Catheline's POV:
Soon, the week had gone by. I was extremely upset when there was only one day until Eliot had to leave. I did not wish for him to go and he did not wish for him to leave me.
This week had been very precious to me. I managed to show my brother Waterlight by simply calling him to my chambers one afternoon. He held it precisely and said that it was made to be held by a woman. When he asked how many people I killed with it, I fell silent. But soon, I told him about every adventure I had done with the sword. He was momentarily stunned before declaring that he is lucky to have such a talented sister.
The more time I spent with my brother, the less I had for my husband. But it didn't matter, since he had been quite busy himself. I encountered Lord Corrington a couple of times more and had small talks with him. He seemed to be a very optimistic person. He left for his home a few days ago.
This morning was the last morning my brother would stay in Anthreal. He would leave for Peliasse the next one. So, I had to appreciate my time with him. After he spoke about our father, I never asked him about it again. I did not wish to dampen the happy times we had.
As always, I was waiting for him in the gardens. Karra was beside me, as if in a daze. I slightly shook her to get her attention.
"What are you thinking about?"
"N-Nothing..." She mumbled. "I feel distracted today,"
"Distracted with what?" I asked her while crossing my arms.
"It's about Lady Daraa..." She mumbled tersely.
I paused for a moment. It had been a while since I had seen Lady Daraa, prowling the castle like a great lioness.
"Today I heard from the maids who serve her that...she is not getting better..."
"What!?"
"Please calm down, Your Grace," Karra whispered. "They say that she...she seems to be coughing blood..."
I could feel a sharp sensation in my chest. What was going on? Lady Daraa was being treated by proficient physicians. She should be getting better soon. Then, what is this news? So far, I heard that Xander hadn't been seeing her often. The sudden urge of visiting her was in my mind.
I turned around only to see my brother, approaching me with a wide grin.
"Cathy," he said and hugged me happily. "I apologize for making you wait,"
"No harm done, brother," I smiled back. Today, he seemed to be very exuberant.
Since he seems so happy today, perhaps I can visit Lady Daraa in the evening. But before I could speak about today's activities, my brother spoke out.
"Today, I am visiting my good brother,"
I stayed there, dumbfounded. What?
"Why do you need to see him?..." I asked slowly.
"I am leaving on the morrow. Hence, there are some important things I have to discuss with your husband," he patted my arm.
He turned around to leave but I quickly held his hand.
"You-"
"Relax, sister," he interrupted me and winked. "You might thank me for this,"
He managed to get away while I fell into a trance. What are you up to, brother?
____________________________________
Xander's POV:
Erolasiv.
What is that place? Where is its location?
I kept on asking the same question while staring at the letter Marwin Sunster has provided me. When he left for his residence last time, he promised that he will send men to search for this place.
I sighed and kept the letter back on the table. This information is crucial since it holds the territory where the enemy made home.
The door opened, revealing an excited Nathaniel. He had an envelope in his hands, sealed with a colour of wax I slightly recognised.
"It is from Quenisa," he said, clearing my doubts. "The Messenger is waiting for your reply,"
He handed it to me carefully as I took it, with my heart beating at a fast pace. I had been waiting for this for the whole week but at this moment, I was a bit nervous.
With a deep breath and assuring thoughts, I opened the envelope.
"Fellow King, Xander, this is me, your cousin, Feros Zykese. We barely met as both of us were burdened with the duties of overseeing a kingdom. Regarding your previous letter, I am pleased to assist you in your war. I will be ascending to Anthreal within two months and discuss the matters personally. I shall await your response,"
I couldn't help but smile. I put the letter on the table and paused for a moment, making this ever more real. I looked at Nathaniel, who returned an anxious look.
"A yes," I told him.
He smiled as he could and I further told him the details.
"Now...we have to wait for the other kingdoms to reply," I said, resting my hands on the chair.
"I just had an unsettling notion, Your Majesty..." He replied, sounding void of any emotion.
