Moonlight Beneath Arvan

Chapter 5: Broken Promises

Days passed in a blur for Ethan. He threw himself into his duties, his responsibilities, anything that could dull the ache left in his heart after losing Luca. He was a dutiful son, a loyal heir, the perfect nobleman. His father looked at him with new pride, his instructors praised his focus, and his family finally seemed pleased. But it all felt hollow, a shell he inhabited without purpose.

Late one night, as he sat alone in his room, the weight of his choices pressed down on him like an anchor. He was trying to do what was right, to protect Luca, but each day without him only made Ethan feel more lost.

A faint knock sounded at the door, startling him. He rarely had visitors this late. He crossed the room and opened the door to find Annabelle, her expression uncharacteristically serious.

"Annabelle?" Ethan whispered, glancing down the hallway to make sure no one was nearby. "Is something wrong?"

She stepped into his room, closing the door quietly behind her. "You tell me, Ethan," she said softly, her eyes searching his face. "You've been different these past few weeks. Everyone says you've thrown yourself into your duties, but I see it for what it is. You're miserable."

Ethan looked away, swallowing hard. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Annabelle crossed her arms, her gaze unwavering. "I know about him. Luca."

Ethan's heart froze. He had never told her about Luca, had never dared to even mention his name. But his sister's knowing expression left no room for doubt. She knew, and the realization left him feeling both exposed and relieved.

"Annabelle," he whispered, "how did you...?"

"I saw you that night," she said, her voice quiet. "The night you kissed him in the alley. I was out with friends, and I... I saw you. I didn't say anything because I knew how much it meant to you." She looked at him, her gaze softening. "I'm your sister, Ethan. I know you better than anyone. And I know you're in pain."

Ethan clenched his fists, his eyes stinging. "It doesn't matter, Annabelle. There's nothing I can do. If our family finds out, they'll destroy him. Darian already threatened him once. I don't want Luca anywhere near this life. It's too dangerous."

"But can you live with that?" Annabelle asked, her voice gentle. "Can you live with denying yourself the one thing that made you truly happy?"

Ethan looked down, his heart twisting painfully. "It doesn't matter what I want. It's what's best for him."

Annabelle placed a hand on his shoulder, her grip firm. "You're protecting him, I know that. But sometimes, protecting someone means standing by them, not walking away."

Her words lingered in his mind long after she left. That night, he lay awake, staring at the ceiling, her voice echoing in his thoughts. He had been so focused on shielding Luca from the dangers of his world that he hadn't considered that he might be hurting him just as much by pushing him away.

The next evening, driven by a mix of desperation and hope, Ethan found himself back in the lower quarters. He kept his hood low, his steps quick as he moved through the crowded streets. He didn't know if Luca would even want to see him, but he couldn't leave things as they were. Not after all they'd shared.

When he reached the forge, he found it closed, the doors shut tight, and the fires extinguished. A pang of disappointment struck him, but he refused to give up. He asked around, making his way through the streets until he finally caught sight of Luca in a nearby tavern, sitting alone at a corner table, his gaze distant and weary.

"Luca," Ethan said, his voice barely above a whisper as he approached.

Luca looked up, surprise flashing in his eyes before his expression hardened. "Ethan. Didn't expect to see you here."

Ethan swallowed, guilt pooling in his chest at the bitterness in Luca's tone. "I needed to see you. I had to... I had to explain."

"Explain what?" Luca's voice was quiet but cold. "That I was just a mistake? That I was a risk you couldn't afford?"

"No," Ethan said quickly, his voice breaking. "You were never a mistake. I... I tried to do what I thought was right, what would keep you safe. But I was wrong. I was a coward, Luca. I was too scared of what might happen to you if I stayed."

Luca's gaze softened, a mixture of pain and longing flickering in his eyes. "So what changed?"

Ethan took a shaky breath, his heart pounding as he met Luca's gaze. "I can't live like this. I can't pretend that I don't love you, that what we have isn't worth fighting for. I thought I was protecting you by staying away, but I see now that all I was doing was hurting us both."

Luca looked at him for a long moment, his eyes searching Ethan's face. Finally, he reached out, his hand finding Ethan's. "And what about the danger, Ethan? Your family, this city... they won't just accept us."

"I know," Ethan whispered, his voice trembling. "But I don't care anymore. I'd rather face the risks with you than live a life without you."

A small smile touched Luca's lips, and he squeezed Ethan's hand. "You've got a lot of nerve, noble boy."

Ethan let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, his heart flooding with relief and warmth. "I have you to thank for that."

They stood there, their hands intertwined, and in that moment, the rest of the world faded away. For the first time in weeks, Ethan felt a sense of peace, a quiet certainty that whatever they faced, they would face it together.

The days that followed were filled with stolen moments and whispered promises. Ethan and Luca met in secret, slipping away from the eyes of the city, carving out a world for themselves in hidden corners and shadowed alleys. Each encounter left Ethan feeling more alive, his heart lighter, the weight of his family's expectations a distant memory.

But he knew it couldn't last forever. The threat of discovery loomed over them, a constant reminder of the price they would pay if their love was exposed.

One evening, as they sat together by the riverbank, Luca took Ethan's hand, his expression serious. "Ethan, we can't keep living like this. Always looking over our shoulders, always afraid. We need to make a decision."

Ethan's heart sank. He knew Luca was right, but the thought of leaving him, of giving up this fragile happiness they'd found, was unbearable. "What do you suggest?"

Luca hesitated, then took a deep breath. "I've been thinking... we could leave. Start a new life somewhere far from Arvan, where no one knows us. We'd be free to be together without fear."

Ethan stared at him, the enormity of the decision settling over him like a storm. To leave everything he'd ever known, to abandon his family, his responsibilities... it was unthinkable. And yet, the idea of a life with Luca, a life where they could be free, was a dream he'd never dared to imagine.

"But my family..." he whispered, his voice shaking. "They'll come after me. They'll never let me go."

Luca squeezed his hand, his gaze steady. "Then we fight. Together."

Ethan looked at him, a surge of courage rising within him. For so long, he had let his family's expectations dictate his life, had let fear keep him from living for himself. But now, with Luca by his side, he felt a strength he'd never known.

He nodded, his decision made. "Then we'll leave. Tomorrow night."

Luca's face broke into a smile, a warmth in his gaze that filled Ethan's heart with hope. "Tomorrow night," he echoed, his voice filled with quiet determination.

They shared a lingering kiss beneath the stars, a promise of the life they would build together, a future free from the chains that had bound them for so long.

But as Ethan returned to the estate that night, a figure emerged from the shadows, watching him with cold, calculating eyes.

It was Darian.

A cruel smile twisted his lips as he watched Ethan slip into the mansion, unaware that his every move had been observed.

"Well, cousin," Darian murmured to himself, a glint of malice in his gaze. "You're not as clever as you think."

The next night would bring Ethan and Luca face-to-face with a choice that would change their lives forever—and a battle that neither of them could fully prepare for.