Patience of a Gordon

Chapter Thirty Seven

I said this was the last chapter but it turns out it's not omg. ONE MORE AFTER THIS ONE THEN AN EPILOGUE. Enjoy!!!

Chapter Thirty Seven (Cayne's POV)

I had been taught that there was not much within life that was not accessible if you worked towards it with fierce determination. It was with this frame of mind that Kendall won over so many, including the mother of his future children.

However, I did not follow this in the same way he had. No, I had noticed the twinkling star that shined just as brightly, hidden behind Perseverance: Patience. She had been my guide through my childhood, my adolescent, and still was to this day. I cherished what she had taught me because I could see through my brothers what the consequences were for brushing her off.

It was with patience that I had dealt with Kai. It was with patience that I let Ivy close to my heart, never allowing her to know the hold her mere presence had on me. I believed that within time she would realize this on her own. I had believed, at first, that she would never return my affection but to my surprise, she had.

With her, I felt something that I had not felt in quite some time. I could feel a connection, something that had started the moment she first apologized for Kai's actions, her lips brushing against my hand. It had first begun humming when we were at my parent's house and she insisted on calling me by my given name, despite formalities. It was not until I had found her within the village, where she was alone and terrified, that I started to hear the humming of the bond. It was then that I realized she had nestled herself within me, sneaking past my rationality.

I had once told Amaryllis that she was walking down a dangerous path with my brother. I had attempted to warn her to veer away from it, that it would only lead towards destruction. Not once did it occur to me that since Ivy's arrival, I had walked down the exact path she had taken.

However, it was Patience that kept me on that path. She guided me, shining the way. She had aided me, allowing me to avoid obstacles and handle others with caution. Yet, in the end, Selfishness had blocked her from my view and I fell prey to his ways.

It was Selfishness that caused me to stumble on my path like a gnarled, disguised root. Selfishness disguised himself as a friend, someone that I had come to rely on more than I had realized. I had grown to trust his word, not questioning the validity of them nor his intentions. Selfishness had veiled himself to me through a man named Martin.

My informants were quick to gather information, believing that Martin had acted through what he thought was in my best interest. He demanded repentance for his humiliation years ago, caused by Kendall and his Protector. He demanded repentance from Ivy, taking his anger out on who he believed was harming me when she was the further from doing so. Unfortunately, he was not alone in these thoughts.

It had allowed him to build upon their hatred when he gave them victims to focus on. Ivy and Kai then became their targets, newfound sacrifices to kindle their untamed anger. From there, it was easy to place blame on the two people the world was already skeptical of.

Selfishness also plays onto our other faults and flaws, such as doubt. It was at my own doubt that Selfishness cast his fatal blow, driving me completely off the path I had so hesitantly chosen. He had informed me of the intimacy still lingering between Kai and Ivy, causing me to believe she had made her decision.

I had not looked towards Martin, doubting him, but doubted myself and Ivy. I had only allowed myself to see the side that e presented me with. A man who was loyal and felt compassionate about his duties. I had not questioned whether that very compassion and loyalty would cause difficulties, but simply believed they were beneficial traits any ruler would strive for.