A Royal Obligation
Chapter 172: Valeidio Fury (2)

Chapter 172: Valeidio Fury (2)

Lord Cedric sat in the quiet of his study, his focus drifting as he scanned through reports of the border patrols, an ever-vigilant protector of his family’s realm. The light from the midday sun cast a warm glow over the room, filling it with a false sense of peace. It was this quietude that the sudden arrival of a messenger interrupted, a man in Valeidio guard’s uniform, his face drawn with a gravity that instantly unsettled Cedric.

"A message from the palace, my lord," the messenger said, extending a letter sealed with the royal crest.

Cedric dismissed the man with a quick wave of his hand, a sense of unease prickling his skin. As he carefully broke the seal, a faint dread settled in his heart. But nothing could prepare him for the words within.

Eirik... kidnapped.

He read the words over and over, disbelief clawing at his mind. His hands began to shake, and he felt an unfamiliar surge of helplessness wash over him. The shock gave way to fury, a roiling, bitter anger that nearly led him to overturn his desk. The one time he had allowed himself to bend, to listen to Eirik’s insistence that the Sentinels were unnecessary in Zephyros, this, this, was the result. His precious nephew, stolen away, and by none other than Sadiki, a trusted guard.

"Prepare my horse!" he bellowed to the servants outside his study, his voice rough and commanding. Cedric had never felt so desperate to reach the palace, to be by his sister’s side, to offer some semblance of support in this dark moment. As his servants scrambled to obey, he fought back the tide of guilt that threatened to drown him. Eirik had insisted he didn’t need the Sentinels, but Cedric knew now he never should have allowed that decision. If only the Sentinels had stayed, no mere guard could have taken his nephew from under their watch.

---

At the border of Valeidio , Theo and Ella were sparring in the open training grounds, exchanging blows as the sun cast long shadows around them. Theo’s movements were measured, each swing and block met with a careful calm that contrasted his sister’s spirited energy. Ella lunged forward with a playful gleam in her eyes, her sword slicing through the air in a wide arc.

"Careful, Ella," Theo said, dodging her strike with ease and grinning. "You’re leaving yourself open again."

"Only so you can correct me and feel superior," she retorted, a smirk tugging at her lips. "One day, I’m going to surprise you, Theo. Just you wait."

Theo laughed, brushing his damp hair back from his forehead. "Not today, little sister." He reached for a water flask handed to him by a nearby soldier, taking a swig before passing it to Ella. "You’re getting better, though. Soon, maybe even Eirik won’t be able to keep up with you."

Ella took a long drink and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Not likely. I’d be happy to beat you, let alone Eirik." She grinned, aiming a playful punch at Theo’s arm.

But Theo only chuckled. "Keep dreaming, Ella. None of us could hope to match Eirik’s skill."

Ella was about to respond, a teasing retort ready on her lips, when they both noticed a soldier approaching at a brisk pace, a letter clutched tightly in his hand. Ella raised an eyebrow, straightening as she watched him approach.

"Letter from the palace, my lord and lady," the soldier said, stopping before them and holding out the letter.

Ella’s eyes lit up with curiosity, and she was quicker than Theo, snatching the letter from the soldier’s hand before her brother could reach it.

"That could be for my eyes alone, you know," Theo chided, but Ella was already tearing the seal open with a grin.

"Don’t be so serious, Theo. It’s probably a message from the twins, I can tell an official letter when I see one," she replied, her tone light-hearted. But as her eyes scanned the words on the page, her smile vanished, replaced by a look of frozen horror.

"What is it?" Theo asked, concern etching lines on his brow as he reached for the letter. But Ella’s grip on it remained stiff, her gaze fixed on a distant point as though trying to process something incomprehensible.

Finally, she let him take the letter, her fingers trembling as she released it. Theo’s eyes darted over the words, and he felt his blood run cold. Eirik was kidnapped? Their cousin, gone, taken in the dead of night by the one person they all had trusted to keep him safe.

Theo swallowed hard, forcing down the swell of emotion in his chest as he lowered the letter, looking to his sister. Ella’s face was pale, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. But the look that flickered over her features was not only one of sadness, it was fury.

"How could Kaelix let this happen?" she whispered, her voice venomous, low but trembling with rage. "He was supposed to protect Eirik! He had one job, one, and he failed. I knew it! I knew he wasn’t worthy of Eirik, and now he’s proved it."

"Ella," Theo said gently, reaching out to rest a hand on her shoulder, but she shook him off, her expression hardening.

"He’s useless, Theo. He’s proven that he doesn’t deserve to be by Eirik’s side." Her voice grew louder, each word sharpened with anger. "We all knew that Kaelix wasn’t the right one for Eirik. But I thought, at least, he could keep him safe! And look what’s happened."

"Stop it, Ella." Theo’s voice was firmer now, his tone edged with an authority that rarely emerged between them. "This isn’t Kaelix’s fault. He’s likely devastated right now, and blaming him won’t bring Eirik back."

Ella scoffed, her face twisted with bitterness. "Devastated? He should be. His failure is the reason Eirik’s missing. If he had been a better protector, Sadiki wouldn’t have been able to take Eirik so easily."

"That’s not fair, and you know it," Theo replied, his voice calm but unyielding. "Sadiki betrayed us all, Ella. If you want to blame someone, blame him. But Kaelix is hurting too. Imagine how he feels, knowing the one he loves is out there, in the hands of a traitor."

Ella clenched her fists, looking down as she struggled to contain her anger. But Theo continued, his voice softer now. "Kaelix may have been a prince, but he’s not all-powerful. We don’t know what happened. We don’t know what Kaelix went through or what he’s done since. You may not want to hear it, but right now, he’s suffering as much as any of us. He’s lost someone he loves, just like we have."

Ella’s shoulders sagged, and the fire in her eyes dimmed, replaced by the weight of helplessness. She hated to admit it, but Theo was right. Her anger had given her something to cling to, something to focus on in the midst of her fear and despair. But as Theo’s words settled over her, the reality of Eirik’s absence returned, raw and aching.

"I just... I just don’t understand," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Eirik... he didn’t deserve this."

Theo wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. "I know, Ella. None of us do. But we’ll get him back, I promise. We’ll do everything we can to bring him home."

She nodded, leaning into her brother’s embrace as a tear slipped down her cheek.