Miraric

25| The Last Elysian.

"This is why I tell father to not put booze on the table. You lose your mind when you drink just a sip-" Eris was cut off by Edric's sharp voice, one that Eris had never heard from Edric and for a moment, she changed her mind and decided to listen to what he was about to say.

"No, Eris," he shook his head, moonlight no longer bathing him and replaced with darkness as they both looked at another but there was no light. "You have to listen to what I say because it's not right what I'm doing to you. I'm not Resrei Yeurez. I'm not the person whose parents were killed for supporting the former king, I'm not the person whose parents had dreamed of him working by the palace. I did not learn swordsmanship from you so I could harness more skills. I did not become a skilled renèi Possessor so I'd get a well-paid job in the palace. I did not-"

Eris raised her hand in confusion, eyebrows knitted deeply. "What . . . What are you saying?"

"I'm not Resrei, Meridia," Edric's eyes softened, his heart beating fast and quick, fear consuming all of him as he waited for her to say something.

She opened her mouth but then closed it again. "I don't understand," she ran a hand through her face and stepped closer to  Edric. "Are you saying that everything that you told about yourself was a lie? This you is a lie?"

"I am Edric. Edric Elvin Elysian. The last son of king Mooreil Ekros Elysian. The third prince of Elysia. I am the true heir to the throne," Edric sucked in a deep breath, his eyes locked into Eris', her eyes wide with astonishment, hurt and betrayal. "I am the last Elysian alive."

A long silence settled between them and Edric waited with his heart still beating rapidly. He waited for Eris to outburst with anger, disappointment and rage. He waited for her to slap him across his cheeks for lying to her and her father for seven years. He waited for her to spit on his face for what he did to them, he waited for her to tell him how much she loathed him and how she wished she hadn't fallen for someone like him. He waited for her to do something.

But Eris did nothing.

"You . . . You are prince Edric?" she asked, her voice shaky. "But they're all dead. They were all slaughtered by the usurper. How did you manage to live?"

"Because of you," Edric said before she could say anything, catching her off guard. "Because you and master found me after I escaped from the palace."

"The usurper put all of the Elysians' heads on the spike and he displayed that to all of Elysia. And prince Edric's head was there, too," Eris pointed out, ignoring what Edric said.

"And did you see the face? Did you ever see prince Edric's face before?" Edric tilted his head to a side, knowing the answer well as he'd never shown his face to the public for being an outcast and for being the spare prince. His brothers were the one who always had the attentions, he was simply never needed there.

"It was bloodied. I couldn't see very well but I don't know how I should believe you," Eris' voice was quiet, fragile, unlike the buzzes that Edric could still hear.

"Why would I lie about something like this and break your trust?"

Eris let out a breath, her breath trembling as she looked around, shaking her head, as if to shake away everything that she just heard from his mouth. "Why did you never tell us?"

"I was scared the usurper would try to find me. He may have gotten the wrong person but I couldn't take the risk. By the time everything was normal, I was scared you and master would never forgive me for lying to you," he said truthfully, not meeting her eyes anymore. The clouds that were hiding the moon had drifted away, and they both could see each other without darkness blanketing their faces.

"Is this. . . Is this why you are going to the palace? To take back the throne? To declare yourself as the true king?"

Edric nodded meekly, shame filling his heart. Standing here like this, drowning in his regret and shame, it all felt worthless -- taking the throne, proclaiming his position, taking revenge, seeking vengeance for his family, taking the usurper's life -- it all seemed worthless when he thought about how much he had hurt his family -- his real family.

His mind shook at the thought of telling the truth to Jeril; telling it to Eris was killing him enough. With Jeril, he didn't know how he'd feel. He'd rather stab himself in the heart than see Jeril hurt because of him.

"Were you ever going to tell us the truth?" Eris asked, and Edric noticed how her eyes had gotten smaller, tears brimming there.

"I was going to tell you the truth but I didn't know when,"

"Maybe when you sat on your throne, you would've sent your men to let us know that the boy who lived with us for seven years lied about himself and was actually the king," she let out a snicker, giving him a long look.

"Eris, I was scared, I thought—" he licked his lips, the words not coming out of his mouth because he didn't know what to say. Whatever he said wouldn't be enough. He'd lied and he'd have to pay the price. He'd have to watch her and Jeril forget him.

"You thought what?" Eris' hand slapped his chest, shoving him back. "We would abandon you? We would throw you out of our cottage? We would hand you to the current king? We would sell the last Elysian alive?"

"No, Eris," he held her wrist, putting it down by her side. "You are my family and I thought if you and Jeril knew that I lied to you two about everything about myself, you two would oust me from your lives. I thought you two would hate me and I wouldn't be able to bear that. I would rather hand myself to the usurper than see master hating me,"

"Father would never hate you—"

"I know!" Edric said, swallowing. "I know," his voice went low. "But I was scared I would lose you two. I was scared I would lose my only family,"

"Resrei. . ." Eris tried to say something, but didn't. She was still having a hard time to consume all of what Edric just said. "I am shocked, yes -- no, I am actually beyond shocked because the true heir to the throne is alive and yet we have an usurper ruling our lands simply because he is potent. I am shocked because I wish you had told us the truth sooner. I am shocked because I can't fathom how you could ever think we would hate you or abandon you from our lives when that is far from truth. I am shocked that you had to live with this fear for seven years and me and father had no clue about it. It makes me doubt if we were even able to be your family—"

"No, Eris, Please," he took her hand, his hand trembling slightly. "You and master are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I swore to my father that I would take the throne, but if that night you hadn't found me, I would never be able to stand here right in front of you,"

Eris sighed, squeezing his hand. "Well, then I can say I pretty much saved the future of Elysia," she let out a light laugh. "The sun of Elysia -- that's what they call their princes, no?"

Edric only let out a breath of small laugh, his heart lighter than before and even at peace but not completely. It wouldn't be at peace until he'd told Jeril the truth.

"It's still hard for me to process everything but I do believe you—" Eris' smile dropped immediately when her eyes landed on the person right behind Edric, his short figure being the reason why he wasn't seen by anyone. Eris watched as Jeril looked at both of them, his expression revealing only one thing: he had heard everything.

"Father . . ." Eris whispered, her eyes set on her father's hollow ones as Edric whipped his head immediately. His heart shattered when Jeril didn't even look at him and turned around, his back being faced by Edric.

"It's late," Jeril said, his voice meek, almost as if it hurt him to speak. "You are leaving tomorrow at dawn. Let's go home." With that being said, he walked away, darkness consuming his silhouette and soon he was gone.

Edric stood there, under the moonlight. "He heard it all, didn't he?" he looked back at Eris, his gaze softened with helplessness. "Will he forgive me?"

"I have never seen him looking so heartbroken," Eris mumbled, her eyebrows furrowed with pity. "You have to talk to him. He shouldn't have known about this in this way,"

"I'm going to talk to him," he said firmly. "I'm not going to lose another family."