Chapter 56 #2
For far too long his had simply been revenge. And it had destroyed him and everything he touched. But now…
Nikias scanned the crowd briefly, but he couldn’t find the one shock of red hair he was looking for. “Sometimes it finds you instead.”
Ovidius looked down at his glass again. “I just can’t see it. Eleni was special. She was everything.”
Nikias’ heart constricted in his chest.
Faustina had been everything to him until she’d been nothing.
“I loved her.” Ovidius’ voice cracked. “She loved me.”
Nikias didn’t know if it was a blessing or a curse, that when he’d buried Faustina he’d been under no delusions about her feelings.
Was it better to bury the wife who loved you or the one who hated you?
At first, Nikias had been convinced one way, but now?
Nikias could see things a little clearer. Maybe he didn’t understand this man’s position at all.
Nikias was free from Faustina. Her death had given him a second chance. He couldn’t waste it.
“I know you can’t see it right now, but it will get better.”
Ovidius shook his head. “I find that hard to believe. But that doesn’t surprise me that you would say that, Your Highness. Faustina was right about you.”
Nikias’ stomach swooped. He turned his full attention back to the man, now no longer looking for Aimilia in the crowd. A ghostly hand wrapped around his heart and squeezed.
“What are you talking about? What did she say about me?”
Had Faustina revealed to anyone else the truth? He knew the Head of House Gelu had known, but had she told the rest of her family?
“I only mean that she described you as a strange combination of pragmatic and romantic. She’d never seen anything quite like it before.”
Nikias pushed away the dark feeling scraping at his heart. Questions kept trying to rise up, but Faustina was going back to her grave.
He didn’t care what she thought about him. It didn’t matter now. Whatever she told her family didn’t matter. She’d made herself clear in life what she thought of him.
But he still couldn’t shake one that was trying to lodge itself in his chest. Had there ever been a moment where Faustina had loved him?
Still, her cousin said, “She was a special one, Faustina. She and Eleni got along well, and no one was happier for us than Faustina.”
Nikias simply said, “She was special. There will never be a woman like her again in my life.”
“Do you…” The glass in his hands trembled. “Do you still remember her?”
Nikias wished he didn’t. “Of course I do.”
“I mean…” His voice cracked. “Is it as clear, I mean. You still remember her face? Her voice? All the little moments. That’s what I fear most now. Not only is she out of my reach, but soon even the Eleni I remember will start to fade until I have nothing left.”
“I remember,” Nikias whispered. “I remember everything. Faustina is clearer to me now than I think even when she was alive.”
That much was true.
But what this man really needed was a lie.
Nikias continued, “Nothing has faded. Not a single memory. Not a single feeling. Faustina might be gone, but she remains in my heart. Eleni will too.”
The healer shook his head. “I’m going to love Eleni forever, the way you love Faustina.”
Nikias just wanted to give this grieving man something to hold onto. If he didn’t have any hope… “Yes. But my life didn’t end that day. Even though I’ll never stop loving her, life still goes on, and we have to find a way to live it.”
He nodded, staring down at his glass again, but it was clear in his gaze he couldn’t see it.
So when one of the Solitus servants passed by, Nikias took the opportunity to leave before they kept talking about Faustina and he would have to keep lying about some undying love for her that he’d buried a long time ago.
Nikias really didn’t want to spare her another moment when Aimilia was the one who consumed his thoughts.
He circled the room again, and when he did, he finally spotted her on the other side.
She was completely absorbed in a conversation with Turpis.
His blood boiled again. What were they talking about? Why was she letting him stand so close to her? Why was she letting him touch her shoulder like that?
Then Aimilia pulled away, finally, but she was smiling at the cretin. Turpis went in the other direction, and Nikias chose his target.
It was one thing to stand to the side, holding his love for her tightly to his chest, when he knew the one he would lose her to was his own brother.
Loving her and drowning in his jealousy had been doable when it had been Gavril because at least Nikias understood it.
