Chapter Four; I'll always be beside you

Giving her brother a cup of water to drink, she sat beside him as he gulped the water. Staring at him reminded her of her Mother. Her mother was also protective of him and now, after her death, it was her turn to protect him. Thinking of how he would be living if they threw her out made her heart sting. She wondered if this boy would survive Luciana's torture if she was thrown out.

"I'm sure your punishment would be severe" The boy said as he smiled at her. Seeing him smile, her heart melted like a candle as she placed her hand on his black silky hair. He looks so much like her, but there was a difference.

"If they want to flog me, I would kindly accept it as long as you are not harmed" She ruffled his hair and the gentleman frowned. Seeing the frown of his face, the boy grabbed her hair as he played with it too.

"What are doing?" She tapped his hands away.

"What you did to me?" The boy hopped on her as she fell on the bed, he ruffled her hair.

"Ray? Stop it. My hair will get ruined" She complained, but the boy was negligent.

"You ruined mine too" They played until they were tired. They laid flat on the bed as they looked up to the ceiling.

"Ray?" She called out without looking at him, and the man didn't reply her.

"Raymond" She said a bit louder and the boy hummed

"Mn" He said slowly. He always did that when he was in deep thoughts. As young as he is, a boy of 11 years, he was experiencing domestic violence from his elder sister.

"What are you thinking about?" Lucinda asked.

"I saw myself, as young as I am, as the King of this kingdom" He said slowly and a low tone and Lucinda sat up in surprise.

"Father died?" She asked, the boy nodded. Lucinda gaped.

"Oh dear…. I'm sure you'll have may burden on you" She said as she looked displeased. She wasn't bothered about her father's death, but her brother was her priority.

"I will always be beside you" She said as she hugged him, resting her head on his chest.

"You were gone by that time. You weren't with me" He said and Lucinda could feel his tears on her hair. She immediately looked at him as she saw tears flowing down his cheek.

"What?" She looked surprised as she asked. Her saliva drawled as it prevented her from speaking.

"Where was I?" She asked preventing herself from thinking negative. The boy sat up as he cleaned his tears.

"I don't know, but I didn't see you in my dream" He said and Lucinda was taken back. She remembered Luciana's word, she told her earlier that she was married to a demon. Was it the demon guy who took her away? But they don't exist. She never believed in them and she would never! Those were myths! But what about the man in her dream? The man who always appeared in the dark? Those were nightmares anyway, but it felt so real.

"Does demons exist?" Lucinda asked Raymond and the gentleman spooked his head.

"They are myth" He said and Lucinda heaved a sigh of relief. She knew her sister was just making up stories, deceiving people she could see the future. Everything about her was just fake and untrue.

"If you leave….will you come back?" Her brother asked and Lucinda smiled. "I'm part of this world, ain't I? I will always come back looking for you." She assured him and the boy smiled brightly.

"I love you" He hugged his sister and the girl hugged him back.

"I love you more" She said, and immediately the door was opened and someone barged in.

Two royal guards with a long cane with three-headed mouth in their hands as they looked at her with hatred. Looking at them, she understood what they wanted to do to her. Her punishment!! Her father wouldn't let that chance pass by.

"Drag her!" The man deep voice husked as the second man yanked her as he separated her from her brother.

"Let go of my sister!" Her brother tried to fight back, but the man's grip on her was way too hard.

"Shut it, Prince." He said as he pulled Lucinda.

"Quit it. I can walk myself" She said as she frowned at them. Unexpectedly, they let go of her and then, she walked out of the room. They followed her behind.