Chapter 102
Lucian remained silent for a long time.
When he returned he rested, completed his work, with the help of Theo.
The palace was quiet.
Too quiet.
Beyond the windows, the kingdom slept.
Or perhaps...No one truly slept tonight.
Somewhere beyond those walls, hundreds of families were praying.
Praying for fathers.
For sons.
For brothers.
For husbands.
For friends.
And beneath that mountain...
Men were still waiting.
He slowly rose from his chair.
Amelia watched him carefully,"Where are you going?"
Lucian walked to the window, looking toward the distant mountains hidden beneath the darkness,"I've spent the last four days giving orders."
His reflection stared back at him,"I've signed decrees.Dispatched soldiers.Sent physicians, Approved supplies."
He let out a slow breath,"But none of that feels enough."
He turned back to face his mother.
"Tomorrow...I'm going back."
Amelia blinked, "To the mountain?"
He nodded,"Not as a king.As another pair of hands.I can carry timber.I can move supplies.I can dig.....If my soldiers are expected to risk their lives......then I have no right to remain comfortably behind palace walls."
For a moment, Amelia simply stared at him.
Then a gentle smile touched her lips.
"Your father once said...A king should never ask his people to stand where he himself is unwilling to stand."
Lucian smiled faintly,"I remember."
She stepped closer and adjusted the collar of his coat as she had done since he was a little boy.
"You've become more like him than you realize."
Lucian's smile quickly faded.
His thoughts drifted back to the mountain.
To Aurora.
To the terror in her voice as she begged Turner not to descend into the mine.
To the tears she could no longer hide.
He lowered his eyes.
"I don't know if she loves him."
Amelia said nothing.
"I don't even know if he's alive."
His voice was barely audible.
"But if Turner survives......I'll be grateful."
Amelia looked at him in surprise.
Lucian gave a weary smile,"Not because it makes courting Aurora harder."
He shook his head,"Because no one deserves to lose someone they care about."
A tear escaped Amelia's eye,"My son...You've finally learned the difference between wanting someone......and wanting what's best for them."
Lucian looked toward the window once more.
"If her happiness is with Turner......then I'll accept it."
He paused,"But until she tells me so herself......I won't stop hoping."
Amelia smiled,"Hope is never foolish.So long as it is gentle."
Lucian nodded,Then tomorrow...I'll return to the mountain.I'll stand beside Uncle Owen.I'll stand beside the soldiers.And if Aurora needs another pair of hands...I'll be there."
Not as her king.
Not as a suitor.
Simply...
As someone who refused to abandon his people.
Amelia watched him quietly.
For the first time in many years...
She was no longer looking at the boy she had raised.
She was looking at the king the kingdom needed.
And somewhere beyond the palace walls...
The mountain waited.
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