The Silver Seer

Chapter 26: Unexpected

Reyes stops in the middle of Leon's office, staring right at the officer as he rests the ends of his hands on the front of his desk, facing him. When he speaks, his voice is low and bitter, but the young man remains undeterred. "This is about attacking Reko, isn't it? Why are you here, and not the boy himself?"

All the teenager does his grip the handle of his rapier and reply in as calm of a tone as he can summon. "Yes. I wouldn't want to chat with a friend who tried to kill me. Don't you remember his kind gesture of creating those limbs for you?"

Leon grinds his teeth before replying. "Just because he made me new limbs doesn't mean he's my best friend. Of course, you wouldn't understand, as you haven't. . .." Reyes lets a smirk come across his face as the officer's voice trails off.

But he doesn't press Leon any further. He just continues standing and staring, hand still on his blade's handle. Meanwhile, Leon averts his gaze, and eventually turns away from Reyes, to which the teenager takes a few steps forward.

"Were you going to kill him?" Reyes lowers his voice, glancing over his shoulder as if Reko is in the room with them, but there is no one else inside.

He watches as Leon turns his head to the left just far enough that Reyes can catch his left eye- a shimmering blue. "Why do you care?" He raises his head and turns his entire body to face Reyes, his eyes now narrowed and mouth in a frown. "Killing him would do the world a favor. If General Adelric won't do it, I may as well just end his life."

Tightening his grip on his rapier, the boy debates whether to draw it from its sheath or try and continue using words to calm Leon down, though so far...that's not going too well. Nonetheless, he tries his best. "He's the last of his kind. He wants to live and protect your General. Killing him won't do anything to benefit you or the military. I'm sure Liam wouldn't want it, either."

At the mention of his brother's name, Leon balls his hands into fists, and raises his voice at the teenager in front of him. "You don't know what my brother would have wanted. You don't even know him."

Reyes tilts his head and continues speaking. "I know he wouldn't want you wallowing in despair and pity. He'd want you to keep fighting, not just for Switzerland, but for him and yourself as well."

Leon draws his sword and points it at the boy, who meets his gaze with nothing but a sympathetic expression. Reyes does not draw his rapier- though he's trying to hide it, Leon's right hand trembles- the officer won't kill him.

After several seconds of silence, Reyes notices tears beginning to fall down Leon's cheeks, and he eventually drops his sword and collapses to his knees, quietly sobbing. Yet, Reyes can make out his words. "All I've wanted is to make Liam proud of me after I virtually lost everything I had after being discharged. I smiled every day and pushed aside all the negative thoughts about Liam that my father instilled in me and tried my best to make him smile. And now...now he's dead, and I feel as if it's all my fault!

"My father is going to come here to take me away from the military and have me enlist back into the knights. He's probably forcing me to follow in his footsteps as the next Knight Commander, which I don't want to do. I suffered so much under him- he didn't care for Liam when he couldn't fight with a sword as skillfully as I did and discarded me the moment I lost my arm and leg. All of Liam's efforts will be in vain. I let him down. I just wanted us to be happy together, and now I can't even make that wish come true. Reyes, I. . .." Leon covers his face with his hands, and the teenager kneels in front of him, but remains silent.

He is an only child. The only heir to the throne. He had no competition, and all of his parent's efforts were focused on making him a king worthy of leading such a small yet strong country. But he knows the bond between siblings is strong and strengthens further when they are put through tough events, though nowhere near the trauma Leon and Liam have had to experience, both by themselves and together. He knows siblings would want the best for one another even if one of them is to die (unless they have had a negative relationship for a large majority of their lives), and Reyes wants to tell Leon such a fact, despite him not knowing either of the twins very well.