Hero's Dead Brother

58. Garden

Wisingham was frowning like he never had before.

The knight promised to pay him a visit after he accomplished all of his promises.

It's been two weeks. He has prayed every day almost all day long to the Goddess of Light and his magic has been purified. He has given freedom to all Lyorian slaves, has payed for all the damages he has caused to the country and more, has sent presents to the royal family.

He has abolished slavery in his country, has done even more than what the knight asked him, he has helped the poor, has saved orphans from being sent oversee and sold as slaves, has even changed his attitude towards his people, speaking with respect to even the most insignificant guard.

He has done all the good he could think of and has reopened all the temples and sanctuaries dedicated to the Goddess of Light.

Where is he? Did he leave him forever? Did he miss something? Was the declaration he wrote not good enough? He had put all the sanctions imaginable against his kingdom if they ever attacked Lyor again. What did he miss?

The royal family of Lyor was coming that day to visit him, as a sign of friendship between the two kingdoms after all his actions. He asked for a good banquet, the best musicians, prepared the most impressing reception he could imagine.

Maybe if the Ragnor family was impressed by that, the information would arrive to the knight's ears? It was his only hope. He even prayed the Goddess of Light for that.

As the royal family arrived, he went out to welcome them in his palace.

His heart stopped when he saw the brown hair appear next to the King.

Noah was there, just as he promised. It meant that he had done everything right! A smile appeared on the king's face, one he never had in his entire life.

"Queen Caroline Ragnor, King Gregory Ragnor, welcome to Ilon!"

So he was a noble, not just a knight! And he even was a royal advisor if the battle was lead by him!

As he was deep in his thoughts, the very confused queen spoke.

"Thank you for this warm welcome, King Samuel Wisigham." Then she turned her hand to the two gentlemen next to her. My husband, the King, Gregory Ragnor and his younger brother, Amiel Leonheart."

Wisingham's eyes widened. The name he gave to him was a lie? No, it's impossible. That person couldn't lie! That person was the very definition of crude honesty. He became even more curious about the young man.

As they got inside and he discussed some projects of cooperation between the two kingdoms, his eyes were on the knight all the long.

Why did he have two names? He doesn't look like his brother at all. Is he an adoptive brother? That would explain why he had to change his name to Amiel.

All those ideas were running in his mind all the evening until the couple went to visit his garden, famous in the entire world for it's beauty Wisingham was never able to appreciate.

As the Queen and the King were walking and admiring the unknown varieties of plants around them, he was left behind with the source of his ardour.

"You did well," he finally spoke.

Then he turned to the king with eyes he never showed in front of his brother and sister-in-law during the whole evening.
Finally! Those eyes that could kill the king if he started for too long. The source of his passion.

The king realized that he was the only person he would look with those eyes and he got even more delighted.

"I'll do anything, you just ask!"

"You did even more than what I had asked. That's good."

The king's heart started to beat faster. He knew! He knew all he had done, he was praising him!

The cold thin fingers grabbed his chin again but this time without cruelty, without disdain.

"You repented, congratulations. Now it's time for your present."

The king's eyes shone from the unfamiliar felling. It was as if the cold fingers were burning his skin.  As a warm breeze passed by, moving the branches of the trees around him and spreading the aroma of the various exotic flowers, he was finally able to see for the first time, just how beautiful his garden really was.

"One wish." The words were like an echo inside a dream. "You can ask me for one wish and if I don't find it too much asked, I'll grant it."

He stopped breathing. Was this a dream? Like the first dreams he ever had since he met this person. All of the dreams he ever saw were about him.

He finally managed to say something "speak to me."

"I'm doing just that."

"Talk to me, about you. About yourself, why you have different names, where you come from, what you desire, why you asked me all those things."

The young man's eyes looked confused but only for the split of a second. They went back to their coldness.

"Alright. I'm from another world. One you can't even imagine."

The king's chin dropped as soon as he let go of it and pronounced those words.

"After dying, I came to this world. That's why I have two names.What I desire the most is to make my family happy because they gave me something I never had in my past life. That's why I asked you to do all of that, because it would make my brother happy."

The king realized that he was able to ask him questions now.

"What was the world you came from like?"

"Hell"

He didn't hesitate a second before answering. The word stopped the king's heart again.

"That's why no one must know about this."

The king couldn't get his eyes off the brown, mysterious orbs that were hiding so much darkness.

"I granted your wish now, King Wisingham," he said simply and walked to the couple with his innocent smiling face.

Thank you for reading!
And my dream is to have my stories as mangas one day!

Love you!
Y'all beautiful!

Ayorty