Chapter 2.

Mercury's Point of View.

"Heart's Desire, a most powerful flower. Velvety outline on the red curled petals, but a silk touch to it.." I kneeled down and picked a Heart's Desire flower from the backyard. "Oh!"

The soil and plants were pretty healthy. Soon I had roses and daisys growing all over the garden. The Heart's Desire I had planted grew quickly as well. The Heart's Desire has such a strong scent to it. An intoxicating smell that filled your lungs up with fiery passion. It was hard to resist, and stung my nose. I suppose I'm not used to such things.

"Such a strong scent.." I pinched my nose. "Can be used as dye for silk and velvet clothing, and perfume. Scent is known to be extremely strong and intoxicating. When smelt several times, Heart's Desire makes the user hallucinate for 3 hours about what they want. After the 3 hours, the user passes out in sleep for an hour.."

I tore off the head of the flower and put it in the flower basket I was holding and stood up. "Perfume? Hmm."

Carrying the flower basket back inside the castle, I made my way to the balcony where my gardener was. He sat there humming and planting flowers into pots and watering other plants. He looked up to see me and smiled, slipping off his dirty gloves and standing up. "Hello, my prince."

"Good day. I picked Heart's Desire from the garden, I heard it can be made into perfume." I handed him the flower basket.

"Heart's Desire?" He raised a brow and took the basket. "Why yes, it can. The perfume is known to have a sweet scent."

"The flower itself seems to have a strong scent.." I mumbled. "Do you think you could make a perfume for me?"

"Sure!" He beamed.

"Thank you." I smiled.

I walked off into my bedroom upstairs, closing the door beside me and sitting down on a red velvet chair in front of the flickering fireplace. I sighed and relaxed, stretching and pulling over a blue blanket my mother knitted for me, and picking up the newspaper.

It had been a long day, and the party was exhausting too. Of course, it was the headline already. The party had been brilliant, so many guests were there and everyone had a great time. It was all over the newspaper, naming my brothers and I, with a dazzling photo of my mother standing beside my father as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

I couldn't help but smile as I flipped through the pages.

The Tempest family is full of love and joy, hosting a wonderful party with over 500 guests! Prince Wavecrusher, Prince Blake, Prince Mercury, Prince Crimzon, and Prince Luke had attended as well. The amazing party would sure remind everyone of the great times to come,. Nobles as well as the Baron Alexander, Viscount James, and Duke Mordyth.

What?

I knitted my eyebrows and re-read it. Something was off here. Wasn't Baron Alexander the father of Lady Lavender? And Viscount James was the father of Lady Diana? Duke Mordyth and Lord Clarence Mordyth? Phantomhive manor burned down...

The newspaper had mentioned those caring families, but never mentioned ours. Of course they haven't, our past was horrifying-haunted almost. Ever since that day, things would never be the same, and neither would our family. Was that love and care? Hiding it from your kids because of a tragic accident? Nobody survived that day without scars, without changing. We all felt the pain, and we realized we were helpless and weak against Lord Skullburn's army of skeletal soldiers. Anti social personality disorder from Blake?! ADHD from Crimzon?! The fear of being a failure from Wavecrusher?! Shizophrenia and trouble breathing from Luke?! And... Narcissistic Personality Disorder from me?

Were we ever going to be the same again?!

Farther and farther away from sanity...

"Gah!" I tore the newspaper in half and threw it into fireplace. I knitted my eyebrows and stood up, rubbing my forehead as the flames engulfed the newspaper slowly and it shriveled up.

No matter how far you go, you are only going in circles.

I squinted my eyes as warm tears slid down my cheeks. I shook my head and grabbed the wall, resting my head against it and crying quietly.

Lost in a crimson dream...

I felt like we just didn't matter to anyone. Nobody knew our terrifying pasts and what it did to us. Nobody knew how we didn't survive as sane that day. What were we? Fabulous glittering princes smiling for the crowd? What were they? Little broken families that went through a bad divorce, and that was pitiful? What about seeing your mother stabbed before your eyes? What about being strangled? What about Wavecrusher being drowned? What about Blake's soul being removed and forced to eat the remains of people? What about Crimzon being beaten to death? What about Luke being mutilated? What about us? Does anyone care anymore?

No matter what, you'll never be able to change your fate.

We were set upon the path of death. Do you think you can change it? Do you think you can change the stinging bitter feel of pain upon your skin? You can't get rid of it. It's there to haunt you forever.

I can't see the light, it's fading away.

"N-nobody ever cared for me.." I crumbled to my knees. "I'll show them." I pulled the ringing bells on the wall, calling Lance.

Momentarily, the door knocked a couple times. "My lord?"

"Lance.." I growled.

"Yes, Prince Mercury?" The door opened and Lance slipped through.

I stood up, shaking and trembling as my hands fumbled. "Call for a carriage. Get Baron Alexander's daughter Lavender, Viscount James' daughter Diana, and Duchess Edith's son Clarence. Tie them up, make sure they don't make a sound. I want them here immediately."

"Yes Prince Mercury. Anything else, sir?" Lance nodded.

"And.." I glanced back at the flickering flames. "The Phantomhive manor was burned down tonight. Bring Lady Violet, and take his brother somewhere else."

The darkness is eating me alive.