Chapter 43 - Sacrifice

The sun was about to set and the fireplace was lit up with fire and the room temperature became warm, Both me and Alfered sat near mother as we talked for hours and hours.

"OH I was so emerged in the talk that I almost forget about your classes." Mother said as she looked outside at the setting sun.

"You two what happened to your class?" Mother asked both of us as she looked at us.

"We....didn't have class today." Alfered said in a hurry as he looked scratched the back of his neck.

"Huh? How come in your schedule it was clearly written that you have classes today." Mother said as she looked at the book in kept beside her.

"Mother is that book about our daily routine??" Alfered asked as he rose up from her bed and quietly hide behind my back.

"Yes, it is...." Mother noticed his sudden weird behavior, "....Spill the beans." She said as she looked at us with a sharp look on her face.

"Mother th..That...I.." Alfered said from behind as he grabbed in my shirt.

He is scared of Mother, cuz everytime she gets upset it takes too much effort and time to make her happy again.

"Mother isn't not his fault." I said as I holded alfered hands they were a bit smaller then mine.

"Alan? You too were involved in this??" Mother asked not believing her ears.

"Well Mother is more like I am the one who made the situation like this." I said as I smiled towards her.

"Alan what does that mean?" Mother asked with a confused look on her face.

"Well...What I mean to say it that it was my idea to skip class today, so that we could take a break and pay a visit to you, As for Alfered he just followed me so please don't blame or scold him instead you can blame and scold me." I said as I bowed my head towards her.

"Mother don't blame brother....instead you can punish me." Alfered said as he came forward and bowed towards Mother.

"I told you I will take care of things so why are you doing this?" I whispered to Alfered.

"I can't let you bear the punishment all alone after all it was my bad to bunk classes." Alfered whispered back as he smiled towards me, as of he was telling me to just let it be and that he will fine.

Mother kept looking at us without uttering a single sentence. Is she Mad? I thought as I tired to take a look at mother's face but I wasn't able to, "Mother are you mad at us?" I said as I kept head downward.

"Who said that?" Mother said as she looked at us with a satisfied smile on her face and her ruby like eyes showed contentedness.

Hearing that both if us rose our head to face her and right then she stroked both of our hair.

"Instead of being angry I am rather happy to see you two like this....Caring and standing up for each other. Both of you seem more like brothers today.." Mother said as she looked at us with love in her eyes.

"Mother are you really not mad at us? Does that mean you don't hate us, for not listening to you?" Alfered said as he looked at Mother with his cute baby like face.

Mother looked a bit shocked hearing him say things like that but she still didn't let that smile from her face fade,

"Both of you always remember this if a person is mad at you that doesn't always mean that they hate you and a person who cares for you doesn't always mean that they love you, everything in this world has two sides and I hope in the future you two will be able to identify both the sides both of people and situations." Mother said as he patted our heads.

"We understand Mother...." Both of us said as we holded her hands gently. "I am glad that you do and always remember I love both you more then my life." Mother said.

"More then your life? Mother can someone really love someone more then their own life?" Alfered asked with confused face.

That's what I want to ask too, I don't understand much of love but to think of loving someone more then their own life seems impossible, I thought .

"Yes people can! When you truly start to protect and care for someone, when you find it hard to even stay a second without them.When both of your soul become one, you will not hesitate to give up anything for them....Well it might be too hard for you to understand like this but I am sure one day both of you will meet someone for whom you would even give up your life..." Mother said as she looked into her eyes.

"And I am sure if that someone feels the same as you, they too won't hesitate to give up anything even their life for you. But I hope that situation never arrives in your life....I hope you will live with that special someone of yours for a long and long period of time." Mother said as she smiled towards us with faith in her eyes.

"Mother how do we find that special someone?" I asked out of curiosity. "Umm, that you will know yourself when you find them~" Mother said as she giggled a bit.

"Huh? I don't understand??" Alfered said as he ruffled his hair.

"You will understand just wait for the right time, when you meet them your heart will always be there to give you the right guidance." Mother said as she brushed Alfered's hair with her fingers.

"Its sounds very magical...." I said as I looked at Mother, "....but Mother would I ever have someone like that...With the nametag of a cold crown prince would someone ever come to like me genuinely.." Is what I wanted to ask her but I didn't cuz my questions might break the harmony we are having right now.

