Chapter 338 - 338

"Allias, there is something I need to tell you. There is an Avgee girl, still alive." Theseus said, his voice trembling as he phrased out his thoughts. "I am sorry I kept it from you for so long but I...no, not like this you idiot." He mumbled.

The general grasped the sink as his head fell. He had been practicing this stupid speech for hours trying to find an appropriate way to tell Allias the truth. He couldn't utter these words to himself in front of the huge bathroom mirror how would he ever be able to look Allias in the eyes and honestly tell him that he was hiding something so important? 

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Focus, focus. He repeated that word in his head many times but whenever he tried to imagine this scene, how it would play out, Allias' reaction to the news something else would instantly occupy his mind. 

A few days ago Allias and him had visited the main village. They had strolled the city and had outfits for the ball designed for them. They are at a small local tavern and then for the first time after his return Allias visited the ruins. 

Theseus had teleported them there, his heard heavy as he found himself in between the obvious destruction of war. The once tall palace, with the sturdy white columns and the golden decorations was gone, only a few parts of it remained. Some walls, some pieces of the tiles while all of the furniture, the gold and any familiar objects had been destroyed or stollen. 

The king had wandered through the trees, he had touched with his delicate fingertips the moss and the vines that were growing on the once expensive marble. 

As he walked his footsteps echoed, the crunching of the leaves, the twigs breaking underneath his feet. He did not speak, there was a very heavy silence between them as the general observed him carefully. He didn't really know what to expect so he simply waited. 

Allias stopped right in the middle, where the throne room once was a d his green eyes traveled up as his memories rebuilt the palace in his mind. A few floors up was his room, the study and on top the beautiful glass room. Not very far from here the Avgee villages had been turned to ashes, nothing remaining from their old glory and elegance. His eyes traveled everywhere from ruin to ruin and still he hadn't said anything. 

"Allias..." Theseus called out his name as he began to feel anxious. He needed to get a response from him, anger, sorrow, anything was fine. That expressionless face was terrifying. He couldn't tell what he was thinking. 

Allias had heard him. The general had called him out so hastily as if he wasn't sure if he should do it. The king smiled, bitterly like he was trying to hide the taste of something disgusting in his mouth. 

"Are you okay?" Theseus asked him. It was a silly question obviously. How could he be okay? How would anyone be okay with seeing the ruins of their own home? A home they didn't even have the chance to defend, save because they had sacrificed their precious life for something else.

"I..." Allias said. He simply said the word I, nothing else and it looked like his breath was cut. He stood still, his eyes hungrily scanning the place. "I..." He repeated.

"We can leave if you want. You didn't have to pressure yourself to be here." Theseus said and took a step towards him, then another one and another one until at some point he was forced to stop. He didn't reach him, there was still some space left between them but the general couldn't move any longer.

"I..." Allias said again. His green eyes were glistening, his voice shaking as he desperately tried to get her his thoughts. Tears left his eyes, gently rolling down his cheeks. "My home." He said and Theseus nodded. 

"Yes, this is what's left of it." The general said. 

"Can we fix it?" Allias asked, he sounded like a young child holding his broken toy. 

"Even if we do, no one will live here anymore Allias." Theseus told him. Allias smiled.

"Yeah, you're right. It's not only the home but the people too. Everyone is gone, dead." He said. "Everyone is dead!" He repeated and his crying got more intense. He fell on his knees, his hand diving in the dirt as he cried. "There is nothing left Theseus. Not even a room....nothing" he said with a loud voice and the white haired elf approached him. 

He placed his palm on his back, forming soothing circles. 

"I am so sorry everyone." The king cried, feeling guilty. All of this was his fault, he wasn't there to protect them, that's what he had believed. 

His poisonous tears fell to the ground, the salty water landing and being obsorbed by the dirt and leaves. Soon small sprouts appeared from the deepest sides of the earth and flowers began to bloom everywhere. It was a white flower, poisonous to everyone but them. Theseus looked around surprised. He did not believe he would even be able to witness this sight again. 

"Allias, it's not your fault." The general whispered gently in his ear. The elf had fallen in his embrace, crying and crying for hours until he fell asleep, exhausted right there.

They hadn't said anything about it afterwards, they treated this incident as if it never happened and Allias was smiling once more. Theseus though couldn't forget it. He couldn't get the sound of his crying out of his head and his red and ready eyes haunted him in his dreams. He was horrible for keeping such a secret, lowest of all the villains they had met but still even though he was fully aware of that he couldn't find the courage to tell him.

"Allias, I need to talk to you." He said again to the mirror.

"About what?" The king asked and the general flinched surprised, he had heard him.