The challenge it's been told is to resist circumstances.
A peculiar statement wasn't it? That's what he thought as well.
Any idiot can be happy in a happy place, but moral courage is required to be happy in a hellhole.
---- ----
The three men stopped when the elder felt they were out of earshot of others. Matthew leaned against the balcony railing with Toni and Richie, both of whom had folded their arms. All three were looking at Eric, who greeted them with a nod.
"Your title of official headmaster will become a wildfire of news by dawn,"
"Yeah, what's up with that?" Richie, who was in the middle, turned his head to Matthew and asked.
Matthew let out a resigned sigh and shook his head, before turning back to Elder. Despite the faint music still in the background, they were all fully focused on the conversation at hand. These three men had known each other since they were orphans, and nothing was off-limits between them.
"And?" he asked, knowing that things couldn't get much worse after Cid's announcement.
Eric shook his head in response. "Do you understand the implications of your title? It could provoke a negative reaction from the eastern border. You're well known, and they could see this as a threat."
Matthew nodded. "Not the first time or last time a death threat would be thrown my way," he said shrugging. "I figured they might behave like that with this move."
"I have no eyes up that way to tell me differently, but, I do have a feeling that whatever is coming. Whatever had been coming for us, it is here now. Developing in the back scenes before us." Eric continued.
"That's not hard to predict," Richie scoffed, causing Toni and Matthew to nod in agreement. "Any fucking idiot can see it coming."
Eric acknowledged the point, "We've all wondered why there has been a delay of years. What could have triggered such a volatile move now?"
"Perhaps they have been gathering forces, or perhaps they have been gaining strength," Toni offered. "We've talked about this numerous times since the attacks. Ezra has never been quiet in all our years. It's been a never-ending threat, Eric, nothing new."
"The force of it is," Matthew pondered, "Who do you think they're searching for?"
Eric shook his head, bringing the three men's attention back to him. "Initially, we thought it was the Queen or princess they were looking for. However, they are both clearly deceased, so it's suspicious that the search is still ongoing."
Toni however nodded towards Matthew, a theory that the men agreed on, not that they had any confirmation on it.
"What?" Eric shifted his attention between the three men, who had been almost in debates of whatever they were thinking.
"We think, well believe, that the princess is here," Matthew explained.
Eric's expression faltered. Had the princess confided in the soldier? Was that why he was so protective of the woman he was falling in love with?
"She told you?" Eric asked eagerly, causing the three men to straighten their backs and become more interested in Eric's reaction.
"Shit, you know. It's true!?" Richie's mouth hung open in disbelief as Matthew stepped away from the railing. Toni shared the same disbelief, while Eric nodded in agreement, believing the person they were talking about.
"Why didn't you say anything? I let her go to Seatac! Fuck, Eric!" Matthew berated Eric for not speaking up earlier, feeling responsible for letting her go.
"Not my place. She had a plan after the royals funeral. I did as instructed." Eric offered.
"Well, that plan backfired hadn't it? Ezra levelled the facility. Fuck," Matthew ran his hand through his hair. "You know what we are. We can protect her. And if I knew the whole situation at hand!"
Eric wanted to tell them of what Eko would be planning next, but stopped himself when the conversation turned and Richie interjected. "Madison is never going to admit to this, she hates you enough as it is," he looked over to Matthew that scoffed at that fact.
'Ohhhhhhhh...she hasn't told them.' Eric's mind mused.
"Can you get Eko to tell you, the whole we know, you know, we know, type of scenario?" Toni rolled his head, forcing his best mate to shake his own.
"And if I push her, Madison will force them to take off again. Eko is sworn to protect her, so she'll go. We have seen it when she went to SeaTac." Matthew debated his next move with this new information.
The news was almost unbelievable to Eric. He had been concealing two secrets: that Sera, who went by the name Eko among the soldiers, was not just the princess but also a warrior. This put him in a difficult situation, but his loyalty still lay with the future queen. Despite this, Sera had her own reasons for not revealing her true identity, which remained a mystery to Eric.
Eric cleared his throat, gathering the attention of the men who were discussing their approach to the situation. "Your best option is to keep them safe here, considering what you now know," he advised.
Toni, however, was not pleased with Eric's response. "Or you could have fucking told us that originally," he reprimanded him, "we could have been better prepared. Done this differently."
Eric calmly defended himself, "What do you want me to say? You are aware now, and from this conversation, you can ensure the safety of both the princess and her cousin until she is ready to reveal her identity. If we confront them now, they may flee, especially her highness."
The three men acknowledged Eric's words, realizing the delicate nature of the situation. Madison's unpredictable nature and the weight of the decision made it necessary to tread carefully. Matthew knew that pushing too hard could result in losing Eko.
