Chapter Four

Many years ago, peace reigned in Omaha kingdom and it went on like that for several years. This was the time when George Ortiz was the king on the throne. He was like a blessing to the people and things seemed to go well in the village. 

At some point, Omaha started attaining some level of development gradually such that after some time, the description, village, was not well befitting for Omaha, but it was still called a village just like the other neighboring ones.

Other neighboring kingdoms and even some cities that have heard of Omaha envied its progress and peace. 

The fame that king George earned in the entirety of Omaha rested on his ability to handle the affairs of the kingdom with so much wisdom thereby ensuring peace in the kingdom and the people loved him dearly for his great personality.

King George was married to Sasha Lopez who bore him a son who was named Miller and two years later, she bore him another Son who was named Rico.

While the two were growing up, even though they were borne of the same parents, Miller and Rico seemed to possess some remarkable differences. While Miller was calm and possess good qualities just like his father, Rico was the exact opposite of his brother in terms of behavior. He's very stubborn and hot-tempered. 

Miller found it easy to make friends owing to his good attitude towards people which they loved him in return for. Rico on the other hand was aggressive and looks down on people. The fact that he is the second son of the king and he grew so fast and gigantic around people formed his rationale for bullying people. 

It started with an internal crisis in the royal family as Rico would not cease to cause trouble in the family. Many times he would take advantage of Miller's gentle nature and try to bully his elder brother around, but anytime the people around the royal house notice that the boys are arguing, before a big fight could ensue between the two, they quickly called the attention of the king to what is going on and he finds ways to settle their dispute.

Despite how King George ruled the kingdom peacefully, his major headache happened to be from his own home – his second son. All the wisdom he applied to save his home appeared fruitless which sets him in despair. This worries the king and his wife so much and that was the situation for so many years – even when the boys grew up to become youths.

One would think that with time, Rico would change, but Rico's character worsened every day instead.

He no more caused trouble in the family alone but also turned himself into a nuisance in the community having his name find its way into the bad record of the kingdom.

One Sunny afternoon, the king was in the palace with his wife when he suddenly heard a noise coming from his compound. He and his wife stared at each other cluelessly as they wondered what could give anyone the temerity to come to the royal house and constitute a nuisance, adding to their problems when they have not even dealt with the headache they are nursing in the family – Rico. 

Without further ado, they both ran outside the palace. When they got outside, they saw a ragged-looking man struggling to break out of the grips of the two hefty guards who held him firmly. 

On sighting the king and the Queen as they stepped out into the compound, the man called out "My King" 

The guards held him more firmly this time as he called out again….. "my king," trying all he can to be free.

"Leave him alone," ordered the king upon recognition of the young man. He is Felix, the son of one late Mr. Fred.

Felix is a farmer who inherited his father's farmland when his father died as he's the only surviving son. 

"What is the matter, Felix?" The king asked.

"My King," Felix began…. "It's Rico"

"Rico?" 

They both echoed in frustration as their gaze darted from Felix to one another in sheer disappointment and then back to Felix. 

"Rico has killed me, your Majesty," Felix lamented and whimpered.

"Lead him into the palace," the king ordered the guards.

When the King, the Queen, and Felix were back in the palace, the King demanded to know what happened exactly and Felix began to narrate his ordeal.

"Your Majesty, I decided to stay at home today to relax due to the stress I went through yesterday while I sent some of my workers to my farm this morning to finish up some work for me. The time for them to come back was due as it was a small job I sent them to do. I had done most of the job yesterday. But I started getting worried when I waited for some more hours…."

"So how did Rico come into the Picture?" The queen asked impatiently, although sympathetically.

"Thank you my Queen", Felix continued…..

"So I went to the farm and on getting there I met my workers brutally injured and a large percent of my plants were uprooted. My workers could hardly even speak but when I gathered people to assist me in rushing them to the general clinic, one of my workers managed to tell me that it was Rico, your son that beat them to that state. They tried to fight him but he inexplicably overpowered them, injured them, and destroyed the farm"

"Your highness, this incidence has already incurred a massive loss on me as I've spent all I had on me in the clinic to take care of those workers, and those who had promised to buy my produce would not be able to buy from me again as I won't be able to meet up with the supply."

