Break

Chapter 3: The Mage and the Thorns

The events of yesterday occupy my mind as I walk the rose garden with Delsair. Eyes cast down, I watch as the bricks move from my view as I walk. The words Delsair say seem to go in one ear and out the other.

With Josephine gone, I had to do everything myself today. Needless to say, my room is not presentable. Thankfully, no one ever really has to go in that place. It looks like a storm from the Freay Sea decided to swoop in and wrecked it. As for my clothing choices, they are pretty decent. I can at least do that much.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Delsair asks me as he gives me a soft tap on the shoulder.

"Um, yeah, sorry," I mumble. "It's just, I don't know, everything is changing so fast. I'm not used to any sort of change, to be honest."

"You've never had to change?"

"Nope. Everything is my choice and my way," I proudly state. "Well, besides having my maid quit. That was not what I wanted."

"Speaking of," he says, "I talked to Josephine this morning. She said she would have to seriously think it over before coming to a decision."

"She better say yes," I mutter under my breath.

"I'm sure she will. Your families seem to have a history."

"I only knew her as my maid," I tell him. "She never talked about having any children or a husband. Heck, she didn't even say anything about siblings or parents. She was just... just Josephine the maid."

"I understand what it's like to not want to talk about those close to you," he says to me. "Being in or close to a royal family doesn't tend to make friends."

"What about you?" I ask him. "Are you not telling me about anyone."

Delsair squints up at the blue sky before answering. "Yeah. I have a brother and sister, fraternal twins. I had an older brother, but he was assassinated during a meeting with Yorin to secure an alliance. We backed out of the alliance to keep my family out of danger. My mom became paranoid and barely slept. Sometimes, she would just pace around all night and check on all of us. Finally, she decided to leave. My father suggested that all of the children go with her, but I refused so I could learn to be king."

"Where are they now?"

"No clue. That's the point. Even under torture, we can never give them away."

"Don't you miss them?"

"I'd give anything to see them again, but I know what I did was right."

We continue on in silence. Pity confuses my soul. Normally, I only feel pity when I see my father working late hours, but this is a while new kind. Almost discreetly, I slide my fingers between his and hold his hand. With a squeeze of his hand, he looks softly down at me.

"I'd never leave you," I state in a whisper, "even if it meant being in danger."

"I'll take you to a place where you will never have to worry about war," he promises me as he strokes a piece of hair out of my face. "We will never have to look out at a wasteland ever again."

"We will look out at the ocean, right?"

"Anything you want."

I pause to think of another question. Rubbing my chin with my index finger, I try to think of something. Finally, it clicks. "What do you think the wedding will be like?"

"If my father has his way, massive," Delsair sighs. "If he actually asks for my opinion for once, it won't be that big. In the end, I will make sure you get what you want though."