Jeremiah deflated and simply stared at her. Then after a long intense silence, he nodded and looked at Xavier. “All right, we’ll talk about it tomorrow.”
Xavier gave a slight nod, and continued to stare fixedly at his hands. His eyes were burning with unshed tears, and he desperately wanted to curl up in bed and sleep forever.
“Okay, I’m ready for you now, young sire,” Tamarah announced, returning with a wheelchair.
Jeremiah swept him out of bed and settled him in the chair in one quick motion. Then, Mrs. Minnows wheeled him from the room for the x-rays. They didn’t take long, and twenty minutes later Mrs. Minnows returned with the results.
“Lana’s suspicions were correct. Xavier is in fact a…an aqualung.”
Jeremiah and Lana exchanged a quick glance before looking down at Xavier. He didn’t need the x-ray results to tell him what he already knew to be true. He was some kind of freak.
“Son,” his father’s soft voice and gentle touch drew his eyes to him. “You are not a freak. It’s a rare ability, but it doesn’t make you a freak.”
“Sire, I’d like to keep him overnight just to be on the safe side, but I see no reason why he couldn’t return to the dormitory tomorrow. But, right now, he needs his rest,” Tamarah ordered.
“Okay. Thank you, Tammie,” he responded and turned back to his son. “Looks as though we’re being evicted.”
Xavier gave his father’s joke a feeble grin.
“Try to get some rest. We’ll talk more tomorrow. I love you, son,” he whispered, kissing his forehead.
“Goodnight, sweetie,” Lana called softly and kissed his cheek. “Sleep well.”
“Night,” Xavier muttered and watched as they left the infirmary with his father’s arm draped around Lana.
Chapter 14
The Caning
Early the next morning, Xavier was discharged from the infirmary and sent to the dormitory to shower before classes. When he reached the children’s level, he found his uncle stretched out on the couch next to the fireplace.
Spencer stood the moment he saw him. “How are you feeling, Xavier?”
“Okay,” he mumbled.
Spencer looked down at his nephew, skeptical. “Are you sure? Do you want to talk? We have a few minutes before the wake-up call.”
Xavier looked up at his uncle. He wasn’t sure which was his undoing, Spencer’s gentle probing or the extreme silence of the passage, but his chin began to quiver, and he simply burst into tears. Spencer engulfed him in his arms, which only made him cry harder.
“He nearly died. He nearly died,” he muttered. “Why did he jump in after me? He should have just let me drown! I’m not worth it. I don’t even know why I did it! God, why do I do such stupid stuff? I hurt everyone around me! Everyone would be better off if I’d just off myself. Then maybe no one else would be killed because of me.”
“Oh, Xavier…don’t say that. It’s not true,” Spencer consoled.
“It is true! It is! Maggie died because LeMasters was trying to kill me…Catherine told me!”
“Xavier…”
“And Mr. Minnows! He died so I could have a father. He died so I wouldn’t grow up without my dad! I could have saved Dublin! He didn’t have to die!”
“Xavier, feeling guilty is normal, but, boy, none of this is true. It wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have saved Dublin. There was nothing you could have done,” Spencer told him savagely.
“You’re wrong, Uncle Mike! I saved your life, didn’t I? I saved your life with a power I never knew I had! Maybe I could have done the same for Dublin!” he spat feverishly.
“Xavier…”
“No! Oh, just forget it. I’m going to take a shower.” Xavier wiped his face and tore himself from his uncle’s grasp. Spencer watched him enter the dormitory, return a moment later with an armful of clean clothes, and walk heavily down the corridor to the boys’ lavatory.
Xavier stood under the hot shower for quite some time, letting the steaming water run over his face and his body and wash away his tears. He hadn’t meant to break down like that. He hadn’t wanted anyone to know the guilt he carried with him because he knew they would tell his father, and he would want to talk about it. But the thing was, talking didn’t seem to help; it only made those feelings stronger and closer to the surface. Well, it was too late now. Uncle Mike would most definitely tell his father everything. With a weighted sigh, he began scrubbing shampoo over his hair and face, but before he could rinse, two pairs of arms grabbed him and lifted him off his feet.
