Blood and Glory- Death

"To die by your side is such a heavenly way to die"
                                                                              -The Smiths
                                                  (there is a light that never goes out)
A/N: This is explosive. I was feeling bold. Also, it is a connection to Narcissus, a story that was intended to be a oneshot and then I just decided to drag Ambros Grinaldi into this. It will help understand his character more if you read it, but even if you don't it will not hamper your reading experience. This chapter is a continuation from where I left Narcissus, but it is alright if you don't read it, I will clear things up as the story progresses. Also, if you are homophobic I suggest you turn back now cause this shit is GAY!

Ambros Grinaldi sat in his leather chair staring blankly at the body that lay before him. It was what life had become. Ever since his lover left him the world seemed dull. Nothing could ever compare to the moment when he watched his lover leave. No pain could ever match. He had known no other sorrow.

A little slum boy splashed around in the puddles that the rain had left behind, a little kitten ran after him and a lost boy looked at them longingly. With a small smile Ambros waved goodbye to the boy and continued on his way. He never saw that boy again, until that fateful night. The night he wished never happened. If only he could have not been around that night. There were gunshots and screams and he, he was there. The boy. Ambros watched with his mouth agape as he took in the sight of the boy shooting. The fearlessness in his eyes, the reckless behaviour, and that is when he knew. He knew what he had run from that day. He knew what this boy meant. If the world was a calm sea, he was a tempest, with winds howling, water pelting and ships wreaking, and despite that knowledge Ambros found himself wanting nothing more than to be consumed by it. How he wanted his lungs to fill up with water till he couldn't breathe anymore. He wanted to be wreaked, reduced to nothing more than wooden splinters left adrift in water. With his feet moving on their own, he found himself running towards the boy. 
He watched the boy's eyes widen in surprise and then he saw the fear in them, mirroring the fear that Ambros had held in his own two eyes. "Stay away from me." The boy had spat.  No words left Ambros' lips as he stared at gun that was pointing at him. The mouth gaping at him tauntingly. Unable to form any coherent words he just shook his head. "I will shoot you." The boy growled, but Ambros stayed frozen, nothing could sway him.  "If you want to, then why do you look so scared?" Ambros countered as he took a confident and calm step towards the boy. "I mean it. Stay. Away." The boy growled again as he shot a bullet in the air as a warning. Ambros was undeterred as he continued to walk towards the boy. "Ambros. My name is Ambros." He said calmly.


He never understood how things just worked out. Adam didn't shoot him, somewhere along the lines he started living with Adam and every minute of his life he felt the hollow shell that Adam had become. Adam never shared much of his past or present. Ambros was never an audience to the war the raged in his lover's mind and that was one reason why he never predicted that he would soon be alone. They were on the run again. From Adam's uncle that much Ambros had gathered. Two years of running and being in love, tonight was the first time Ambros felt fear. Fear of losing Adam,not to death but to consequence. "Leave Ambros" Adam had begged as he ran. Ambros shook his head. "I will never, I belong with you." It was that night Ambros realized that he was a storm too. If Adam was a tempest then Ambros was a hurricane. The only difference between the both of them was Adam had not wreaked him and Ambros was ripping Adam apart. "Why?" He choked out as tears ran down his face. "Why don't you ever tell me? Why don't you ever let me be there for you? Why are you so scared of me?" He screamed as he grabbed Adam by his collar. "I'm not scared of you Ambros, I am scared of losing you. You are my heaven, I will always protect you." Adam said, tears of his own cascaded down his face. "You don't have to ever know the things I face. They are my demons, I must fight them alone."

Ambros never doubted after that night. Never questioned, never wondered what new demon must be clawing Adam's mind, he knew it was not important. The only thing that he had to do was fight. Fight alongside Adam and save him. He had to be the promised calm after every storm, the promised peace that Adam was fighting for. With time it became a ritual. It was no longer Adam and his demons, it was always Adam and Ambros against Adam's demons. Running was easy. Standing beside Adam made Ambros realize that he was never enough. Never brave enough, never strong enough, never fast enough, and his flawed self would never compare to Adam. It ate away at Ambros. It manifested in his heart and slowly made its way into his thoughts, it plagued him. 

He watched with fear as he saw Adam fight. Fight for them both, He watched as the gun shots echoed throughout the warehouse. And he watched helplessly as two bullets lodged into flesh. It shattered Ambros to still see the unconditional love in Adam's eyes as they both fell to the floor, bleeding. It was true that he was never enough, but he had always been for Adam, if only he had seen it earlier. "To die by your side is such a heavenly way to die." Adam had spoken as air had left his lungs. Ambros felt the life leaving him too. But fate was never fair, it never showered mercy and it had no intention of showing it this instance as well. Only one bullet did its job.

