Chapter 54: The Secrets of the Borgian Castle

No. Whatever possible explanation my mind was giving, I refused to accept it. That couldn't be true. And yet, the way Lord Boris looked at me and the Skull studied my reaction from where he stood, showed how truthful the statements were. It came as a terrible revelation and I felt like going sick again.

"You're lying." I shook my head slowly as I stared at the both of them. They were just playing a horrible joke at me and I knew better than to believe them. However, the grave look they were giving showed that they had no time at all to play around. "Are you telling me that the land I was born is not actually ours?" I laughed humourlessly, as if that mere thing would make it less real.

I could feel the weight of the situation as they stared at me quietly, assessing whether they made the right decision of letting me know. Maybe they wished they had waited for a little more time. But then, there's really no perfect time to tell the painful truth. It is what it is and it hurts as it hurts. I shivered as I felt the cold wind on my skin. The Skull, who was studying me intently, pulled me gently towards him.

"We should go back inside. It's chilly out here," he said and ushered me towards the entrance of the balcony. I let him lead me inside the castle but I stopped when he was about to open the bedroom door for me.

"I want to hear more about it. I want to know and understand the truth." I was calmer this time and probably more open-minded to welcome this revelation. I already got this far to limit my understanding of things.

The Skull looked at me like I was a hard-headed child who wanted more sweets than she ever needed, though it was a bitter medicine of truth this time. He was probably thinking of my outburst and the possible reaction I would give once I heard everything. He was still thinking of me as that emotional woman who cried in front of the pirates on the stage after singing a song she wrote for a man who just found the woman he was searching for a long time.

There were so many issues between us, a lot of things to talk about and confront, but I put them all aside and meet his eyes. I didn't know what he saw in there but he flinched and turned his gaze from me.

"Wait for us in the library, Boris. I need to have a word with the lady for a moment." He said this in a way that even Lord Boris could not deny the privacy he was asking.

"Well then, if it's really what the both of you need then I'll go ahead," the young Lord agreed before making his way to the direction of the library.

I frowned as I watched him disappear at the corner. I couldn't stop the loud beating of my heart as the Skull and I were left alone before the bedroom door. Hopefully, I displayed enough strength to show him that I wouldn't be swayed by his presence anymore. I even lost count of the times I punched him on his chest. However, I suddenly felt embarrassed when I realized that the walls I built high and strong through the times that I wasn't with him crumbled down easily by just a kiss from the man. Oh, wait! It wasn't just a kiss. It was a deep, hungry kiss. But then, maybe I wasn't really that strong.

"Primrose –" he started but I cut him off immediately.

"If it's not about the land and the rebels, then I don't want to hear it." I was ready to listen. No, I was always ready to listen. But not this time – not from him, and definitely, not about us.

He flinched at the coldness of my voice and the sharpness of my tone. He didn't expect that and probably think that that one kiss had solved everything between us. And that somehow fed the anger inside of me. Just how small and shallow did he think I was?

"I know I messed up. But you have to listen to me –" he continued and I glared at him. And for the second time on that day, I snapped once again.

"Listen to you?" I bellowed. "You left me in the sinking Pirate City. You left me to die there. And maybe, I really died that day and a stranger's soul had already taken my body and thus, you don't have that same effect to me anymore!" Liar! What the hell am I saying?

He was probably trying to see through my lies because he was looking straight into my eyes and searched deeper into it. I turned my gaze away from him, frowning. I tried to compose myself before staring back at him again. "The Primrose you knew died that day, the Skull. And the dead cannot speak to the living anymore." I breathed deeply before I continued with a tired voice. "So please, just bring me to the library now."

He realized that he would not have the chance at the moment, and so, sighing deeply, he nodded and faced the hall towards where Lord Boris disappeared. "I'll let this go for now. But just remember that I'm the Skull of the monstrous sea. I bring death and play with it. And wherever hell the Primrose I know is in, I'm going to find her and bring her back to me." And with that, he sauntered away from.

