A Royal Obligation
Chapter 54: I Underestimated You

Chapter 54: I Underestimated You

Kaelix couldn’t help the frustration that gnawed at him, a gnawing that had turned into a tight knot in his chest.

He gripped the reins of his horse tightly, his knuckles white against the leather as he urged the animal to go faster, away from Eirik, away from the turmoil brewing inside him.

Eirik and Sadiki. The thought of them together, left a bitter taste in his mouth, one that he couldn’t swallow down no matter how hard he tried.

Why did it matter so much? Why did it hurt? He wasn’t supposed to feel anything for that weakling, much less jealousy. Eirik was he could, control, dismiss, ignore.

But Eirik had gotten under his skin, and now Kaelix couldn’t shake the image of him out of his mind. He wasn’t even sure why he was so angry.

Was it the way Eirik whispered Sadiki’s name last night?

The way Sadiki was looking at Eirik in the garden, that morning?

Or was it something else, something deeper, more insidious that Kaelix didn’t want to examine too closely?

He muttered curses under his breath, the sound lost in the wind as his horse galloped through the dense forest. His thoughts spiraled, each one more frustrating than the last.

Then, abruptly, Kaelix’s instincts kicked in. He pulled on the reins, bringing his horse to a sudden stop.

The air felt different, charged with something dark, something dangerous. He held his breath, listening intently. His heart pounded in his chest, the rhythmic thud echoing in his ears.

And then he heard it, the unmistakable clash of steel on steel, the sound of swords clashing in the distance.

Eirik!

Panic gripped Kaelix like a vice. Eirik was still back in the forest, alone. He’d left him in his anger, ridden away without a second thought, and now, what if something happened to him?

What would he tell the council? His parents?

The thought of explaining that the prince of Valeidio had been attacked under his watch made his blood run cold. He couldn’t afford to lose Eirik, not like this, not ever.

He spun his horse around, digging his heels into its sides, urging it to gallop back toward the sound of the battle.

The trees blurred past him, the wind whipping through his hair as fear and dread pounded through his veins. He urged his horse faster, his mind racing with worst-case scenarios. If anything happened to Eirik, if he was hurt, or worse...

The thought made Kaelix’s stomach churn. He couldn’t let anything happen to him. He wouldn’t.

But when Kaelix finally burst into the clearing, his heart still hammering in his chest, the sight that met him was far from what he expected.

Eirik stood in the center of a small clearing, surrounded by fallen assassins. Blood stained the ground, glistening darkly in the sunlight that filtered through the canopy above. Eirik’s sword dripped crimson, but his expression was calm, almost serene as he wiped the blade clean with the cloth from one of the fallen men.

Kaelix reined in his horse, his eyes wide as he took in the scene before him. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. His heart skipped a beat, the sight of Eirik standing there, victorious, untouche, sending shockwaves through him.

"What the hell...?" Kaelix muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible, drowned out by the pounding of his heart.

Eirik looked up, meeting Kaelix’s gaze with eyes that were steady, unshaken. His movements were controlled, deliberate as he finished cleaning his sword.

For a moment, the world seemed to stop. The forest around them, the distant chirping of birds, the rustling of leaves, it all faded away. All that existed was the space between them, thick with tension, with questions unasked, answers unspoken.

Kaelix dismounted, his eyes never leaving Eirik, his movements stiff, almost mechanical as he approached.

He stared at Eirik as if seeing him for the first time, truly seeing him.

Whatever he had thought about Eirik before, whatever doubts or suspicions he had harbored, they were shattered in an instant.

Eirik wasn’t weak. He wasn’t someone to be pitied or underestimated. He was a force to be reckoned with, a force that Kaelix had been blind to until now.

You..." Kaelix began, but the words seemed to falter on his tongue. He took in the scene again, the bodies, the blood. "You did all this? " he finally managed, his voice laced with disbelief.

Eirik’s expression was guarded. He wasn’t sure what to make of Kaelix’s reaction.

He stepped forward, closing the distance between them. His eyes never left Kaelix’s, his expression one of calm confidence, tinged with something else, something darker. "Did you think I was helpless?" he asked, his voice low, a hint of challenge threading through his words.

Kaelix’s mouth went dry. He opened his mouth to respond, but the words stuck in his throat. He didn’t know what to say, didn’t know how to reconcile the image he had of Eirik with the reality standing before him.

Finally, he managed to find his voice, though it sounded strange, foreign even to his own ears. "I didn’t know what to think," he admitted, his tone softer, almost vulnerable. "You’ve always been so...reserved."

"So weak..." The words almost slipped out, but Kaelix bit them back. They didn’t fit, not anymore. Eirik was many things, but weak was no longer one of them.

"I underestimated you," Kaelix added, the admission heavy on his tongue. It was the truth, though saying it out loud felt like laying himself bare before Eirik, exposing a vulnerability he hadn’t known was there.

The admission hung between them, laden with implications. Eirik’s eyes flickered with something Kaelix couldn’t quite place, a mixture of satisfaction and something more complex, more dangerous.

Kaelix could feel the shift, the way Eirik looked at him now, no longer with the guarded caution of before, but with something closer to respect, maybe even a touch of amusement.

"And now?" Eirik pressed, stepping even closer. His voice was low, filled with an intensity that sent a shiver down Kaelix’s spine. He wanted to know , needed to know, what Kaelix saw when he looked at him now.

Kaelix’s gaze flickered. "Now...I see that there’s more to you than I realized," he said slowly, the weight of his words hanging in the air.

He could feel the shift in himself as well, a realization that Eirik was not just some weakling to be pitied or used. There was a strength in him, one that Kaelix had never seen, never even considered.

Eirik’s heart skipped a beat at the words, though he kept his expression neutral. He couldn’t afford to let his guard down, not now, not ever. "There’s always more to people than what they show," he replied, his tone cool, measured. "You should know that better than anyone."

Kaelix looked at him for a long moment, his eyes searching, trying to peel back the layers that Eirik kept so carefully hidden.

"Maybe I was wrong about you," he said finally, his voice quiet, almost thoughtful.

The words were more than an admission, they were a recognition of the complexity that Eirik represented, a complexity that Kaelix had been blind to until now.

Eirik didn’t respond immediately. He could sense the sincerity in Kaelix’s words, but he wasn’t sure what to do with it.

"I’m not someone you can easily figure out, Kaelix," Eirik said, his voice firm, but not unkind. "But that doesn’t mean I’m your enemy."

Kaelix’s eyes softened slightly, and for the first time, Eirik saw a glimpse of something more, something beyond the prince, beyond the politics and the expectations.

"I never wanted to be enemies," Kaelix said, his voice barely above a whisper, but there was an earnestness to it that caught Eirik off guard. Kaelix meant it, Eirik realized with a start. He truly meant it.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The silence was heavy, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was as if they were both recalibrating, trying to make sense of this new dynamic between them.

Then, just as quickly as the moment had settled, it shattered with the distant sound of horses approaching. Kaelix stiffened, his gaze shifting toward the direction of the sound. Eirik followed his gaze, his senses sharpening once more.

"More of them?" Eirik asked, his voice returning to its steely edge, prepared for another battle.

Kaelix shook his head, his expression tense. "I think so. But how did they know we’re here? Who sent them?"

Eirik shrugged, his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword. "We’ll figure that out later. First, we deal with them."

Kaelix nodded, his mind clearing, focused now on the immediate threat. He dismounted quickly, grabbing a sword from one of the fallen assassins. He positioned himself beside EIrik, ready to face whatever was coming their way.

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