Ashlyn Joshi
“Arthur, stay here, okay? Daddy will be back soon.” He patted the back of his child and kissed him on the forehead to which Arthur nodded and watched his dad walk away from him. The indigo-haired boy sat in the same place his dad left him, not moving an inch. It had been a few hours since his dad left and he wanted to go back home. Tears welled up his eyes and he brought his knees up to his chest and wrapped his hands around them.
It was a dark, cold night, the moon being the only light in the dark. “Daddy…I miss you,” he sobbed, wiping his tears away. The rain hit his skin, making him cry even more until the rain suddenly stopped pouring. He looked up, to see a stern-looking man with red hair, holding an umbrella above his tall but fragile body.The man knelt, and spoke gently “My child, what are you doing here?” The man asked him. The child looked up at him in fear, backing away a little. He couldn’t help but feel somewhat safe next to the stranger. He sniffed and stuttered, “Im waiting for my daddy..He said he’d be back.”
The man looked at him with pity in his eyes and sighed. “Why don’t you come inside and wait for your dad?” You’ll catch a cold if you stay out in the rain for too long.” The man held out his hand for the boy to take but the boy refused the offer.
“No. I’m waiting for my daddy! I know he’ll come back!” The man hesitated but then nodded his head and left. The night passed and the sun rose, yet his dad wasn’t back yet. The boy ended up falling asleep on the ground, his cold and fragile body was shaking on the floor as he slept. The next day, the man returned, not surprised to find him still laying on the ground. He knelt down, woke him up and handed him some food. Arthur looked up at him in shock, his eyes already welling up with tears. “Daddy’s still not back yet?” he asked, his voice cracking in between. The man shook his head and sat next to him. The boy put the food on the ground and completely broke down, crying like no other. He let himself fall onto the shoulder of the kind man and cried a river. The man looked at him and said, “I’ll keep you safe until your daddy comes back, okay?” The boy wiped away his tears and nodded. The man carried the boy on his back and headed to his mansion.
It’s been a few years since Arthur was brought into the Lambert Family. Ever since his dad abandoned him and Dominique Lambert took him as his own, he has been happier than ever. Agnès and Arsène, his new siblings, are his best friends and they did everything together. Agnès, the lady, and the eldest of the family. The oldest was originally supposed to take over the title of the “26th Commander of Le Gardien Mystique”, which was a leading position for the knights of the City of Bordeaux, but, their father thought that girls were not meant for such a risky position and were better off taking care of the people of the city.
Agnès hated her father’s mindset of “females aren’t capable of leading”, but every time she brought it up, she and her father would end up arguing. Arsène, Agnès’s younger brother and the same age as Arthur, was in line to become the 26th Commander of Le Mystique, but after the appearance of Arthur, everything changed. The three have always been close with each other and shared every little secret they had until now. Agnès had just turned 23 while her brothers were fresh 20. On the day of Arthur’s birthday, which was the day that Dominique found him in front of their mansion, Mr. Lambert decided to tell the boys something that would change their lives.
Cakes have been cut, songs have been sung and now both of my sons are oƥcially adults.” Dominique started off his speech, their family members clapping at his words. He sighed and looked at Arthur and Arsène’s eyes very seriously. “I know for how long Arsène has that both of you are old enough, you must understand that you have to fight a duel to see who takes my position as the 26th Commander of Le Gardien Mystique.” Arsène and Arthur’s eyes widened, Arsène’s in surprise and Arthur’s in determination. Arsène always thought he would get the position without having to work for it since he was his only son so it felt strange having to fight his own brother. But that didn't mean he would give up easily, he was just as determined as Arthur to win this battle and win the position. Both of the brothers agreed on the duel and had a friendly rivalry with each other.
They both trained for hours and hours on end. No sleeping, no eating, no resting, just training to get stronger and better each day so they could beat each other. Soon, the day of the battle arrived and the whole family was excited to find out the new holder of the position as the Commander. Mr.Lambert, Arsène, Arthur, and Agnès got onto the carriage that would take them to the Champion Duelists, a place where the most important and scariest duels were held. All four of them got onto the carriage. The deadly silence of the carriage was broken by a couple of men blocking the road. Arsène decided to get off the carriage to check on whatever was happening outside only to watch their coachman get killed in front of him. It was the Phantom Mafia, one of the biggest and most dangerous mafias in all of Bordeaux.
