Stand By Me Darling
Chapter 288: The Knight’s Journal

Chapter 288: The Knight’s Journal

Arthur listened to her call and walked to her side. It seemed like she’s trying to reduce the damage of Lord Lockhart’s announcement.

She doesn’t have hope that it will turn well, right? Iris... You might want to face the consequences of your actions, but I won’t let you suffer. It’s a promise.

"Take a nap,Iris" he picked her up from the couch and placed her on the bed.

Talia didn’t protest his actions. He was warm, just being out of shower and he had nothing on, except the towel around his waist. She leaned on his chest that was firm like a rock and his chest hairs tingled her ears as her cheeks got warmed by his warmth.

"Lie with me," she held his hand after he gently placed her in the bed. Her mind was entirely fatigued as she pondered over various possibilities. "Don’t leave me, Fred." she gripped his hand tighter and her voice shook.

She didn’t have much worries except the fear that Arthur might not handle everything that comes with her and leaves her. Even she cannot blame him if he wants a peaceful life.

"I’m not going to..." he sat beside her and hugged her. "Ever."

He will choose going down with her rather than thriving without her by his side. Why would he want the colourless life without her?

"Wait... I’ll bring you some clothes. The towel is wet. You might catch a cold." he stood up kissing her forehead.

"I want your hoodie." Talia smiled. She loved that warm, cozy and protective feeling his hoodie laced with his scent gives.

Arthur nodded with a smile and walked to the walk-in closet. Talia watched him walk back wearing his boxers and he had a white hoodie in his hands.

As she was changing, she saw Arthur walking to the table, picking up the leather covered journal.

"You really don’t want to know?" he asked waving the journal in his hand. Talia shook her head with a scoff and lied on the bed with her back to him.

Cyrus was not a psychopath! I won’t even entertain that idea. I don’t care what he thought and what he wrote in his personal journal. He never hurt me, not even close. He always helped me and protected me. He was the best person I know and the one person who loved me without expecting anything back. I will never doubt him.

Arthur sighed. Just because she closes her eyes, the world won’t turn dark, would it?

But then... It’s about Cyrus. It is not surprising she reacts this way.

He covered her legs with the duvet. Her lean, long legs perfectly contrasted the burgundy silk sheets making them more beguiling. He sat leaning on the headboard, placing his legs inside the duvet.

"Wake me up if there’s any important call," Talia felt the bed sink beside her and said with her voice husky.

"Hmm, I will." Arthur bent and placed a kiss over her ear and watched her cutely nuzzle in the pillow with a smile.

Only a very little natural light entered the room and Arthur with the help of the table lamp beside the bed, started reading the journal.

Cyrus had actually kept the journal for a very long time. Arthur’s hand caressed the first page of the journal. At first it was a child’s handwriting that said ’Cyrus’ Journal’. But then it was stricken out and a flowy writing of a teen, ’Memoirs of a Knight’. There was no change to the title of the diary anymore. It was like even after he became a man, he didn’t feel the need to change the title or he just was agreeing with the title.

That’s how much you valued Iris?

Cyrus had started writing when he was eight, around the time his mother got sick. The handwriting was that of a child’s and most of it was his expression of anger whenever he sees anyone spending time with their mother. It was Talia’s mother who was a great comfort to him that time, since she was a friend of his mother’s and since his father was too busy taking care of his sick wife and also the business. A lot of times he was left unsupervised.

Yes, there were some violent thoughts expressed by an eight year old. He wrote how he pushed a boy down the stairs. In his words it was because ’that fatty always flaunted his mother in my face’. He even wrote he killed a litter of puppies because their mother who was a stray had died.

It did sent a chill down Arthur’s spine. Surely his reasoning that the pups won’t survive without their mother is understandable, but killing them for it? There sure are other ways to help the puppies than to kill them, right?

Then it was all about the family history of the Lockhart family. The first title was received by a Knight - Cederick Lockhart and there were many famous knights in the Esterian history from the Lockhart family.

As Arthur read further, there it was... Talia’s birth. Cyrus described some indescribable feeling that made him attached to her. When he tried to pick her up, her mother asked him to be careful as she handed her to him and told him that she’s a delicate baby and should be handled carefully.

Cyrus can feel how soft and delicate that baby is and so he took it upon himself to be her Knight, like how his ancestors were.

His mother died, but his Princess needed protection since she was little and he got over his mother pretty soon. Maybe since he always knew his mother was gravely ill, he could accept her death in a short time. And there was Talia’s mother who filled the gap.

The writings further were all innocent and sometimes expressed an ambiguous darkness in his thoughts.

Then there was a terrible incident. An older woman made passes onto him. He was just twelve at that time and was confused already as he was at the start of his puberty. That woman, who worked in their mansion exploited his doubts. She asked him not to speak of it to anyone. Cyrus didn’t want to either since by his words he was feeling good; odd, but good.

But that woman was found by his father and he rained hell on that woman. Cyrus who couldn’t understand why his father was that angry at that woman when she actually ’loved’ him so much and made him feel good. But his father explained to him how she had exploited him. Cyrus learnt it is not acceptable even though he didn’t understand why.

And... Yeah, he hated the Sinclairs. ’I’m going to kill all the Boswell b*tches’ he wrote. ’Starting with the youngest one. He dared to propose marriage with my Princess’.

Arthur didn’t know what to think of Cyrus expressing his wish to marry Talia himself since no one would protect her well than him. But then Cyrus himself crossed out that plan since it is taboo for a Princess and her Knight to marry.

’ A Princess should marry a Prince. But my Princess deserves a King! I will find her one.’

Then the unthinkable happened. The death of Talia’s mother. And the Boswell family was responsible for her death.

Arthur could feel the rage of Cyrus through the papers torn by the force of the pen nib. The pages were filled with his rage filled curses and threats. He had used many descriptive ways to end the Boswell family.

And then there was the wake and Jerome hurt Talia too that day. Cyrus who was filled with hate and bitter vendetta to avenge Talia’s mother, changed his mind when he saw the little girl who wanted to be locked up in chains because she was a ’monster’. She said even Cyrus looks scary and that he hates her too. And so he buried his hate deep in his heart.

His Princess does not need revenge, but support. And so he will provide her that.

And everytime he felt darkness rising inside him, it would be Talia’s innocence that brought his sanity back.

Cyrus who hated Jerome Brunton after the incident at the wake, found himself understanding Jerome and his love for Talia slowly.