"Go on,"
"Who would be the enemy's allies?"
I paused, thinking about it. Who would support my uncle for his cause? According to me, there were no such kingdoms around Anthreal who have a dispute with each other. My grandfather saw to that.
Remembering him, made me fall to a startling conclusion. Before I could even think about discussing it with Nathaniel, we heard a voice outside.
"Prince Eliot wishes to meet His Majesty,"
Nathaniel quickly approached the door and opened it. The young man stood there, in his bright blue apparel, smiling warmly.
"I leave on the morrow. There is something I have to speak to you about, brother. Do you have time to spare?"
Brother. "Of course," I replied with an unsure smile. I glanced at Nathaniel, signalling him to leave us alone. He nodded and walked out, closing the door.
Prince Eliot took a long look around the room before glancing at me.
"Bit too big for just a man, isn't it?" He asked casually. "Bit too lonely too,"
"Well, you are not wrong, to start," I sighed, pointing toward the chair in front of me. "What brings you here? You should be with Catheline,"
"Well...it is because of her that I am here,"
I looked at him, confused. Does he want to speak to me about my wife? For the past few days, I did not have much time to spare. Sending away Hilan Corrington made me quite upset. He was an excellent ally and a man I could trust. He insisted that he wanted to leave but assured me that he would come back.
My brother-by-law took his seat and looked uncomfortable for some reason.
"Is there anything wrong?" I questioned while sitting in my chair.
"Nothing," he mumbled. "This all reminds me of someone I dread,"
"Dread?" I repeated.
"Yes." He nodded. "My father,"
I sat there, silent as a spirit. What did he mean?
"You said that you wanted to speak about Catheline," I reminded him, after the awkward pause.
"Ah yes," he crossed his hands on his lap and looked at them. "But I did not only come to talk about her,"
"What are you trying to say?" I asked, slightly nervous.
He gave me a long look before sighing. So far, I only knew him as an enthusiastic individual. Why does he look so intimidating?
"I have a request." He spoke. "Can we just talk like two ordinary people? From this moment until I leave this room, I am no prince and you are no King,"
Even if I found that request strange, I nodded. Whatever he had to say must be of importance.
"Good," he smiled. "It's just, Xander- can I address you that way?"
"Only if you allow me to call you Eliot," I smiled slightly. He nodded and cleared his throat.
"I see so much of myself in you," he stated. "We have so much in common,"
I fell silent, feeling peculiar by his words. I was brought back to the time when I and Catheline spoke about her brother when he first arrived here. What did I and this happy man have in common?
"We are not alike, Eliot. We will never be," I let out a bitter smile. "You are too happy to be me,"
"Did I give everyone that impression?" He chuckled. "That I'm happy?"
I stared at him, trying to find anything contrary to what he said. Nothing.
"We both lost our loved ones, Xander." He sighed. "The only difference is that...I am willing to choose to accept this new life,"
"You still have a father and a sister," I argued. "What loved ones did you lose?"
He smiled and looked away. "I heard a story recently. It is about a boy who was sent to be educated, far away from his home by his father. The boy grew up, knowing nothing about his true family or his identity."
"The boy had many friends at his new home. Friends who he grew up with, teachers who were the only parents he knew and a place to call his own. He loved that life and still does."
"He grew up to be an excellent fighter and looked extremely handsome. To his unfortune, there were no women in his home nor were they allowed to visit the nearby villages. If not for that, the boy could have been married and started a happy family."
He stopped for a moment, giving me some time to comprehend the story. Why is he telling me this? What does he want to achieve?
"The boy then became a man. He is living peacefully with his friends. One day, everything turned upside down for him. On his twenty-second name day, he saw an army, marching toward his home. He expected blood, violence and war. Which would mean death, pain and misery. He did not wish for his home to be destroyed."
"The man who was the head of the army requested only one thing in exchange. And that...was him,"
"Pardon?" I asked.