Arsène took his greatsword out from its sheath and pointed it towards the spies. “What do you want from us?!” He screamed. “It’s you..” The Phantom Mafia leader, Pierre’s eyes darkened as he saw Arsène, his hatred and anger growing. Arsène raised an eyebrow in confusion as he looked at him. He looked really familiar but couldn't tell why. “Stay away from my family!” He screamed, still holding onto his greatsword, ready to attack. The words that came out of his mouth only angered Pierre more. In the blink of an eye Dominique and Pierre were neck to neck, his sword, pushing against Pierre’s blade.
Dominique had originally charged straight into the man who was about to attack Arsène without looking at the man’s face, and now that he saw his face up close and his lunch had threatened to make a nasty reappearance. “Pierre…it’s you.”
“Surprised to see me…brother?” The man with long and braided black hair, Pierre, gave Dominique a cunning smirk. Dominique's grip on his greatsword tightened as he grit his teeth together, his jaw tightening. “Don’t call me your brother. You are not the brother that I used to know.” Pierre’s eye’s darkened, the smirk on his face still full of evil. “Oh? Is somebody still grieving the loss of his beloved wife?” Dominique started to lose his grip on his greatsword hearing those words as Pierre smirked and realized that Dominique was losing hold of himself. “She’s gone, Dominique! Give it a rest and let go of the past.”
Shut that mouth of yours, Pierre! You know nothing about how it feels to lose the people you love.” Dominique screamed. While Arsène was on the floor, watching the two fight as Agnès helped him up. Arthur, on the other hand, was staring at Dominique and Pierre in shock and regret. As soon as Pierre heard those words come out Dominique’s mouth, he lost his temper and attacked him. He swung his blade at Dom with full force but luckily he was able to dodge the attack. “You have no idea what I went through! Don’t just make assumptions!” Pierre said as he continued attacking Dominique. Dominique was already losing.
During the fight, Agnès made sure to hold her brother close to her and keep them safe. Though Arsène and Arthur were older, they still held on to their older sister's instincts. “Agnès, what is happening here?” Arsène asked his sister as he was completely appalled by the situation. “I don't know, Arsène, just keep quiet, okay?” She motioned for Arsène to stop talking but he didn’t want to and he knew that Agnès knew. He pushed her away from him, making her stumble against a rock and fall. “I know you know, Agnès! Stop treating me like I’m a child and just tell me, for goodness sake!”
Agnès’s stumble distracted Dominique, causing him to look back at the commotion between his children. This caused Pierre to find the perfect opening to attack Dominique and stabbed him in his stomach. Dominique let out a loud grunt and fell onto the floor as he held onto his stomach trying to stop it from bleeding. He let go of his sword and lay on the floor in pain. “Father!” Agnès screamed, tears welling up in her eyes. She ran towards him and laid his head on her lap, trying to calm him down while Arthur and Arsène could only watch.
Pierre threw his blade on the floor and started laughing like a maniac. “Finally! I’ve finally ended you, Dominique! After everything you’ve done to me. This is your karma and don't you dare escape it.” He knelt down on one knee and gave a cunning smile to Dominique. “How does it feel, brother?” Dominique grunted, blood spewing out of his mouth as he tried to talk back. “You won't get away with this…Pierre.” He said in between his breaths. Pierre just rolled his eyes and nodded. “Sure.” His gaze shifted towards Agnès, who was holding her father’s head on her lap and holding his hand, feeling his heartbeat.
He looked into her bright blue eyes that were now filled with hatred and tears flowing down her cheek. “Ah! Good to see you again, Agnès.” He smiled at her. “You know, you look exactly like your mother, with your beautiful blond hair and blue eyes. She was beautiful! Too bad she was wasted on a man like your father.” He caressed her blonde curls while smiling at her. “Don’t you dare bring up my mother, you freak!” She pushed his hand away from him, causing him to take them back. He stood up from his kneeling position and turned around, getting ready to depart until Arsène charged at him with his sword, full of rage and fury and pinned him down on the floor, with full force.
