I managed to calm myself and released a deep sigh.
After a few minutes of standing there, I felt a familiar presence approaching . I didn’t react until I felt sothing warm drape around my shoulders.
"Are you worried about Rune, Reina?" I heard him say before he stepped beside .
"Aren’t you supposed to be asleep, Big Brother Eric?" I asked instead.
"I can’t sleep." He admitted and looked at through the reflection in the window.
"Where were you in morning?" He asked, "Master held a eting with all of us."
"I know, I had gotten my instructions already so, it was fine if I didn’t attend." I mumbled as I crossed my arms pulling the edges of his jacket closer to my sides despite not feeling cold.
There was a mont of silence which was taken over by the sound of the crickets chirping outside while I stared off into the distance.
"I can understand that you must be really worried about Rune." Eric spoke up.
"But, don’t worry. I will make sure that he stays safe out there "
"Please worry about yourself. Master will flip if anything happens to any one of you." I said and he looked at .
"What about you?"
"I... I might flip too." I admitted, "If not for Master then I might be the one to commit treason."
Eric’s eyes widened before he chuckled. Did he think I was joking?
"If only we could do that," He said instead making look at his reflection.
"I’d love to slit the throats of my so-called father and that Golden Serpent." He said with a dark glint in his eyes.
It was surprising to see how in sync our thoughts were.
"Are you scared?" I asked, "I know your skills are not up to the notch yet but, if you’ve trained at the Eldarf manor then, you might last longer than how you were earlier."
I couldn’t help but be blunt with this kid when I was Reina.
He chuckled, "I guess, I have improved... and it’s not like I am not scared but... I was thinking that I might have dragged all of my companions into this dangerous situation because I couldn’t contain my pride."
"If only I would have stayed calm and composed like Master then, nothing like this would have happened." He said with his head down.
"As much as I’d like to scold you but it was an inevitable thing, Big Brother." I said making him glance at .
"Master expected this kind of thing to happen sooner or later, that’s why he had been preparing for it. The mont he decided to beco the Kingmaker he knew he had to face wars and all kinds of troubles to achieve his ambition."
"I wonder why he chose ... I keep failing his expectations."
"Nobody’s perfect, Big Brother." I said and Eric chuckled.
"Master is."
My eyes grew slightly strained as I mumbled, "Only because you don’t know the kind of failures he’s been through."
Eric looked at not saying anything for the long mont before he sighed.
"I guess, I still have a lot to learn about Master and everything else."
I didn’t say anything and he suddenly asked, "If I give you a ssage will you let Master know?"
I nodded and he looked down at his hands.
"I know he doesn’t like apologies or soone thanking him but, I still couldn’t help it... I can understand why those kids at Eldarf call him God. He really is one, the one who could save lives and give hopes to everyone." He said.
"If not for him then, I might have lost my mother and even my own life a long ti ago. I... had no hopes of becoming the King but watching my Mother standing before healthy and telling that I had a chance of becoming the King..."
He smiled as he looked up at the sky, "Can you imagine what kind of thoughts I would have had at that ti? The boy who was basically living just on the rcy of his enemies to get a hand of soone who could bring the world to its knees?"
I could see the glow in his eyes as he continued speaking, "I didn’t believe at first but my Mother... when I had seen her before that day she was... barely alive... so, when I saw her happy and full of life again I knew that God had really showed His rcy on us."
"Master Ocean is God, not only for those kids of Eldarf, or those people at Oasis, or even for those at Mordino but also for and my mother. He’s God and I’m blessed to be chosen by him."
He smiled at making feel the sharp stung into my chest.
God? ? God? All I was doing was make plans and follow them, I saved all those people because I thought they could be of use for . Was this how God felt when people looked up to him?
The people who were selected by him and worshipped him were nothing but dispensable pawns whom he could kill at any given mont.
"Master is not a God." I spoke up, my voice was colder than I expected it to be.
Eric looked at , "B-"
"Master will say the sa thing." I clarified, "He doesn’t want to be God, so, stop calling him that."
"Don’t you think of him as God as well?" He asked and I frowned but before I could ask him why he thought that he answered it himself.
"I heard from Rune that you... since childhood were a very weak and sickly child. You were always in bed and couldn’t go out anywhere. He told that at tis your condition would grow so bad that you would..."
He licked his lips before he asked, "Didn’t Master heal you just like he healed my Mother? He is the reason that you are able to to move around freely, right? So, isn’t he like a God to you as well?"
"Did... my brother tell you all this?" I asked.
