Deception

"Zayde, sire. I assure you, I have no allegiance to the few witches and warlocks that remain. I cut loyalty to them a while back. They weren't accepting of my lifestyle--"

"Oh, you cut contact with your family because of that? We know all about that. More than you know," beamed Dax taking an immediate liking to this handsome man, finding him utterly enchanting. The way he spoke, how his lip curled up into a smile, his intoxicating aura. He was definitely going to be fun to talk with and get to know, anyway. "You chose someone fantastic, Anders. He seems qualified and he's easy on the eye, so that's a bonus for us."
 
"He is handsome, isn't he. He's smart as well." Smiled the rabbit, looking at him. Zayde was handsome, and he did like the way he spoke. And he had a unique accent. And his blue eyes were gorgeous, like bright sapphires. "Well Zayde, I'm glad you've come to work for us~. Why don't you enjoy your dinner with us? It's all tasty~"
 
"...Allow me to refill your glasses first, sires," the man charmingly smiled, pouring one for Dax and then one for Anders. Although, for the rabbit's drink, he'd allowed a small spell to be uttered; the first charm of many to win him around.

Anders, when he became King, stepped out of the shadows and took the limelight for himself. Until that point, he'd been working in the shadows for his brother, so Zayde hadn't really known him. When he first looked at the TV and saw Anders rallying a speech to the new kingdom he'd taken over, he fell for him instantly. Okay, so maybe he fell in love with the idea of being in power; of winning Anders around and taking his place at his side more, but they were the same sort of thing, right?

He arrived, thinking Anders would be alone and easy to win around-- but Dax was an issue now, he knew that. Hence the spells he needed to perform on Anders. One day, one day very soon, Zayde was sure he'd get everything he wanted. Patience was just needed for the moment.
 
Anders took the drink and drank it unknowingly. If he'd known this man's plan he'd have him killed. But how was he to know? So he drank the spellbound wine, not even realizing it. As he drank, Zayde seemed to appear...More desirable. Looking at the man, he licked the wine off his lips. "Hmm, thank you Zayde." He cooed.
 
Zayde was a perfectly competent, experienced warlock-- but there was never any guarantee when it came to magic. Sometimes he needed to perform stronger spells on some individuals who had a greater aversion to magic. He didn't know how strong to make this spell - if he made it too strong, it could kill Anders, and he hardly wanted that. But it seemed to take perfectly; he could practically see the lust in the man's eyes.

He saw the way Dax was looking at Anders, with complete love, and it sickened him. He wanted him dead as soon as possible; cut and left to bleed. He couldn't do that himself, he didn't have the authority to kill anyone. Anders, though, was technically still the King. Until he signed the papers and legally handed power to Dax, Anders was King and could kill whoever he desired. It made sense, then, to get him to kill Dax... and that required some more spells and more deceptions.

It took a week before Zayde felt it appropriate to kiss Anders, catching him off by guard during one of their meetings; one Dax couldn't attend. If the spells worked, he should return the kiss without thinking about the love of his life-- and Zayde felt like triumphantly smirking when the kiss was indeed returned.

"You have no idea, sire, how long I've wanted to do that," the warlock began under his breath, his hand cupping the King's cheek. "I... I'll get in trouble for this, won't I? Your... mate, he... he'll kill me."
 
Looking up at the warlock lustfully, he pressed hands into the other's cheeks. Anders' love for Dax was still love, but the spell was slowly erasing it. It was as if he wasn't himself. "...He won't kill you, he won't find out." He whispered, leaning up to press his lips against the warlocks again, purring happily. No...His love for Dax wasn't erased, it was being transferred to Zayde.
 
"Sire, he... will find out. He's smart. I want to... to ravish you, to hold you at my side and show the world my love for you. I can't do that if your... fiance is around," he began quietly, trying his best to hint at the subject of murder without directly uttering it. It was best if this came from Anders' lips, so he could pretend later on that it had been all his idea. If, for some reason, Anders came to regret what he did; if the spell broke down and he accused Zayde of brainwashing and indoctrinating him, he could challenge him and deny he wanted to kill Dax. He could tell Anders that he was the one who first uttered the words, and he wouldn't be lying by doing so.