“I’m not letting you get away with the murder of my father!” Pierre laid flat on the floor, his cheek pressing against the dirt path. Arsène had his leg pressed against Pierre’s back and his sword was pointed right at the back of his neck, ready to stab. Pierre let out a few muned screams at Arthur, reaching his hand out towards him and asking for help. “No one’s going to save you now, give up.” Arsène said as he ignored his cries for help and was about to stab him until Arthur pushed him onto the ground and guarded his father behind him from Arsène.
“Arthur?” Arsène stuttered as he looked at Arthur in confusion. “What are you doing? Get away from him, he’s the enemy!” Arthur sighed and looked down at Arsène in guilt. “Arsène.. Just calm down.” Agnès was crying more than she ever had before and she hadn't cried ever since her mothers death that happened 20 years ago. She could feel her fathers breath getting heavier and his heartbeat growing slower. “What do you mean calm down?! That man just killed father! Our father!” Arsène’s lips quivered as tears rolled down his cheek, not understanding what was happening.
“He’s not my father, Arsène…He is.” Arthur pointed towards the man behind him, Pierre. “What..?” Arsène glanced at Pierre then back at Arthur. “I don’t understand…” Agnès listened to her two brothers talk, just as confused as Arsène was. Arthur sighed and took a deep breath before blurting out everything. “I was a spy that…my father sent to gather information on your family so he could get revenge on Mr.Lambert.” He gulped a big ball of nervousness down his throat. “And ever since your father took me in…I had been secretly meeting up with the members of the Phantom Mafia to give them information about your family..”
Hearing these words of Arthur, hurt him. Being stabbed in the back by his brother shattered his heart. He wasn’t sure whether to feel furious or saddened. All these years he had thought of Arthur like his own brother. They used to share secrets together and never hide anything from each other and now he realized it was all an act. He realized that Arthur had always been hiding behind a mask and deceiving them. It wasn’t just Arsène’s heart that was broken, it was Agnès’s too. She had genuinely protected Arthur and took care of him like he was her own little brother and now she was betrayed too.
As Arthur watched Arsène’s expression change from confusion to hurt, another wave of guilt flew through his body. “Arthur..? Why would you do that..?” Agnès finally was able to talk, her voice cracking in between her sentences. Arthur’s head turned towards Agnès who still had Dominique resting on her lap. Her eyes expressed, not hatred, but only hurt and betrayal. “I'm sorry…I didn’t know.” Arthur couldn't bring himself to look at her eyes so he decided to look at the floor, avoiding eye contact with everyone, shame consuming him. “Is that all you have to say? SORRY?! After everything that you’ve done to us?!”
Arsène attacked Arthur without giving him a chance to say another word. Arthur pulled his sword, shielding himself from the wrath of Arsène. While Arsène and Arthur fought, Pierre, Arthur’s father, slipped away from the area to avoid more conflict. Agnès desperately wanted to stop Pierre from running away but it felt as if her life was falling apart in front of her eyes. Her brother’s were both fighting to death and her father was dying in her arms.
Arsène flung his sword at Arthur which he managed to dodge but left a huge scar across his face while Arthur threw his spare knives at Arsène. Arsène managed to dodge most of them but a few cut through his clothes. Agnès was now screaming Arsène’s name over and over again, begging him to stop only for her pleas to be ignored by the brothers.
A few minutes passed and the brother’s were still fighting. Both of them were hurt and tired and wanted this to stop. Arthur was considering giving up, not wanting to bear the pain of having to live with a false facade. “Arsène, please! Just let me explain..” Arthur screamed, tears streaming down his cheeks as he used his blade to shield himself from Arsène’s attacks. “What do you have to explain, Arthur?! What could you possibly have?!” Arsène continued his attack with clenched jaws.
