A Royal Obligation
Chapter 233: Silent Comfort

Chapter 233: Silent Comfort

Outside the chamber, Queen Morgana leaned against the wall, her face still damp with tears. She pressed a hand to her chest, as though trying to steady the storm of emotions within her. The ache she felt for her son was unbearable, a wound that refused to heal.

"I failed him," she whispered to herself, her voice heavy with anguish.

Her tears had slowed, leaving her with the kind of hollow exhaustion that came from crying too much. She wiped her face with trembling hands, trying to compose herself. A deep, shuddering breath filled her lungs, and she forced herself to stand straight.

"This won’t do," she murmured, her voice gaining strength. "He needs me to be strong."

She sniffed, brushing away the last traces of her breakdown. Her mind began to race with possibilities. How could she reach him? How could she mend the wounds that ran so deep?

Turning on her heel, Morgana walked away with purpose. Her steps were steady, but the determination in her eyes burned fiercely. If the scars in Eirik’s heart were too deep to heal with time alone, then she would find another way. No matter how long it took, she would find the key to unlocking the light within her son once more.

Inside the chamber, Eirik’s sobs began to subside, leaving him drained and hollow. He wiped his tear-streaked face with the back of his hand, though the sorrow still clung to him like a heavy cloak.

The untouched food on the bed before him caught his eye, the sight of it filling him with a strange mix of guilt and longing. He wanted to feel normal again, to sit with his family, to laugh with his brothers, to feel safe. But that life felt so far away now, as if it belonged to someone else entirely.

He shifted under the bedding, curling onto his side and staring blankly at the tray of honeyed rolls his mother had so carefully placed. For a moment, he considered reaching out, taking just one bite to please her, but his hand remained frozen at his side.

"I can’t," he whispered to himself, his voice barely audible.

The silence of the room enveloped him, heavy and oppressive, broken only by the faint rustle of curtains as a breeze drifted through the partially opened window.

Eirik lay motionless, his thoughts as heavy as the air around him. Somewhere within him, he wished for someone, anyone, to come back. Not to talk, not to press him to eat, but just to sit with him. To let him feel less alone.

A soft knock sounded on the door, barely loud enough to be heard.

Eirik heard it but made no move to respond, his body unwilling to acknowledge the outside world. Moments later, the door creaked open, and footsteps padded lightly across the room.

Kaelix had pushed the door open quietly and stepped inside when there was no response, it was not as if he was expecting any in the first place.

He paused just inside the threshold, his eyes scanning the scene before him. his chest tightening at the sight of Eirik lying motionless on the bed, the blanket half-pulled around him, while an untouched feast of delicacies was strewn across the covers.

Kaelix’s heart was already heavy from the events he had just witnessed. He had watched Queen Morgana break down earlier, her sobs muffled by her hand as she slid to the floor.

Her regal demeanor had shattered, exposing a mother’s raw pain. The sight had been unbearable, but Kaelix had chosen not to make himself known, unwilling to intrude on her private grief.

When she finally rose, wiping her tears and gathering herself with a deep sniffle, her determination shone through the sorrow etched into her face.

She had muttered softly to herself, "I must find a way to help him," before turning and walking down the corridor.

Kaelix had remained rooted in place, his fists clenched. He couldn’t stop thinking of how much pain everyone around Eirik was enduring, each in their own way, and how powerless he felt to fix it.

The previous day had been grueling. Kaelix had spent the afternoon and evening alongside the Valeidio royals, planning their next move against Mbuzuoria and overseeing the continued interrogation of Sadiki.

Each revelation during those discussions had only deepened his anger, his desire for retribution for what had been done to his consort.

By the time he returned to the palace that night, he was weary, his mind racing. He had gone to check on Eirik, only to find Queen Morgana slumped in a chair beside the bed, dozing off. Her hand had been resting lightly on Eirik’s blanket, her expression filled with exhaustion and worry even in sleep. Seeing her like that, Kaelix had decided not to disturb them. He had backed out of the room as quietly as he’d entered, leaving them in peace.