“Hey! Put me down,” Xavier bellowed.
Although Xavier was blinded by the shampoo in his eyes, there was no mistaking the voice that hissed in his ear. “Now, now, Prince Pipsqueak, enough of that! I told you that I’d get even with you and that you’d regret ever crossing me. But now, it seems I have a lot more to collect payback for…you nearly killed my brother.”
“Drew! No! Stop!” he yelled as he felt the cooler air of the corridor hit his naked, wet body. “Oh, God! Drew, please, don’t!” he cried as squeals erupted around him.
But, he didn’t stop, and the squeals and laughter grew louder and more numerous.
“Drew! Put Xavier down, or I’m telling,” Garrett’s voice yelled.
“Let me see if I understand you correctly, Bracus. You want me to put this little piece of crap down?” Drew asked slowly, as he continued walking.
“Don’t call him that!” Mac yelled. “He’s your prince!”
“Put him down, Hardcastle,” Beck spat viciously. “Or, I’ll knock the crap out of you!”
“Are you sure about that?” Drew challenged still parading Xavier down the hall. “Are you really sure you want me to put Prince Pipsqueak down?”
“Yes, damn it!” Beck spat savagely.
“Oh, well, okay. If you insist,” he replied nonchalantly.
Suddenly, Drew threw him, and Xavier felt himself hurling through the air before smashing to the floor and slamming his face on the stone surface. With his arms no longer pinned at his sides, he wiped the soap from his eyes and peered up at the shocked faces of nearly every girl in the mountain. Even Robbie stood staring at him with her mouth gaped open. As the shock wore away, a few girls began giggling while others tried not to.
Xavier’s entire body blushed, and concealing himself the best he could, he scrambled to his feet and ran from the girls’ dormitory to the safety of the boys’ dorm.
Beside themselves with laughter Drew and Jonas staggered into the room as Xavier yanked on a pair of boxer shorts.
“Well, Sire, it’s now official! Everyone in the girls’ dormitory thinks you’re the cutest itty, bitty prince they’ve ever seen,” Drew chastised wickedly while Jonas burst into hysterics and looked dangerously close to falling to the floor.
It briefly crossed Xavier’s mind that what he was about to do was wrong. It even crossed his mind that when his father found out, he would receive more than a harsh lecture. However, neither of these thoughts stopped him as he lifted his hand and slung an electro force at his tormentor. Drew’s eyes widened in horror a nanosecond before the force struck him and sent him airborne across the room.
Jonas’ laughter died instantly, and shouts burst out around him.
“Xavier! Don’t!” Mac yelled, grabbing him as he stomped toward Drew.
“Get off me, Mac. I don’t care!” he hissed and shoved the other boy away.
Drew stumbled to his feet. “I knew it!” he growled. “No wonder Robbie hates you. You’re the reason her father’s dead…and…you’re not even worth it. I mean, there might be something noble in dying for your king if he’s an honorable and just man, but YOU? You’re nothing more than a bullying, murdering dictator!”
“Shut up!” Xavier screamed manically.
“What’s the matter, Wells? Does the truth hurt? If your father hadn’t come when he did yesterday, you would have added my brother to your list of victims! He nearly died because of you! You’re no better than Willi
am LeMasters!” Drew blared.
“I said SHUT UP!” he roared, lunging at Drew and wrapping his hands around his neck.
Drew punched him, and he staggered backwards and fell to the floor. The last of his control snapped, and he jumped to his feet and shot out his hand again.
“XAVIER, NO!” Garrett screamed.
But, Xavier didn’t care. He propelled a stream of electricity into the older boy’s body, and Drew sank to his knees with a moan. Before he could continue his torturous empowerment on the older boy, he was struck by another sharp, painful force that sent him stumbling backwards and falling on his butt. Heavy footsteps stomped toward him, and a pair of powerful hands seized him roughly and jerked him to his feet.
“Jeremiah Xavier Wells!”