I was left with my mouth gaped open and my head spinning, slowly processing what he just said in my head. I blinked for several times before realizing that I let him messed with my head again. I clenched my fist as I marched in frustration and followed him to the library. His confidence was so annoying.

Of all the four castles of the Mainland, I could say that the East Castle had the finest library, considering that my father and I shared the same love for reading that we made sure that it would be comfortable enough for us to stay late at night or even sleep over in it whenever a book demanded us to do so. But when the huge double doors of the library of the old castle opened up for me, I was stunned and unable to move from where I stood. It was completely far from the libraries I'd been to. It was like standing before a giant's room with thousands of books decorating its walls. There was even a stair to reach a particular section on the wall. I could live here for years!

However, my daydreaming was suddenly put into a halt when I saw Lord Boris and the Skull on one of the wooden tables, watching me with amusement in their eyes. I straightened and with head held high, I walked towards them confidently, like I was just going to participate in a meeting with the members of the council of the East Land. Though, I still could not get rid of the feeling that I was walking into a new world with thousands of different worlds resting inside of it. I thought that if I would stay longer in this castle, I would make sure to pay it a visit once again.

Lord Boris handed me a thick vintage-looking book and I received it with curiosity dancing in my head. What kind of books are hiding in this library? I opened it to its first page and I was welcomed by an insignia that showed a huge anchor and seven swords surrounding it. It was embossed in gold and as I ran my fingers across it, I couldn't help but feel the chill that brushed my skin. It was like something had touched me, reached for me through this golden crest.

"That is the insignia of the Borgian Kingdom. They're the ones who used to live in this castle, the blood that governed the whole land in the past." Lord Boris started like he was just telling a tale instead of informing me with historical facts. I frowned turning to the next page and I gasped as I was met by a coloured image of a stern-looking man with striking silver eyes.

"Do you mean the ones who were cursed by a witch and turned into stone statues?" I felt the heat on my cheeks when I realized what I had just asked. Why am I suddenly talking about witches and curses?

Lord Boris chuckled in amusement, while the Skull remained impassive from where he was sitting. "You've read too many fiction novels in your life, my lady. Can't get enough of them?"

I knew he was teasing me, so I just shrugged and said, "Can you blame me when my life seems to be cut out from one? I'm actually starting to doubt the whole point of my existence."

The two men seemed to feel the darkness in my voice. I decided to bring my attention back to the books that seemed to have the records of the Borgia Family.

King Remus Borgia. He was the man on the first photo of the book and was described as the first king of the Borgian Kingdom. He was strict, authoritative, influential, and greatly respected by the seven leaders of the kingdom. I raised an eyebrow when I saw that he was the one who ordered to build an entire library in the castle for his wife, Queen Hersilia Borgia. The queen was a definition of an ethereal beauty; she was like a goddess that resides in the deepest woods of the Mainland. Strangely, she had the same silver eyes as the king and according to the last statement of her profile, she was poisoned to death.

A deep chill crawled on my skin when I raised my head and met The Skull's eyes. It was then that I realize that his eyes weren't just cold grey; they were silvers under the moonlight. And Lord Chester's eyes weren't like that. They almost had the same storm within their orbs but the Skull's had the intensity of a calamity that would destroy anything that gets on his way. My heart started to hammer against my chest as my mind formed its own comprehension of what I had discovered.

"You're not a Weston," I whispered, almost inaudibly. By my words echoed across the vast library, as if other voices were chanting the same words as confirmation.

"I always knew that you're smart, but I never thought that you would get it so quickly. You're right, Lady Primrose. He was one of the last people in the Borgia bloodline. The Westons found him when he was a new-born, killed his mother, until Lady Amanda lost her first child so she decided to keep him. The lady was a grieving mother who wanted a baby in her arms. It was easier for them to hide Threy Weston since Lord Magnus had grey eyes, a poor resemblance to the Borgia's powerful silvers." Lord Boris said like he knew this story all his life and I wondered how come he never spoke of this with me when I first met him.

