"You can be angry at me all you want Assad. It is for the best." I hear Dennis say as I storm towards the general's house. I was confused at first as to why we were not heading to mother's house, but Dennis had me to know that his father had her moved from our old house to this house, seeing as he is now the residing General over Sarton. The large manor fit for a general indeed.

"I'm serious Assad!" He shouts behind me, pissing me off more.

"I don't care what you think Dennis!" I turn around to face him.
"I will not give up on her. Our love is real!"

"I'm not denying it, you fool! But the love you want you cannot have. It will only lead to the both of you being hurt." He says coming up to me.

"No it won't!" I yell, pushing him but he pushes me back shouting: "Yes it will!"

"She is the Crown Princess of the Kingston Empire, already married to the Crown Prince of The Ignuis Nation. You are what.. a Master of the Lens, that was hired by the Crown Prince to photograph his love; you don't end up with the princess in the end Assad, this is real life." He boldly declares only making me more angry.

"I don't care what you think." I go to walk away but he grabs my arm, turning me back around.

"Stop acting like a child. Have you even seen what they are saying about her? Get the latest newspaper, or gossip column—They are claiming she is having an affair with both you and I. Her name is being dragged in the mud."

"They never liked her anyway. This just proves that. She can come stay with me and I will protect-"

"You are not getting it." He scoffs out in frustration.
"You're saying you love her and you care for her, but you're not getting how things are Assad. Break out of your delusional thinking and find common sense." I narrow my eyes at him.

"I know you never liked me Dennis. You're only playing hero for our parents but I knew you never wanted a colored brother, so don't try to play brother now." I state and turn to walk away again but he grabs hold of my arm again, shocking me by punching me in my face. I go to punch him back, but he kicks me in my private making me fall to the ground in pain.

"You bloody bastard." I grit out, glaring up at him. He stoops in front of me, grabbing the collar of my shirt.

"You're right. I never liked you. But it has nothing to do with the color of your skin. You're a bastard. A self centered bastard, that cares nothing but for his own damn self."

"Fuck you." I spit in his face, earning another punch to my face.

"Fucking bastard!" I yell, trying to get him off me as we begin to squabble. I spin us over, releasing my own anger at his face, his arms blocking most of my hits but I got some good shots at him.

The bastard manages to push me off him, but quickly comes after me again, landing a fierce kick to my stomach, knocking the air out of my lungs, the same time someone shouts at us to stop fighting.

"Fuck you Assad!" I look to Dennis as he stands to his feet, his lip bleeding and some areas bruised. He looks to come after me again, but his father pushes him away from me, shouting at him to stop it.

"Assad are you okay?" He asks, helping me to stand.

"I'm fine." I push his hands off me, and he nods.

"Daddy's ungrateful golden boy...and you think I don't like you because you're black." He laughs.
"Go ahead and get yourself killed for all I fucking care."

"Dennis that is enough!" The General shouts again, and he scoffs.

"Whatever." He mumbles and heads towards the car.

"Dennis, sweetheart." A soft voice calls out to him and he freezes. We all turn to look at the house, mother walking out with the assistance of her caretaker Solandra.
"I hope you're not looking to leave so soon." He looks down.

"Love you should be resting." The General leaves my side rushing over to hers.

"Have you checked on your son?" She asks him and he pauses at the bottom of the steps.

"Assad is-"

"Dennis love." He freezes at the end of the stairs.

"Dennis should not have instigated a fight with Assad. He knows he is not in his right mind."

"Yet Assad should not treat him as such." The older man looks back at Dennis, who seemed to be fighting back tears.

"Come here sweetheart." Mother calls to him and his body instantly moves towards her.

I knew he saw her as his own mother. Loved her sometimes I believe slightly greater than I.

"Thank you for going to retrieve him for me sweetheart." She tenderly smiles up at him, cupping his cheeks.

"You don't ever have to thank me momma." He replies, holding both of her hands and kissing them, making her smile more.

"Have you been well?" She asks him and he nods, smiling down brightly at her.

She looked much stronger now, thank God. Her hair looked freshly combed and not in the old cornrowed style as before, the white dress hanging loosely on her body. She didn't want anyone to touch her before, wouldn't take her medication either, that is the reason why I left the capital to come visit her that week.

She looks to me with a soft look, and I feel my chest tighten. Dennis moving to stand on her right side.

When we found out that she had problems with her lungs ten months ago, I immediately tried to acquire the medication and help she needed, but those racist bastards did not want to give her the aid. I had to beg and plead for them to give me her medication seeing as they would not provide us with the oxygen mask she needed, and when they complied, they only gave me half the amount prescribed, or even gave me the wrong prescription.

I couldn't tell the General at first because she forbid me to tell him, but that week, watching her fight to breathe, I disobeyed her orders and contacted him. He declared to me he would have one of the men at our base get everything we needed and within a day the medication and oxygen mask arrived.

I could not deny it, The General loves my mother, even more than my father did. Despite the looks and threats, and opinions of people, he chooses her every time.

Why can't Paulina and I be like them?

"Come my darling." She calls to me, and I make my way over to her, dropping to my knees once in front of her. My chest was aching with sadness. The feeling of heartbreak coursing through my mind, body and soul.

"Why couldn't it be different Momma?" I mutter.

"Oh Assad." She softly spoke, caressing my head. It was clear within her voice that she was still weak. The way she carefully spoke her words, the slow rise and fall of her chest.

"I don't want to let her go." I look down.
She holds my face, lifting my head to look back up at her. Her soft hands, bringing some comfort to my broken soul, as she wiped away my tears.

"It is simply for the best that you let her go, Assad darling."

"But-" she shakes her head, taking a slow breath in, before speaking.

"You must let her go, darling. The love you desire...you will never be able to have. She will never be able to give it to you."

"But she loves me mother. She can leave it all like General did."

"Things are different with your mother and I son." The General speaks, coming to stand next to me. I clench my fists in anger.

"It is not diff-"

"Assad." Mother sternly calls my name, and I remain quiet.
"Paulina loving you maybe true indeed...but this love is the one in which she and you must let each other go." I feel my emotions fall numb at her finality in her words.

"Let her go my boy." She repeats again, wiping away my tears.