A Royal Obligation
Chapter 179: The Twin’s Grief

Chapter 179: The Twin’s Grief

The twins sat in silent agony, staring out over the palace courtyard, their shared frustration crackling like a storm between them.

Days had slipped by like sand through their fingers since Eirik’s kidnapping, and each one had only increased their sense of uselessness. Trapped by their father’s orders and confined to the palace, they felt the unbearable weight of being bystanders in the search for their own brother.

Neither twin had spoken much. Their words felt hollow against the weight of what they carried; any attempt to share their pain only seemed to highlight their helplessness.

Eirik, their younger brother, had always been the heart of their family, the one who softened their mother’s quiet strength, who bridged the fierce pride of their father.When he left for Zephyros, the palace seemed cold and unwelcoming, like an empty shell, devoid of laughter and warmth.

Julian’s fists clenched as he tried to steady his breathing, the raw edge of his anger pulsing with each heartbeat. "We should be out there," he muttered, low enough for only Lucian to hear. "Every day that passes, every second we’re here...we’re losing time."

Lucian nodded, his expression unreadable but his voice laced with the same bitterness. "And instead, we’re supposed to be here, watching Mother drown in grief while we sit here, doing nothing."

The helplessness weighed heavily on both of them, gnawing away at their composure, especially as they watched Queen Morgana’s suffering grow day by dday

Each time they crossed paths with her, they could see the toll of her worry in the shadows under her eyes and the frailness of her frame.

This whole situation had taken something vital from her, and she seemed to drift like a ghost in her own palace, a constant reminder of everything the twins couldn’t do.

Their father, King Xavian, insisted they remain at the palace, claiming it would draw unwanted attention if both of them joined the search. His words did little to ease their torment, however, only fueling their sense of powerlessness. And so, the twins’ pain simmered, unspoken yet heavy in the air, each passing day more agonizing than the last.

Amarok had watched them from the sidelines, his heart aching as he saw the light dimming in the twins’ eyes. He had been at their side for years, witnessing their triumphs, losses, and every emotion in between. But this was different, this felt like a wound he couldn’t touch, a pain too deep to soothe. Every attempt he made to reach out to them seemed to only push them further away, as though they’d retreated behind walls he couldn’t breach.

Amarok’s patience had always been his strength, but even that patience was fraying. He couldn’t ignore the fact that Julian and Lucian had grown distant, like strangers behind their cold, guarded eyes. He’d caught them exchanging looks, brief and loaded with unsaid words, that he wasn’t privy to. Their silence was an invisible barrier, keeping him at arm’s length when all he wanted was to be close enough to offer even a shred of comfort.

He had approached Julian one night, hoping that in the quiet of evening, Julian might let his guard down. He’d tried to offer comfort, had spoken quietly of hope and strength. But Julian had only shrugged him off with a hollow look, his voice barely above a whisper. "You don’t understand," he’d said, the words laced with a bitterness that cut Amarok to the bone. "You’ll never understand."

Amarok knew then that his presence was a reminder of their confinement, of the inaction they were forced to endure. And while he tried to convince himself that it wasn’t his fault, a part of him felt the sting of rejection as sharply as a blade. He found himself questioning his own worth to them, wondering if he was nothing but an added burden on their shoulders, a reminder of the things they could not change.

Yet, even in his frustration, Amarok couldn’t bring himself to resent them. He knew their pain was raw, and their hearts ached with a longing to be by their brother’s side. He didn’t blame them for their distance, even if it left him feeling adrift. He swallowed his own hurt, determined not to make this about himself. The twins had enough on their shoulders; they didn’t need his insecurities to weigh them down.

When he lay alone at night, his thoughts would drift to Eirik, to the love and laughter he had shared with his brothers. He thought about how close Eirik had been to Sadiki, the very man who’d betrayed him. Amarok could hardly believe it even now. He could still remember the way he’d caught them together, nestled in the palace gardens, hidden behind the thick ivy where they thought no one could see. Eirik had been laughing, his eyes bright and alive, while Sadiki had looked at him with a tenderness that Amarok could only recognize as love.

How could Sadiki betray someone he had once cherished? Amarok couldn’t make sense of it. Had it been a hidden bitterness, a secret jealousy? Or had he never truly cared? The thoughts twisted Amarok’s mind, leaving him grappling for answers that didn’t exist. He wished he could speak to Julian and Lucian about it, to share his confusion, but they had shut him out. His thoughts felt heavy with doubt and pain, a tangle of feelings that he couldn’t untangle on his own.

One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, Amarok found himself standing outside the twins’ chambers, his hand hovering near the door, uncertain. He go in and offer some solace, but a sinking feeling held him back. The last time he’d tried, they had brushed him off, their eyes cold and distant. His shoulders sagged as he took a step back, deciding against intruding.

Inside, Julian and Lucian sat in silence, each lost in their thoughts. The walls of the palace seemed to press in on them, each corridor a reminder of their confinement. Julian’s fists were clenched tightly, his nails digging into his palms. "I feel like I’m losing my mind in here," he muttered, his voice a strained whisper.

Lucian’s gaze was fixed on the floor, his jaw tight. The guilt weighed heavily on them both, an unbearable ache that gnawed at their souls.

Their thoughts drifted to Amarok, and a pang of guilt tightened in Julian’s chest. He knew they had been distant, cold even, but he couldn’t bring himself to share the depth of his despair, to let someone else carry a piece of the burden that he felt was solely his to bear. Lucian shared a similar guilt, aware of Amarok’s efforts to reach out but unable to break free from the walls he’d built around his heart.

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