Eric, on the other hand, recognized the significance of the new information and felt that Sera needed to disclose her true identity to form alliances for protection in the upcoming war. He believed that the best protection for her would be from other warriors like herself.
Matthew interrupted the man's thoughts, saying, "Regardless of the situation, if we startle Madison, she will likely run."
Eric understood that he needed time to convince Madison of the risks involved. "Now, my other concern is your headmaster," he said.
Richie looked concerned, asking, "Cid? He's been acting anxious and panicky, traits I haven't seen in him since the war."
Matthew chimed in, "But those traits are typical of him, along with nervousness, restlessness, and mild paranoia."
"Could it be because he knows we're going to war?" Richie wondered.
Eric replied with pursed lips, "Cid's usual demeanor is causing unrest. I have heard rumours from the elder's council."
Toni's face scrunched up in confusion, asking, "Rumors about what?" The other two men looked equally puzzled.
"He's competence in doing what he once had. If he is the right man to lead the academies. But with the passing of titles," Eric rolled his head to Matthew shrugging. "Well..."
"They pressured him to give it up?" Matthew muttered, "It wasn't just the elder's concerns, I assume? The royal court? The academies elected council?"
Eric confirmed his suspicions, "It has been a topic of debate for several years. The age at which you were to take over has been a point of contention."
Matthew's face scrunched, what the fuck did he mean it's been in debate. Cid had been running it fine? Hadn't he?
Richie leaned forward and asked, "Did you know?"
"Does my fucking face look like it knew? Cid told me we'd discuss the succession plan when I was thirty-five. We agreed to that." Matthew retorted.
Toni shook his head as he realized the extent of pressure that Cid had faced in giving up his title. He understood that it went beyond what Cid had done to Matthew, and that there were powerful people who wanted him in control.
Eric breathed out, "You are more than competent."
"I'm not disputing that." Matthew clenched his teeth, "but I don't understand why their faith in Cid is waning?"
Eric explained, "His behaviour has been reflected in the councils for some time. When you are not present. His mannerisms and the hesitation in proceeding forward with a war unease's everyone. They sense a hesitancy, and it does not bode well."
Matthew let out a frustrated sigh and massaged his forehead. "Firstly, those idiots should know by now that I won't rush into a war either, right?"
"You won't rush, but you will bring the war to a stand still.," Eric replied, nodding in agreement.
Richie chimed in, "Yeah, and we'll make sure to have your back every step of the way."
Ugh...he was over today.
Matthew rubbed his eyes, feeling exhausted. First, he learned that Madison was the princess, and she, with every moral fibre of her body, hated him. What the hell was he meant to do with that knowledge?
Secondly, he was relieved to know that he was chosen as the principal, and there would be no room for debate on that, by any councils or courts. They wanted him in front of this war. Like for fuck sake.
And finally, the one that sank into his bones a lot deeper than the first two. Matthew had a nagging feeling that Cid was keeping something important from them, and it weighed heavily on him. The group remained silent as he leaned back against the railings, deep in thought. Eric watched him carefully, unsure of how he would react to this information.
The background music was the only sound that broke the silence, but Matthew had had enough for one night. He needed to focus on the implications of his new title and prevent Madison from leaving the base. The war and other problems could wait until the morning.
Matthew stood up straight, letting go of the balustrade as he addressed the group.
"We'll monitor Cid closely, and we have Mya and Jasmine's training to focus on for the next week. We'll be in and out with them. I'll also be meeting with the councils in the next few days. Our mate won't leave this base, and then we'll figure out our next steps when we go to war, it being inevitable and all."
Eric acknowledged Matthew's plans with a nod. "Very well. Look after each other. I fear that you are all that stands between Ezra and her destruction." The group watched as Eric disappeared into the tiny golden lights before them, his powers flooding the balcony as he made his way back to the elders' plain.
After Eric left, Toni noticed that Matthew seemed lost in thought. "Matthew?" he called out, cocking his head to one side.
"We should head to the council tomorrow, all four of us," Matthew thought aloud, realizing it would be the best starting point. "We need to understand what they expect from us, especially me with this shit fight."
Toni and Richie nodded, and together they left the courtyard to head back to the graduation ceremony.
"Jesse mentioned that she was close to developing something to disable the barrier around the borders, didn't she?" Richie asked, eager to end the conflict once and for all. However, Matthew couldn't shake off his unease about the situation.
"We have no idea what we're getting into. We could be walking straight into a trap. Ezra's powers could be beyond our expectations. I know what you all want."
"We could be powerful enough." Richie began.
Matthew acknowledged Richie and Toni's statements, "We could, but are we willing to take that risk? There's no one left to protect the others if we fail, no one to protect Mac or Richie."
