A Royal Obligation
Chapter 91: The Royal Parade (1)

Chapter 91: The Royal Parade (1)

Kaelix stood in front of a mirror, half-dressed in the royal garb meant for the parade. His expression was one of distant concentration, but his mind wasn’t on the fine clothing or the ceremony at hand. He couldn’t stop thinking about Eirik, who was currently in the room across the hall, being prepared for the very same event.

Eirik. His soon-to-be husband. Who could’ve imagined?

Kaelix’s lips curved into a small smile without him even realizing it.

A few weeks ago, he had been vehemently against this entire marriage.

"Over my dead body," he’d said more than once. But now... now things felt different. He felt different. There was a strange fluttering in his chest, a mixture of nerves and excitement, and all he wanted was to flaunt Eirik in front of the kingdom, show the people of Zephyros the man who had unexpectedly captured his heart.

Just as that warm thought settled in his chest, an obnoxiously loud whistle cut through his reverie.

"Well, well, look at our cousin, all dressed up and dreaming about his beloved," Darren teased, his voice dripping with amusement. He had waltzed into the room, Lysander close behind, both of them acting as if they owned the place.

Kaelix shot Darren a sharp look, his daydream abruptly shattered. "Do you have to interrupt every peaceful moment of my life?"

Darren grinned wide, thoroughly enjoying himself. "Oh, come on, Kael. You looked like you were far, far away. Let me guess... thinking about a certain prince?"

Kaelix glared but said nothing. His cousins always knew how to push his buttons, especially Darren, who loved to poke fun at him whenever he could. Lysander, on the other hand, was more subtle with his teasing, though no less annoying at times.

Lysander leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching Kaelix with a smirk of his own. "He’s right, you know. You look positively smitten, cousin. It’s a good look on you."

Kaelix rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the servants, who were fixing the final touches of his attire. He chose to ignore the teasing. No point in giving them the satisfaction of a response.

"Oh, come on, don’t pretend you’re not over the moon about all this," Darren continued, grinning from ear to ear. "It wasn’t that long ago that you were stomping around, muttering things like, ’Over my dead body!’ and ’I’ll never accept him!’" Darren’s tone took on a dramatic flair, mimicking Kaelix’s past rants.

Kaelix sighed, exasperated, as Darren’s voice got louder and more ridiculous. "Bla bla bla, ’I’ll never let anyone force me into this marriage!’ And now look at you, rushing to get dressed for a parade so you can show off your lovely prince to the entire kingdom!" Darren cackled, thoroughly amused at his own reenactment.

Lysander chuckled along with his brother, the sound filling the room. "To think, a few weeks ago, you would’ve preferred to run away than marry Prince Eirik. And now? You can barely wait to walk out there and parade him around."

"Alright, alright, I get it. I was wrong. I was being stupid," Kaelix finally conceded, shooting them both a tired look. "Happy now?"

"Not entirely," Darren said, a playful gleam in his eyes. "But I am pleased that you’ve finally admitted you were stupid."

Lysander grinned, shaking his head. "At least we get to see you acting like a proper lovesick fool now. It’s quite a sight."

Kaelix tried his best to stay annoyed, but it was difficult when both of his cousins were laughing and having such a good time at his expense. He sighed, more amused than he would ever admit. "You two are unbearable."

Darren smirked, stepping closer to Kaelix. "But seriously, cousin... I’m happy for you. For real. You’ve come a long way from that stubborn idiot who couldn’t see past his own pride. You’re lucky you didn’t push Eirik away before realizing what you could have had."

Lysander nodded in agreement. "We’re both happy for you. Eirik seems like a good match. If you had kept on denying him, you would’ve missed out on something special."

Kaelix allowed himself to relax at their words. There was something genuine beneath all the teasing. A soft smile tugged at his lips as he glanced between Darren and Lysander. "Thanks. Really."

Darren clapped him on the back. "Don’t get all sentimental on us now. We’ve still got a parade to get to."

"Which, by the way, starts in less than an hour," Lysander pointed out. "So you might want to finish getting dressed."

Kaelix nodded, standing still as the servants finished their work. The ceremonial outfit was grand, as was expected for such an occasion, but it was comfortable enough. Once the final piece was placed and the servants stepped back, Darren and Lysander whistled in approval.

"Well, don’t you look fancy," Darren said, grinning from ear to ear. "Prince Kaelix, all decked out and ready to parade in front of his people."

Kaelix adjusted the collar of his robe, smirking. "At least I look like royalty. I can’t say the same for you two."

"Touché," Lysander said with a chuckle.

Before any more banter could pass between them, a guard entered the room, bowing respectfully. "Your Highness, it is time. The parade will begin shortly."

Kaelix felt his heart skip a beat. It wasn’t nerves, no, not exactly. It was more anticipation. Excitement. He hadn’t been sure about this marriage at first, but now, with every passing day, he found himself looking forward to a future with Eirik. A future he hadn’t thought possible.

The guard stepped aside as Kaelix turned toward the door. But just as he reached the threshold, something caught his eye.

Across the hall, the door to Eirik’s dressing room opened, and Eirik stepped out. Kaelix froze in place, his breath catching in his throat. Time seemed to slow as he took in the sight before him.

Eirik looked... breathtaking.

Kaelix’s mind struggled to find words as his heart raced. He wasn’t sure what he had expected, but it wasn’t this. The ceremonial robes draped over Eirik’s form with a grace that made him seem almost ethereal. Natural Eirik was extremely beautiful, but this... this was out of the realm.

Few streaks of his long white hair was braided perfectly, a sliver tiara with purple gemstones was holding the rest of the hair in place, and there was a regal air about him that Kaelix hadn’t fully appreciated before.

Behind him, Darren let out a low whistle. "Well, would you look at that..."

Lysander laughed softly, shaking his head in disbelief. "Now I understand why Kaelix can’t keep his eyes off him."

Kaelix could barely hear them. All he could focus on was Eirik. His prince. His soon-to-be husband.

Eirik glanced up, their eyes meeting across the hall. For a brief moment, the world seemed to fall away, leaving only the two of them. Eirik’s lips curved into a small, knowing smile, and Kaelix felt his heart skip another beat. He was completely and utterly captivated.

This was real. All of it. And Kaelix couldn’t wait for what came next.

The guard cleared his throat gently, breaking the spell. "Your Highnesses, it’s time for the parade."

Kaelix nodded, his gaze still locked on Eirik. "Right. Let’s go."

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