"Um... No, but it’s easy to reach the conclusion that you recovered quickly ever since Master made an appearance. He healed you, that’s why you’re so dedicated to him, right?"
I was at a loss for words hearing his reasoning and couldn’t help but chuckle before I ended up laughing.
"Eh? Why are you laughing? Is that not it?" Eric asked watching laughing.
I shook my head as I couldn’t help but keep laughing, he was smarter to deduce that but if only he knew that the Master he revered so much was the girl in front of him then, I wonder what he’d do.
"Y-You should go sleep now," I said as I wiped the tears that had gathered at the corners of my eyes by laughing so much.
"You have to leave early in the morning tomorrow." I said making him give a perplexed look before I removed his jacket from my shoulders.
"You keep reminding at tis that you really are a child, Big Brother Eric." I said with a smile and he raised his brows.
"You-"
"Now, now, let’s go back to our rooms." I said shoving his jacket in his hands before I turned him around pushing him ahead.
We returned to our rooms and I felt a bit better after laughing so much. I couldn’t fall asleep regardless but my worries were a lifted a little and I could see the light again.
The next morning, we were in front of the Fairisles mansion where the two boys along with the armies of Fairisles Marquisate and Aurelius Duchy were ready to leave for the battlefield.
Dad placed his hand over Rune’s shoulder while Grandfather gave him a few advices.
Eric looked up at the window of the mansion where Lady Elise stood, she wasn’t allowed to go out since the Queen’s spies could catch a glimpse of her and it would create a big ss.
I looked once at him before I looked at Grandfather who walked up to Eric while Dad talked to Rune.
The scene was quite emotional but I couldn’t help but feel as if the currents of worry and anxiety washing over were stopping from moving.
I had relaxed last night but now that I was standing here, I couldn’t help but recall Rune’s condition when I had sent him to retrieve the secret docunts from Douglas’s mansions. He had almost burst his head open and since I was there it didn’t go out of hands but, what if sothing similar happens when he was away?
I wouldn’t be able to rush to him and-
"Reina?"
My thoughts ca to a screeching halt as I heard Rune calling my na and I looked at him.
"Yes?"
"Why are you standing there? Co here." He said reaching his arm to .
Unlike last ti, he was completely dressed up in a silver armor with the coat of arms of Aurelius on his breastplate and the gauntlet covered hand reaching out to . I walked up to him but couldn’t et his eyes.
"Are you worried?" He asked searching for my eyes and I sighed.
He chuckled softly before he placed his other arm on my shoulder pulling into an embrace.
"There, there," he said gently patting my back, "I’ll make sure your plan doesn’t get ruined so, don’t worry. We will co back just as you want."
I narrowed my eyes as I wrapped my arms around his waist feeling slightly bitter.
"I wish I could go with you."
He chuckled again, "I wish so too, then I could show you just how strong your brother is."
"I’ve already seen that."
"Don’t worry about anything, Reina." He assured .
I pulled back and removed the necklace with the Dragon’s heart’s piece from my neck and placed it around his neck before grasping the pendant in my hands and fusing a bit of my mana with it.
"Keep this with you and return it to when you co back safely." I said making him smile and hold the pendant in his hand.
"I was hoping that you’d give a handkerchief or sothing." He said making tilt my head to one side.
"You want my handkerchief?"
He chuckled and explained, "Usually ladies gave the special embroidered handkerchief to their favoured knights going for battles as a protective charm."
What the-
"Why didn’t you tell earlier?" I asked making him laugh.
I looked back for the maids so that I could tell them to rush over and grab one of my handkerchieves to give it to Rune but Rune squeezed my hand gently.
"It’s fine, I did get a special protective charm from you so, I guess I have a better thing here."
His smile and eyes were still as warm contrasting the cold armor that adorned his body.
"Make sure you co back safely." I said making him smile and pat my head.
I walked up to Eric after that and he smiled at .
"Don’t worry, I’ll really protect your brother despite my lacking skills."
"I want both of you to co back safely," I corrected and he chuckled.
"Where’s my protective charm?" He asked and I averted my eyes.
"I don’t have it... I didn’t know." I admitted feeling slightly guilty.
Eric shook his head before he reached out and tugged at the black ribbon that was holding my hair up.
The ribbon ca undone making my hair flow freely down my shoulders and I looked at him.
"This will do." He said and he handed the ribbon before putting the hilt of his sword ahead.
"Tie it here," he instructed and I stepped ahead and tied my ribbon at the hilt of his sword tightly.
"Co back safely." I mumbled and felt his hand over my head.
"I will."
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