Chapter 216 - My Bliss

"Wh...What? Death...penalty? By...your...mother?" Looking awestruck while rolling her teary eyes wider in shock, Eva slowly repeated his words after him in a crooked voice. She seemed to be in disbelief as her expression faded into mystic darkness. 

He nodded his head, gulping down his saliva. Tossing a heavy painful sigh out, he averted his gaze up at the night sky staring at the luminous stars. "The immense resentment budding up in her heart against my dad and Lady Madonna, finally erupted out like lava when she declared her verdict before the pack, leaving her speechless and shocked. 

Everyone...agreed with her decision except...my father. But...at that moment, it was impossible for him to reject her sentence since it involved his own's mother's murder! Helplessly...he begged before my mom to withdraw her decision...but her heart had already frozen from the wrath of his betrayal... 

But...little Czar had to endure the bitter consequences of this cold war. He was just...an innocent toddler.

Lady Madonna gave up every ounce of hope on her life but...she desperately wanted to save small Czar or else...such a naive kid would have been killed too... 

On the night of her execution, Lady Madonna somehow locked Czar in the cottage she lived alone in the mountains and somehow, sneaked into our castle with utmost desperation to meet my dad for the very last time. And... I have helped her to meet him that night..." His dark voice sounded very gloomy while he sighed.

She sat still beside gawking at him in wonder holding his hand firmly. Eva noticed that his hand was trembling a little as he was depicting his sad story. Clinching his arm tighter, she stayed silent trying to hearten him with her immense support.

Tears started streaming down his morose dark eyes as he continued to rustle gazing up at above. "Surprisingly, I don't regret how I helped her defying my mother that night to sneak into our castle. I was...very... desperate... I couldn't save my granny but...at least I wanted to save my little brother from getting killed...

There... she...handed my dad a letter expressing her last wish...asking him to take little Czar in with us since...he was carrying his own bloodline! My dad knew it would be their last goodbye and didn't object a word at her. Silently they sobbed for a while lost in each other and without wasting a further second, she fled from the castle before anyone notices her as it could have caused a huge hassle...

Before leaving...she hugged me one last time and asked me in tears...to look after Czar as a wise big brother... I watched her disappear into the woods... That was the very last time I saw her...

Shortly after that, we came to knew that she was shot by arrows from behind by the castle guards and she slipped down a profound cliff... Her body was never retrieved..." His chapped lips were quivering on their own while he was narrating holding a wretched look in his blank eyes. 

Without even realizing it, her vision turned all blurry as her eyes were swelled up with those bitter tears streaming nonchalantly down. She closed her eyes, lowering down her grimace but her heart was aching in pain for the cruel fate Czar deserved at such an innocent, young age. 

"Since that day...I have never seen my dad smiling wholeheartedly...for even once! But...my heart was torn apart for Czar... When we rescued him from the cottage, crying his heart out like a small kid, he was begging before us to find his mother who was the only support he had hold onto... 

But I had no other choice... I had to act all cold and indifferent to make him strong like a rock... My mother...never accepted Czar for even a day and treated him in the utmost bitter way as possible... My heart ached to see him suffering. I objected to her maltreatment desperately. I have tried my very best to keep him together with us trying to act indifferent towards him before my mom...

But the harshness he had to face since that age engraved those untreatable burning scars in his heart forever. My outer coldness made him despise me even more and..that's not his fault at all. He had to suppress all his helpless pain inside and had to live a life he never wanted... Somehow he has learnt to fake a smile but I know it well...how badly broken his heart must have been...

Eva you know...My regret is...I failed to keep the promise I made to Lady Madonna... She wanted me to become a wise brother for Czar but... I couldn't...

I have hurt him so much but...I never wanted to be let go of him trying every way possible to make him stay with us forever. The loathe he bears in his heart towards me, my mom, dad and our pack have turned him into an arrogant prick which he was never since the beginning... I still believe...the innocent and gentle heart inside him must have been alive...hiding somewhere...

I feel so derelict... It's so...frustrating..." Biting his lower lip, he was helplessly trying himself to break down into bitter sobbing before her as he asserted in a timid pitch. 

"I believe it too, Zeus!" Clamping his shivering cold arm, she tried to console him with her soft, teary voice. Slowly with her fingertips, she tried to wipe his tearful eyes sounding very calm, "I believe...Mr. Czar still has a kind heart hiding behind his domineering outer self. And I don't think, he despises you from his core either, Zeus!" 

Hearing her considerate voice, he lifted his chin down from the horizon at her in wonder. "You...think so?"

"I know so. Deep in his heart, I am sure...he must have been angry with you... Not only you but he must also have been annoyed with this world for all the cruel things he had to go through. But I am sure, he must have been aware of all the sacrifices you chose to bear for his sake until now... He must have been aware of the conflicted relationship you chose to bear with your mother for him! And... just because he doesn't reveal...it doesn't mean that he doesn't feel it himself!

It was him who took me to you on that night when you were suffering from pain inside the forest alone. He took me there because...he was obliviously worried about you, Zeus! 

I know it well now...He acts all crankier and vexatious from outside but he likes to do things secretively without anyone even realizing it. Even that morning, he arrived at my home to check up on you if you are doing well... He is definitely concerned about you too!" Her voice deflected very firmly along with the mild rustling sound of sea breeze and the waves drifting towards the shore. 

Lost in her shimmering dark eyes, Zeus was spellbound for a while gawking at her unknowingly. He could easily notice her true efforts to build up his confidence when he was on the verge of losing his self-determination. 

"Now I feel...why...he has grown sincerely fond of you, Eva. I think I know now...why he thinks of you similar to his mother..." A sad, trembling smile escaped his lips as he whispered. 

His unexpected answer made her a bit baffled. Blinking her lashes a few times in a row, she curiously asked, "si-similar to his mother? M-Me?" 

"Whenever my dad used to feel low...she would comfort him just like you. I could immediately see the bliss in his eyes which I can feel in my heart whenever I am with you... Perhaps...my dad would have been happier if he would have just fled away with her ignoring this shitty world and the fucked up responsibilities, rather than living his life like a living corpse..." Exhaling a heavy sigh of despair, he gripped her arm tighter mumbling slowly. 

For a moment, she stared at him without uttering a word and lowered her eyes down. She could evidently the pain that was churning down his insides and all she could do was comfort him from his grievous past. 

"But I am not going to let go of you...like my dad did..." Staring deep into her eyes he rustled those words in a tender, deep voice. "I had known today that hellhounds had sneaked into our resort and I just wanted to bid a proper goodbye to Mr Graham and Lady Olie with their funeral. Eva, I am sorry for being a bit late today when that hellhound tried to attack you but...I am glad to see you safe. I won't be able to survive if something happens to you...

No matter what lies ahead...just stay with me. All I want...is you in my life to breathe in this cruel world. You are my only hope and happiness for survival...remember it forever." Leaning his head on her shoulder, a sad smile escaped his lips he clutched her small arm with his fingertips emitting out a deep sigh. 

She smiled tenderly, tending her head down upon his head. Closing her eyes to feel the moment of bliss they were together in it. Nodding her head, she slowly murmured, "as long as I have you...I am going to fight with all my might against our fate, just like my dad did for my mom.. 

And till my last day...my heart will belong to only you...I promise." 

............

But both of those innocent hearts were unaware of the ruthless destiny that lied ahead of them...