Red

29. The Tale of Twin Brothers

i feel like every song i add to my chapters ends up having Khalid in it😂 but it's ok because he's pretty great lmao

give this extra long and beautiful chapter some love and vote, comment, etc! i appreciate every one of you and what you do to help this story grow. thank you from the bottom of my heart, xx

ALSO WE REAHED 100k! YAY! for this special occasion i have incorporated a saucy romelet scene for you all in this chapter ;)

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     In the duration of my time here, I had been to the library quite a few times. Whether to just get away from everything or to read about the history of this world, I spent a good amount of time here. The library was one of few places I could find solace in this palace, and welcomed me a vast amount of information and entertainment. Reading and learning had always been a passion of mine—just not as great as music. Music stole my heart.

We gather at the back of the library and sit at one of the tables next to windows that overlooked mighty mountains and vast greenery of land.

     The table was already set for us apparently as food lined the center in neat rows, along with steaming cups of tea for the three of us. A large and ancient looking book sat on the side of the table away from the food, obviously placed there after everything had been set.

     "Viana, when did you get here?" I ask curiously. She sits across from us and pulls forward a plate full of small delicacy's, along with a cup of tea.

"A few hours ago, just before the sun began rising. I arrived as soon as I could gather my kingdom together in one piece again. Chaos had erupted after the events in the lower caves even though we tried our hardest to keep the majority of the events hidden from the public." Viana says, picking around her food with a fork. Rome refuses to touch a plate as he gazes intently at the woman before us, his brows set low above his eyes in deep thought.

"But that's not why you're here, is it? Or is there more to the story in what Jasper and his weird friends gathered for?" Rome says softly, his voice loud enough in the pleasant stillness of the library. Viana nods slowly at his words, her honey-colored eyes set on the food before her.

"Yes, and no. I came to talk more deeply about why I believe Jasper gathered with the hooded people below my kingdom, and also about you both. I think the information I have to share seem to tie into each other quite nicely." She looks up at me intently, and then to Rome with the same stare. Her lips pull into a thin line as she seems to connect something in her mind. "If you don't mine me asking, have you two... Consummated?"

     "Um—"

     "Yes." My cheeks flush crimson as Rome says the word without hesitation, his face blank of emotion. If anything, he looked completely serious and the question didn't waver him at all.

     Viana gives me a small and sympathetic smile. "Ah, I sensed it. Your aura has changed, Scarlett. It is... Powerful, in a sense. More powerful then what I picked up on before." She pulls the ancient book forward that I had noticed on the side of the table and opens it in its center before flipping a few pages to her right. All the while, she continued talking, "So, Rome, you know of King Mathus, correct?"

"Yes, of course. Jasper mentioned him in the caves and had talked of him being some kind of... Power-holder." He leans forward in his chair, staring intently at the book Viana feverishly flipped through. "I'm afraid Mathus might have took his mind from him and made him into what he became. Somehow he had to have been mind-controlling him. He was never like that before. His loyalty to me had created a deep friendship between us."