A Royal Obligation
Chapter 143: Confession Over Breakfast

Chapter 143: Confession Over Breakfast

The morning sun filtered through the large windows of the royal dining hall, casting a soft glow over the elegant table where the royal family sat for breakfast.

Sound of clinking silverware and the murmur of servants filled the room, yet there was a distinct tension in the air around Lucian and Julian as they shared glances between bites of their breakfast.

For once, the twins were eating well, their plates nearly cleared.

It was a stark contrast from the past few weeks when they had barely touched their food, lost in their own misery.

Queen Morgana’s sharp gaze flickered between her sons, noting the change.

She smiled, setting her silver fork down lightly on her plate. "It seems like whatever was troubling you both has been settled," she said, her voice gentle but observant.

Lucian paused for a split second, then quickly met his mother’s gaze with a faint smile. "Yes, you could say that," he replied, though there was a hint of restraint in his tone.

Julian nodded along, his eyes darting nervously between his twin and their parents. His fingers played nervously with the edge of his napkin as if preparing for something much more difficult than the simple breakfast before them.

Queen Morgana gave a satisfied nod. "I’m happy to hear that," her attention back to her food.

Theron, their elder brother, sat across from them, watching the interaction in silence. A knowing smirk played on his lips, but he refrained from commenting.

He had an idea of what had been causing their bad moods recently, but he was glad to see that they seemed to be back to their usual selves.

King Xavian, however, remained focused on his breakfast. His brow furrowed slightly as he carefully cut into a piece of fruit, entirely uninterested in the subtle family dynamics playing out at the table.

But Julian was restless.

The longer they sat there, the more his heart pounded. He knew they had to say something, and soon, before the weight of their secret suffocated him entirely.

His fingers tightened around his napkin, his eyes darting between his twin and their parents. He could feel the words bubbling up in his throat, and before he could stop himself, he blurted.

"We’re...we are in a relationship with Amarok."

The entire room fell into a stunned silence.

Lucian froze mid-motion, his fork halfway to his mouth. His eyes widened as he turned to Julian, both shocked and unprepared for his twin’s sudden outburst. They had planned to tell their parents, yes, but not like this, not blurted out over breakfast without warning.

Theron leaned back in his chair, his lips curling into a knowing smirk as he turned his attention toward their parents, clearly eager to see how they would react to such a bombshell.

King Xavian’s hands paused over his plate. Slowly, he set his fork and knife down, his gaze lifting to the twins.

Queen Morgana’s fingers froze on the handle of her glass, her eyebrows raised in surprise as she glanced between her two sons. The tension in the room was palpable, thick enough to cut through.

Julian felt his heart race as both his parents stared at them in silence, their eyes full of unspoken questions.

He shifted uncomfortably, his appetite long forgotten, as he tried to brace himself for whatever was coming next.

Lucian, too, sat frozen, unable to speak as his mind raced to find the right words, to frame this in a way that wouldn’t completely shatter the family dynamic.

Finally, King Xavian broke the silence, his voice low and steady, though his gaze was piercing. "Is that true?"

Lucian swallowed hard and nodded. "Yes, Father. It’s true."

His voice, though steady, trembled slightly under the weight of the moment. He could feel Julian beside him, radiating nervous energy, and he knew he had to take the lead from here. Lucian glanced at Julian, who gave a small, shaky nod, encouraging him to continue.

"We’ve been... in a relationship with Amarok for some time now," Lucian began carefully. "It’s not something we entered into lightly. We love him, both of us do. It’s not just a passing thing or a secret affair. We care about him deeply."

As Lucian spoke, the king and queen exchanged glances. The flicker of communication between them was subtle, but it was enough to unnerve Lucian further. Were they upset? Disappointed? There was no way to tell just yet.

"We... we didn’t tell you before because we were scared of how you’d react," Julian added, his voice quieter now. He swallowed hard, his hands gripping the edge of the table. "We thought you might be angry... or disapprove."

Lucian nodded in agreement, glancing nervously between his parents. "But we realize now that hiding our relationship might have hurt Amarok more than we knew. He’s been going through some things... things we didn’t know about until recently."

Theron watched, clearly amused. He was really enjoying watching his younger brothers squirm.

"We love Amarok so much, Father, Mother. We can’t imagine our lives without him." Julian’s voice was filled with emotion, and he glanced at Lucian, who nodded in agreement.

For what felt like an eternity, King Xavian and Queen Morgana simply stared at their sons.

