Kingdoms Divided

Chapter 8

For the next few days, the two are almost inseparable. They stick to their duties of training and being king, but whenever they have a free moment, they are together. Rather it is dancing or Lennox showing Jiban different places around the kingdom. Them sitting by the river and just talking. Lennox even gets Jiban a couple new music boxes for his room during their time together. It sadly does not last as long as they were both hoping for as one evening Lennox is waiting in Jiban's room for him, a normality now. Jiban shows up with a smile seeing him which quickly fades, sensing bad news as Lennox is hanging his head and looking at the ground.

    "No." Jiban simply says, "You can't."

    "I have to." Lennox tries to explain, but Jiban interrupts. "No, you can't! You're still hurt!"

    "At least the limp is gone." Lennox tries to convince him but Jiban simply crosses his arms. "You're good at hiding it." Jiban finally makes his way into the room. "Why do you have to go?"

    "I swear, I wouldn't unless it was something big. We have a lead on where the Kingdom of Red will be setting up camp in a couple days and-" Lennox is interrupted again by Jiban's concern, "The Kingdom of Red?!" Jiban gets even more angry with these words. "You know how brutal they are right? When they fight, they always leave very few survivors."

    "I know, but they are going to be there with most of the royal family, and if we can start killing them off then maybe we can get a chance of them losing power. With this upper hand, we have a chance with an easy victory." Lennox finally is able to explain and tries to make his way over to Jiban, wanting to comfort him.

    "Why not send El then with everyone? She's clearly qualified AND she's not hurt. You know going like this just sets yourself up for a loss. A loss for you, is not only a loss for you, but also a loss for the kingdom." Jiban sounds as if he is going to cry now. Lennox notices and brings him into a hug, "Okay, okay, okay. I'll talk to El. Okay, you're right. I am in no shape to fight. Okay, it's okay. I understand now, I'm being a hypercrate."

    Jiban buries himself into Lennox's chest, not wanting him to see him cry. He is not sobbing, but he couldn't stop the few tears from leaving his eyes. "Damn right you are." The words muffle into Lennox's chest and he moves to rest his chin on his shoulder. "Would you let any of your other soldiers go out in the condition you are in? Would you let me?" With those words, Lennox lets out his own single tear, and tightens his grip slightly on Jiban. Jiban is right, because he wouldn't. Especially not Jiban, that might be selfish, it is selfish, but he didn't care. Lennox can no longer lie to himself about how much he has grown to care about him.

    The next day Jiban rushes out of bed and searches for Lennox, but cannot find him. He asks a helper where he went and she says how she hasn't seen him since the other evening. He gets on clothes to then search for what seems the whole day for him, skipping training. Asking anyone where he is, but no one seems to know. At the end of the day he comes back to his room, feeling devastated, he thinks about how he definitely left despite his injuries. Despite what they had said last night. That's when there is a knock at the door.

    "Come in!" Jiban says and Lennox enters, he almost hugs him but stops himself. "Where have you been? I thought you left!"

    "I've been talking to El all day about the plan. She understands and she has agreed to go." Lennox says, "Am I out of the woodworks now?" Jiban rolls his eyes and walks over to his new music boxes. "Look I know it's late and I knew you would think that, but it's okay. I'm staying, okay? I just have to go back to make sure El has everything and she'll leave early in the morning." Jiban winds up one of the new music boxes in response. "Dance with me first?" He says and now it was Lennox rolling his eyes.