Rebellious Love

~Epilogue~

Alphonse sighed deeply, leaning against the rough wooden frame of the tent. His shoulders slumped as he placed both hands on his head, the weight of his thoughts pressing down on him. 

"She'll never make it," he muttered to himself, the words heavy with doubt. The flickering light from the campfire in front of them cast long shadows,

Philip stood silently for a moment, lost in thought. His face was calm, but his mind raced with possibilities. 

After a moment, he walked over and sat down next to the Duke. He didn't say anything right away, just staring at the fire as he tried to figure out what to say. The silence between them felt heavy,

"Let's skip the formalities now... I wanted to talk to you about something personal, Uncle," Philip finally spoke, breaking the silence. He turned to look at Alphonse, his eyes serious but calm.

"Speak your mind, kid," Alphonse replied, his voice steady but tired. He shifted slightly, giving Philip his full attention.

"Who really is Abigail to you?" Philip asked, his voice quiet but firm. His eyes searched Alphonse's face, looking for any hint of emotion or truth. It was a question he had been holding back for too long, and now he needed an answer.

Alphonse lowered his head, his expression growing more serious as he mulled over Philip's question. For a long moment, he said nothing, just staring at the ground, clearly weighing his words carefully.

Philip pressed on, his voice softer but insistent. "Is she really just your adoptive child? Uncle, I've admired you since I was a kid, and I know you wouldn't just take in someone, especially a child from another kingdom, without a reason. So, why? What did you see in her that made you want to keep her?"

Philip's eyes stayed fixed on Alphonse, his curiosity mixed with a hint of confusion.

"I want answers just as she does, Uncle," Philip added, his voice firmer now, pushing for a response.

Alphonse sighed heavily, realizing there was no escaping Philip's question any longer. Without a word, he reached under his shirt and pulled out a small, worn bag, its fabric faded with age. Slowly, he opened it and revealed a delicate necklace, holding a butterfly-shaped crystal with a deep violet hue.

"She is the daughter of Hannah," Alphonse finally spoke, his voice low. "Hannah, who was married to the Duke of the Lotus Kingdom." His fingers gently touched the shimmering painite crystal, a symbol of the past that had remained hidden for so long. The weight of the truth seemed to settle in the air between them.

Philip sat quietly, his eyes fixed on the pendant, not daring to interrupt.

Alphonse's voice softened, filled with a mix of regret and emotion. "But before that... before their marriage, before the arrangement was made between the two kingdom... she was mine," he admitted, letting the pendant hang between them like a piece of the past that had never truly faded.

Philip looked at Alphonse with a mix of surprise and empathy. "I never thought you had someone else you loved besides my late aunt," he said softly.

Alphonse's gaze grew distant as he reminisced. "Victoria was an amazing person, I won't deny that... Yes, we were married through an arrangement by the Emperor, but we managed to build a life together," he said, a hint of sadness in his voice as he thought of his late wife.

"But Hannah," he continued, his voice trembling slightly, "she was the one who truly captured my heart. When she was betrothed to the Duke of Lotus, I felt helpless. I didn't want to let her go, but it wasn't up to me to decide. I wanted to run away with her, away from the people who wants to take her away but she insisted, she doesn't want me to be in trouble just because of her... She begged for me not to make drastic measures and I... I didn't want to see her suffer too, so I stopped, I let them take her away from me" The weight of his words hung heavily in the air, revealing a love that had been overshadowed by duty and fate.

"I don't know how, but despite the distance, we managed to keep in touch," Alphonse continued, his voice growing softer. "We exchanged letters and even met at the border once, despite the danger." He paused, a trace of pain flickering in his eyes. "But everything stopped once she and the Duke were married. Do you know what her last letter to me was?"

A single tear threatened to roll down his cheek, betraying the depth of his feelings and the heartache he had carried for so long.

Alphonse's voice wavered as he spoke, the weight of his emotions becoming almost too much to bear. "She was already carrying my child... Before she was sent to the Lotus Kingdom, she knew she was pregnant. She didn't tell me because she knew I wouldn't let her go. She knew I would do anything to keep her by my side, even if it meant facing death."

The tear finally escaped, tracing a path down his cheek as he revealed the deep, unspoken pain he had lived with for so long.

"Uncle..." Philip began, his voice filled with sympathy.

Alphonse nodded slowly, his hand gently holding the pendant. "This pendant," he said, his voice breaking slightly, "was my first gift to her. The pendant is made with a painite gemstone... the rarest of them all."

He stared at the pendant, his gaze lost in memories of a love that had been so precious and fleeting.

"When I saw Abigail for the first time, at the border," Alphonse continued, his voice filled with a mix of sorrow and nostalgia, "she was being chased by bandits. When those men were killed, she lost consciousness and was in a terrible state. She had crossed the border, she was supposed to be our prisoner. But when I inspected her, I noticed she was wearing this necklace."

He held up the pendant, his fingers brushing against it gently. "It was the same necklace I had given to Hannah. Seeing it around Abigail's neck... it was a sign I couldn't ignore. It was like a piece of my past had come back to me."

"So I investigated," Alphonse continued, his voice steady but filled with emotion. "I couldn't just let her go, so I adopted her. Victoria was still alive at that time, and she understood my reasons. She accepted Abigail as her own, and so did our son, Arthur."

He looked at Philip, the pain and resolve in his eyes clear.

"A few months," Alphonse said, his voice tinged with frustration and sadness, "spent searching for answers. I sent someone to the Lotus Kingdom to uncover Abigail's real identity. I needed to know who she truly was, and why she had come to us under such dire circumstances."

He paused, his eyes distant, as if recalling the effort and time it took to piece together the truth. 

"My suspicions were true," Alphonse said quietly, his voice heavy with the weight of revelation. "She really is my daughter."

He looked at Philip, the truth now laid bare. "All the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. Abigail was not just a lost soul we had taken in; she was my own flesh and blood, a part of a past I thought was forever gone."

"Hannah had kept her," Alphonse continued, his voice soft but resolute. "Despite everything, she held onto our child, protecting our daughter, of giving her a chance at life, even if it meant we could never be together." The pain in Alphonse's eyes was evident.

"So you got your answer," Alphonse said, his voice steady but tinged with emotion. "Abigail isn't just my adopted daughter—she is my real daughter."

He looked at Philip, the weight of the truth finally shared. "I took her in to protect her and give her a chance, but the reality is that she carries my blood and my past with her."

"I want to marry her, Uncle," Philip said, his voice filled with determination. "I want to ask for her hand."

He looked at Alphonse, a mix of hope and seriousness in his eyes. "I know the situation is complicated, but my feelings for her are real. I want to make a future with her, if she's willing."

"You have our blessing, child," Alphonse said, his voice filled with a mixture of relief and acceptance. "Mine, Hannah's, and Victoria's. I know they would want her to experience more of this life, just like I do. Focus on making her say yes when she wakes up."

He gave Philip a reassuring nod...