Chapter 31
Rhyland’s POV
The two sat together and talked about everything. Watching them chat about all that happened and how both of them were worried about the other warmed my heart.
Under my father’s hand, I never got to experience the feeling of bonding with a sibling. I was always out on the battlefield, or training with the soldiers. Even as a child I practiced my ass off to be the warrior my father saw me to be.
“Rhyland, is everything alright?” Raven’s soft voice spoke and my eyes shot up towards her with a small smile.
“Yes, of course.” My eyes lingered on her twinkling earthy brown eyes for a slight moment before breaking contact.
“I’ll let you two be, I’m going to see how my mother is holding up.” She nodded but her eyes followed me as if she didn’t believe me when I said everything was okay.
I walked across the room and out of the door before I took a deep breath
My mother’s chambers were located at the third level which was only one staircase up from Raven’s room, her and father never shared one. Her and my other siblings had to share the west wing of the castle while my father and I got our own levels.
As I made my way up the stairs, I felt my stomach flip slightly as anxiety began to settle in. Would she be mad at me? Would she hate me?
There was no easy way to tell, only to speak with her and find out.
When I made it to the door, I pulled my hand up to knock until I heard her voice on the other side.
“What’s the matter?” She spoke softly, a voice I don’t think I’ve encountered in many years.
“Is Rhyland a bad person?.. He killed all those people.. a-and father..” I knew the voice, it belonged to my younger brother Henson.
Instantly, my head dropped in shame. I went to turn around and walk away when mother’s voice spoke up again.
“No baby, absolutely not. Your brother stood up for the right cause, he is courageous. Something many people cannot claim.”
I felt a small smile grow upon my lips as the room grew silent until Henson spoke again.
“I want to be like him some day. I would fight for you too mommy.”
The smile grew on my face and I raised my hand up to knock again, prepared for face them both. My anxiety had disappeared at their words.
“She’s really got you hooked, hmm?” My lips tilted to the side and I turned to my younger sister. She was the second oldest of us all and the more obedient one, along with myself.
“You could say that.” I met her dark green eyes with mine and she just smiled while shaking her head.
“That’s good.”
I nodded awkwardly and was about to turn back to the door when she cleared her throat.
“You know, I stopped helping father when you left for Zanatra.”
My head turned slightly sideways at her and one of my eyebrows raised at her words. My father had used her to detect magic that was being used in the village and she was the most trusted of us all with the gift to detect such a thing.
“Why?” Was all I could muster out.
She gave a light smile before looking back up at me.
“Because you looked happy. Not the fake happy that you tried to profess in each dinner or ball with Jasmine. Just genuinely happy.. You smiled more, you laughed a lot and father’s plans for the Blueblood didn’t seem to have been the reason for it. So I pretended that no one had done any magic and if I did find anything I simply covered it up.”
“Thank you, Emelia but that was dangerous. You could’ve been killed.”
She just scoffed and swatted her hand.
“Stop playing the hero, Rhyland. I saw an opportunity to help and I took it.”
The door that I had been trying to knock at for the past five minutes creaked open and my mother stood in the doorway, looking at both of us.
A single tear strayed from the seal under her eye and dripped onto her cheek. Her hand moved up to caress my cheek while she held a sad smile.
“My boy.. you did what no son should ever have to do. But you did it with the heart of a true king, and for that I will forever be grateful to have brought you into this world. I knew from the moment I laid my eyes on you that you would go through hardships but you’ve overcome each and every one as if they were small hurdles.”
I took in her world and a warmth sensation spread throughout my body. Knowing she was proud of me made me feel like I could do anything in the world.
I knelt down at eye level with Henson and his purple eyes met mine, he was the only sibling that shared the same eye color as me but he was always ashamed of it. But right now, he held his head upward as if the shame had washed away.
“One day when you’re old enough, you’ll rule over this kingdom and you’ll have the best mentor to guide you.” I smiled brightly at him then up to my mother. Her face held confusion and she looked from me and Henson.
“What are you saying, Rhyland?” She mumbled and I just shrugged.
“The kingdom is yours and under your rule, the villagers will be able to thrive more so than they ever could with father.”
She shuffled her feet, still confused and stunned by my words.
“You’re not going to take the throne?”
I shook my head and looked down towards Henson.
“No, I don’t think so. I’m needed somewhere else.” My mind instantly went to Raven.
A knowing smile spread on my mother’s face and she nodded slowly, looking over at me with bright eyes that crinkled at the edges.
“The island of BlueBloods, Zanatra.”
My eyebrows crunched up and it was my turn to look at her in shock and confusion. She noticed and decided to continue on my behalf.
“When you were younger, you fell and cut your knee up pretty bad. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that the gods had blessed one of my children with the gene.”
“So you knew?” I asked and she simply nodded.
“I did, I just never said anything to you or your father. His hunger for power would’ve overcome his love for his own child and he would’ve done everything he could to use you for an advantage.”
I didn’t realize that Henson had ran out from behind our mother and gripped onto my leg. His arms wrapped around me ima tight hug and I bent down to hug him back.
“I’m going to miss you Rhys...” His small voice said and I hug back a little tighter.
“I’m going to miss you too little man. You’ve got to keep these women safe okay? You’re the man of the house now.” I said pointedly and he jumped up in a soldier like position with his hand saluted.
“You’re going to need this.” My mother spoke up and her hands reached behind her neck, picking up the back of her necklace she had always worn.
She unclipped it and took it off, holding it up to me. The silver and gold wolf was outlined with blue markings all around it.
“This will transport you anywhere you want to go.” I reached out to grab it and she yanked it back.
“Under one condition, you have to come visit every holiday. All three of you.” She said pointedly and I smiled with a nod.
I reached out and grabbed the necklace in my hand, the cool metal against my palm.
“Now, go thrive my child. You deserve it.”
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OH MY GOSH.
HE-... HE GAVE UP HIS KINGDOM!