The mention of his daughter caused Richie to pause and both he and Toni stopped to watch as Matthew exhaled and muttered something under his breath.
"Are you with Matthew on this?" Richie asked Toni, running his hands through his hair.
Toni nodded, "He's right. If we fuck up, there's no one else to take up the fight. We need to be smart like we've always been. One slip up could change everything in this war."
"Fine, we'll wait," Richie grumbled, "Jesse will be with me on this, you know that, right?"
Matthew and Toni smirked, aware of Jesse's feelings towards the situation.
As they made their way up the balcony stairs and onto the top landing that led them back to the ceremony, they were met with blaring music and bright lights. However, the crowd was thinner, and many bodies were missing.
"I think we've been gone for a bit." Richie observed as he gazed at the scenery in front of them.
"Or Jesse's kicked them out," Toni suggested, shaking his head. He hurried inside to investigate the whereabouts of the troublemakers who were undoubtedly congregating somewhere.
In the meantime, Richie turned his head towards Matthew, who was scanning the surroundings with a grin on his face, searching for someone specific.
"You know, lucky it was Madison that was the crowned princess in hiding," Richie remarked.
Matthew shifted his focus back to Richie and inquired, "What do you mean?"
"At one point, I thought it might have been Eko before we learned that she was Madison's guard, or Sera, or whatever alias she goes by," Richie replied.
"I never even considered that," Matthew admitted, his brows furrowing. "But Eko isn't the princess."
"That's precisely what I'm saying," Richie chuckled. "Just imagine if she had been! The one chick you fell in love with, was the future queen!"
"Well, lucky she's not, and for the love of god, don't you start with this shit aswell with me and her," Matthew snapped.
"Toni's correct, anywayyyyy." Richie sang in a teasing tone, aiming to irritate his best friend.
"Urm, the fuck, about what?"
"That you should tell her how you feel. It's okay to change your mind," Richie suggested.
"Pft, I doubt she wants anything like that Rich," Matthew replied softly, sounding unsure about his own intentions. "Anyway, Headmaster now, Cid fucked me over for the next few years. So, I doubt I'll have any time for her or the fan club going forward."
"Fine," Richie smirked, knowing quite well he would move his entire schedule around if Eko asked that of him, "I'll see you tomorrow then."
Richie gave a nod to his childhood friend before heading into the auditorium. On the way, he encountered one of the girls he had arrived with that evening. Taking her hand, they disappeared into the throngs of dancers.
This left Matthew alone with his thoughts, the entire world around him fading away as he caught sight of Eko dancing with joy, laughter, and no doubt some alcohol. Although the crowd obscured his view, his heart skipped a beat when he caught her eye, and her smile widened in response to his nod.
As she whispered to Jasmine, Eko moved swiftly through the drunken crowds like a ninja on a mission, making sure she went unnoticed by anyone, especially members of the Fanclub who were eager to spend time alone with the man waiting for her outside.
Unbeknownst to her, as she brushed past Toni, who was debriefing Jesse on Eric's recent events, their conversation came to a halt. Jesse leaned forward, grasping Toni's arm and gesturing towards Eko making her way towards Matthew, who was just out of sight but smiling at her.
"He's so obliviously in love with her," Jesse grinned, and when Toni looked up, he saw the same scene unfolding before them, wearing an all-knowing smile.
Toni offered his opinion, "Just give them some time. He'll come around eventually. Besides, we have bigger things to worry about, like Madison being the future Queen and all."
--- ---
As Eko's wrist was pulled to the side, she stumbled into the man's chest, feeling his strong arms wrap around her, pulling her close. With a glance up, she found herself lost in his piercing gaze, and before she could even process what was happening, he clasped her head with both of his hands, tilted it backwards, leaned down and his lips met hers in a passionate kiss.
The chemistry between them was electric, igniting a fire that burned deep within Eko's soul. As their kiss deepened, she wrapped her hands around his face, feeling his warmth and his energy as they melted into each other.
The balcony faded into nothingness as their bodies pressed together, consumed by the moment. Eko had never felt so lost in a kiss before, completely swept away by the passion between them. As they deepened the kiss, time seemed to stand still, and her heart raced with excitement. Her hands reached up to pull him even closer, unable to get enough of him.
She tasted him and realized only at that moment that she had been starving for this kind of intimacy.
She had experienced love before, the kind of love that comes with youth, but it wasn't like this.
She's been kissed before, but it didn't burn her alive.
His kisses set her soul ablaze and maybe it lasts a minute, and maybe it's an hour. But with each kiss, she felt every nerve in her body come alive, as his lips brushed continued against her own.
And even if she did not know it until now, perhaps, maybe just perhaps, she had been waiting for this person to come along and breathe fire back into her life once again, even if she hadn't realized she wanted that until now.