A Royal Obligation
Chapter 110: Realization Hits

Chapter 110: Realization Hits

Eirik found Kaelix by the small fountain at the edge of the garden, sitting on the stone ledge with his back to the path. His shoulders were slumped, his head bowed, and Eirik could tell from the tension in his posture that Kaelix was struggling to hold himself together.

His heart ached at the sight.

Kaelix was always the one who stood tall, always the one who seemed to carry his burdens with grace. To see him like this, vulnerable, defeated, was more than Eirik could bear. He took a deep breath, gathering the courage to approach, and quietly walked over to sit beside him.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The only sound between them was the gentle trickle of water from the fountain, a quiet melody filling the heavy silence.

"I’m sorry," Eirik said finally, his voice soft and unsure.

Kaelix didn’t look up, but Eirik could see the way his chest rose with a deep sigh, one that was full of exhaustion. "You don’t need to apologize, Eirik. It’s not your fault."

"It feels like it is," Eirik admitted, his heart heavy with guilt. "I keep trying to make this work, but it’s like... they just won’t let you in."

Kaelix let out a small, humorless laugh, shaking his head. "It’s not that they won’t let me in, Eirik. It’s that I don’t belong. Not with them."

Eirik’s chest tightened at the words. Not belong? How could Kaelix think that? He belonged more than anyone. He belonged with him.

"That’s not true," Eirik argued, turning to face him. "You belong with me."

Finally, Kaelix looked up, meeting Eirik’s eyes with a gaze full of sadness, a kind of resignation that cut Eirik deeper than any wound. "But do I belong with your family?" Kaelix’s voice cracked, revealing the vulnerability he tried so hard to hide.

Eirik opened his mouth to respond, but the words caught in his throat. He didn’t know how to answer that. He didn’t know how to bridge the gap between the man he now loved and the people who had always stood by him. His family, the people he cared about most, were the ones pushing Kaelix away, and it was tearing him apart.

All he knew was that he couldn’t bear the thought of Kaelix being sad, of feeling like he didn’t belong.

"We’ll figure it out," Eirik said finally, his voice firmer than the uncertainty gnawing at him. "I don’t care what it takes. You do belong, Kaelix. And I’ll make sure they see that."

For the first time that day, Kaelix’s gaze softened, and a small, genuine smile touched his lips. "I hope so, Eirik. I really do."

Without hesitation, Eirik reached for his hand, their fingers intertwining as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "I promise," Eirik whispered, holding Kaelix’s hand tightly as though anchoring him to the one place he would always belong, with him.

Kaelix squeezed his hand back, and though the uncertainty still lingered, there was comfort in the quiet connection they shared in that moment. Eirik wanted to hold onto that.

"Let’s go back to our chambers," Eirik suggested, his voice tender.

Kaelix hesitated for a brief second before nodding. Together, they stood, still holding hands as they walked back along the garden path, their steps in sync, their silence no longer heavy but full of shared understanding.

Meanwhile, back at the garden, Eirik’s family sat in stunned silence. His twin siblings, Lucian and Julian, along with Theo, Ella, and Theron, were utterly speechless. They had never seen Eirik this worked up before, especially over someone outside their family.

Lucian exchanged a wide-eyed look with Julian, while Ella pressed a hand to her mouth, her thoughts racing. Had they gone too far? They’d only meant to tease Kaelix, but seeing Eirik’s distress... maybe they had miscalculated.

The silence was thick, but it was Theron who finally broke it with a sigh, running a hand through his hair. "I think we pushed too far."

Theo, nodded grimly. "Yeah, I think so too."

Lucian’s brow furrowed in confusion. "But we didn’t mean any harm. It was just... a harmless teasing."

Ella shot him a sharp look, her guilt etched on her face. "Maybe to us it was teasing, but clearly Kaelix didn’t see it that way. And neither does Eirik."

Julian, frowned deeply. He had never seen Eirik that upset, not over something like this. He crossed his arms, guilt settling in his stomach. "I thought he’d laugh it off like he usually does. I didn’t realize..."

"You didn’t realize what?" Darren’s voice interrupted.

Julian shifted awkwardly. "That we went too far."

"Kaelix might seem stubborn," Darren said, his voice hard, "but he has the kindest heart of anyone I know. We shouldn’t have treat him like that."

Lysander crossed his arms, his gaze sharp. "We’ve hurt him deeply. And now We’ve hurt Eirik in the process."

The weight of their words hit hard. Eirik’s family, though protective of him, had never intended to upset him, much less push Kaelix away. But seeing Eirik’s pain, that was something they couldn’t ignore.

"We need to fix this," Theron said with conviction, turning to the others. "For Eirik’s sake."

Lucian and Julian exchanged a glance and nodded in agreement, while Ella bit her lip, guilt gnawing at her. "We’ll go apologize."

"We need to," Theo added, the regret in his voice clear. "If making fun of Kaelix makes Eirik unhappy, then it has to stop."

Determined, they all nodded in unison and turned toward the palace, on a mission to find Eirik’s chambers. Darren and Lysander remained behind, watching as the others left. They both knew how fragile Kaelix’s heart was, how much Eirik meant to him. They could only hope this apology would be enough.

Amarok, silently took his leave, heading back to the quarters he shared with the twins. He had no desire to be part of this unfolding drama.

It didn’t take long for Eirik’s family to found his chambers, with the help of some servants.

They hesitated outside the door for a moment, exchanging uncertain looks before Ella raised her hand to knock. But before she could, they heard voices coming from inside, Eirik’s, soft and reassuring, and Kaelix’s, quieter but filled with emotion.

Curiosity got the better of them, and before they knew it, Lucian pushed the door open just a crack, enough for them to see inside.

The sight that met them left them frozen in place.

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