Kings On The Horizon (Vol. 4-6) ✓

112 | Queen's Visit

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KRIST STARES AT THE horizon as the clouds turn grey above him. He wanted to head back inside before the rain starts to fall, but he didn't want to move. He was at his brotherhood base on the rooftop. This is where he felt the safest.

     "Mj, let's head back. Lunch will be over soon and you don't want to miss class again," Brave says while standing behind his leader.

     "You head out first. I'll stay here," Krist answers.

     The atmosphere between them becomes awkward and silent. As much as Brave wanted to follow his leader's orders, he didn't want to leave him alone, especially now when he's so down. But at the same time, he doesn't know how to comfort him.

     "I feel like staying here," Brave tells him instead, walking towards Krist and standing by his side. Brave didn't say anything else, but then Krist takes a deep breath and says, "In the beginning, we were fine pretending. It's almost like we were saying that if we never bring it up, it will never be an issue. That's why everyone thinks Jokers and Cigarettes are friends."

     Krist laughs at the last word that he said and looks back at Brave. "Friends. Funny right? When we barely really talk to each other. We put on a show together just for our own entertainment, but that's it," Krist then says, referring to the first day of school when they put on a show just to scare the freshmen students. At that time they made an impression that they were close with each other; even Max thought the same thing.

     "For him to pretend as if nothing has changed is sickening."

     "Krist—"

     "Was I wrong, Brave? To be mad at him for what happened, for everything that we went through, am I wrong to hold a grudge?" Krist immediately asks.

      Brave couldn't really give an honest answer. He understood where his leader was coming from, but at the same time, a part of him understood why Cj had to push himself away too. With how their friendship ended, both were in the wrong regardless of the reason.

     "If you're going to continue on with this then you might as well confront him now," a voice suddenly says, making Krist and Brave turn around to face the unknown intruder.

     The man standing behind them was the leader of BND, the duke, Hans de Vries. Krist and Brave were surprised to see him there, but before they could even ask anything, Hans looks at Brave and tells him, "Lunch is over and everyone has already gone back. You should too."

     Brave looks at his leader, and Krist nods his head, giving Brave permission to leave, so he did. When Brave was finally gone, Hans approaches Krist and tells him, "You're a lot more sensitive today Master Joker. Usually, you'd just brush him off or play along but recently you've been aggressive."

     "What are you doing here?" Krist asks instead before turning back around to face the scenery again.

     "Just wanted to give you an update," Hans says as he leans on the railings, his back facing the scenery that Krist was enjoying. "You know how we were all surprised when Viktor came to school today?"

    "Yeah?"

     "That fucker announced to the entire student body that the school representative will be sent to the House of Bishops for some kind of exchange program. Everyone went crazy because of it," Hans explains, making Krist look at him with shock.

     "That idiot. The Elites wouldn't be happy about that announcement even if it was to encourage the white uniforms to rank up. This would only cause more bad than good," Krist says.