The Good King

'Unsaved Victim'

The red roses left by Edmund were still there, at the table of Louis's room, where the second prince sat down facing his first love.

Even though his heart spoke in a brave moment asking her to stay, he did not know what to talk about or what to say.

Louis has never felt so much pressure before, not even in Leo's presence.

Aylin's eyes did not break the eye contact since she sat in front of him, as if she was trying to look right through him.

The Petrian did finally break the silence, yet her words did startle him.

''Do you want to marry me?''

Aylin asked, she looked so serious that he did not know how to react.

His cheeks got slightly red as he giggled at her words but tried to hold his laugh in.

After containing himself, Louis finally decided to answer her question as she was starting to get confused.

''Yes''

Aylin who was still figuring out her own feelings, had yet a certain reply ready.

Since she grew up learning Lydian through the romance fairytales and novels, in her mind and heart those were real stories to a certain point.

''But you look like-''

''Like you can save me, yes I heard that enough times now''

The prince immediately interrupted her.

''Well, it's not about that, how do I explain this again?''

Louis struggled for the first time to let his thought come across.

Meanwhile Aylin was all ears for his words which made him stop to think for a second before he said,

''Have you read 'I forgot' ?''

She nodded her head replying no.

''Well you should, I think limiting love to the royal fairytales where the prince saves the princes is not very helpful in real life. Love is so much more than that, and also Aylin...''

''I would like to apologize for kissing you without your permission''

His sincere words and the expression his face was unable to hide, came across to her.

Aylin smiled replying,

''I will read the book you recommended, and I accept your apology''

He smiled back in relief.

''Thank you Aylin''

Louis said.

'I feel so much better'

The prince to himself while putting his hand on his chest. It looked like his worried heart finally calmed down.

Until the day she loves him back, he knew he could wait.

In the dark of that night, only his shadow jumping from a rooftop to another one, was seen.

Crossing Lydia's borders were not challenging for him at all.

His black suit that looked so much like Aylin's only showing his big eyes that shined through the darkness.

He took off his dark mask only to show a light gray hair and a flawless fair skin.

Half of his tattoo was shown from his neck as his suit hid the rest of it.

''Which way was Kardia again?''

He spoke in Petrian.

Looking at the map he snatched outside of his pocket.

On his map Lydia was so detailed. as if the purpose of sending those people after Aylin for years now was only an excuse to draw that art.

There were a few places marked in red.

One of them was Asher's house...

"Lost in thoughts again?"

Ezra interrupted his red haired friend, who sat alone watching the starry night sky.

"I called you a few times"

Ezra camplained before sitting down next to Asher.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about prince Louis"

He replied with all honesty.

"What about him?

Ezra asked.

"I saw him fight, for a moment there, I could only feel hate coming from him and nothing else, his whole aura changed as if he switched from a prince to a cold-hearted murderer. I was reminded by Aylin's eyes when we first met"

Since Asher who never says much opened up about his worries, Ezra took every single word of his very seriously.

"Match made in heaven then"

Ezra giggled, replying only to face Asher's death glare.

"Sorry"

He immediately apologised.

"Well I understand what you're feeling"

Ezra said.

"He is a victim of Leo's that we never considered saving"

He then added while looking down. Asher did the same because it was too late for them to do anything about it.

Something inside that prince was broken, something no amount of love could fix.

Only a dim light was coming from the second prince's room while he sat down facing those papers, maps, and notebooks of his.

'I need something to stop them from coming in when Leo calls for them'

He was thinking.

His plan is all about catching Leo off guard, he would not let any knight interfer to try and save that king.

No matter how hard he thought about it, he was not able to find a way out.

'I only need them to stay out for one hour, just one hour'

He could not send anyone to fight them since the ones he is targeting are the knights who are always within a couple of feet away from where Leo is, whether that is his bedroom or the throne room.

'Giving them a false warning would only put Leo more on guard, which I can not risk'

Louis was not accepting to get any sleep unless he found out a clue of how to get rid of those knights on the promised day he has been planning for a year now.

'CLAIR!'

He suddenly jumped up, it looked like he did figure it out eventually.

'How did I not think about this? I should talk to her about it tomorrow since it's too late'

He started gathering all of his stuff to hide them in his secret little space that no one knew of.

He sighed in relief. Turned that lamp off only to find that starry nightsky's moon light did find a shiny way through his window straight to a beautiful red hair on his bed.

Aylin was sleeping on her left side, so her sleeping face was not bothered by that light.

He walked towards her quietly.

Sat down on the ground watching her face before he grabbed her hand and gently held it closer to his face and leaned his head towards it.

Louis closed his eyes as if he never felt so peaceful before...