Gavril was Nikias’ better in every way, but Turpis?
It could not be borne. Nikias wouldn’t stand for this.
Nikias slipped out into the hallway after him. As soon as he had, Turpis turned on his heel and said, “Your Highness.”
Nikias was going to relish knocking that smug grin off his face. All Nikias could see was red. He snapped, “I know you’re not all that intelligent, but this is a new low for you.”
Turpis’ grin didn’t fade. “I’m afraid you’ll have to be a little more specific, Your Highness. I don’t think I’m smart enough to know what you’re talking about.”
Nikias said, “You know exactly what I’m talking about. Commander Aimilia. To what ends of the earth do I need to send you so you get the picture? You’re to leave her alone.”
“Oh, am I? Says who? How about you let Aimilia decide whose company she prefers?” Turpis laughed. “Wait… I think she already has.”
Nikias took another step forward. “Do you think it’s smart to make an enemy of me? Do you really want to go up against your next king?”
Turpis shrugged. “Commander Aimilia does it all the time. I’ve lost track of how many times she’s defied you. You don’t have the guts to do anything about it.”
“I don’t like you nearly as much as I like her. Don’t test me.”
“You might like her, but do you think she’s going to like you once she finds out about your little interference?”
“She’ll get over it. She loves me.” The words were spilling out before Nikias could think twice about them, his fury loosening his tongue. All that mattered was getting rid of this obstacle. “She will marry me.”
“Not if she wins this competition, she won’t. You can’t truly think she’d win this and choose you? She didn’t want you months ago, and that hasn’t changed. You’ve deluded yourself into thinking she loves you? She doesn’t even like you.”
“You don’t know anything about the last few months. You have no idea how she feels about me.”
“Really? Tell that to all the letters I have that have Aimilia’s name on them.”
Nikias grabbed Turpis by the chiton and slammed him into the wall. His breath was hot, but Turpis didn’t turn his head away. Turpis just grinned wider. “You wouldn’t be this upset if you were winning, Your Highness.”
Nikias snapped, “Stop talking.”
Turpis smiled and stayed silent.
Nikias shoved him back into the wall. “This is an order from your prince: You are going to stay far away from Aimilia. Don’t think I don’t know what you’re after.
Everyone who looks at you knows it. Your pathetic, desperate attempts to use her to improve your station in life are obvious to everyone.
She won’t fall for it, and I won’t let you even attempt it.
If I catch you near her again, I’ll have you stripped of your rank and sent home in disgrace. ”
Turpis whispered, “There’s only one desperate man in this hallway, and it’s certainly not me.”
Each true word struck Nikias deep in his chest.
Nikias dropped Turpis and stepped back. “I gave you an order.”
“I hear you, Your Highness. Unfortunately, I don’t think Commander Aimilia will appreciate this.
” Turpis pushed off the wall and took a few steps, backwards so he still faced Nikias with a wicked smirk.
“I guess I’ll find out when I see her at the west tower tomorrow evening.
I’ll be sure to let her know about your orders, so that when I disappear, she knows who to blame for it. ”
The west tower?
Why was Aimilia planning to meet him at the west tower?
Nikias lunged to grab him again, but Turpis slipped out of his grip and was dashing down the hallway.
He called out, “Don’t worry, Your Highness.
I’m sure this time will be the time she says yes to you.
Who wouldn’t want to marry a man who’s so pathetic he has to try and intimidate all of his competition just so he can have a chance with his brother’s leftovers? ”
Forget the threat he made to strip him of his rank.
Nikias was going to kill him.
Nikias could feel everything slipping through his grasp again. He would not lose her, especially not to that disgusting excuse of a man.
He just had to make her understand. He had to make her admit that she loved him.
No. Nikias didn’t even care about that anymore. He just had to stop Turpis from manipulating her. He had to get ahead of this. He would not have everything he loved ripped away from him again.