"You like him," Seb said, leaning against the wall of the hallway.
Nadia who had been looking out through the window at the bright sky, swung around, her eyes a dead giveaway because of how wide they went.
"I don't."
"Do you even know who I'm talking about?"
She blinked, shaking her head.
"I don't."
"You are a terrible liar."
"I'm not." She frowned, offended.
"So you are a liar then, a good one."
"I'm not." She whined.
"You are the best liar, there is," he patted her shoulder in false encouragement. "The best one that will ever be."
"Stop it." She shrugged his hand off. "I not a liar and I don't like him."
"You go so red around him, you passed out because he carried you. Passed out twice," he gesticulated. "Everyone knows you like him, in fact, the only person that doesn't know you like him is him." He nodded. "General Anok is a bat and he will never see you. A friend to another," he moved his fingers between them, pointing his pinky at him then at her, "just give up. It will be easier for you to get a blind man to see than make him---"
She slammed her hand over his mouth.
"You talk too much sometimes, Sebastian."
His words were muffled by her hand and he pulled it away.
"I am only looking out for you."
"Is Nadia in love again?" Someone popped out from behind Nadia and she turned around in surprise.
Kenji.
When did he arrive?
"You are back? You are back!" She pulled him into a happy embrace.
He didn't even change.
His dull black eyes forever had heavy bags of deprived sleep underneath them. He was wearing a loose brown shirt and pair of pants. His playful aura was still around him.
As for his forever sleep-deprived look, Nadia wondered what was always keeping him up at night and stealing his sleep away.
It must be worth it for him to remain so consistent with it.
"It is so good to see you again. I have been searching the whole castle for you. You are hard to come by, you know that, young lady."
"I exist." Seb cleared his throat and when he noticed that he had gotten the attention he wanted, he laughed. "Oh, you can see me. For a moment there, I thought I was a gho---" his voice morphed into a heartfelt chuckle as Kenji drew him into a group embrace.
"It is good to see you too, petty soldier. How have you been keeping up with my brother?" He said as he pulled away, releasing them.
"Just fine, as long as I keep imagining pushing a pillow against his face, I am perfect."
Nadia slapped his shoulder and he flinched. "Don't you dare!"
"Wow." Kenji laughed, showing his perfect set of white teeth. "So he is still the one."
"One and only till she dies because it isn't going anywhere---"
Someone spoke from ahead, interrupting Seb.
"Little brother."
"Big brother! All puffed up and muscles," he ran to him, punching him playfully, "such a giant you are now." Then he hugged him, and Anok stiffened under the touch as expected.
Kenji pulled away, the bright smile still on his.
"I have missed you."
"I haven't missed you or your troubles. Go back." He stared down at his brother and Kenji shrugged.
"Don't be that way."
"I sent you away for a reason, to stay away from the castle and the Capital."
He frowned slightly but his smile overshadowed it and he ran his hand through his curly hair.
"That was over two years ago. I can handle myself now. I'm an 'adultier' adult."
"Does that mean you will leave the Bride alone this time?"
Kenji's smile dropped and his voice became low.
"I didn't do anything to the other one. Marikita took an interest in my research and I gave it to her. I did nothing wrong and I think I am done suffering for something I didn't even do."
His brother glared at him and he looked away.
He did nothing wrong.
Marikita had been interested in knowing about his research back then, he had given it to her and the fact that she was declared dead shortly after, had nothing to do with him.
Although, at that time, he had thought it was because he was digging too deep into his research and he had ran to the Right-Hand woman for help, so that the King would not kill him if he learned about his connection to the bride.
That decision had led to another thing entirely but what he was sure of was that he wasn't responsible for whatever it was that happened.
When he told his brother, he had made arrangements and sent him away to Areyla, a village close to Zukanijan, for him to practice his passion, one that didn't involve him digging up unnecessary things and trying to solve problems that weren't his.
Cooking.
Although, when had he ever given up on his first passion?
He was here to complete what he started two years ago.
He would find out what happened to Marikita.
His brother mustn't know that.
"I have seen the Bride. Saw her in the kitchen, talking to the people some days ago."
"You've been around for that long?"
Kenji shrugged.
"She appears to be dumb to have lasted this long."
"Another negative word about her, and you will not be pleased with the consequences your tongue will bring on you."
Kenji raised his hand in submission.
"Fine." He laughed. "Maybe she isn't, maybe your dear King is one doing something to her."
"Don't speak of the King in that manner. He saved your life, you ungrateful boy."
Kenji smiled.
That was true, the King did save his life from a group of traffickers that he had wanted to nab some time ago.
He had pretended to be one of them, and brought in his drugged brother as his victim. They found out it was all a cover and he was working for the head of Areyla.
It had been easy to make him one of their victims too, being that they were at sea and Kenji couldn't fight even at that moment when his life depended on it.
Anok had found a way to escape, but Kenji had been stuck on that ship just because he couldn't push someone off him at the right time to jump.
Anok had to find a way to rescue him. He went back to Areyla but the village Head had said it was too risky to lose so many men for one. Anok wasn't a warrior then, much more a General, he couldn't do it alone.
Kenji was his brother, his only family.
He had no choice but to go to the King. Putting his fear aside, he begged.
That was when he realized that the King didn't even know about this group or that they existed.
The King had sent warriors with him and the traffickers were caught including their customers.
Anok came back and became a warrior. Seb, one of the rescued victims, joined Anok. Traumatized by being sexually and physically assaulted during the time in the ship before rescue had come, Kenji went into cooking, till he had gotten himself involved with Marikita and Anok had been left with no other choice but to send him away.
Now, they were here once again, with a new Bride in the play.