Chapter 8

“I’m sorry, Your Highness.”

Elpine muttered in a tense voice.

“I dared to deceive you, but your highness, my loyalty to my sister is strong. Ira is still very young, barely discovering the world.”

“You’re so funny, Elpine.”

“Your Highness, she is a good woman, always caring for those she loves, and giving more love than many deserve, please reconsider.”

“You really don’t have a good image of me, do you?”

Rubellus pressed his lower lip.

“You’re a soldier and my friend, Elpine… you know how I feel about your sister.”

“I know, Your Highness, and I am sorry.”

Elpine began to tremble due to the enormous energy Rubellus was emanating, he felt it was crushing him, taking his breath away.

“I’m very angry, but what can I do? What she said…”

“I’m sorry,” Elpine whispered again.

“I can’t get her words out of my head, this is so annoying. I really wish things were different…”

Silence

Rubellus’ words faded into the air and Elpine was still kneeling on the ground, but somehow it all felt very peaceful. So he decided to look up, but when he was about to do so, his eyes were opened in surprise.

Before him, Rubellus was on his knees with his left hand on his shoulder.

“I want to make things right. I’ve waited too long in the shadows and you’re her brother, I want to pay my respects.”

Elpine swore he could see him soul coming out of his body.

“H-His Highness! You cannot kneel! If anyone sees you!”

Elpine got up quickly.

Kneeling before him? How crazy was that Emperor?

“You can’t do this, you’re the future emperor!”

Elpine let out a surprised cry, and Rubellus stared at him, his red eyes increasingly visible, even with the lenses on.

“¡…..!”

Elpine, at that moment, was silent. He was one of the few people who knew the secrets of Rubellus, apart from his sister.

“I know it’s asking a lot, but I expected a very different reaction.”

“I’m sorry,” Elpine said slowly.

Rubellus’ red eyes looked terrifying.

“But Your Highness, you can’t do it again.”

“If I could finish talking, that would be lovely, Elpine.”

“Yes, Your Highness, go ahead.”

“I just want her to know that I love her, that’s all. You know better than anyone why I didn’t correspond to her confession, you know very well why I had to stay away from her…”

Elpine’s face was distorted, it was true, he knew it.

Rubellus looked at him directly.

“I love her too much, damn it. Help me tell her, please.”

Elpine couldn’t look at him directly, he just managed to say in a very sad voice:

“You can’t have it both ways, if you give up the crown and choose it, the kingdom will be ruined. But if you choose to rule, my father will never let you marry her, he’ll find a way to compromise her before you can get to her.”

Rubellus could feel a tightness in his chest.

He really hated that he was right, but he couldn’t help feeling selfish.

“If only your father hadn’t opposed my coronation, things would be simpler.”

“I’m sorry my father didn’t support you, Your Highness.”

“It’s not your fault, your father is a worthy opponent and also a strong ally, I understand his position to a certain extent” he sighed briefly “I just wish I didn’t have to push her away like that, all the times I wanted to tell her how I felt… but there was always someone behind her trying to hurt her to get to me!”

With his eyes closed, and a voice that is soft and gentle, Rubellus expressed his discomfort.

But then, he began to laugh.

“Shall I tell you a little secret, Elpine?”

With a smile on his lips he began to visualize Ira in his head, her eyes, her blushing cheeks, and that beautiful dress she had used to attend the coronation. Everything about her fascinated him…

“Being a Prince wasn’t enough, I needed power, it was the only way to protect what I want… and with my opponents trying to put someone else on the throne, I couldn’t risk showing my feelings.”

“Your Highness, do you…?”

“Power in exchange for security. As Emperor, I can establish a new cabinet, start from scratch. I have the support of the people and I intend to implement fair and equal laws. Do you really think I don’t have a plan?

“You seem very excited, Your Highness.”

Rubellus looked down for a moment, sighing, and made a smile that could hardly be called as that.

“How can I get her back?”

I went into the main hall.

It took me less than ten minutes to reach the banquet hall from the Great Yellow Forest, and an imperial knight, who seemed to have come at my brother’s request, accompanied me to the designated place.

I was somewhat embarrassed. What would happen if someone saw me return to the main palace like this?

There were too many misunderstandings

“Ira!”

I was sitting in a chair when someone called me in a hurry and came up to me.

It was Lenny, who was running towards me with an elegance that would be questioned by many of those present.

“Where have you been?! Did you really think you’d miss the coronation? Do you know how worried I was? Your mother and Bianca are looking all over for you!”

Lenny’s eyes opened and she spread her hands in the air showing me how angry she was at me, not to mention the look she gave me, after she had calmed down.

“Can you tell me where you were? Why did you leave my side? We were supposed to go in together! When did you get lost?!”

Maybe she’s still not completely over it…

I hesitated for a moment to tell her the truth, but in the end I mumbled:

“I went to the Great Yellow Forest to clear my mind.”

“What the…” That place is owned by the king! You can’t enter that place, unless someone from the Royal Family allows you to, are you crazy?”

“Well, I…”

“Tell me no one saw you, Ira.”

I looked at the floor for a moment, it was obvious that someone had seen me, it was just that it was so easy for me to go there without any permission because I was “the fiancée of her Royal Highness”. But I wasn’t anymore and I made a serious mistake from which I still don’t know how I managed to get out alive.

“I met Rubellus… “

I expected a few more nags from Lenny, but instead, I felt her arms around me, comforting me.

“Was it very bad?”

“It was… different.”

“Oh honey, I know what that forest means to you and I’m sorry that things aren’t the way you want them to be, it’s your birthday and you’re spending it at that man’s coronation. But you must be more careful, do you know how dangerous the roots of those trees are?”

“The roots?”

What are you talking about?

“You remember my cousin? The silly girl went into the Great Forest without permission and escorted, tripped over one of those roots and broke her leg. What if something like that happened to you?”

“I… I didn’t think of that.”

“Ira, that forest is special for one reason, it gives vitality to the Royal Family, it’s like a kind of energy provider. I know you feel connected to that place, but you have to be very careful, okay?”

“Yes, and I’m really sorry.”

“Oh honey, I’m just your best friend, I’m not the one you should be apologizing to…”

I almost answered, but before I did, I got the voice of the only woman in the world who could lock me in my room and throw the key out a window.

“Ira Waldenbiston!”