“If he is who I think he is, I will not be able to fight him let alone kill him,” I muttered to myself as I hurried to the eastern plaza.

From what Octavia had described, there was only one character in “Forgotten Love” that fit the description of ‘Spidey.’ The reason I know of his appearance is because of a single moment in the novel. Ciella noted that Duke Evelyn’s red eyes were unlike any other in the land. He corrected her and told her there was one other who shared his ruby-red eyes. The Lost Prince of Lila.

Since the day he was born, his mother, a mere servant of the palace, knew there was no chance that her child would even reach the age of 5. The fight for the throne was always a brutal one for every generation of Lilan imperials. This group especially was known for holding absolutely no remorse when executing a sibling who was competing with them for the throne. Therefore, his mother chose to hide him away until he came of age and could fairly face his siblings for the imperial crown.

“It’s strange how this world works. The interaction between Octavia and the bastard prince should never have taken place, as they both died within the next few months of the story. What are the odds?” I muttered with a frown.

“Even father will not be able to get me out of this fix if I harm him. But there is a way I can teach him a lesson,” I thought as I entered the plaza. There he was. Standing before Lady Lila like a territorial dog. He caught me staring and began to approach me. I did the same.

***

“So let me get this straight. That sorry excuse for a peasant is your maid, and you want an apology for what I said to her? Do you seriously think that is going to happen?”

He chuckled with his underling. The silent one, who I presumed was his guard Souza, merely nodded in agreement. Of course, I knew he would not agree. I just wanted to pin the blame on him if things did not end peacefully.

“I know who you are,” I began.

“Oh, how great!” he exclaimed with his hands shoved deep in his pockets. “At least you are more educated than that tramp! Good. I deserve a little more respect! Since you know I rule this city, I will go easy on you. My father, Count Domani, is a-”

“Oh, shut up.”

He paused midsentence, holding a shocked expression. Even his companions expressed disbelief at my bold insult. I grinned. I was certain no one had ever spoken to him in this manner before. Let us go a little further why don’t we?

“I know you’re not a spoilt rich boy from house Domani.”

Because house Domani does not exist. Its entire family was silently executed 15 years ago. For you, little lost prince.

“No, you certainly are not,” I beamed. “You bastard.”

“That should deliver the message.” I thought satisfied.

And it did. He knew exactly what I meant, as his smug expression turned into that of horror. He pointed in my direction, his hair in disarray.

“You…! How much do you know about me?!” he cried in a shaky voice.

“Oh, nothing at all!” I chuckled. “And it will remain that way if you simply apologize to my maid. However, I do know this: you cannot afford to be as careless with me as you were with her.”

He clenched his fists in rage but did not try initiating a fight. How disappointing. I was hoping he would, so I would have an excuse to pummel his menacing face to the ground. He peeked at his friends, both shrugging, as they had not understood the implications of my comment. He faced me once more.

“Ha, ha… so what now?” he cried shakily. "Are you going to berate me too? Go ahead! Shove me to the ground and watch what happens…!”

I could not stop a sigh. What a fool. Let me give him a little taste of his own words and see if he crumbles.

“Why would I seek to destroy worthless garbage like you?”

The blaze surrounding us rose two-fold, and a fist made contact with my left cheek. Finally.

Neither one of us moved. Even the passersby seemed to be walking in slow-motion. With a quick slide of my feet, I moved to his left side. His eyes widened as he realized he was falling forward.

“Pride. What a useless thing…” I muttered as I watched him fall.

BANG!

His jaw fell neatly onto my extended knee. Blood spewed everywhere and he collapsed onto the ground.

“…when you have nothing to be proud of.”