"It even feels magical, and it's power is even greater then our divine power." Mother said as she smiled.

"Even greater then divine power...." Those words rang in both Alfered and my mind, how great must love be the even supress the blessings of God. Is that even possible or is it just a fable.

Both of us stayed quiet trying to process everything Mother said, we understood some of it whereas some just went over our head.

"Haha you two don't try so hard. Your tiny heads will brust otherwise." Mother said jokingly.

Right then a maid came into her room, "I greet the saintness of the empire her majesty and the rising sun of the empire crown prince and second prince." She said as she bowed.

"Its time to have your medicine, her majesty." She said as another maid followed her with a plate full of medicines and a glass full of water.

"Yes I remember." Mother said as she smiled towards them. "Seems like both of you must leave now." Mother said as she gave us a peck in her cheeks.It made us blush a bit, but we liked it.

"We understand Mother." Both of us. "Please rest well." I said as I bowed towards her, followed by Alfered. "We will come to visit you soon again." Both of us as we smiled towards her.

"Yes I will be waiting." Mother said as she looked at us. Her eyes looked both happy and sad. Or maybe that's what I think it looks like.

"Good Night Mother." Alfered said as went both existed the room.

We walked through the hallways silently."Brother...do you believe what Mother said about love and give up?" Alfered asked as he looked at the sky.

The sky was in a mixture of blue and balck with the stars that twinkled brightly somehow it reminded me of Lady Winter's Hair.

"I...Maybe I do or maybe I don't.....or maybe I will just wait for the right time and person to know how it really is..." I said as I closed my eyes.

"Well I should do the same too then, Hah I wonder how that special someone will be like~" Alfered said as he putted his hands behind his head.

"Yes that what I think about that too." I said as I took a deep breath. It's cold even thou today is the first day of winter, the upcoming days must be more colder then this.

"Now you should return to your chambers too, its getting colder and colder. You might get sick." I said to Alfered as I pushed him towards the hallway that leads to his room.

"Nope it's still early and I am not at all cold." Alfered said as he stood firmly in front of me, and right then a cold wind blew throughout the hall, which made him shiver from head to toe.

"OH I see you aren't cold~~" I said sarcastically as I looked at him with a poker face. "This okay! Okay I am cold....And now I returning to my chamber.." He said as his face flustered with a color of deep red.

"Hey are you pouting right now?" I said as I poked his cheeks.

"No I am not!! I am a man I don't pout!!" He said as he tried to maintain his facial expression.

"Ohhh I see then a Balloon or ball must have entered your mouth." I said as I shrugged.

Hearing that made him red with embrassment.

"Haah I can't win against you..." He said as he rolled his eyes and sighed. "Glad that you know it. Now be a good boy and return to your chambers." I said as I patted his head.

"Okay~ Good night Big Brother!" He said as he walked towards his room.

"Yes, Good Night to you too..." I said slowly as I saw his back disappearing in that long hallway.

"Now Maybe I should return to my room too, I bet there are pills of work waiting for me there." I said as I sighed and went towards my room.

And just as I expected, my table was full of books and documents.

"Hah...it's quite a lot but I must be able to finish it by tomorrow. I guess." I talked to myself as I looked through the documents.

As a crown prince, I am only given works which need little judgment and I thankful for that or else I might have just died by the workload. Hmm, now that I think of it, Father must be working much harder then this. As the emperor he looking after each and every person and events that occur in the empire.

*Sigh* " Will I be able to do things right.....because that throne would be mine someday...and those people would become my responsibility. One mistake from my side could ruin their entire life..." I talked to myself.

"Am I really capable of being the crown prince and the.... next emperor..." I thought as I putted my head down on the desk.

Cuz, there are much more then knowledge and wisdom when it comes to rule a empire....and I am unaware if I have that in me or not.

"If anyone else saw me this they might think of me as a weak prince...which is why no one is allowed to enter my room without my consent..." I talked to myself as I picked up a pointed pen in my right hand.

"So who are you to enter my room?" I said as I threw the pen towards the window, "Ugh!!" A voice shouted and with a damp the voice stopped. "Hah Another Assassination attempt..."

I can't even scan my thoughts properly.

*Sigh* I looked at the man who lied lifelessly in the ground and then at the sky.

"May his soul rest in peace.." I said as I closed my eyes.