HIGH SCHOOL DIARIES (A Tale Of Love And Deception)

When Lamia and Hadrain were caught up in their passionate moment, the serene quiet of the forest was shattered by the violent huffing of a horse. The sound grew louder, accompanied by the clatter of hooves on the cobblestone road that led toward the clearing where the two lovers were hidden. Lamia, lost in the intoxicating pull of Hadrain's presence, ignored it at first, but Hadrain gently broke their kiss and turned to the source of the disturbance. Several horses came to an abrupt halt at the edge of the forest, with Angus, the head of the palace guards, leading the party.

Angus dismounted with an air of urgency, only for his expression to shift to one of abject horror as his gaze landed on Lamia and Hadrain locked in their unholy embrace. He gasped audibly, covering his face in shame.

"Your Highness!" Angus exclaimed, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and disbelief. "Your presence is required in Edinburgh. The people of Scotland demand your immediate attention."

Lamia, visibly irritated by the interruption, frowned deeply. His midnight blue eyes blazed with frustration as he took in Angus's flustered expression.

"And so what?" Lamia retorted, his voice laced with defiance. "Can't you see I'm having a private moment with Hadrain here?"

Hadrain's cheeks flushed a deep crimson at Lamia's shameless response. Though embarrassed, he couldn't deny the warmth that blossomed in his chest at Lamia's boldness.

"Your Highness," Hadrain interjected softly, his fingers brushing against Lamia's fiery red curls. "Perhaps we should go. If the guards are here, it must be urgent."

Angus, who had initially been mortified, found himself torn. The display of affection, though scandalous by the kingdom's standards, was undeniably tender. For a brief moment, he caught himself admiring the bond between them before shaking the thought away.

The gravity of the situation settled over Angus as he recalled the purpose of his mission. "Your Highness," he said gravely, "the people demand justice. They wish to see you punished—or worse, exiled—for what they consider an abomination. Your actions have escalated into a matter of state, and the council has summoned you to answer for them."

Lamia sighed deeply, standing and smoothing out his hair with an air of regal defiance. "Fine," he said, his voice laced with annoyance. "Let's get this over with. But Hadrain is coming with me."

As they approached the carriage, Lamia's confidence radiated, but Hadrain couldn't shake a creeping sense of unease. He glanced at Lamia, whose face was set with determination, and hesitated.

"Hadrain, what's wrong?" Lamia asked, noticing the shadow of doubt clouding his companion's expression.

Hadrain hesitated before speaking. "Lamia, this feels... too good to be true. They'll never approve of us. You're the crown prince, and I'm... I'm a demon. Even if you don't care about that, they will. I'm afraid—afraid of what's to come, afraid of hurting you. What if I lose control? What if I..."

"Stop." Lamia's voice was firm yet gentle. He cupped Hadrain's face, his emerald eyes meeting Hadrain's glowing amber ones. "I chose you, Hadrain. I'm not afraid of who you are, nor am I blind to the challenges ahead. You're my family now, and I'll protect you with everything I have. As for the council, they'll have to deal with it. I won't let them separate us."

The carriage ride to Edinburgh was tense, the air thick with unspoken fears. When they arrived, the gates of the castle were surrounded by an angry mob. The villagers shouted and jeered, their voices a cacophony of outrage. Lamia stepped out of the carriage, his presence commanding silence.

"You ungrateful ingrates," Lamia's voice rang out, cold and menacing. "Touch a single hair on Hadrain, and I will personally ensure your bodies and souls are in perpetual torment."

The crowd recoiled, their anger tempered by fear. Yet, the tension only grew as Queen Fiona emerged from the castle, flanked by Douglas, Lindsay, Prince Aiden, and Morven, each with expressions of varying degrees of disdain.

"Where have you been, boy?" Queen Fiona demanded, her tone icy. "You've disgraced this family with your reckless behavior. Homosexuality is forbidden, an abomination. And now, you bring this... this demon into our home. You will relinquish your title and allow Hadrain to face punishment for his sins."

Lamia's expression darkened. He turned to face the queen, his voice steady but laced with venom. "You want me to give up my throne and stand by while you punish Hadrain? Tell me, Grandmother, what is the nature of his punishment?"

Queen Fiona's lips curled into a cruel smile. "He will be mummified alive."

Hadrain froze, his heart pounding as the weight of her words sank in. The room fell into a tense silence.

"Fine," Lamia said, his voice cutting through the quiet like a blade. "Let me get dressed first. But mark my words—no one will lay a finger on Hadrain."

Lamia left the hall to prepare, leaving Hadrain standing alone. Queen Fiona approached him, her expression one of cold disdain.

"See? Even your precious Lamia is abandoning you," she sneered. "You're nothing but a cheap distraction."

Hadrain clenched his fists but said nothing, choosing instead to place his faith in Lamia.

When Lamia returned, he was dressed in resplendent royal attire, his angelic beauty radiating a confidence that silenced the murmurs of the crowd. He stepped onto the podium, addressing the assembly.

