Chapter 4: Morals (Caden's POV)

I didn't look back at her house once after I left, sneaking out of the mansion's backyard. I'm not supposed to be here. I walked back to the palace, yes the royal family still lives in a palace. But surprisingly, it's not isolated like palaces were in older times. It's just at the end of the neighborhood. The end of Venus's neighborhood. Basically, the rich neighborhood. 

Her family is mighty rich from her dad's business. He produces and sells weaponry across Cadara and all other neighboring kingdoms. Zariya, Velaris, Azura, Nethilore, Merralith, the list goes on. 

The guards opened the large gates for me, bowing their heads. Which is something I hate that they do. The gates closed behind me and I opened the front door with the six-digit code which is my birth date and Axel's birth year. I'm born on April fifteenth, by the way. 

The lights were all off except for the main chandelier which turns off exactly at midnight automatically. I snuck out after dinner to go give the notebook back but the real reason why I went was that I needed that essay. I was not going to write it again just because she ripped it. 

Are you sure there isn't another reason you went there, Caden? 

Of course not. Like what? 

Like you wanting to see her? 

I pinched my arm on my way up the stairs and tiptoed back into my room. 

Why the hell would I want to see her? 

I walked into my room, flicking the lights on as I closed the door, jumping out of my skin when I saw Axel sitting on the bed, reading a book. "What the hell are you doing here?" I asked. 

"Where were you?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest and narrowing his eyes at me. 

"In hell," I replied. "What are you doing in my room?" 

"I was reading?" 

"In the dark?" I deadpanned before glancing at the book. "And what were you reading? And upside down book?" I lay on my stomach, snatching the book from him and straightening it, looking at the cover. "Pride and Prejudice? Where did you find this?" 

"In the library," he admitted. 

"And have you read it?" 

"It was too boring." 

I laughed, putting the book aside. "What are you doing here?" 

"I heard you leaving," he said proudly. 

"If I pay you ten roubles, do you agree that you didn't?" Roubles is our currency. For god knows what reason. I have no idea who came up with that. 

"Pay up, brother." 

"Wow, you really do talk like me," I laughed, grabbing my wallet from my nightstand and taking out a bill. I handed it to him. 

"Can I ask you something?" 

I nodded. 

"What happens if... I say sorry to Clarissa?" 

"Princeton?" I questioned and he nodded. That's Venus's younger sister, they're in the same class, just like Venus and I. "Why did you say sorry to her?" I questioned. 

"Because we were playing tag. The whole class and then I bumped into her by mistake and she fell. She was bleeding here." He pointed to his knee over his Toy Story pajamas. "And it was because of me. So I said sorry." 

"And what did she say?" 

"That it was okay," he shrugged. 

Clarissa is just like Venus in some ways. I don't know how because their parents are not that forgiving, but both of them are. 

"If she said it was okay, then it's okay. Never bring it up again to her and don't make fun of her for falling. You didn't, right?" I asked. 

He shook his head quickly. 

"Then it's okay. Just don't tell mom and dad," I smiled. 

"Okay, goodnight," he said while hopping off my bed.

"Goodnight," I called out while opening my closet and grabbing a pair of sweatpants. I went into the bathroom where I threw the black t-shirt off and then the black trousers I wore and switched them out for my sweatpants. I splashed some water on my face and then flicked the lights off, crawling into bed. 

When I woke up the next morning and got ready for breakfast and went downstairs, I saw both my parents standing in front of Axel, looking at him disapprovingly while he stood there his arms on his sides and stared at the ground. I put my bag on my chair and stood there. "What is happening?" I asked, standing behind Axel, ruffling his hair. 

"Tell your brother what you did," my dad said to him. 

He looked up at me. "I said sorry to Clarissa yesterday," he mumbled. 

I sighed, looking at Axel. I told him not to tell our parents but he doesn't understand this. Ever. He's always honest and tells our parents everything. It's the innocence in him. 

"Okay, so?" I turned to my parents. 

"So? So, do you know what that means?" my mom asked. "He bowed down to them." 

"He made a mistake, it's okay. And it's not like Clarissa is using it against him. She brushed it off too," I shrugged. I grabbed Axel's shoulders, pushing him to his seat. "Have your breakfast, come on. We'll be late, I have to drop you off too." 

He sat in his chair and I went and sat in mine, both of us ignoring my parents who were not so quietly talking about how we're doing the wrong things. 

My parents sat down in their seats and my dad cleared his throat. "Axel, what have we taught you about the Princetons?" he asked. 

"To stay away from them. Especially Clarissa." 

"Or?" 

Axel looked at me before answering. "To show her that we're better." 

"So, if you can't do the latter, Axel, then stay away from her, understand?" my dad asked. "It's part of our morals." 

"What are morals?" Axel mumbled under his breath. 

I kicked his leg under the table gently. I shook my head, biting back a laugh. We both finished our breakfast quickly and then shot up. 

When we climbed into my car, he turned to me. "Caden, what are morals?" he asked. 

I started the car, backing out of the car, one hand on the wheel, the other behind the passenger seat, and then answered when I started driving. "Morals are what we think is right and wrong and how much we follow that through with our actions." 

He blinked, still not quite understanding. 

"Do you think saying sorry to Clarissa was wrong?" 

"No," he answered slowly. 

"Then according to your morals, you did the right thing. Because you believe it was the right thing, the good thing, to apologize. Make a little more sense?" 

"Yes," he said while tying his laces. 

I couldn't even tie my laces when I was ten years old, I would have our butler, Mr. Hilton tie them for me and he would always double knot them so they wouldn't open. And I learned just by watching him over the years. I pulled up to his school building and he let himself out. 

"Bye, Caden." 

"Bye, Axel. Have a good day, don't fight with anyone." 

He nodded before closing the car door and jogging over to catch up to his friends. 

I then drove to our high school building and parked the car. I got out and was heading to the student entrance when tires screeched right beside me. And it was too close. 

"Dad!" she yelled. I looked over, seeing Venus in the passenger seat while her dad drove their baby blue convertible today. Her dad glared at me while she mumbled something, smacking his arm softly. She shook her head while grabbing her bag before climbing out of the car. "Go, please," she sang, waving him off. 

He drove past me, his eyes zoned in on me. I watched her while she turned around, ignoring me, and started heading inside. I caught up to her and blocked her way. 

"What?" she huffed. 

"Little Vee told her daddy about her little bully, did she?" I smirked. 

"Little Vee's daddy almost hit you with a car, little bully," she grinned. I rolled my eyes as she brushed past me, her shoulder bumping into my arm. 

I jogged over, catching up to her again. "I gave you the notebook, didn't I? Why the attitude?" 

"And I gave you the essay, didn't I? So why are you still here?" she asked without even looking at me and climbing up the steps to the building. 

We don't have lockers. Because the textbooks are already in the classroom, we just take one. So we don't really need a locker. 

I started following her to class. "Your sister better not tell anyone about what my brother did," I said, entering the class with her. 

She's early today. So am I. We're the only ones here. 

"That he apologized? She won't tell anyone. She doesn't play games, Caden, they're ten years old. And at least he's human enough to apologize when he makes a mistake. You on the other hand..." she trailed off, rolling her eyes. 

"I on the other hand don't make mistakes, that's right," I nodded, sitting beside her. 

"You on the other hand aren't human." 

That one stung a little. 

"You're just as annoying as an alarm clock but in the human form. And for now, I'm pressing snooze. So shut up."

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Chapter 4

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