A Royal Obligation
Chapter 111: Oil to the Fire

Chapter 111: Oil to the Fire

Eirik was lying on the bed, with Kaelix curled up beside him, their bodies close, Kaelix’s head resting against Eirik’s chest. They were quiet, but the intimacy of the moment was undeniable.

Eirik’s hand was gently stroking Kaelix’s hair, his touch tender, as if reassuring both of them that this moment was real.

Kaelix, resting his head on Eirik’s chest, could feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. The constant teasing from Eirik’s family, seemed far away. Here, in this quiet space, it was just the two of them.

But the serenity shattered the moment the door flew open.

"What?!"

"What’s going on here?!"

The synchronized voices of Eirik’s family made both him and Kaelix jolt upright, their eyes wide and panicked. In the doorway stood Lucian, Julian, Ella, Theo, and Theron, their expressions a mixture of shock, anger, and confusion.

Eirik’s heart raced as his family stormed into the room, not giving him a second to breathe. He instinctively stepped in front of Kaelix as if to shield him from the impending onslaught.

"What are you all doing here?!" Eirik demanded, his face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and frustration.

Lucian was the first to speak, his hands raised in a defensive gesture. "We, uh... we came to apologize."

Julian, folded his arms, his eyes narrowing. "But what is this?" He motioned to the bed, his tone hardening. "You and Kaelix, sharing a bed? What the hell is going on, Eirik?"

Eirik’s mind spun, searching for an explanation. His face flushed deeper as he looked from Kaelix to his family, unsure of how to even begin to explain what had become so normal for him. His voice cracked when he finally spoke.

"It’s not what it looks like," he blurted, his hands trembling slightly.

Ella, raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. "It’s exactly what it looks like, Eirik."

Julian’s gaze darkened, his voice cold. "What is he doing in your chambers? Are you two...?"

Eirik swallowed hard, feeling cornered. He had been avoiding this exact moment since his family arrived.

This is the reason he didn’t want to show his family his chambers, when they asked.

How could he explain that, after the assassination attempt, Kaelix had insisted he move into his room? Eirik had agreed at the time because he didn’t have much of a choice, but now it seemed impossible to explain it in a way that wouldn’t make things worse.

"I..." Eirik started, his mind racing.

"We’re sharing this chamber," Eirik said at last, his voice firm, though his stomach churned with anxiety.

The room went silent for a beat. His words hung heavy in the air.

Lucian’s face tightened, a clear sign of his growing anger. "Why?" he demanded, taking a step forward. "You’re not even married yet.

So why the hell are you doing sharing a bed?"

Theron’s expression turned to one of barely concealed fury, his eyes locking onto Kaelix with disdain. "Is he taking advantage of you, Eirik?" Theron growled, his tone sharp and accusatory.

Eirik’s heart dropped. He turned to Kaelix, seeing the pain and humiliation flash across his face. But before Eirik could respond, Ella was already moving, grabbing Eirik’s arm in a futile attempt to pull him away from the bed.

"Eirik, get up. This isn’t... this isn’t right," Ella insisted, her voice edged with panic. "You need to think about this."

Kaelix remained silent, his body tense as he sat frozen beside Eirik. His hands were clenched into fists at his sides, but he made no move to stop Ella. He could feel his control slipping, his temper bubbling beneath the surface, but he knew this wasn’t the time. This was Eirik’s family, Eirik’s battle.

Eirik, however, had reached his limit.

"Will you all stop it!" Eirik’s voice erupted, sharp and commanding as he wrenched his arm free from Ella’s grip, pushing her back with a force that startled everyone in the room.

The room fell into stunned silence, his siblings and cousins frozen in place, wide-eyed and slack-jawed.

They had never seen Eirik like this, never heard him raise his voice in such anger. Even Kaelix, who had seen Eirik’s frustrations in private, was shocked by the sheer force of his outburst.

Eirik’s chest heaved with fury as he stood tall, his gaze sweeping over his family, every muscle in his body coiled with barely restrained rage.

"Do you all really think so little of me?" he asked, his voice shaking with disbelief. "Do you think I’m so weak that I can’t make my own decisions? That I can’t even make a single choice for myself?"

Lucian opened his mouth to speak, but Eirik cut him off, his voice rising even higher. "Enough! I’ve had enough of you all treating me like I have no mind of my own - like a puppet you all can push around as you please!"

"We’re just trying to protect you, Eirik!" Lucian shouted back, but there was a waver in his voice, as if even he wasn’t sure of their intentions anymore.

"Protect me from what?" Eirik snapped, stepping toward him, his face flushed with anger. "From someone who loves me? From someone I want to be with? You act like I’m some helpless child, but I’m not! I’m not your little brother to be coddled anymore!"

Julian, tried to diffuse tension, he raised his hands in a calming gesture. "Eirik, we didn’t mean..."

"I don’t care what you meant!" Eirik’s voice cracked as he cut him off again. "You barged into my chambers, insulted Kaelix, and then had the audacity to act like I’m too stupid to know what I’m doing. Get out!"

Julian blinked, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, completely at a loss for words. The others looked just as stunned, their faces pale with shock.

"We didn’t mean to upset you," Ella whispered, her eyes shining with tears. "We were just worried..."

Eirik grabbed a pillow from the bed and hurled it at her, his frustration boiling over. "Out! Now! " he screamed, his voice raw and desperate. "I’ve had enough of all of you treating me like this!"

The force of his words hit them like a physical blow. Ella recoiled, her tears spilling over as she looked at Eirik with hurt and confusion. Theo stepped forward, trying to comfort her, but his own face was a mask of disbelief.

Kaelix, still sitting on the bed, had been silent throughout the entire exchange. His heart ached watching Eirik like this, seeing the pain and anger twist his usually kind features into something unrecognizable. Part of him wanted to step in, to help, but another part of him knew this was something Eirik needed to do on his own.

Eirik’s eyes burned with unshed tears, his voice hoarse as he repeated, "I Said. Get. Out."

Lucian and Julian exchanged a glance, their faces drawn with guilt. They had come here to apologize, to make things right after what had happened in the garden, but they had only made everything worse. Neither of them had expected Eirik to lash out like this, and it was clear they didn’t know how to fix it.

"I’m sorry," Lucian said softly, but Eirik shook his head.

"I don’t want to hear it, Just get out," Eirik muttered, turning his back on them.

Theo, gently took Ella’s hand, guiding her toward the door. "Let’s go," he murmured, his voice barely audible. One by one, the rest of them followed, their footsteps heavy with regret as they left Eirik’s chambers in silence.

As the door clicked shut behind them, the room was finally still. The only sound was Eirik’s ragged breathing as he stood frozen in place, his fists clenched at his sides.

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