A Royal Obligation
Chapter 248: Force of Habit

Chapter 248: Force of Habit

Eirik was just finishing up his late breakfast, and his mother was still fussing over him, encouraging him to eat more when a light knock came.

Both of them turned toward the door, and when it opened, it revealed Amarok, the twins’ lover. For a brief moment, Eirik’s face fell in disappointment, realizing it wasn’t Kaelix. But he quickly masked it, forcing a small smile as Amarok stepped inside.

"Your Majesty, Prince Eirik," Amarok greeted, bowing respectfully at the threshold. He hesitated, seemingly reluctant to intrude further.

"Come in, Amarok," Queen Morgana said warmly, gesturing for him to step inside.

Amarok bowed again and stepped forward, his usual humility apparent in the way he avoided meeting their eyes for too long. "Good morning, Your Highness," he said to Eirik. "How are you feeling today?"

Eirik offered a faint smile, his voice soft but steady. "I’m doing better. Thank you for asking."

Amarok nodded, his eyes scanning Eirik’s face with subtle concern as he sat beside him. He missed the mischievous, lively prince who once seemed so untouchable. Eirik now looked pale and weary, but Amarok could still see flickers of the spark he admired. He wished he could do more to bring that side of Eirik back.

Eirik finished the last bite of the breakfast spread before him and leaned back, thanking his mother. Morgana, ever attentive, began to gather the dishes from the tray.

"Let me take care of that, Your Majesty," Amarok offered suddenly, rising to his feet.

The queen paused, raising a brow at him. "Amarok, you don’t need to trouble yourself with such things."

Amarok shook his head with a gentle smile. "I don’t mind. Please." He took the tray of dishes before she could protest further.

Morgana watched him with a fond smile, but frown when he made his way toward the door. Just as he was about to leave, she stopped him. "Amarok, put that down," she said firmly.

Amarok turned to her, confused. "But..."

"Put it on the table," Morgana interrupted, her tone softening slightly. "The servants will come for it later. You don’t need to take it to the kitchen."

"I don’t mind doing it myself," Amarok insisted.

Morgana gave him a pointed look. "And I do mind. You’re part of the royal family now, Amarok. There’s no need for you to behave like a servant."

Amarok hesitated, clearly unsure how to respond. He finally relented, setting the dishes on a nearby table as Morgana instructed, though a sheepish smile spread across his face. "Force of habit, I suppose."

Morgana chuckled and shook her head. "One of these days, you’ll stop treating yourself as less than you are. Until then, I’ll just keep reminding you."

Eirik watched the exchange with quiet amusement, his smile softening into something more genuine. Amarok’s humility had always endeared him to others, and seeing his mother treat Amarok with such warmth filled him with a rare sense of comfort.

Amarok returned to sit beside Eirik, his expression one of slight embarrassment. The queen, satisfied, smiled and began to excuse herself. "I’ll leave you two to talk," she said. "Amarok, make sure he doesn’t overexert himself."

"Of course, Your Majesty," Amarok replied, bowing slightly.

As soon as she left, Amarok turned to Eirik with a playful smile. "Well, that was fun," he said lightly.

Eirik smiled back, his earlier disappointment fading. "She’s right, you know." He said softly, "you don’t have to do everything yourself."

"Maybe not," Amarok said with a shrug. "But some habits die hard."

Eirik leaned back, his smile lingering as they settled into a comfortable silence.Eirik leaned back, his smile lingering as they settled into a comfortable silence.

Their comfortable silence was disrupted by a light knock at the door. Two maids entered, bowing politely as they greeted Prince Eirik and Amarok.

"Good morning, Your Highness," one of them said with a warm smile before turning to Amarok. "Good morning, Lord Amarok."

Amarok shifted in his seat, visibly uncomfortable as he nodded at their greeting. He wasn’t yet used to being addressed with such reverence, especially by the same maids he had once worked alongside.

The maids moved to clear the plates Amarok had left on the nearby table. They worked quickly and efficiently, exchanging quiet glances that Amarok noticed but chose to ignore. Once the task was done, they bowed again before leaving the room, the door closing softly behind them.

Amarok let out a quiet breath, leaning back in his chair. "I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that," he muttered, half to himself.

Eirik chuckled, shaking his head. "You should. It’s part of being with the twins. You’re family now."

Amarok gave him a lopsided smile but didn’t respond. Just as Eirik shifted back to rest against the headboard, the door opened again. Both he and Amarok turned their attention to the new arrival.

Standing in the doorway, dressed impeccably as always, was Prince Kaelix.

Eirik’s face lit up with genuine joy, a brightness that had been absent since that morning. "Kaelix!"

Amarok immediately stood, bowing slightly. "Your Highness," he greeted respectfully.

Kaelix smiled at Amarok and approached the bed. "Amarok," he said in acknowledgment before his focus shifted entirely to Eirik.

Sensing that they needed a moment alone, Amarok straightened. "I’ll check on you later, Prince Eirik," he promised, offering a small smile before excusing himself and leaving the room.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Kaelix climbed onto the bed beside Eirik. The younger prince moved effortlessly into Kaelix’s embrace, resting his head against Kaelix’s chest.

A soft smile tugged at Kaelix’s lips as he held him close, stroking his back gently. My Eirik is coming back, he thought, his heart swelling with relief.

"Where were you?" Eirik asked quietly, his voice muffled against Kaelix’s chest.

Kaelix pressed a kiss to Eirik’s hair, soothing him with slow circles on his back. "I had to handle something important," he said vaguely, not wanting to burden Eirik with the details.

Eirik hummed softly, snuggling deeper into Kaelix’s embrace. The warmth of Kaelix’s touch and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat were more comforting than anything else.

After a moment, Kaelix broke the silence. "How about a bath?" he suggested, his tone light. "Then we can take a walk in the garden for a little while."

Eirik tensed slightly at the idea of leaving the room, but Kaelix continued before he could protest. "Just a short stroll. Nothing too much. I think the fresh air will do you good."

To Kaelix’s surprise, Eirik nodded softly. "Okay."

Kaelix blinked, momentarily stunned by the easy agreement. He released a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding and smiled. "Alright then."