Ephemeral Affairs [MXM]

A Half Brother

I insist that he has a day off, but Nillin explains to me that it's simply impossible. A country needs its leader especially when the country hasn't fully stabilized yet.

So Asahi and I return to our quite and eerie court, and Nillin returns to his duties.

Caria, Kay, and Borscht also return to their duties.

It's lonely without them, but I must also be strong. We are only as strong as our weakest link, I shall not be our weakest link.

It's in the late afternoon when I am breastfeeding Asahi, the female warrior and Claire and a few other warriors come into my room through a secret door I'm not aware of.

The female warrior places her index finger against her lips and put a sword beside Asahi.

I look at the hungry infant in my arms and then to each of them.

The female warrior shakes her head telling me to not do what I'm thinking about.

Her arm raises and Cassiopeya and her son also enter the room through the same secret door.

"You're coming with us, and they are going to replace you two," the female warrior says.

Cassiopeya smirks victoriously with her child tugging at her skirt.

If they have Cassiopeya on their side, do they also have the explosives?

Claire comes to my side and helps me up, while searching me for perhaps weapons; because she shakes her head as an answer for the female warrior.

Then the female warriors go through my drawers and take out all the jewelry and gifts my parents gave me, and also the jewelry and gifts that Nillin and others gave me.

Claire pushes me along through the secret door to a dark place.

They don't give me a chance to leave a strand of hair or a drop of blood. Actually, I don't even know who these people are working for.

I know for sure Cassiopeya doesn't have much influence in Aarth to embed servants to the ranks beside me.

She is perhaps also a pawn or an asset in this.

Lexin hates us too much to go ahead and develops this plan.

Therefore, it's either Griflet, or Fagolan, or another third party.

However, Griflet is getting what he wants at the moment so he's probably not the master mind for this either.

Wait. What does he want? The metals, right?

They lead us down to the sewage of the palace. It's dark and sweaty, and it stinks of all sort of things.

I hold Asahi close not wanting him to inhale anything bad, I can't pay close enough attention to anything else to map out the sewage in my head.

Although, I'm sure we're not 'out' of the palace sewage, they lead us somewhere where it stinks less.

It's like a pocket of space.

We enter the room that is filled with a different kind of smell—too many humans.

The people sit and sleep together is groups, still very crowded.

We go pass them into the back and a single figure stands out.

The figure is much taller than me with the distinguished long silver hair in a ponytail and pale light skin.

"How does Nillin fall in love with such a dark skin person?" His voice is deep, but like a fake deep voice.

"And you are?" I ask.

He walks toward us and squints his eyes as his face is up against mine.

"I'm Prince Nien of Aarth, son of King Nir."

Damn. I see. It's a family affair.

"Who is it, Nina?" A very old woman who sits behind Nien calls.

Nien pulls my arm and sits me before the old woman.

"Grandmama, this is Nillin's wife and son," Nien introduces us casually.

The old woman's eyes open and they glitter with joy. She pulls Asahi and I into her arms, "Nice to finally meet you. You're so dark, but this little one looks just like Nir."

Before I realize it, the grandma already takes Asahi into her arms, "What an adorable baby. What's his name?"

"Grandmama, his name is Asahi," I answer.

"What an ugly name! Why isn't his named like the rest of us?" Grandmama twitches her nose. "What does Asahi even means?"

"Asahi means sun," I answer her reluctantly. It's kind of hard being patient with a rude old woman. She's just like my grandmother.

"Sun? You don't say," she acts all surprise.

Then she turns to Nien, "When will I get to see the sun again?"

"Soon, Grandmama," Nien answers her and pulls me aside.

The female warriors also follow us.

"Fiona told me, you made Nillin apologized on his knees," Nien glares into my eyes with his deep blue ones.

I look at the female warrior who speaks because she was in the room when it happened.

"No, it's not true." I shake my head, "I can never make Nillin do it. Only he himself can."

"Before Nillin bombed a few cities and threatened to do the same for the Capital, I heard you gathered his allies through your own merits alone," Nien starts again.

I shake my head, "I used the merits of my fathers' along with the help of many others, especially Master Lexin."

"You don't take credits well, do you?" Nien crosses his arms, "I'm going to overthrow my half brother. I want you to be 'my' wife."

My stomach drops.

"I—I can't do that, Prince Nien. I already am married to His Majesty," I look at the ground when I answer her.

"Doesn't matter. You'll be 'my' Queen when I ascend the throne," he reaches for my hand and tries to kiss it.

I pull back and hide both hands behind my back.

"You may use me as your hostage, but I will never marry you," I look at him sternly in the eyes.

"Not even if I rape you in front of this crowd?"

I step farther back and run to Asahi and Grandmama. I can't believe my ears: What is wrong with this family?

Nien laughs loudly behind me.

I stay with Asahi and Grandmama as Nien portions my jewelry and sends people to buy food and gifts for his 'sponsors'.

Nillin, what are you doing now? Have you notice that we're gone?

I really don't want to depend on Nillin, but I really don't see a way out.

Why is Grandmama with Nien when she's also Nillin's grandmother? She doesn't seem like she's bias with any of her grandchildren.

She also adores Asahi and constantly says that Asahi looks like King Nir. I guess nieces and nephews can look like their aunts and uncles.

But Nien looks too much like Nillin. It's almost like they're twins.

Well, Nien did declare that Nillin is his half brother.

Wait! Could it be that King Nir stole his brother's wife?

Oh boy. Definitely not repeating this family history.