"The man who lead his army wanted the boy I had been talking about," he clarified with a hand gesture.
"Why?"
"Because that boy was his son." He revealed. "He was the one who sent his only son far away. And after twenty-two years, he returns,"
I shook my head, trying to let the story sink in. What sort of a man was that father? A monster? How could he abandon his child like that?
"And there is another thing," Eliot said. "That boy is me,"
I stared at him, hoping that he was jesting. But when he did not break into his smile, I knew he was telling the truth. I knew something was wrong, but I never dreamed that it would be this terrible.
"King Matthew is not that sort of man..." I whispered. "I saw how much he loves Catheline. He is a great father-"
"How ironic that you must say it to my face," Eliot snapped, startling me. "He sent me away while spoiling his daughter. I only hope that you do not defend him,"
"I am not defending him for what he did," I elucidated. "It's just too shocking..."
"I have lived a life peacefully and I had his snatched away. He took everything I knew as a normal person from me." Eliot asserted, his voice dripping in anger. "What you see of me is a facade. I am no Prince. Just a normal being trying to find happiness after it had been taken away from me,"
"I am sorry," I told him while bowing my head.
"You don't need to be sorry for me," he replied. "Now tell me, are we both equally miserable?"
I stopped, trying to find the answer. His mortal enemy is his father. What can I say about that?
"If it wasn't for Catheline..." He stated. "I may have run away to the hills again,"
I looked at him to find him smiling at himself. He seemed to be happy when he mentioned his sister.
"She is so sweet and nice. I wish I grew up with her, as her older brother so I could protect her," he uttered.
"She is sweet," I agreed. "And patient..."
Talking about Catheline brewed the guilt I had stored away. I should have never treated her in the way I had.
"She loves you," Eliot told me. "She truly does,"
"I know..." I answered back. "She told me a couple of times-"
"What about you?" Eliot asked me. "Do you love her?"
I sighed and averted my gaze away from him.
"I am not in love with your sister, good brother," I told him truthfully. "But..."
"How can you not be?" He asked me, incredulous. "She is charming, graceful, skilled and sharp. She is the best wife and Queen you could ever wish for,"
I know that. I don't deserve an angel like her.
"I was never taught to be affectionate to my loved ones," I explained. "And now, I am unable to cherish her."
"You have to be joking, are you?" He asked with wide eyes. "Is that your pathetic excuse?"
I was startled by his sudden change in tone. He was mocking me. Even I had some right to be angry.
"It is not an excuse, it is the truth. All my life, I had been taught to be a ruler. An emotionless one, masking their true identity underneath their skin-"
"I have no concern of how you were raised, good brother," he told me straightforward. "I was raised to be a warrior. A common man. But after I realised that I was royalty, I have no choice but to change my ways. Am I not being able to learn to behave like a Prince? If I can, so should you be able to love,"
His proposition surprised me. It made sense. A sense I was blind to all this time. Not true though. I was learning to be a good husband. I even made progress.
"You can no longer use that reason to mistreat my sister. You are a man, grown. You are capable of your own emotions. Surely, you can be a good husband. After all, you have the looks,"
His words were knocking more and more truth into my head. And that moment, a fire began burning in my mind. The one that nothing can extinguish.
"You are only here because the one you ignored always defends you." He explained sadly. "No matter what sin you committed, she always takes your side, even at the cost of her dignity,"
"I know," I told him. I do.
She always takes my side. She is the greatest supporter I could ever have. She did forgive me for what I did months ago, which I truly don't deserve.
I need to have a long talk with her. A talk which will clear any conflict left between us.
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Author's note:
(I need to speed up) Hello, people who are probably reading this in the middle of the night! 💜
YUP. It's official. I am in love with Eliot as a character.
This chapter doesn't have much but you will LOVE the next one.
Thank you so much for 41k+! I love you all 💕
Lavham.