A Savior's Worth (Book #3)

Chapter Sixty-Three

Eldon walked into his room first and held open the door for Henry who seemed reluctant about entering.

Nonetheless, Henry crossed the room and leaned against the desk. Eldon closed the door and eyed his satchel beside his bed. He didn't think he'd be using it again so soon. Hadn't they just returned from their trip? He still felt exhausted from it.

As he gathered his things, he thought about how he wanted this conversation with Henry to go. He wasn't sure how long he would be gone. During his time away, he needed to ensure Henry would be fine.

"So..." Eldon turned his head, focusing on folding a black tunic. "I know this might be weird, but can ya do me a favor? A promise, I guess." He heard the trembling intake of air Henry did, and he frowned.

"Certainly," Henry answered, calmly despite his breaths.

"I just—I wanna make sure that yer not gonna let the drinkin' get outta hand. I know it was just a few times and I know you can control yerself, but—"

"I cannot," Henry uttered. Eldon blinked and looked over at him, furrowing his eyebrows. He stayed quiet for a bit, unsure if he'd heard correctly or not.

"I cannot promise you that," Henry elaborated, sounding ashamed of himself.

Eldon dropped the pair of breeches he was about to fold and stepped away. He kept his distance, though. For now, anyway.

"Whataya mean you can't?" he asked.

"As I told you about Marigold's funeral, it makes everything easier. It has been a few years since I quit, and I nearly forgot how much it does help me." Henry's face then turned blank as he stared off into nothing.

Eldon moved even closer and waited.

"I was nine years old the first time... the first time Victor... put his hands on me. You see, when I was a child, I would become overly excited about a few things. On this particular morning, we were going to head for the docks for our trip to Aristol. I was beyond ecstatic about seeing Elouise again"—Henry paused, the right corner of his lips briefly rising. "I waited with Victor near the stairs for our parents to finish gathering everything they needed for my mother who was far along in her pregnancy. I couldn't quit talking, and Victor, who was fourteen years old at the time, warned me that I was infuriating him.

"Of course, I laughed, because he is my brother and I'd assumed he was merely jesting. Then, before I knew it, I was..." Henry trailed off, and Eldon caught just a glimpse of his rapidly watering eyes before he turned away.

"I was at the bottom of the staircase," he continued, his voice barely above a whisper. Eldon leaned forward to hear him better. "Victor did show remorse for that, though. I remember him running down the steps and picking me up. He apologized, over and over, and held me tightly. I wanted him to let go, because everything hurt, especially my head. He begged me not to say anything, but our parents walked in just then. My father was frantic and demanded to know what had happened.

"I did not want my brother to be scolded. After all, had I not been so infuriating, he would not have pushed me. Thus, I explained that I had fallen on my own. Victor went along with this, and it helped that his panic was genuine. I was checked on by a few different physicians, and then we left for the docks. I was not going to allow anything to stop me from seeing my best friend."

Eldon bit down hard on his tongue, his chest getting tighter as he imagined Henry as a frightened and confused small boy.

"When we arrived here in Aristol," Henry resumed, "Queen Tatianna fell ill, and everything else seemed to spiral from there. She passed away within a few days. Elouise wouldn't talk to anyone—not even me. My father told me we had to be strong for her, but I had loved Tatianna as well. She treated me as if I were her son, which was far better than my own mother treated me sometimes. Therefore, I cried—harder than I ever had. One night, Victor slipped into my guest chamber and asked me why I was so weak.