Yet sleep had eluded him. The night had been long and restless, his thoughts a constant storm. He had roamed the halls of Valeidio Palace, the weight of everything, Eirik’s condition, the impending conflict with Mbuzuoria, and his own frustrations, bearing down on him.

By morning, his exhaustion was etched into every movement, but it was nothing compared to the ache in his heart. Now, standing in the quiet chamber, he felt that ache deepen.

His eyes moved to the trays of food still scattered across the bed, untouched. His jaw tightened as he approached, each step careful, deliberate.

Kaelix’s thoughts churned as he stared at Eirik. His consort, the bright, lively man who had once filled every corner of his life with light, was now a hollow shell. Eirik’s cheeks were hollow, his lips pale, his eyes distant. He hadn’t truly eaten since waking, only nibbling at food when the hunger became unbearable.

The sight was unbearable. Kaelix’s chest tightened even more, a surge of anger bubbling beneath his sorrow. He hated the guilt that consumed Eirik, hated the shadows that clung to him like a second skin. And he hated his own helplessness, the way he couldn’t seem to pull Eirik back from the edge of this abyss.

Kaelix’s gaze lingered on the untouched food. With a deep breath he began clearing it from the bed, careful not to make too much noise, he clear the trays from the bed.

One by one, he carried them to the table, arranging them neatly as though hoping the act itself might restore some semblance of normalcy.

Eirik didn’t stir, not even when Kaelix brushed past him, the slight rustle of fabric the only indication of movement. His stillness was like a knife to Kaelix’s chest, sharper than any blade he had ever faced in battle.

He glanced down at his consort, his jaw tightening. Eirik was punishing himself, that much was clear.

Kaelix had seen it before in Neomenia, the refusal to eat, the withdrawal, the hollow look in his eyes. It was as though Eirik believed he was to blame for the horrors that had befallen him, as if he thought he deserved to suffer for something he had no control over.

And that knowledge made Kaelix feel helpless.

For all his strength, all his training, Kaelix could not fight the unseen enemy that plagued Eirik’s mind. He couldn’t draw a sword against guilt or shield his consort from the shadows that consumed him.

But he could be here. He could offer the quiet presence Eirik so desperately needed.

Once the bed was cleared, Kaelix sat beside Eirik for a moment, staring down at the man who meant everything to him. His hands curled into fists as a flood of emotions surged through him, anger at those who had hurt Eirik, sorrow for the pain Eirik carried, and a desperate need to bring him back.

Finally, he lay down beside Eirik. Slowly, he shifted closer until his chest pressed against Eirik’s back.

He wrapped his arms gently around him, his hold firm yet tender, as though afraid Eirik might break under his touch.

He felt the tension in Eirik’s body, the rigidity that spoke volumes about his inner turmoil. But Eirik didn’t pull away. That small mercy was enough to ignite a fragile spark of hope within Kaelix.

Kaelix rested his forehead against the back of Eirik’s head, pressing a soft kiss there. "Please come back to me," he whispered, his voice was low, raw with emotion, carrying all the love and desperation he felt.

Another kiss followed, lingering a little longer this time. As though he could transfer his strength, his love, into Eirik through that single touch.

Eirik’s body remained still, but Kaelix felt his breathing hitch.

For a moment, Kaelix thought he might pull away, but instead, he exhaled shakily.

Silent tears began to stream down his face, soaking into the pillow beneath him. He didn’t make a sound, didn’t move, but the tears came freely, a quiet confession of the pain he couldn’t voice.

Kaelix tightened his hold, resting his chin against Eirik’s shoulder. If words couldn’t reach him now, then Kaelix would speak through his presence. He would stay, unwavering, until Eirik found the strength to reach out again.

"I’m here," he whispered, his voice cracking. "No matter how far you feel, no matter how dark it gets, I’m here Eirik. Always."