PoV: Cub

Everything hurts. 

I try to sit up, barely awake. Instantly, my head explodes with a throbbing pain, I try to move my hands to feel what happened, if I'm hurt there too; I can't remember. But they're heavy, weighed down. the only light is a small window above me, illuminating the grey stone walls, the grey stone ceiling, the grey stone floor, the grey stone bed I'm on and the grey stone door in front of me. For a moment I can't breathe.

I'm in prison.

A glance back, proving what I didn't want to believe. My hands are in shackles, chained to the wall behind. I can't even stand. My leg and shoulder throb with an agonising, aching pain. Whoever trapped me here clearly didn't care about my injuries. Outside, it's bright. Daytime. Morning.

The next morning.

After the coronation.

My coronation.

'HEY!' I call, pulling against the chains. 'HEY! LET ME OUT! AS KING OF ADAMAS I DEMAND YOU LET ME OUT!' 

Nothing.

'PLEASE!' I try to find anything I can use to escape, or even see my appearance better. What I can see is a complete mess... blood, tearing, crumpled fabric. 

'You'll lose your voice if you keep shouting.' 

Potentes.

I see him through the barred window of the of prison. There's a murmur to the guards, and they unlock the door, letting him in. I glare back.

'Let me go,' I plead. 'Just let me go. Please. I won't cause any more harm. I promise.' I pull on the chains. Nothing happens.

'Your freak powers won't work, King Cub. You can't free yourself. That decision is for me and the other leaders. If I'm not wrong, Adamasian law states...'

'The law states that in the case of dangerous or illegal behaviour from a monarch, it is up for their HEIR to decide their punishment,' I recite. 'Not foreign powers.'

'And if there is no heir, and it is a matter of international security, it is up for the leaders of Celestus, Dogwarts and the Empires across the rift to decide. Right now, you don't have an heir.'

'I have Scar.'

'No one's seen your little brother since the massacre. If he doesn't return to Adamas before sundown tonight, he will be declared officially unable to make judgement. And the choice turns to us.' 

'He's not dead,' I insist. 'He won't be dead.'

'And how would you know that?'

'Because... because I swore I wouldn't let anything hurt him.'

'And I'm sure your naive, oblivious little idiot brother believed you.'

'Don't you dare call Scar an idiot!' I spit, lunging for him. Potentes doesn't move. 'He's a better man than you'll ever be.'

'Remember what you're not wearing.'

He holds out my necklace.

'Give it to me.' I demand,' And everything will be ok. We'll handle the losses, and start recovering, as much as we can. You know it'll be safe then.'

'If you believe that you're even more of a naive idiot than your brother.'

Potentes walks away. In the doorway, I catch sight of blonde hair, calling.

'False? Wels?'

My head guards turn to face me. 

'Please, you know me. You know I'm innocent.' 

'You caused people's deaths, Cub,' Potentes spits. 'You're not innocent.'

'It's just a precaution,' Wels explains, not looking at me. 'Until someone finds Scar.'

'And your people don't want you to be... well... they...'

'They won't want me to be what? A threat? HE's the only one making me a threat!'

'I'm the one that decided to keep you safe down here. Adamas is a mess, King Cub.' Potentes shoots back 'There are protests, riots, people don't know what's going on and I'm the only one who's been keeping this place from utter ruin.'

'I can protect Adamas.'

'You've done enough to your kingdom already.'

He leaves.

'I thought you trusted me.' I'm fighting tears as I stare at Wels and False, the siblings who've served as my guards for years.

'And I thought Adamas was safe.'

The door slams shut behind, and my hope fades. I can't free myself. They said I couldn't use my powers. And they're right; I can't feel my magic. At all. Even the little the necklaces let through is gone. There's no way I can get out with strength alone. I need to convince Potentes and Ren to let me go. I need Scar to be found. Alive. Safe. He'll free me, and we'll live happily and peacefully here. 

If he believes me.

But he's my brother. Of course he'll believe me.

But the last thing he saw me do was killing people. Turning in a monster. I was never allowed to tell him about the Curse. So no one told him. He never knew. He'll hate me.

But he's my little brother, who always stood by me, and spent time with me, and laughed at the stupid outfits and flags of other nations or nobles with me.

Hooves. Outside. The sound of a horse neighing. I sit up, listening to the sound of someone dismounting, the call of guards. 

'Potentes!' 

It's Grian.

The heir to Celestus. 

'What is it?'

I don't hear what he says next, but Potentes goes quiet. A mumble back I also can't hear. Footsteps approaching the door to the prison.

It unlocks. Potentes steps in, expression unreadable. He closes the door behind with a click.

'Prince Scar is dead.'

'No.'

'I sent out Grian on a search party to find him.'

'No.' The world blurs, spins. I want to vomit. I want to scream. 

'They found him outside the castle grounds, bleeding and shaking, and fatally injured. There was no time to even call for help.'

'You're lying he's not dead he's NOT DEAD!' I scream the words into being as it if would make Potentes and the implication any less true. All around me, the universe collapses until all that's left is me, Potentes, and the truth.

I killed my little brother.

I killed my best friend.

I killed him.

I did it.

'He's dead. The decision of punishment lies in the hands of the...'

'Do it.'

He stops.

'I said do it.' I look up at his face through the tears. 'I know what you want to do. So do it.' I thought Scar would be safe. I thought the Vex wouldn't hurt him. I thought I could protect my little brother. 'I said DO IT!'

'The leaders had already decided.' Potentes speaks the only words of comfort he ever will. 'And your fate was already as you now wish.'

'Good.'

'Your execution will be at dusk.'

:)