Kira and Jared [Historical Romance]

✍️The blacksmith

After the long symposia, the men laid down to sleep, tired from their travels.
Jared could not find Edrin inside, so he went outside to see the latter sitting on a rock and looking up at the night sky.
He walked over to Edrin and joined him in stargazing.

"Beautiful night, isn't it?"... Jared was trying his best to start a conversation with his brother whom he missed a great deal.
Ever since their childhood, there was always a cause for the rivalry between them, be it for people's attention, for kingship, or for the love of a woman. Edrin had been accustomed to getting what he wants that he never backed down. On the other hand, Jared gave up everything for peace to reign, yet his brother was never satisfied.

In response to his question, Edrin stood up, his eyes still focused on the stars. "It would have been a more beautiful night if my wife is with me".

His emphasis on 'my wife' made Jared's heart break to a million pieces, he knew what Edrin was trying to do, and it was working. But he smiled. "I guess you're right. Uhm, we must get to bed, tomorrow will be a long day".

He turned to walk back inside when Edrin called out to him.

Jared turned back to him. "Yes?"

"I am afraid"... Edrin stated in a shaky voice.

"What is the matter, why are you afraid?"

Edrin fell to his knees with tears in his eyes. This caused Jared much embarrassment.
"I am afraid that you are still in love with Kira, or worse, that she is still in love with you".

" That is not true. Please get up".

Edrin rose to his feet, but still bowed his head. "Please Jared, I beg you, don't take her away from me. She means the world to me, I know I made mistakes in the past but I am changing, please don't take away my ray of hope, please brother".

Jared could not bear to see his brother in such a state. "I promise you Edrin, after all this is over, I will go far away from you and your wife. You will never have to worry."

"Thank you".  Edrin hugged Jared as though he had just received a big gift.

***

  After the long journey back home, they snuck into the abandoned part of the castle where Kira was already waiting for them with some men who had stayed back.

On seeing Jared, she was overjoyed, but because of the circumstances, she ignored him and embraced her husband. Edrin hugged her tightly and kissed her so passionately, this made Jared want to kill himself.

She addressed the men with a grin. "Welcome, all of you. We have food and water, help yourselves. The meeting begins in two hours."

"Thank you, your highness", Chorused the men except Jared.

"How can one woman's smile light up the whole place?", Victor questioned under his breath to Jared's hearing.

"Hmm". Was the latter's response before making his way to freshen up.

***

"They must be hiding in plain sight",  Jared established, coming to a halt at the center of the space they were in. The others were seated at a relatively wide table which Kira and the men who stayed back constructed.  "It is easier to cultivate fear in the minds of people when you are invisible. We must find their hiding place."

"How do we do that?",,, Asked Victor, who had been paying earnest attention.

"How do we get the rat out of its hole? Simple, We smoke it out... First, we have to play their game. Hector, Richard, take this-"  He handed them a piece of paper folded neatly.  "Ride to Hechfaa at once and give this to Ferdinand. I need him and his men to spread out to every corner of Verthona inform me of any strange activity, no matter how insignificant. Anything out of the ordinary".