He looked up into his father’s furious face. He had never seen him this angry. His face was scarlet and a vein bulged and pulsated in his forehead. He looked dangerous and every bit of the powerful man he was. A chill of fear shivered through Xavier’s body.
“Drew? What happened? Why was Prince Xavier attacking you?” Ephraim questioned, helping his son to his feet.
“No, Ephraim,” Jeremiah interrupted. “It is not important at this time to know why…I only need to know if Andrew used his powers against Xavier to warrant this attack.”
Drew looked meekly up at the king and shook his head. “No, sire. I didn’t.”
The general turned to the group of anxiously silent boys before zeroing in on Garrett Bracus. “Is this true, Garrett?” he questioned. “Did Xavier attack Drew without just cause?”
Garrett looked as though he would rather be asked to swim the river than to answer a question that would undoubtedly cause trouble for Xavier. He glanced at Mac and Beck before looking at Xavier with dread.
“Leave him out of it!” Xavier hissed. “I used an electro force on Drew, and I’d do it again. He may not have used his powers against me, but he still deserved what he got!”
Both men looked at him with something between shock and anger.
Then, the king erupted. “OUT! I want everyone out of here, now, except you, Drew!
The crowd of boys scrambled to comply, many running from the room.
Jeremiah stomped away from Xavier and paced the width of the room, his fury snapping and popping around him. His father’s anger was so strong that it blasted its way into his mind, and he cowered against it. It took the king several minutes of pacing before he had control of his emotions again. Finally, he stopped and looked at the general.
“General Hardcastle, I will report this incident to the High Council if you wish, or we can resolve this indiscretion here and now.”
Ephraim looked at his son. “Well? How do you wish to handle this?”
Drew looked smugly at Xavier. “I think King Wells will handle things right.”
“I concur. I also have faith in King Wells,” Ephraim agreed.
When the king glared down at him, Xavier shuddered and gulped.
“Well, son. The good news is that you won’t be brought up on formal charges for your actions, but the bad news is that I will be your judge, jury, and executioner.”
Xavier stepped backwards, his stomach reeling with fear.
“D…Dad?”
“Face the bunk, son,” he ordered as he slid the leather belt from his waist and looped it in his hand.
His fear escalated into terror, and he groaned. “Dad…please…I… I…”
“Turn and face your bunk, son,” he repeated pitilessly.
“Dad…Da…Daddy…please, I’m sorry!” He began crying.
But the king didn’t waver. He spun the boy and whispered, “Hold onto the bunk.”
Shaking and whimpering, Xavier placed his hands on the bunk’s frame and waited for the worst punishment of his life to begin. With nothing on but his boxers, he had little protection from the vicious lashes, and there was no doubt in his mind that this was going to hurt.
Then, the whipping began. If his father was holding back in his swings, he couldn’t tell as each stinging lash bit at his exposed flesh. However, remembering Dublin’s words during his father’s caning, he fought to remain upright and tried desperately not to cry out. He was successful with remaining on his feet, but he failed miserably with the second. Each time the belt struck his exposed flesh, he yelped. Finally, after ten lashes, the punishment ended, and he sank to the floor on gimpy legs.
With a shudder, he peered up at his father still holding the belt in a trembling hand. Regret filled the king’s tear-soaked face, and he turned abruptly and strode to the far side of the room. He stood for several seconds staring at the ceiling and drawing in several slow, deep breaths. Finally, he wiped his face, looped the belt back around his waist, and turned to Ephraim and Drew.
“Andrew?” The king’s voice was shaky, and he paused before continuing more stoutly, “Are you satisfied with how things were handled?”
Drew’s smug expression was long gone. He looked up at the king with wide, anxious eyes before glancing ruefully at Xavier. The vulnerability Xavier had seen after the bat attack was back, and as Drew’s eyes swept back toward King Wells, he wrung his hands and stared at the king’s feet. In that moment, he looked very little like the cocky, haughty teenager who had tormented him since the moment they met.
Finally he moaned, “No, sire. I’m…not. I…It wasn’t completely Xavier’s fault, sir. I…I provoked him.”
The men looked at the older boy with alarm.
