A Brother's Sacrifice

It had been announced that the Princess had accepted a suitor. News of this extraordinary event traveled faster than the wind – for the Princess had long since denied all of her suitors until now. And so it was how Marcus O’Neal came to learn of the eventual wedding of the fair Princess. He had travelled into town to purchase some provisions for his little remote cottage when he caught wind of the news. No one had seen a man more in a haste to hurry back home. It was the last time anyone saw the kindly gentle Marcus.

Nicholas’ heart was soaring. He had never imagined he’d win the favor of such a beautiful woman – and a princess at that! He couldn’t wait for the next night when he would spend the evening with his new bride. Excited about the coming event he insisted on travelling to the market himself to purchase the perfect wedding gift for his princess.

It was with great surprise, then that he happened to bump into none other than his twin brother, Marcus. The reunion with his long-lost brother was the only thing that could ruin his high like no other. Already Nicholas was fuming and his stance turned aggressive with his feet planting on either side; his hands balling to become two hammer-like fists.

“I should have known I’d see you here, brother.” Nicholas’ tone was dripping with venom, his eyes shooting daggers. “I suppose you heard the news of my marriage. Why else would you be here?”

“I’m here to stop you from making the worst decision of your life, Nick.” Marcus’ voice was calm, quiet and gentle; the exact opposite of his brother’s. Nicholas would have flinched at the use of his boyhood nickname but he was already seeing red from the blatant threat of stopping him from marrying the love of his life.

The market-goers were forced aside else suffer the furious blows being thrown about from the two brothers: one in a berserker rage, and the only having no other choice but to fight back. The odds were tipped in Marcus’ favor when he found a cast-off wooden pole; his brother too consumed in his blind rage to notice the danger. In a matter of seconds, the fight was over before the city guards could be alerted to the fracas.

Marcus carried his unconscious twin to his horse and wagon where he dumped the limp body. Marcus travelled a league or two outside the city where he knew some old ruins that were once a great palace from old. It was there where he bound his brother down below where the dungeons were still mostly intact.

No one was the wiser when Marcus charged back to the palace walls. No one even thought to question a man who looked identical to that of Nicholas.

Nicholas finally emerged from the ruins with bloodied wrists and hands; the skin torn and bruised from the scraping of the unforgiving metal of the old rusted shackles until he was free of them. He stumbled his way on foot, battered and bruised with a numb mind and heavy heart until he reached the palace gates. It was then he learned what his traitorous brother had done.

When Nicholas approached the gate, he was met with spears at his throat and orders to put him under arrest. Nicholas found himself in his second dungeon in a matter of hours. He had picked up bits and pieces of what had befallen the palace since Marcus imprisoned Nicholas.

It was no surprise everyone had thought the person who had returned to the palace was Nicholas. But what did come as a surprise was the attempt to murder the princess at the isle as they were exchanging wedding vows. Nicholas’ stomach dropped in horror upon hearing of this development.

Nicholas’ presence was a true shock for the palace as now they had two of the same person living below in the dungeons. Nicholas yelled at contempt and fury at his brother who was locked in a cell beside his.

“Tell me, brother! Why do you hate me so that you murder our mother and attempt to do the same to my bride?” It inflamed Nicholas more that he could not get a reaction from his brother. His face was void of all emotion.

“The tree mother planted should be in full bloom this time of year.” Ghostly grey eyes met Nicholas’ identical ones. “You should return home when this is all over. Mother would have wanted that.”

Before Nicholas had a chance to reply, the door to the dungeon opened. Marcus jumped into action, throwing himself at Nicholas’ adjoining cell so that he could whisper a quick message without being overheard.

The blood in Nicholas’ veins froze. He didn’t want to believe what his brother was whispering to him. Yet as he watched his beloved glide down the stairs, her slim body clothed in the finest material in all the land, he couldn’t stop the doubt and suspicion from spilling into his mind and thoughts.

Then he saw it, a glint of red shining through the princess’ eyes for a moment before returning to the brilliant sapphire he so loved.

“You see, don’t you?” Marcus whispered at him from his side of the cell. “It’s too late for me, brother.” He opened his tunic to show a festering stomach wound he had tried to cover with torn pieces of cloth. “Do as I tell you and you’ll get out of here alive.”

Hours later, Nicholas arrived at the cottage where he and his brother had grown up. He found the cherry tree his mother had planted the day they were born. Tears were in his eyes when he approached. There was a hollow nook inside the tree where he had found an oiled parcel to protect the parchment inside from the rain.

He unfolded the parchment and read the following:

“Nicholas, with you reading this it means I am dead. I want you to know that I have accepted my fate. I have sacrificed my life so that you, the better of us, can continue to live. The woman you have come to love is in fact a demon after your soul. She had visited our mother years ago while you were gone. When Mother and I refused her, the demon bitch stabbed Mother with a poison tipped blade. You came home to find me administering a deadly concoction to put her out of her misery for it was too late to save her. I’m writing this after hearing of the news of your wedding to the same devil that killed our mother…”
Nicholas couldn’t read any further. His grief over the loss of his mother and his twin were too great. For it was because of Marcus that Nicholas was here, alive and breathing and safe at their childhood cottage. Marcus was already dying from the wound inflicted by the same blade that had killed their mother. It was Marcus that offered up his soul in exchange for Nicholas’ freedom.

After all of these years, Nicholas finally realized how loyal his brother had been.