He just needed him to say so first, and he wasn't a patient man.

"You love me, don't you? Only me? Then... Then prove it, sire. I won't stick around if I feel like I'm rivalled by Dax for your love."
 
"...I...I love you but...What do you want me to do? I...I still love Dax...Dax is..." Anders mind was becoming confused and muddled. "I...I shouldn't be doing this Zayde, I...I love him. I really do." He grimaced, as he pulled away, turning away as he looked down. He...He did love Dax, but...How could he just kiss another man like this...And how could he love Zayde? He did love Zayde...But when did this even happen? "Zayde...I should go. Clear my head."
 
Well, that part of the plan wasn't working out at all well. Seeing the other hesitate filled him with anger. How dare he continue to hold feelings for that waste of space - that wasn't how this was going to work. He was going to fall in love with Zayde, he was going to marry him, make him King, and then they could rule. Well. Zayde would rule. He didn't remotely care what Anders did.

He loved the idea of ruling; he didn't love Anders all that much. He and Dax were responsible for burning his kingdom and killing almost all his species. The only reason he was choosing to go for Anders was because that was the only way he could get power. If he went for Dax, Dax would remain King. That avenue wasn't possible.

"He needs to die," he stated simply, gauging his reaction to the news. "You love me. He's in the way. You aren't an idiot, sire. You've surely thought about this?"
 
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"K-Kill Dax? But...Th-That's too extreme." He whispered, but each minute that went by the spell on him grew stronger. "...I'll think about it..I...I need time alone." He mumbled, before leaving the meeting room, clutching his forehead. At the moment it felt like he had two people living in his body. One of those people were madly in love with Dax, and whispering to him that it was wrong to try and kill him. The other was madly in love with Zayde and was almost yelling in his head to kill Dax. And each moment that went by, Anders was siding more and more on killing Dax.

So that night when the two were getting ready for bed, Anders had been acting strangely. It was obvious he wasn't himself. But the moment Dax asked was the moment Anders stabbed him right in the chest his eyes wild and crazy, yet an eerie smile was on his face.
 
Dax would never have thought that Anders would try to physically hurt him in any way. He thought that one member of his family would try to hurt him one day after how he'd acted since he was a young teenager, but never had he assumed that family member would be Anders. He wasn't just his little brother, he wasn't just his best friend: he was his soulmate; the love of his life. To be laying in bed and see him plunge a dagger in his chest was confusing and bewildering, so much so it masked any real pain for him. In the end, though, as he stared up at Anders' smug expression, he bled out there on the bed, taking his final gasp of breath.

Nobody knew Dax had even arrived back. He was keeping it all a secret for his wedding day, so he could enjoy the gasps of surprise from his audiences when he headed out to join Anders at the alter. That, fortunately, worked out so conveniently and perfectly for Zayde. It meant he could dump Dax's body in some unmarked ditch in the forest and not have to answer any questions about it. He could continue to worm his way into power through Anders-- and he did.

He married him, he became King, he met his family and he had children with him.

Though Zayde didn't remotely care about Anders. He didn't love him, he didn't want to become a family with him. He was a man; he liked sex, and he'd be blind not to admit that Anders was gorgeous. That said, he didn't love him. He ought to have realised that Dax, being a rabbit-hybrid and all, would have children easily. He should have known that, and prevented it from happening if fatherhood wasn't something he wanted.

But he didn't care enough to take an interest like that. He had sex and the children that arrived from it were simply byproducts he couldn't give a shit about. He didn't want to sit at the table as a family, he didn't want to be called 'Daddy'. He didn't want to even share a bed with Anders and act like a husband.

No. He just wanted power and to be King, and he had that. The emotional side of things he didn't pay one bit of attention to.

Thus, even on Anders' birthday six years later, he didn't care enough to join him for his birthday breakfast. He preferred to remain as far away from him and their children, choosing to lock himself in his office and deal with business than attempt to resemble a family with them. He barely knew his children. At least Apophis, when he had been in charge, had occasionally allowed his children to breakfast with him sometimes. Zayde, on the other hand, hadn't even hugged his children, not once.