"So, you want me to step down because I kissed the man I love?" Lamia began, his voice unwavering. "You think that justifies mummifying him alive? Fine. I'll step down. But let me tell you this: screw your laws, screw your traditions, and screw your hypocrisy. Hadrain and I are leaving, and we're taking Catherine with us. You'll never see us again."

The uproar of murmuring villagers and nobles alike filled the great hall as Lamia stood firm on the podium, his radiant royal attire glimmering under the high chandeliers. Despite his angelic appearance, his eyes were burning with defiance, his voice a dagger cutting through the air. Beside him, Hadrain, a living embodiment of both beauty and danger, stood silently, his dark, piercing gaze locked on the crowd, who had turned against him.

"You have the audacity to dictate who I should love?" Lamia's voice boomed through the hall, silencing the crowd. "Hadrain Blackstone has been nothing but loyal, kind, and protective. Yet you seek to punish him with a fate worse than death—mummification! All for what? Your outdated, hateful traditions? No! Not today. Not ever."

Gasps rippled through the crowd. Queen Fiona's expression darkened as Lamia continued, his tone unwavering.

"You want me to relinquish my throne? Fine. Take it! But hear this—if anyone dares harm Hadrain, your kingdom will be drenched in a sea of blood. And trust me, your screams will echo for eternity."

The crowd stood stunned, their faces pale with fear and disbelief. Lamia turned to Hadrain and extended his hand. "Hadrain, come here."

Hadrain hesitated for a moment, the words of Lamia's defiance reverberating in his chest. He stepped onto the podium, his towering frame exuding power and resolve.

"Prince Aiden," Lamia's voice grew colder as he pointed to his uncle, "and Morven, your heinous act of attempting to kill Lady Catherine, my beloved fiancee, has not gone unnoticed. For that crime, you shall face judgment here and now."

Before anyone could react, Hadrain's eyes began to glow a sinister crimson. A dark mist swirled around him, the air growing heavy with a suffocating energy. The crowd froze in place, their bodies paralyzed by Hadrain's demonic power. Only Lamia remained unaffected, standing as the calm eye in a storm of chaos.

Hadrain descended from the podium, his steps echoing ominously in the silence. He approached Aiden and Morven, his expression devoid of mercy. The once-proud nobles now quivered like cornered prey.

"You dared to harm the one person Lamia loves most?" Hadrain's voice was a venomous whisper, sending shivers down the spines of those who could still feel. "Now, you will know true suffering."

With a flick of his hand, Hadrain summoned black chains laced with jagged, glowing runes. The chains coiled around Aiden and Morven like venomous snakes, binding them tightly. They screamed as the enchanted metal burned their flesh, the glowing runes searing into their skin.

"This is just the beginning," Hadrain hissed, his voice as cold as the abyss.

He raised his hand, and a blood-red blade materialized out of thin air, its edge humming with dark energy. With deliberate slowness, he dragged the blade across Aiden's arm, carving deep, jagged lines. Aiden's screams filled the air, but the crowd remained frozen, forced to witness the gruesome spectacle.

"You feel that, Aiden?" Hadrain said, his tone mockingly soft. "That's the pain Lady Catherine endured when you tried to butcher her alive in the well. How does it feel to taste your own cruelty?"

Hadrain moved to Morven, his glowing eyes narrowing. "And you," he spat. "You aided him, didn't you? Let's see how loyal you remain under true torment."

He conjured a whip made of barbed shadows and lashed it across Morven's back. The spikes tore through her flesh, leaving trails of blood and agony in their wake. Her screams mingled with Aiden's, creating a haunting symphony of suffering.

As the torture continued, Hadrain's demonic aura intensified. The temperature in the room plummeted, frost creeping along the walls as his rage consumed him. Finally, he stepped back, his chest heaving with controlled fury.

"Enough," Lamia's voice cut through the tension. He approached Hadrain, placing a calming hand on his shoulder. "They've suffered. Now, let's end this."

Hadrain nodded, his glowing eyes dimming slightly. He raised both hands, and the black chains lifted Aiden and Morven into the air, suspending them like broken marionettes.

With a guttural incantation, Hadrain summoned an ancient curse—a mummification spell so vile it had been forbidden even in the darkest realms of magic. Shadows coiled around Aiden and Morven, pressing tightly against their bodies. Their screams turned to choked gasps as the shadows hardened into an unbreakable shell.

The process was excruciatingly slow. Their skin shriveled, their eyes sank into hollow sockets, and their bodies twisted in unnatural angles. The shadowy cocoon encased them entirely, leaving behind grotesque figures of eternal torment.

"Now you will serve as a warning to anyone who dares harm those I care for," Hadrain declared, his voice echoing with finality. "May your souls rot in the void for eternity."

The shadows dissipated, and the crowd unfroze, their horrified gasps filling the hall. Queen Fiona staggered back, her face pale as death. Aiden and Morven's grotesque, mummified forms stood as grim monuments of Hadrain's wrath.

Lamia turned to the crowd, his voice steady but seething with anger. "Let this be a lesson. I will not tolerate injustice, not against me, not against Hadrain, and not against Catherine. If anyone dares to defy me again, their fate will be far worse."

Without another word, Lamia and Hadrain left the podium.