“I may have originally been a spy from the Phantom Mafia but..after a few months of living with your family..I realized that your father treated me like a son more than my own father ever did and…” Arthur explained while screaming and still dodging attacks from Arsène. He wasn't even sure if Arsène was listening but he wanted to tell him the truth before he died. “And…even after your father knew about my real plan, he still let me in your family and even gave me a chance to become the Commander.”
Hearing about the fact that his father knew of Arthur and the Phantom Mafia and never bothered to tell him and his sister about it made him sick to his stomach. It felt like his second betrayal was from his own father and the first from his brother. Arsène could feel bile rising up his throat and just wanted everything to be over. He wanted this to be over and wake up in his bed with all his family together, living happily. But he knew that could never happen, ever again. “I realized my father only ever used me as a little pawn in his game so he could get revenge on your father…he never truly cared for me like a father should and…I stopped providing him any new information about Mr.Lambert and your family. And since then, he has always been after me..”
Arthur let out a small cry and gulped while Arsène only listened carefully, still not letting go of his claymore. Arthur was already about to back down from his hold on his blade. He was ready to be killed by the person he loved the most. So he let go of his blade and fell onto the floor, Arsène’s sword pointing right at him. Arthur gave him a weak smile and surrendered. “I’m sorry.” Agnès looked away from the scene, she couldn’t watch what was about to happen. She didn’t want to see her own brother kill someone she loved but she couldn’t bring herself to stop it. She looked at her father who was on the brink of death. Dominique, her father, gave her a weak smile before opening his mouth to say something. “Take care of the boys for me, don’t let our family break into shambles. Arthur may have betrayed us but he will always be my son and your brother.” He took a long deep breath. “He will always be a part of our family.”
Arsène wiped the tears from his face and stared into Arthur’s eyes, seeing the glimpse of guilt and regret. He was ready to kill Arthur once and for all until Agnès screamed and held Dominique’s shoulders, shaking him and crying unbelievably. “Father! Please..don't leave us..”
More than a decade passed and Agnès broke the belief of “women can’t lead” by taking over the title of “27th Commander of The Mystique" since Arthur and Arsène, both refused. Now, she became one of the best and the strongest leader that ever existed in Bordeaux. Arthur was second in command, working under Agnès, holding the title “The Second Blade” and Arsène was one of the richest businessmen, who started his own wine industry and opened multiple bars and restaurants in all of France. Even though Arsène lived further away from the city in his own mansion, Agnès continued to fulfill her father’s prayer of taking care of her brothers. Agnès and Arthur still see each other as family but their relationship deteriorated to a strictly professional relationship whereas Arsène and Arthur cut off all communications with each other. Arthur always tried his hardest to fix the relationship between Arsène but he would always turn a blind eye towards him and act like he never existed. But, Arsène has always been looking after him from afar even though he never showed it.
It was a normal day for Agnès as she strolled through the city to make sure everything was okay until screams and shouts of the people could be heard from the city gate and a gun fire. She quickly ran towards the gate, taking her bow and getting ready to shoot. It was the Phantom Mafia, it had been years since their appearance, so why now? She got flashbacks from that day as she saw Pierre who was smirking at her. There were dead bodies of her city’s people all over the floor and their loved ones crying over them. She knew that feeling all too well and ordered her subordinates to put the city in lockdown. “Sorry Madame, but The Second Blade seems to be out of town for a while.” Agnès only gave a stiff nod before facing Pierre again.
“We meet again, Pierre.” The Commander, Agnès, said as she kept a proper stance for an easy attack. Pierre smirked and nodded. “Looking even better than before, Madame? 14 years have passed and you earned the title of “Commander”, how impressive. I’m sure your father wouldn't have liked a woman leading the Knights of Le Mystique.” Agnès looked around the city and it was full of dead bodies and the knights fighting against the mafia members. She grit her teeth together and took a few steps back. “Don’t bring my father into this, Pierre. What do you want from us?!” Pierre chuckled and pointed a gun towards a child of Bordeaux who was crying on the floor next to his mother’s dead body. “Oh nothing much, just….the Knight of Le Mystique, you and your brother, of course. I’m sure you’d know what would happen if you refuse, right?” His gun clicked, a shot pierced the kid’s heart.
