A Royal Obligation
Chapter 142: Shattered Walls

Chapter 142: Shattered Walls

Amarok stood before Lucian and Julian, the twins’ expectant eyes locked on him, their expressions full of concern and confusion. He wanted to speak, to explain everything that had been eating away at him, but the words wouldn’t come.

His chest felt tight, and his throat burned from holding back the truth for so long.

Every part of him screamed to tell them, to unload the burden, but fear and shame kept his lips sealed. His heart was torn between wanting to protect them and the growing agony of hiding what he was going through.

"Amarok," Lucian’s voice broke through the silence, soft and pleading. "Please, just tell us what’s wrong. We can fix it. Whatever it is, we’ll handle it."

Julian stood beside his brother, his face equally filled with worry. "You’ve been distant for weeks. It’s like you’re slipping away from us," he added, his voice barely masking the desperation he felt. "We love you. Please, don’t shut us out."

Amarok’s breath hitched as he lowered his head.

He could feel their love, could see how deeply they cared, but that only made it harder to bear. How could he tell them that while they were safe and cherished, he had been silently suffering at the hands of the other servants?

The bullying, the cruel words, the shoves and threats, it all weighed on him like a crushing burden.

But he couldn’t let them get involved. If the servants told the king about their relationship, everything would be ruined.

"I... I can’t," Amarok finally managed to say, his voice trembling. His eyes burned, and he fought to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over. "You don’t understand. You can’t fix this."

Lucian stepped forward, his hand gently reaching out to touch Amarok’s arm. "Why not? Just tell us, and we’ll make it right." His tone was gentle but firm, a mix of concern and determination. "We can’t help if you don’t let us in."

Amarok flinched, stepping back, his heart pounding. "Because... it’s not that simple," he choked, his voice cracking. "You don’t know what I’ve been going through."

Julian exchanged a worried glance with Lucian before moving closer, his hands settling on Amarok’s shoulders. "Then tell us. Let us help you. We hate seeing you like this."

Amarok squeezed his eyes shut, his hands balling into fists at his sides. His lips trembled, eyes blurred with unshed tears. He couldn’t hold it in any longer.

The walls he had built around his heart began to crumble, and as much as he tried to keep it all inside, the weight of it finally became too much.

Brick by brick, it finally collapsed.

A sob tore from Amarok chest, and before he knew it, he was crying. His body trembled as the tears flowed freely, the pain he had been bottling up for so long spilling out in wwaves

His legs gave way beneath him, but Lucian was quick to catch him, pulling him into a tight embrace. Julian was there a moment later, wrapping his arms around both of them, his brow furrowed in confusion and worry.

"Why are you crying?" Julian asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "Amarok, please... tell us."

Lucian eyes was wide with concern.

"Amarok, please talk to us. We’ll do whatever it takes to fix this." His voice was soft, tender.

Amarok shook his head, still sobbing into Lucian’s chest. The shame was too much to bear.

But Lucian held him tighter, his fingers gently stroking Amarok’s hair in a comforting gesture. "You’re safe here," he whispered. "We love you. Nothing will change that."

"Please, talk to us," Julian added, his voice strained with emotion. "Whatever it is, we’ll take care of it. Even if it’s something we did, we’ll fix it. Just... tell us."

The sincerity in their voices, the raw emotion in their pleas, it was too much. Amarok couldn’t keep it in any longer. His tears kept falling as he finally, shakily, began to speak. "I... I didn’t want to tell you... I didn’t want any problem," he choked out, his voice muffled by Lucian’s embrace.

Julian’s hand tightened on his shoulder. "What do you mean? Hurt us how?"

Amarok hiccupped through his sobs, struggling to get the words out. "The servants," he whispered, the mere mention of them making his stomach churn with dread. "They’ve... they’ve been bullying me."

Lucian’s arms tightened around him, and Julian stiffened, his expression darkening. "What?"