"You seem to know it all, Lord Boris. You even knew the Skull. You probably even knew our story and yet, you still gave me that sloppy marriage proposal with 'little fire' on top of the wedding cake, and kissed me in front of the rulers." I looked at him with scrutiny. He asked for my trust before but I found out that he was also good with lies and keeping things hidden from most of us. Could I still rely on him?

But my statement only brought discomfort between the two men. The Skull was now glaring at the young Lord like he was about to tear him apart, while Lord Boris was eyeing a wooden cane in the corner that he could use to defend himself against the raging monster of the pirate seas.

"You fucking kissed her?" The Skull roared as he stood from where he sat. I immediately put myself between them to stop the incoming fight. It was not the reaction I expected. I wouldn't want to create a mess in this heavenly place. I just want to find out the truth.

"Well, you asked me to protect her. It wasn't easy to do that considering that she had made a lot of enemies. I had to play my cards right," Lord Boris answered in defense.

The Skull tried to get passed me, but I put my palm against his chest and pushed him back. I knew my strength would not be enough to stop him, but surprisingly, he did. The creature that was feared in the pirate seas was subdued by just a pushed of my palm.

"I kissed the Skull, I kissed Lord Boris, and I even kissed Lord Chester. If Aiden would kiss me, I'll probably kiss him back. Now, could you just stop fighting about those kisses you shared with me because honestly, you're just reminding me about how I tend to kiss the wrong person!" My yells echoed across the library and I thought I imagined ghostly chuckles that came back with it. The two of them became silent trying to calm themselves. The Skull went back to his seat and silently watched us as Lord Boris gave me another book.

"This book is about the Seven Swords of the Borgian Kingdom. They are the seven bloodlines that swore to protect and serve the Borgian rulers. But apparently, there are only four bloodlines left in the present: the Crimson, Weston, Frost, and Kaveera."

I knew that the four families were deeply connected long before we were born. I just didn't expect that they had this significant place in the Borgian Kingdom. We belong to ancient bloodlines which stories were kept hidden within the walls of this castle.

"What happened to the other bloodlines?" I asked curiously.

"They were abolished. Just like the kingdom, they ceased to exist. The Birken, Norton, and Grae were buried into the depth of forgotten history. They were concealed by the stories of witches that cursed the kingdom into stone statues. It's easier for people to believe in that kind of fiction than to acknowledge their own evil and tragic history. It stayed that way for a long time, until it faded into elapsed memories."

Their disappearance didn't feel right at all. It just made me even more confused. "But what happened to them? If our bloodlines made it, then where were they?"

Lord Boris sighed, as if the reason was giving him full of regrets. "Our ancestors had an insatiable hunger for power. We're the living witnesses of it right now. During that time, they felt that they didn't have enough and wanted to rise above the rulers. They wanted to be more powerful than the king. They formed an alliance against the Borgian Kingdom and plotted its downfall. When the three other bloodlines didn't side with them, they eliminated its members together with the Borgians. We are the rebels, Lady Primrose. We are the villains in the history of our lands," he answered gravely.

I wasn't able to speak right away. We were the rebels. And we were basically in the castle our ancestors ruined. If the stone statues were true and they came alive, they would throw us immediately to the dungeons and feed to whatever beast they were hiding. Our blood was a filthy stain to this land; our bloodlines were the root of evil.

I glanced at the Skull who was still silently listening to us. I couldn't help the guilt I was feeling when I realized that he was a survivor of the tragedy my blood created. I bit my lip as I turned my attention back to Lord Boris. "And how did you know about this? How long did you know about this?"

The Skull rose from where he was sitting when he realized that I was trying not to meet his eyes. He stopped beside me towering while gazing at the book in my hands. "Boris and I had been good friends ever since we were young. You didn't see him often because he was forbidden to leave the castle due to his strange beliefs. We were visiting the Frost family when he and I decided to hang out in the old castle. That was where we met Cecilia and discover the real history of the Mainland. She gave us the hidden key to this library. Her clan had been a loyal servant to the Borgian Kingdom. Her family had been the one to hide me and my mother until she was found out by the Westons and decided to leave their care and face our death." I could feel his warm breath on my neck and I couldn't help the goose bumps it was leaving on my skin. I tried to move away but his firm hand was already planted on my waist.