“Andrew! Please don’t tell me that you lied to the king about using your empower…” Ephraim began.
“No, Dad! I didn’t use empowerments, but I humiliated him. I was angry because Court was nearly killed saving his life…and because of what he did to me in anima-lingua class…so, I…I caught him in the showers and…I threw him in the girls’ dormitory…naked.”
“You did what?” Jeremiah hissed, stomping toward him.
“What? Andrew Hardcastle! He is your PRINCE! He will someday be your king! How could you be so disrespectful to the throne! I didn’t raise you to be so insolent!” Ephraim spat heatedly.
Drew looked very close to tears, and his head dropped at his father’s words.
Finally, Jeremiah declared quietly, “Andrew? I want you in my chambers at 12:30 sharp. We’ll deal with this then!”
“Yes, sire,” he sniveled.
“Until then, you will need to have a long talk with your mother and me. Let’s go, son!” Ephraim insisted, steering Drew from the room.
“Come, Xavier. Let’s get that soap rinsed out of your hair.”
Nodding, Xavier slowly got to his feet and followed his father to the boys’ lavatory.
Chapter 15
A Friendship Begins
As painful as the whipping was, the belt never broke the skin, and even the redness began to fade as Xavier finished the shower that Drew had so rudely interrupted. Although he hadn’t thought it at the time, his father had been merciful during the punishment. If he hadn’t, he would have had a lot worse than a few fading red marks. What if his father had chosen to strike him like the Royal Guard had beaten him during the royal caning a couple of months ago? The thought was unsettling to say the least, and as they entered the Royal Chambers, Xavier decided he never wanted to find out what a real caning was like.
“Eat,” his father instructed simply, pointing to the plate of food on the small table.
He obediently sat at the table but didn’t eat. His stomach felt tied in knots, and he was guilt-ridden. His father had been embarrassed and ashamed of him today. He had felt it in his tone, he’d heard it in his thoughts, and worst of all, he’d seen it in his eyes. With a shaky sigh, he looked up at his father who was adding logs to the fireplace.
“Dad?” he whispered timidly. “Do…d…do you hate me now?”
Jeremiah’s head whipped up from the fire, and his piercing eyes met his. “What?” he questioned, bewildered.
He choked on a sob and moaned miserably, “Do you hate me after
what I did?”
“Oh, Xavier!” he consoled, quickly moving to his side and pulling him into his arms. “Son, how could you ever think that? Nothing you could do would make me hate you! Nothing! I get angry at your choices because I love you. I love you more than I could ever describe.”
“But I…I used my abilities to hurt another person. I knew it was wrong, but I didn’t care. I was so angry. I just wanted to hurt Drew like he hurt me,” he cried into his father’s chest.
“Xavier,” he began firmly, pushing the boy at arm’s length to look at him. “I didn’t imagine that you’d grow up without making a few mistakes. Lord knows, I made some major ones growing up.”
“Did you ever use your abilities against someone?”
His father’s face darkened, and his hands dropped from Xavier’s shoulders. “Yes, as a matter of fact, I did. When your grandfather found out, he stormed into Wells Academy and whipped me in front of the entire school.”
Xavier stared at him, stunned. “In front of everybody?”
The king nodded.
“Jeez, that must have been horrible! How old were you?”
“Fifteen.”
Xavier tried to imagine what it would have been like if his father had done the same today. What if he had whipped him in front of the entire dormitory instead of ordering everyone out?
“Son, you need to eat,” Jeremiah told him, nodding to the plate on the table.
He sank back into the chair to eat as Lana entered the chambers.
“Jeremy? Is everything okay?” she asked.
“We’re still working it out,” Jeremiah answered, nodding toward Xavier.
When Lana looked over at him with large, disappointed eyes, Xavier wanted to hide under the table, and what she said next made him want to swim the river again and this time never come back up.
“Oh, Xavier! I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard you attacked Andrew Hardcastle! What has gotten into you? Didn’t your father just talk to you about this recently? I…I don’t know what else to say other than I’m very disappointed in you!”
The Prince of Warwood and The Sword of the Chosen (Book 3) Page 11