Agnès gulped and clutched onto her heart, praying for her parents to be here with her. “Never! I will never let you take over the people of my city or my family!” Pierre raised an eyebrow and frowned. “Then prepare for a day worse than the day of the death of your father!” Before Pierre could aim correctly, Agnès had already ran deeper into the city and was able to dodge the bullet. Pierre was running after Agnès but she was much faster and capable than him. Soon enough, Pierre lost her which caused him to become furious. He started destroying and blowing up everything that got in his way.
He was causing a huge ruckus in Bordeaux and ruining innocent people’s lives.
Agnès was hiding behind a small wall in the far end of their own which Pierre would most likely not check. She was trying to contact Arthur but he wasn’t answering her signalsso, so she and a few other knights were making a plan on how to ensure the citizen’s safety and to take them to a more secure area for some time. By the time they created a safety plan, Arsène had arrived in the city after Agnès’s calls. Agnès informed him about the plan and everyone was ready to go along with it. While Arsène was distracting Pierre, the other knights were healing and taking the citizen’s to a safer area. Agnès was fighting against Pierre’s minions and defending the escape route for the people. Soon, she managed to defeat most of them for the time being and was doing a patrol around the area. She sighed, letting her guard down then she found herself on the floor, a gun pointing at her face.
Her eyes widened at the sight of Pierre with a smug grin across his face. “Pierre?!” She stuttered his name out. She had tears in her eyes and she was ready to sacrifice herself. Her face had no expression besides hatred and anguish. “Look who I finally got under my gun point. The all mighty Bordeaux Commander, Agnès Lambert.” He was just about to click his gun and shoot her right through her head. “Stop stalling and kill me already, Pierre.” He chuckled and opened his mouth to say something else but Agnès was looking around the area to see if she could use anything as leverage to stop him until she saw a red-headed man running towards Pierre, ready to attack. But, Pierre had already seen him and was prepared to kill him first. Agnès’s eyes welled up in tears and screamed for Arsène to stop. Her scream caught Pierre off-guard, causing him to push the glock and shoot. A loud gun-shot went through the now silent city with birds flying away from the noise.
Agnès shut her eyes tightly and a tear slipped down her cheek and a hit of a lifeless body against the ground could be heard. She opened her eye’s and realized that it wasn’t her who had been shot, it was Arthur. He was lying in front of her with a smile on his face and a hole right through his stomach while Arsène managed to cut off the head of Pierre when he accidentally shot his own son. He may have hated his son for betraying his trust but it was never his intention to kill him. Arthur had arrived in the city right on time and jumped in front of Agnès to save her from his father’s bullet. Arsène threw his greatsword on the floor and fell onto his knees at the sight of Arthur on the ground with blood across his body. Agnès quickly got up from the ground and tended to Arthur, who was losing a lot of blood to survive.
“Arthur! Are you here with me? Say something, please!” She shook his body violently, causing him to cough up some blood. “Please…Agnès. I’m sorry..for everything I’ve done to you…to Arsène.” He said, not realizing that Arsène was right behind him and so was his decapitated father. She tore a piece of her dress and wrapped it around his wound, hoping it would stop him from bleeding just a little. “Arthur! Don’t talk nonsense, please! Don’t leave me yet…” Arthur let out a weak chuckle as he wiped the tears streaming down his sister’s face. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll be fine. Just take care of Arsène for me, okay? Tell him I love him and…I never meant to hurt your family…” Arsène could only listen to their conversation, not having the power in himself to intervene. “I love you and Arsène, you two were the only family I ever had and..even if Arsène may have loathed me, I always loved him…” Agnès shook her head to disagree with him. “No..Arthur, Arsène may have not showed it but…but he always thought of you as his favorite brother even after everything that happened and he…he would ask me about your health every single day…” Arthur smiled softly, not believing the words she just told him. “You don’t need to tell me that to make me feel better, silly..It doesn’t matter to me anymore…I’m happy to have ended it like this, really..”
You will always be a part of our family, Arthur.”
