Chapter 17 #2
“Then feel free to break them down in your answers,” I teased lightly.
Staring into the flames, as I had done before, he released a weighty sigh.
“Alright, I’ll answer the first. I do miss my home world very much.
The?kós is the most beautiful place in existence.
Now, granted, I haven’t seen much of yours, and what I have seen I know has been tainted by the Rift and the destruction it left behind, but yes, I miss it.
” He paused, his expression softening. “As for whether I miss being King, well, let’s just say that the crown is a heavy burden to bear.
There is freedom in the title, yes, but there are often times that very freedom feels more like a gilded cage. ”
I drew in a breath. “That sounds difficult.”
He shrugged his broad shoulders. “I’d be lying if I said ruling was easy.
When you have few responsibilities, you’re free to make choices that only affect yourself or those close to you.
But a ruler’s choices…” he paused, his gaze growing distant.
“They ripple outward. Every decision affects someone, for better or worse. The scales tipping with each order spoken.” He poked at the fire absently, his tone softening.
“I had many hard lessons growing up, ones my father instilled in me to prepare me for the throne. But it wasn’t until I wore the crown myself that I truly understood what those lessons truly meant. ”
“And your father, was he a good king?” I asked gently.
He tilted his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
“You mean, was he a tyrant like you once believed me to be?”
I shot him a pointed look, and he chuckled before answering.
“My father was the greatest man I’ve ever known.”
I sucked back a quick breath after I analyzed his words, “You said was?” I murmured carefully, letting the question linger.
His face shadowed, his eyes darkening.
“My father and mother were taken from me far too soon.” He hesitated, his voice quieter now. “In fact, I hadn’t actually been King for long before the Rift happened.”
I looked up, surprised.
“Is that why your armies call you General? Was that what you were before you became King?”
He smiled faintly.
“You’re very perceptive, and yes, I was the General of my father’s armies, a title I took on with pride.
But as a prince, you learn quickly that you have to work twice as hard as everyone else to be taken seriously on the battlefield, and given my royal bloodline and what we are capable of, I knew I had a point to prove. ”
I tilted my head, smirking.
“Is this your way of telling me, without showing me that ego of yours, that you excelled with a sword in your hand?”
He scoffed a quiet laugh, and it was quickly becoming a sound I was addicted to.
“Something like that,” he said, his tone teasing but humble. Then his expression softened. “But to answer your question, the reason people still call me General here isn’t just because I once led them on the battlefield, it’s because here, I am King of nothing.”
There it was, the modest confession that didn’t come with a self-pitying tone nor was it shrouded in bitterness. Just a simple, quiet acceptance I couldn’t help but admire.
I nodded slowly, unable to ignore the ache that pulled at my chest with the weight of his words.
The fact that he had come here with no intent to conquer, no desire to throw his royal weight around or claim power for himself, spoke volumes.
Even after three years of being stranded here with no guarantee he would ever find his way home, he had remained the same,
The formidable General.
One, I was starting to see had a heart, after all.
“And what about the rest of your family?” he asked quietly.
“Your uncle mentioned you being his brother’s daughter…
what of your parents?” His question hit harder than I expected, a pang of emotion rising like a lump in my throat.
Images of my mother and father flooded my mind, memories that hurt just to think about.
I loved them so much it physically ached to know I might never see them again.
To never hear their voices, never let them know that I was still alive.
Wiping away a tear before it could fall, I said softly, “I was visiting my uncle when it happened. I grew up in New York, you see. I wanted one last vacation before starting college in the fall. As you can probably tell, my uncle and I are close, we both love nature.” I huffed a quiet laugh and added, “And trust me, you may not have seen New York City, but it’s called a concrete jungle for a reason.
Not much wildlife to speak of, not unless you include the zoo. ”
He smiled faintly. “And then you came here and found more than enough wildlife, most of it trying to kill you,” he said, making me laugh, grateful for the ease he offered in such a heavy moment.
“Yeah, I think it kind of stopped being a vacation when the Rift opened and turned into a full-blown survival camp.”
“One you excelled at,” he said with quiet admiration.
“Well, thank you,” I said, smiling into the firelight. “Though surprisingly, I hadn’t been camping much before all this, or even during these last three years, really.” I nodded toward the tent he’d set up while I’d been resting against the tree. “In fact, I would have helped, but I…”
His soft chuckle interrupted me before words followed.
“Nodded off, I know. By the time I came over to wake you, there was little left to do, so don’t worry about it, you needed the rest.” He wasn’t wrong, I had crashed for sure.
In fact, when I’d opened my eyes, I was surprised to find that it wasn’t just a rough setup of blankets and a fire. But an actual tent was sitting there, secure and complete with bedrolls layered thick enough to keep the cold from seeping through.
After that, he’d built the fire and we’d eaten in companionable silence.
As for now, sitting here in the glow of the flames, I realized what came next, sharing a tent. The thought alone made my stomach flutter with nerves and something far more dangerous.
“Well…” he said at last, breaking the silence, “…We get a chance to change that tonight. Unfortunately, I could only bring so much on Acelin, hence the single tent we’ll have to share. I hope that’s alright?”
He said it like a gentleman, but there was a softness in his voice that made my pulse stumble.
But before I could answer, what he said next had my heart skipping more than a beat. It started to dance to one when he said…
“Besides, I want you close.”