A Royal Obligation
Chapter 79: Eavesdropping & Empathy (1)

Chapter 79: Eavesdropping & Empathy (1)

Outside the Grand Hall of Mbuzuoria of Kingdom.

The guard who had delivered the letter leaned against the wall, his heart pounding in his chest. He had barely escaped the king’s wrath.

The sight of the dead messenger haunted him, and he could feel the cold sweat still dripping down his back. He had heard the king’s orders, though they weren’t meant for his ears.

As he stood there, trying to catch his breath, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something terrible was about to happen. Something that would change everything.

---

Meanwhile the night air around the Zephyros palace grounds was cool, laced with the soft rustling of leaves as a gentle breeze stirred them.

The full moon cast a silver glow across the palace, its light reflecting off the pristine waters of the lake. Eirik, burdened by the weight of his future, wandered aimlessly, his personal guard and confidant Sadiki following silently a few steps behind. Each step Eirik took felt heavier, as though the very earth beneath him could sense his inner turmoil.

They reached the lake’s edge, the surface smooth and glassy like a mirror. Eirik stood there for a moment, gazing into the water, his thoughts spiraling uncontrollably. The wedding was days away, and with each passing moment, the reality of his situation closed in on him. "He was marrying Kaelix." Not out of love, but out of duty.

Eirik stumbled forward, as if his legs had lost their strength, and sat on a large, flat stone near the water’s edge. He looked down at the lake, the reflection of his pale face blending with the rippling surface. His heart was heavy, tangled in confusion and despair.

"Sit with me, Sadiki," Eirik said, his voice barely above a whisper, tinged with a deep, bone-weary sigh.

Sadiki, ever loyal and vigilant, silently obeyed. He settled onto a smaller rock nearby, though his eyes never left Eirik. The sadness in the prince’s voice unsettled him. He hated seeing his prince like this, so fragile, so vulnerable. The tension between duty and desire had turned Eirik into a shadow of his once confident self.

Eirik’s gaze remained fixed on the water as he spoke, his words seemingly directed at no one. "I can’t believe it’s all happening," he murmured. "I’m going to marry someone I don’t love. It feels so unreal... like I’m watching my own life from the outside."

Sadiki sat quietly, unsure of what to say. He, too, felt the weight of the impending wedding. As Eirik’s personal guard, he had been at his side through every trial and triumph, but this? This was beyond him. Sadiki had no idea how to help his prince.

Eirik exhaled a bitter laugh. "I always thought I would marry someone I loved. That one day, I’d stand before the gods with a man who looked at me like I was his whole world. But instead... instead, I’m marrying Kaelix."

He spat the name with a quiet venom, though not out of hatred. It was resignation. Kaelix wasn’t the monster people thought him to be; he was just cold, distant. A man of duty, as trapped by his title as Eirik was. Still, there was no love between them. Only necessity.

Sadiki shifted slightly, wanting to comfort his prince but feeling utterly helpless. What could he say that hadn’t already been said? What could he offer besides the silent loyalty he had always given?

Eirik sighed again, this time his voice barely above a whisper. "It’s ironic, really. I’m getting married to a man who barely tolerate my presence, and the one person I want more than anything is right here."

Sadiki’s heart clenched at those words, though he tried not to show it. He reached out and took Eirik’s hand, his grip firm but gentle. "I’m so sorry, my prince," Sadiki said, his voice low, laced with sorrow.

Eirik shook his head. "It’s not your fault, Sadiki. None of this is your fault." He paused, staring at their joined hands. His voice dropped, becoming more fragile, as if he was afraid the very air might shatter if he spoke too loudly. "Sometimes I wish I wasn’t born a prince, you know? If I were just... a commoner, I could be with you. I could love you freely. No politics. No obligations."

A single tear slipped down Eirik’s face, glistening in the moonlight before falling into the water below. It was a tear full of broken promises and shattered dreams.

"I couldn’t even keep my promise to you," Eirik choked out, his voice breaking as more tears followed. "I promised you we’d find a way to be together. That you will have my first. But look at me... I’m getting married, and not to you. I’ve failed you, Sadiki."

The anguish in Eirik’s voice was like a knife to Sadiki’s heart. He had never seen his prince this distraught. All he could do was squeeze Eirik’s hand tighter, his own eyes glistening with unshed tears. "You haven’t failed me, my prince," Sadiki whispered. "You’ve never failed me."

But as much as Sadiki wanted to believe that, the truth was undeniable. They both knew that Eirik’s heart was breaking, and no amount of words could piece it back together. The prince was being pulled apart, torn between the duty that bound him to Kaelix and the love that tethered him to Sadiki.

Unbeknownst to them, Kaelix stood a few feet away, hidden in the shadows of the trees. He had come to find Eirik after noticing his absence from their chambers, but what he hadn’t expected was to overhear this private conversation. He hadn’t expected to see Eirik, his supposed future husband, pouring his heart out to another man.

Kaelix stood frozen, his jaw clenched tightly as Eirik’s words hit him like a physical blow. "So this is how Eirik truly feels." He wasn’t just marrying someone he didn’t love, he was in love with his guard.

Kaelix’s fists balled up at his sides, his nails digging into his palms as he watched the scene unfold before him. The sight of Eirik crying, the way Sadiki comforted him... it stirred something unexpected inside Kaelix. A pang of guilt. Empathy, even.

It was then that Kaelix realized something.

They were both prisoners of their royal obligations, forced into a marriage neither of them wanted. But what Kaelix hadn’t considered was just how deeply that hurt Eirik. The idea that Eirik had to sacrifice his love for Sadiki... it made something in Kaelix shift.

Behind Kaelix, Drystan, his most trusted advisor and guard, stood silently, watching the scene with a wary glance at Kaelix. He could see the tension in his prince, could sense the war brewing inside him. Drystan knew Kaelix wasn’t heartless, far from it. But Kaelix had always built walls around his emotions, letting duty guide him more than anything else.

Now, though, those walls were crumbling. And Drystan wondered whether Kaelix would confront Eirik about what he had overheard, or if he would continue to suppress his empathy and let the wedding proceed without a word.

Kaelix’s breath hitched slightly as he made his decision. He wasn’t sure what he would say, if anything, but he knew one thing for certain. "He couldn’t ignore what he had just witnessed." His resolve hardened, not with anger or jealousy, but with an unexpected understanding.

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