"I was a fruit of my father's infidelity with a maid in the North Castle." It was Lord Boris who got our attention again. I decided to focus on what he was saying instead of the man who was just inches from my body. "The Frost wouldn't accept a woman from a lowly family as a wife of the land's ruler. Until that day after giving birth to me, she died mysteriously. I started to hate the blood in my veins. I started to hate the ruling system that when Threy and I discovered what was hidden in the old castle, we promised to form an alliance and plot the vengeance against the four ruling families."

There were anger and pain in Lord Boris' icy blue eyes that made me want to reach out and comfort him. However, the Skull's firm grip forbidden me from doing so. He just fixed me with a cold glare when I looked at him questioningly.

"Boris and I and both lost our mothers because of greed. We're used to it. There's no need to comfort us," the Skull said nonchalantly.

I rolled my eyes at how childish he was acting at the moment. Surely, he wouldn't know exactly how Lord Boris was feeling as he remembered about how he lost his mother. The young Lord could appear as emotionless sometimes but there was no way that he would be as cold as the Skull. Lord Boris seemed to realize the situation I was in so he smirked at our direction and shook his head in disbelief.

"Anyway, since things have been working as planned, though there are really just some unnecessary move from the great Borgian descendant such as saving the damsel in distress from her assassins and unwanted marriage, I think it's time for the lady to pick her side." Lord Boris was clearly trying to break the tension between us.

"Wait, what? So it was really you who saved me from my killers in the woods?" I asked in confusion to the Skull. He finally let go of my waist and I saw his fists clenched against the wooden table.

"I apologize that you have to witness such brutality. I would have given them a more gruesome and bloodier death if not for the arrival of your soldiers –" He stopped for a moment and his eyes darkened as he reminisced what happened that day. "A few more minutes and I would have been too late. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you." He continued.

I laughed humourlessly as I fixed my gaze on him. "You did that? You still saved me even though you knew who I am all this time?"

"I know who you are and that's why I saved you," he corrected.

I didn't know but instead of being grateful, I was feeling hurt and saddened. There was a weight in my chest that kept on pulling my emotions down. The guilt and regret started to grow and occupied more spaces inside of me. It was too much to handle that I wouldn't be able to make a decision at the moment.

"So Lady Primrose," Lord Boris called out. "Are you going to betray your own blood and fight with us? Or embrace your bloodline and ask for us to send you back to the East Land?"

I watched as the Skull's mood darkened when Lord Boris laid the last proposition. I gritted my teeth as I weighed my options.

"I – I need more time." I answered.

Lord Boris nodded and said, "Well, we're giving you until tomorrow. We don't have much time since a war is brewing between the lands. I believe the Skull and you still have a lot of things to talk about. Maybe, you have to consider it before choosing between the options. Who knows? This might be the last chance for you to talk with each other."

My chest tightened at the thought that I would never see the Skull again. I glanced at him and a familiar storm was currently raging in his eyes. I would be in serious danger if I was caught in it.

"I'm going to think about. Are you really going to send me back to the East Land if I decide to choose them?" I asked skeptically.

Lord Boris was about to confirm it but the Skull beat him and said, "Well, it's not going to be an option if I propose a third one that eyes you as my captive and will be caged in one of the castle's room for as long as I want. I'm not going to let you go that easily, Primrose. After all, I am the last descendant of the Borgian Kingdom. I have the power to uphold the laws in this castle because I am Remus Borgia IX of the Borgian bloodline."

Right. He was not Lord Threy Weston of the West Land. He was not the feared Skull of the pirate seas at the moment. He belonged to a bloodline that supposed to rule the whole land if not for the greed of my family. He was more than who I thought he was. And at some point, I started to question myself if I really know the man I chose to love.