"They call me names," Amarok continued, his voice barely audible, his tears falling faster now. "They say I’m nothing but a toy for you both, that you’ll get bored of me and throw me away."

Lucian and Julian exchanged horrified looks, the color draining from their faces. "Amarok..." Lucian whispered, his voice filled with disbelief.

Amarok sobbed harder, his body shaking as he continued, the words tumbling out now, as if once the dam had broken, he couldn’t stop them. "They shove me in the halls. They hit me when no one’s looking. They say they’ll tell the king about us if I say aanything."

Julian’s heart clenched painfully in his chest, his body tense with fury. "They what?" His voice was low, dangerous, a stark contrast to the gentle tone he had used moments before.

Lucian’s expression darkened as well, his normally calm and composed demeanor crumbling in the face of what Amarok had just revealed.

"Why didn’t you tell us sooner?" he asked, his voice strained, as if he was struggling to contain his anger. "You’ve been dealing with this alone?"

Amarok nodded, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"I didn’t want to be a burden. I didn’t want to make things worse for you both." His tears fell faster now, his body trembling as the full weight of everything he had been holding in came crashing down. "I thought... if I pulled away, if I stayed in the background like a servant should, it would protect you. Protect us."

Julian’s anger flared, his jaw clenched tight. "Amarok, you are not just a servant to us. You never have been. You’re one of us. We love you." His voice cracked, betraying the emotion he was trying to hold bback

"And no one, no one, has the right to treat you like this."

Lucian nodded, his hand moving to cup Amarok’s face, wiping away the tears with his thumb.

"We’re so sorry you’ve been dealing with this alone," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "But we’ll fix this. We’ll deal with them. They’ll never hurt you again."

Amarok shook his head frantically, his heart pounding in his chest. "No, please! If you punish them, they’ll go to the king. They’ll tell him about us, and... and I’ll be taken away." His voice was full of fear, his eyes wide with panic. "I can’t lose you both. I’d rather suffer than lose you."

Julian’s hands tightened on Amarok’s arms, his eyes blazing with anger. "You won’t lose us," he said, his voice fierce. "I don’t care what they threaten. We won’t let anything happen to you."

Lucian’s face softened, his touch gentle as he pressed his forehead against Amarok’s. "We won’t let anybody take you from us. We’ll find a way to protect you, Amarok. Trust us."

Amarok trembled, his heart warring between fear and the overwhelming love he felt from them. He wanted to believe them, wanted to trust that they could fix this. But the terror of being torn away from them was too strong. "But... what if..."

"No ’what ifs,’" Julian interrupted, his voice firm but full of love. "We’ll figure this out, together. But you can’t go through this alone anymore."

Lucian nodded in agreement, his eyes full of determination. "You’re ours, Amarok. And we’ll fight for you, no matter what."

The tears continued to fall, but Amarok felt the tightness in his chest begin to loosen, just a little. He was still scared, still unsure of what the future would hold, but the twins’ unwavering love and support gave him a glimmer of hope.

"Please, stay with us tonight," Lucian whispered, his voice soft and pleading. "We’ve missed you so much."

Amarok hesitated for a moment, but then, with a shaky breath, he nodded.

Exhausted and emotionally drained, Amarok allowed himself to be led to the bed.

Lucian and Julian guided him gently, their arms still wrapped protectively around him. They lay down together, their bodies tangled in a familiar embrace.

For the first time in weeks, Amarok allowed himself to relax, to be vulnerable, and to trust that somehow, they would make everything right.

He rested his head against Julian’s chest, Lucian’s arms wrapped around him from behind.

They lay in silence for a long time, the quiet of the night a soothing balm to the emotional storm they had just weathered. Lucian’s hand gently stroked Amarok’s hair, while Julian’s heartbeat thrummed steadily beneath his ear.

"Everything will be okay," Lucian whispered into the darkness. "We’ll make sure of it."

Julian kissed the top of Amarok’s head. "No one will ever hurt you again."