Light from the Shadow

Chapter 28

Rishi closed the book on his hand and stretched his arms to ease the tension on his shoulders. He returned the book to the bookshelves and walked out of his room. A few knights who were guarding his room nodded their heads when they saw him coming out. Rishi returned the greeting and walked away.

He had been advised not to leave the palace ground for the time being, fearing the situation outside was not safe for him. As if I'd believe that. He snorted. He knew Helten was suspecting him. Although the crown prince knew that Remblan was a neutral country and had agreed to never interfere with others' conflict, he still had his doubt. What was a librarian like him doing here in Solbaru? Was he on a mission assigned by the king? What was his intention? What if Remblan was involved in the recent attack in the border? Rishi Meanica was not some random guy without credibility. He held one of the highest positions in the kingdom of Remblan. They could not treat him like some random commoners. That was why they kept him in the palace. The empire was monitoring his movements. Rishi smiled at his own thoughts. It was finally the time...

Rishi strolled along the empty corridors when he spotted a familiar couple coming from the front gate. Lord Remwar and his wife were in the palace to see their daughter. As they got closer to the the corridor, the wife spotted Rishi. Her husband whispered something to her and she ran towards him. For a moment, she looked like she was lost for words. She touched his face, over and over and suddenly, tears started to flow from her eyes. She hugged the librarian and cried in his arms while Lord Remwar smiled at them.

***

Helten clenched at his robe. He was angry at what he just saw. He had never seen his in-laws looked so happy while they were in the palace. Ares' mother always looked like she was afraid of him while her father just outright showed his disgust on his face every time they met. But they could show that expression to someone they barely knew? Helten paused his thought. He looked at the man with glasses again. Was he... someone they knew?

"Helten?" A gentle voice called him from behind.

He immediately recognized the owner of the voice without looking back.

Ares approached him. "Are you okay? You looked pale."

"Ares..." Helten turned to her. He could feel his hands shaking in fear. He had never felt this afraid. Not even when he first killed someone with his own hands. His hands wrapped around her.

"Helten?"

"There is nothing." Helten muttered. He hugged his wife tightly. He would never let anyone take her away from him.

***

"Well then, we should get going now." Lord Remwar said after he finished the last drop of his wine. His wife nodded.

"Please come again, father, mother." Ares said.

"I should be leaving too." Rishi said and got up from his seat.

Much to their daughter protest, the Remwar couple insisted to make the librarian join the family dinner. Rishi had refused the invitation, knowing that Helten had prohibited Ares from seeing him, but Lord Remwar would not hear it. Helten himself never joined Remwar family dinner because he knew Ares' parents felt uncomfortable when he was around. The hot-headed father threatened the group that he would confront the crown prince if they were scared of him knowing about their little dinner party. The youngsters gave up and decided to go for a safer route, dragging poor Kuan with them and having dinner in his residence. Ares' father did not particularly like Kuan either. He was still that traitor's son after all! But if he had to choose one out of the two brothers, he sympathized with the younger more.