The twins’ hearts pounded in their chests, the tension in the room unbearable.

They had braced themselves for anything.

But then, to their complete shock, Queen Morgana smiled. It was small at first, but warm and genuine. King Xavian’s stern expression softened, and the twins could see a glimmer of understanding in his eyes.

"What took you so long to tell us?" the queen asked softly, her voice filled with gentle amusement.

Julian blinked, momentarily stunned. "Wait... you knew?"

King Xavian chuckled under his breath, a rare sound that immediately eased some of the tension. "We had our suspicions," he admitted. "The way you both care for Amarok... it’s been obvious for a while now. We were just waiting for you to come to us when you were ready."

The twins exchanged stunned glances. The weight they had carried for so long, the fear and anxiety, suddenly felt foolish. Julian let out a shaky laugh, unable to believe what he was hearing. Lucian, too, exhaled a deep breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

"We were... scared," Lucian confessed, his voice quieter now. "We thought you wouldn’t understand."

"We’ve watched you two grow," Queen Morgana said gently. "And we’ve always trusted that you would make your own choices in your relationships. We just wanted you to be honest with us."

Julian chuckled nervously. "I can’t believe we were hiding from nothing..."

Theron, who had been quietly watching the drama unfold, finally spoke up, his tone light but teasing. "Took you long enough to spill the truth," he said, a smirk playing on his lips. "I’ve been telling you for ages to just come clean. Our parents aren’t that scary, you know."

Julian shot his brother a glare, though the anxiety still clung to his every word. "It’s not that simple, Theron," he muttered.

"So what made you decide to come out now, then?" Theron asked.

Lucian’s expression darkened.

"Amarok has been... going through a lot because of us. The other servants have been bullying him, physically and verbally. He didn’t tell us because he didn’t want to cause any trouble, but... it’s been going on for weeks."

King Xavian’s expression hardened instantly. "Bullying? Servants bullying Amarok?"

Julian nodded. "Yes. He was scared... scared that if anyone found out about our relationship, he’d be sent away, or worse."

The king’s hands tightened into fists on the table, his voice cold and firm. "This will be dealt with immediately. No one in this palace should be treated that way."

Julian and Lucian exchanged grateful glances, relieved to see their father so protective of Amarok.

"We’d also like to request new servants," Lucian added, carefully. "Amarok will no longer be our servant... he’ll be staying with us as our lover."

Theron snorted. "Just make sure you don’t expect one servant to handle the three of you," he teased, earning a glare from Julian.

"Don’t be ridiculous," Julian shot back, though a smile tugged at his lips. "We’ll need two, and they should be married women. We don’t want anything that might make Amarok feel insecure."

Theron chuckled, clearly enjoying the whole exchange. "Finally, you two are growing up."

Julian grinned. "Maybe. But what about you? When are you going to find a lover? You’re not getting any younger, you know."

Theron scoffed, shaking his head. "Please, I’m in no rush. But when I do find someone, you’ll be the last to know,"

Theron teased with a mischievous grin. "I’ll make sure to keep you both guessing for as long as possible."

Julian narrowed his eyes, a playful glint lighting them. "You better hope we don’t find out on our own. We have ways of getting information, you know."

Lucian smirked, leaning forward. "Oh, absolutely. You can’t keep secrets from us for too long, Theron."

The playful bickering between the brothers drew a soft chuckle from King Xavian, who resumed eating his food with an amused expression.

Queen Morgana, too, watched the exchange with a smile, her heart warming at the sight of her children’s lighter moods. The tension that had lingered around them for weeks seemed to be evaporating, replaced by the familiar, comforting banter of siblings.

"I wonder how Eirik is doing," the queen mused softly, her thoughts drifting to their youngest son, who was far away in Zephryos.

At that exact moment, miles away in the royal chambers of Zephryos, Eirik was sitting patiently as his servants braided his long hair. The breeze from the nearby ocean drifted through the windows, bringing with it the fresh scent of saltwater and warmth. He relaxed under the gentle hands of the servants, his eyes half-closed, when suddenly, he sneezed.

"Bless you, Your Highness," one of the servants said politely, her fingers still working through his hair.

Eirik chuckled softly, rubbing his nose. "Thank you."

From across the room, Kaelix, lounging lazily on their shared bed, glanced over with a teasing grin. "Maybe someone’s missing you in Valeidio."

Eirik chuckled, his eyes glinting with amusement as he leaned back into his seat. "I bet it’s my mother. A fond smile crossed his lips.

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