"Would you like me to go and see if the King would like to accompany you for breakfast, sire?" Began a maid politely, eyeing the empty throne at the opposite end of the table. "I'm... sure he'd like to sit with you for your birthday breakfast."
 
During those six years, the spells that were cast over him worked effectively and strong. So strong that Anders didn't even remember Dax. He firmly believed that Zayde was the love of his life, his true soulmate. All pictures of Dax and his old family were burned, tossed in the trash, no one even spoke of Dax, so how was he to know? He didn't even remember killing Dax. He believed that he met Zayde because he hired him and then they fell madly in love. So he married him and allowed him to be King. That was the story he stuck by.

And six years of being married to Zayde were...not a fairytale. It wasn't the fairytale marriage he wanted. Zayde only came to bed with him when he wanted sex. Other than that, they didn't sleep together. They didn't go on dates, and Zayde barely spoke to him. It was all so depressing honestly. He didn't even speak to their children. They had three children, who were four years old...And none of them even really knew their father. It was so...lonely here. It was always so lonely. There was a time Zayde loved him right? Because he truly did love Zayde, but...The warlock didn't seem to care.

Anders sat at the breakfast table, obviously upset. His husband wasn't joining him yet again. Why was he so disappointed? He never joined him before. Sighing heavily, he stood up from the table shaking his head. "...No, don't bother him. He'd probably just snap if you were to bother him...Thank you...I guess I can always go see if the babies are awake." He mumbled as he rubbed his belly. Yes, he had three children, yet he had another on the way. He wasn't far but his stomach was already slightly rounded. It just looked like he ate a bit too much cake.
 
It was true that Dax had just been written out of history; eliminated from the very world he'd once controlled. Zayde didn't even bother dwelling on the man. He was dead; he wasn't ever coming back to ruin the empire he'd overseen for the last six years. He was decomposing in some ditch, probably close to being a pile of bones--

And it was also true that Dax had been dead for six years, decomposing underground. Until today, that is. He didn't know where he was, or what was even happening, but he woke up unable to breath and scrambled up for air, gasping it into his lungs. Realising he'd been buried underground was... difficult to comprehend as he weakly got out from the earth. His heart was beating. He knew it was because, as he looked down at his bare chest at the large gash that killed him, he could faintly see his own heart pumping away; a sight that made him feel queasy. Grabbing the t-shirt he was buried with to avoid seeing the sight of his own heart, he struggled to really understand what had happened. He wasn't to know six whole years had passed. He remember Anders stabbing him and then... darkness. In his head, he'd been thrown in the ditch just last night, them thinking he was dead, but he had only passed out. That's what he believed as he headed in a daze out the woods, unaware that the truth was much more bewildering.

He knew Zayde probably had something to do with things, because Anders would never have turned on him like that. Thus, he knew not to just walk into the castle - he had to find a way in to Anders' bedroom, where he thought Zayde wouldn't find him. Eventually sneaking in through the door to the underground prisons, he made his way through the castle, surprisingly agile for someone who'd been dead for six years. When he did spot Anders heading to the bedroom, he rushed in after him and locked the door behind them both.

"You fucking asshole, Anders. I... You're lucky I didn't die-- what did that freak make you do, huh? Did he force you to do that? Did you give me a potion to ensure I didn't die 'cos-- 'cos then I'd forgive you, I guess."
 
"Wh-What, who the h-hell are y-you?!" Panicked the rabbit, wiggling to get away from him. Fear was transparently clear in his eyes. It was obvious that Anders didn't know who he was, but that didn't make sense. How could Anders just forget who Dax was? "Wh-What d-do you w-want, m-money?!" He asked still trying to break free of his grasp.

In the rabbit's head, some strange man had broken into his home and was trying to hurt him and his unborn children. What...What if he'd already gotten to his kids?! "...Wh-Where's Jax, Enzo, and Bella?" The rabbit didn't even realize he subconsciously named Jax after Dax. "Pl-Please tell me you didn't-" When he looked into Dax's eyes he felt something...Like...Like he knew this man. He quieted down staring at him completely confused.
 