The King and Queen bowed their head in disappointment and after some seconds of silence between the three, King George finally raised his jaw with his eyes glaring into vacancy 

"Rico……." He called out suddenly as anger bottled up in him.

"Looks like you don't know your son," Queen Sasha said. "He barely stays at home at this time of the day. He must be up to one mischief or the other out there and not hesitating to disgrace us"

The king asked one of the guards about his son's whereabouts who doesn't know where exactly he went but confirmed that he stepped out this morning before Miller went to greet his nearby friend.

King George and his wife apologized deeply on their son's behalf and Felix earned himself some token for compensation as well.  

Felix thanked them and stomped outside.

They both watched as he made his way towards the door and immediately he shut the door behind him, the king and the queen turned the palace into a home of lamentations.

"My God!"

"How did I end up with a son like this? One who brings nothing but sorrow and shame to this home," said the king.

Had I been gifted with the slightest bit of clairvoyance, maybe.. just maybe, I'd have aborted his pregnancy and held on to my dear Miller," Queen Sasha added in regret.

"Honestly, Sasha. I'm beginning to doubt if I'm his father," King George said, confounded.

What do you mean, George? Queen Sasha demanded as she shot him a reprimanding look.

Well, just forget that I said anything. As for that Rico who has chosen to disgrace and Tarnish the good name of our family, I'll be waiting for him here.

Suddenly the door opened and Miller walked in. 

He saw the cold reception they wore on their faces and asked them what happened, but they were able to fake their smile, telling him everything is fine. They didn't want him to hate his brother as they'd always taught them the importance of love and unity.

He simply shrugged and went into his room.

Later in the evening, Miller was out again with some of his friends.

After hours of waiting, Rico finally came in. 

King George almost didn't allow him to shut the door behind him before he rose from his seat and took a few steps close to him to affront him.

"You shameful son of the Royal house!"

"What manner of wickedness and injustice did you go and display in Felix's farm today?" His father asked

"Oh! He has come here today," Rico said, letting out a sinister laugh. "I was just warning him. He might not have the opportunity to come and report me next time."

"Shut up Rico," Queen Sasha reprimanded. " Your father is talking to you and instead of you being remorseful, you are here talking back at him. What level of disrespect!"

"You both haven't heard my side of the story. Now let me tell you," Rico said

I saw a pretty young woman who I like but she refused me when I walked up to her and I later saw her with Felix and I discovered that Felix was her lover. 

"So that suffices for you to go and attack Felix's workers and destroy his farm?" King George cut him short. "Can you just imagine what you are uttering from your devilish lips"

Rico frowned, his face looking all red as if about to explode.

"My goodness!" king George continued.

"Is this even a son or a curse?"

Instantly, Rico felt uneasy. Although the harsh words were enough to goad him, the uneasiness that he started feeling from within him that moment was something he couldn't fathom

His parents were almost bamboozled into thinking that for once, their son was remorseful.

Before they knew what was happening, they heard the cracking of bones, and right before their very eyes, they watched in terror as he began to transform into a wolf form with huge glowing yellow eyes and fangs.

Something latent in him all this while had just been triggered by his anger.

The King and Queen opened their mouth aghast at the realization that their son is a werewolf, but they quickly snapped out of their shock when they saw him dashing toward King George.

The guards who were standing outside the palace had been wondering what was going on with the noise that came from the palace, but they dare not intrude on the king's privacy unless they were sent for. When they heard a loud growl, they didn't think twice before they dashed inside.

Very fast, Rico pounced on them and left them severely injured.

He was close to attacking his father when Queen Sasha screamed his name.

"Rico stop" Queen Sasha Pleaded. "He's your father."

That had no effect on him and this time, ignoring the fact that she was hypertensive, and had been warned by the village's clinic specialist to avoid stress and anything that would cause her to shout, she screamed his name with all her strength

"Rico, please sss…….."

She couldn't even pronounce the stop fully before she slumped.

Rico hung his hands in the air and King George quickly ran to the other corner of the wall to meet his wife.

After some seconds, Rico transformed back into a human. He just stayed aloof and watched his father cry out in agony as he discovered that Queen Sasha had given up the ghost.