Blood and Glory- Grave

"When my time comes around, 
lay me gently in the cold, dark earth
No grave can hold my body down,
I'll crawl home to her"- Hozier 
                                      (work song)


Abel felt it. He felt his insides shake as his back hit the earth. It took him a few moments to make sense of what had just happened. He stared at the hole on the mill's roof blankly. His senses had heightened momentarily and he was suddenly aware of all the things happening around him. The steady steps of the donkey that walked in circles, crushing grains into a fine powder. The farm animal had barely bothered to notice the fallen prince. Groaning, Abel turned over to his side and pushed himself back up on his knees. A sharp pang ran through his body, his lips shivered, once, twice and like how a dam breaks, Abel spilled out the contents of his early meal. He coughed and tried to recompose himself. He tried to stand up on his feet but to no avail. From a distance, he could hear the rush of iron footsteps and he knew his end was near. He was in no condition to flee. The steps got closer and Abel's heart raced, he wished it was his legs that did the rushing. He dragged his weight towards one of the rooms inside the mill where spare grain was stored, barely managing to hide before soldiers rushed in, only they weren't looking for him. "The Queen! We need to find her or Lucian will have our heads!" A frail, young soldier panicked. "You mean King Lucian..." The burlier and muscular one responded with an air of nonchalance around him. His emerald eyes scanned the area before he let out a loud chuckle. "Honestly, do you think that us two foot soldiers can take on a witch?" He asked as he wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes having laughed too hard. "If anything... Its this hole and vomit that we must concern ourselves with, word is out that the prince has survived and I know for a fact that he is here. Trade one head for the other." The younger man nodded his head and started looking around frantically. It was not a big area, it was only a matter of seconds before he would find Abel. The other one stood at the entrance, his armour reflecting light and giving his sharp features an ethereal glow. A hard metal pressed itself against Abel's neck and the younger soldier stood with a sword clutched tightly in his shaking hands. "C-Captain.. I f-found him" He called out. Abel's eyes widened in fear. With a trembling breath and tear stained face he accepted what might come. The sound of unsheathing of a sword just sealed his fate. Heavy footsteps made their way towards the quivering boy and before he could make sense of what was happening around him a sword sliced through flesh and bone. A decapitated body fell and Abel's blood flowed. 

Death. The twelve year old boy never gave it much thought, why should he? He had his whole life laid out before him, or so he thought. But however, the way death came was something he just hadn't imagined. There was no pain except for when the metal had grazed against his skin and he saw no light, everything was as dark as when it was when he had shut his eyes. He wasn't numb, he could feel his heart beating, he could feel the warmth of blood on his skin, only now he realized that it wasn't his blood. The young soldier lay dead before him. Abel opened his eyes and recoiled in shock. His trembling hands went up to touch his neck, he was still alive. Except the little cut that was left from when a sword was held to his neck. He looked at the emerald eyed soldier who gave him the kindest smile that he had seen in a while and held his hand out for the prince. "Can you stand?" 
Abel was unsure of whether to take his hand or not and just stared emptily at the man. "I'll take that as a 'no'" The soldier said as he withdrew his hand and secured his sword back in it's sheath. A sigh left his lips as he reached down and picked Abel up. The prince thrashed around in his grip and tried to get away. Tears streamed down his face and he struggled to remain conscious after having witnessed two murders and having almost been murdered himself. Exhaustion wore him down and in a few minutes he stilled. The soldier carried Abel out the mill and tied him onto the back of his horse. He mounted the steed himself and rode away.

It was hours later that Abel's eyelashes fluttered and his eyes opened. He found himself wrapped in warm blankets and a familiar scent filled his lungs. From down the corridor he could practically smell the brew and he knew the source all too well. He couldn't hold himself back as he rolled out the bed and onto the floor trying to get to the scent. Clawing his way across the carpeted floor as his legs refused to let him walk. He dragged his paralysed form across the little cottage to where he assumed the kitchen was. He stopped short in front of a pair of metal boots and raised his head to look up at the emerald eyed soldier. A soft laugh left his lips as he picked up Abel in his arms with ease. Abel saw it then. He reminded him of her. Abel didn't know where she was and just hoped she was fine. Abel prayed his mother was alive. 

The door creaked open and a hooded figure entered the little dwelling. "H-he is dead. Lucian declared it." A sore voice that Abel assumed to be of the cloaked figure's to be voiced out. He saw the brown curls that peaked through the hood. He observed the indigo blue gown cling onto the pale figure. The woman finally shrugged out of her cloak and took in the sight in front of her. Time seemed to have frozen as she took in the scene before her eyes. A shrill shriek left her lips as Queen Emaraa took her son in her arms. Emarus smiled from the distance as he took in the sight of his sister cradling her son. He had lived his life like that. As a shadow. As a secret, watching out for her. His older sister, capable of unearthly magic. Emaraa was sobbing as she clutched her son to her heart. 

Emarus's brown curls and sharp features along with his sinewy muscles was a stark contrast to Emaraa's long brown ringlets, soft and gentler build and her frail body. However they both shared the same feline, green eyes. They were never alike. They had been taught from the time of their birth that one of them was a shadow, always obscured in the light of the other. Always a silent follower, always a hidden guardian of the light. Emarus's fate as the shadow had been sealed when Emaraa married Prince Ptolemus and became Queen. Emarus treasured Emaraa just like he treasured all that he shared with her, including his birth day. The twin brother smiled at the revelation of what had become of his family. The Witch Queen, The Shadow that lived and the fresh new addition, The Prince that rose from the dead.