A Royal Obligation
Chapter 84: A Silent Anguish

Chapter 84: A Silent Anguish

The soft rustling of leaves in the night wind provided a strange, almost peaceful backdrop to the storm raging within Sadiki. He stood on the balcony outside his quarters, gazing out at the palace that was preparing for a wedding he wished would never happen. The celebration of a union that was tearing him apart inside.

His heart felt as though it was in pieces, each fragment of it attached to the memories of his prince, Eirik, the promises they had made, and the love they had shared.

It was as if a part of him had been ripped away when Eirik had told him it all has to end. Eirik, the man he had fought for, had sacrificed for, now seemed like a distant dream.

Yet here he was, still bound to him, not as a lover but as his personal guard, a duty that became more unbearable with each passing day.

He clenched his fists tightly, trying to swallow the bitterness that threatened to consume him. As a guard, his role was to protect prince Eirik at all costs, but how was he supposed to protect him when every look, every word, felt like a fresh wound?

He hated himself for being unable to separate his heart from his duty, for the silent anguish that gnawed at him every time he saw Eirik with Kaelix. How could he continue serving the love of his life, who was about to marry someone else?

His thoughts were interrupted by the distant sounds of laughter from the royal halls. The palace buzzed with excitement, servants rushing around, preparing for the wedding of the century. Queen Elena was ensuring that every detail was perfect for her son’s marriage to Eirik. Everyone seemed excited, eager for the grand event. Everyone except Sadiki.

He gripped the stone balustrade, the cool night air doing nothing to calm the fire inside him. He thought back to his conversation with Eirik in the garden.

The look in Eirik’s eyes had been filled with sorrow, but it hadn’t been enough to ease the pain of hearing him say goodbye. Eirik had chosen duty over love, and as much as Sadiki wanted to understand, he couldn’t. Not fully.

"Why him?" Sadiki whispered into the night, his voice barely audible even to himself. "Why not us?"

It was a question that had haunted him since that day he heard about the marriage alliance. Why wasn’t their love enough? Why did Eirik have to marry Kaelix, someone he didn’t truly love? Was the alliance between the two kingdoms worth sacrificing everything they had shared?

His head dropped in frustration, and his body felt heavy with the weight of his emotions. He wanted to scream, to lash out, to do something to release the tension inside him. But all he could do was stand there, silently drowning in his anguish, unable to show the world the torment that was slowly consuming him.

Footsteps approached from behind, and Sadiki knew instantly who it was. Drystan. The sharp-eyed, ever-vigilant nuisance who had always see to it, that Sadiki will never have a moment of peace in this godforsaken palace.

Drystan been observing Sadiki since he saw him walk out of prince Eirik in the garden, the day Eirik end things between them. He has always been watching him and had noticed Sadiki’s quiet torment, and it was clear that tonight, he had had enough of it.

"Sadiki," Drystan called out in a low, firm voice. His boots scraped against the stone as he stepped closer. "I’ve watched you for days now, and I can’t stand it anymore."

Sadiki didn’t turn around. He didn’t want to face Drystan, not right now. Not when his emotions were so raw, and the truth of his heartbreak was written all over his face.

"What do you want, Drystan?" Sadiki’s voice was tired, weary, and filled with the exhaustion of someone who had been fighting an unwinnable battle.

"I want you to stop this," Drystan said sharply. "Stop wallowing in self-pity and making everything harder for prince Eirik."

That cut deeper than Sadiki expected, and he finally turned to face Drystan, his brows furrowing in confusion. "Making it harder for prince Eirik? He’s the one who broke up with me, Drystan. He’s the one who’s going to marry your prince. How am I making it harder for him?"

Drystan crossed his arms over his chest, his expression hardened with frustration. "Because you’re so focused on your own pain that you’re not seeing the bigger picture. Do you think this is easy for prince Eirik? Do you think he wants to marry Kaelix? He’s doing what’s best for the two kingdoms. If he had a choice, do you really think he’d be going through with this wedding?"

Sadiki swallowed hard, his throat tightening. "But he promised me, Drystan. He promised that we’d find a way, that we wouldn’t let anything come between us."

"And you think he’s not suffering because he can’t keep that promise?" Drystan’s voice rose, his tone stern. "You think this is easy for him? Every time he sees you, he’s reminded of what he’s lost, of what he can’t have. But instead of supporting him, you’re making it worse by acting like it’s his fault. Like he has a choice between you and the lives of his people."

Sadiki’s jaw clenched, his fists trembling with the urge to lash out, but Drystan wasn’t done.

"You say you love him," Drystan continued, his voice softening slightly. "But if you really loved him, you’d understand why he’s doing this. You’d stand by him, not wallow in your own misery and make him feel guilty for something he can’t control."

Sadiki stared at him, the words cutting deep into his heart. He hated to admit it, but there was truth in what Drystan was saying. Sadiki wasn’t the only one suffering. He had been so consumed by his own pain, by his own sense of loss, that he hadn’t stopped to think about how much this was hurting prince Eirik too.

"You’re not the only one in pain, Sadiki," Drystan said, his voice quieter now. "This is tearing Eirik apart, and you’re only adding to his burden. You’re supposed to be his guard, his protector. But instead, you’re letting your emotions get in the way of your duty. Why am I the one doing your job? "

Sadiki felt the weight of Drystan’s words pressing down on him. He had failed, not just as Eirik’s lover, but as his protector. He had been so blinded by his own anguish that he hadn’t even considered how much worse he was making things for Eirik, he was supposed to be looking out for prince Eirik.

"I..." Sadiki’s voice cracked, and he looked away, unable to meet Drystan’s gaze. "I didn’t mean to... I just..."

"I know," Drystan said gently. "But it’s time to stop blaming prince Eirik for something that isn’t his fault. He’s doing what he has to for his kingdom. You need to understand that. You need to let him go, Sadiki. For his sake. I warned you before didn’t I?"

Sadiki’s chest ached, the realization sinking in like a cold dagger. He had been selfish. He had been holding onto Eirik, hoping for something that could never be, and in doing so, he had only made things harder for the man he claimed to love.

"I just..." Sadiki whispered, his voice trembling. "I don’t know how to let go."

Drystan sighed, placing a firm hand on Sadiki’s shoulder. "I know it’s hard. But if you truly love Eirik, then you’ll do what’s best for him, not what’s best for you. And right now, that means stepping back. Letting him make this decision without making him feel worse than he already does."

Sadiki nodded, tears stinging his eyes as the weight of Drystan’s words settled over him. He had been so focused on his own heartbreak that he hadn’t even considered how much Eirik was suffering too. How much it was killing him to let Sadiki go.

As Drystan turned to leave, Sadiki remained standing in the cool night air, his mind racing with guilt and regret. He had been wrong, so wrong, and now he had to find a way to make things right. He couldn’t let his prince carry this burden alone anymore.

He wiped at his eyes, his chest tightening with a newfound resolve. He would support his prince, no matter how much it hurt. He would be the protector he had sworn to be, not just in body but in heart.

He wouldn’t stand in his prince way any longer. He would let him go, as painful as it was, because that was what love truly meant.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.