At first, Dax assumed that his brother was joking around, maybe out of nervousness. He had just stabbed him through the chest, after all. Dax also assumed he hadn't done it with his own intentions; he thought Zayde had forced him. He was so blissfully unaare that he'd been dead for six years-- until seeing Anders' stomach. He then realised just how fearful he was, hearing him babble on about some people he didn't know.

He wasn't faking. He was genuinely scared and... clearly some time had passed because, while Anders still looked young, he'd aged a little. Dax hadn't, of course. He'd been dead for six fucking years.

Knowing he had died, he furrowed his brows together in a mixture of horror and confusion, stumbling back before anger took over again.

"Anders Drakon, don't fuck around," he growled, as if Anders would laugh and confirm it was a joke. "I... how... who are-- who's Jax a-and... who are they?"
 
His hands instantly went to his stomach as he stared at the other nervously. He was terrified for his babies, and this man standing here seemed absolutely crazy. However...He seemed like someone he met before, which was why he was running and calling the guards for help. "...M-My kids! Where are they? D-Did...Did you h-hurt them?!" He asked as he pressed his back against the wall.

"Y-You...You have some nerve br-breaking into a ca-castle, do you know how crazy you are?! M-M-My husband c-could have yo k-killed." He hissed, sidestepping, eyeing the door on the right side of the wall. The door led to his babies' room. While the other wasn't paying attention, he dashed to the room, opening the door, seeing them all still sleeping.
 
How was Dax supposed to possibly absorb what was in front of him? The love of his life was married and he... had children. Except, that wasn't even the biggest shock. What had happened to Anders was. He wasn't that feisty, brave and downright devious man he'd fallen in love with, who was superior to all and wouldn't dare back away from anyone. Seeing him stammer like this, backing into a wall... it was disgusting. He shouldn't be like this. He wasn't the Anders he knew, and that angered him beyond belief.

"...You don't know who I am-- I'm going to kill him. I... I'm Dax. You know, your brother; your soulmate. The man you helped become King, the... guy you killed," he mumbled, his hand immediately going to his chest, only pulling it away when he remembered his heart was basically on display and that disgusted him. "I... you have children, A-Anders-- he fucking touched you?! You let him have sex with you?!"
 
"Brother? What brother, I don't have a family!" Hissed the man, shutting the door to the nursey, so his children would wake up. He looked up at him, grimacing at how scary he was. It was true, Anders wasn't the man he used to be. Zayde did that, he made him scared and terrified. That way he could take the spot on the throne easily. "And soulmate? Z-Zayde is my soulmate I...I don't know you!....Right? I...I don't." He mumbled, his head becoming clouded and confused.

Holding his stomach he shook his head, reminding himself to calm down. He couldn't get all worked up and excited. He had children to worry about. "My...My family isn't alive...They died long ago. It's why I'm King. I was the lone survivor." Of course, their family was still alive and well. They weren't allowed to step foot in Valien, and Zayde knew that. So they fake story would work perfectly for the little rabbit. "D..Dax...What does that...Mean to me?" He mumbled trying to remember it. It sounded important.
 
"...I'm going to fucking murder him. You were-- you are my soulmate. He made you kill me, didn't he? I... you have kids, we... we were going to find a surrogate, we... we said that we'd do that and... I can't... breathe, this isn't-- this isn't happening," he began, having one of his almost famous panic attacks. Only Anders was able to calm him down when he had them, of course, and he panicked even more in the knowledge that Anders -his Anders- wasn't the same as the one who used to gently shush him until he calmed down.

"Zayde. Where is he? I... I'm... gonna... oh f-fuck... I'll kill him, when I g-get my breath back..."
 
"You...You can't kill him...He's...He's my husband." Grimaced the man, before edging over to Dax. Something in him was telling him to calm Dax down, and he had no idea what it was. Taking his cheeks in his hands, he looked into those golden eyes, just as he did in the past. "...Who are you?" He whispered, his eyes searching the other. He desperately needed to know who this man was. Did...Did his story really hold truth to it? "...You say I'm your soulmate? Well...Well, tell me something that only my soulmate would know."
 
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