his cheeks so hard it stung.

"It is extremely disrespectful to look away while I'm trying to speak with you."

As much as he didn't want to, Lukas looked up at his eyes. In the lamplight, they had a soft yellow shine, though they were a vibrant shade of blue.

Matthias looked back, examining the eyes that showed so much disdain. They were dark blue. Dark enough to be mistaken for brown or perhaps hazel. But there wasn't enough warmth in them to be either.

After a moment, Matthias looked away towards a tray he'd set down and released his hold on Lukas. "I have sent two servants to look for your brother. I am sure they'll be back by sunrise."

"I should be looking for him."

There was no response. Matthias continued on as if he'd said nothing. "I have brought you your dinner. Eat it when you'd like."

Lukas turned faintly to look at the tray again. His stomach growled again, and though Matthias said nothing about it, he must have heard it.

Matthias stood and turned to go, but Lukas needed to know something before he left again. "Why won't you let me leave the castle?" He asked again.

The taller man stopped dead in his tracks, looked back, and said, "It is in your best interest to stay."

And that was all.

"Young master, what are your plans?"

The man turned, staring at his butler as he paced in his bedroom. "You know the plan," he muttered, stopping only to look at himself in the mirror. He brought a hand up to his face, tugging softly at his skin for a moment before turning away. "And I wish you wouldn't speak to me so patronizingly."

"The years end in—"

"Must you remind me?" He snapped, turning quickly on his heel to face the butler. "I know the years are up when winter passes. Spring will arrive."

"Sooner than you think, sir."

"I will be ready, Charles."

"Will you be, sir? Now that the younger boy has left, he will not come back. I am sure of it. It is this one that must—"

Matthias slammed his fist down on his table and turned, glaring. "How many times must you remind me? It is none of your concern."

"Young master, the look in your eyes makes me think—"

"It isn't your job to think!"

Matthias was leaning over his table, face tinted pink from anger. He took a deep breath, stood up straight, and said, "It isn't your place. Leave me now."

COMMENTS:

Oh, actually just one! Is this NorDen or DenNor? DenNor.