Chapter 159:
Undeniable
The sky had already grown dark by the time Clarence returned to the room he and Silas were set to occupy for the night. A set of guarded knights led him back to the room before it was slammed shut, locking the pair in the room for the entirety of the night. Hearing the lock of the door behind him, the prince felt his heart steadily beating in his chest, faster and faster, his anticipation growing to see the one he had been thinking of all day.
Looking forward, Clarence crossed the small sitting room, staring towards the bedroom door as he walked forward, his steps hastening slightly as he strained his neck, hoping to catch a glimpse of Silas, even a sliver of his skin would do. As he walked through the bedroom door frame, the door having already been left open, Clarence let out a quiet, content sigh.
“Where’s Maeir-?” Clarence asked, walking towards the bed, where Silas was laying on his back, his eyes closed, as if asleep. His face was pale, and there was a bandage wrapped around his head, a faint spot of red tarnishing the back like a spot of red watercolor. Alarmed, Clarence froze in place, staring at Silas’s fluttering-open eyes before he hurried to walk to the bedside, lifting his hand to check Silas’s head. “What happened to your head? Did you hit it again, or did they hit you-”
Silas waved his hand gently, “They already treated my wound. The soldiers responsible for it already apologized, unwillingly.” Silas added as an afterthought, chuckling slightly to himself. “How was your talk with Eva?
Clarence sat on the edge of the bed, his fingers tracing over the bandage with a sigh, “It went different than I expected, but Eva’s willing to cooperate with us.”
“Did she threaten you?”
“No she didn’t, but we did make a contract with each other. While we’re here, and until we leave, she will not harm any of us.” He lied plainly as he stared at Silas’s bandage, his eyes fixated with a trace of irritation. “For now, I’ll be helping restructure the kingdom to prevent it from collapsing. She wants to use me as a figurehead until they can put in a council to rule the kingdom, completely eliminating the royal family as a whole.”
“She’s got ambitious plans, but I’m curious to see how the citizens will take to such a big change.” Silas muttered, processing the prince’s words thoughtfully. “After she’s done with you, having promised to keep you alive, what will happen to you after all this is over?”
“I don’t know what she’ll do once this is over.” The prince admitted, “But there is one thing that I want.” Clarence lowered himself onto the bed, lying next to Silas. He rested his head on the side of Silas’s chest, laying his arm across Silas’s waist as he spoke in a soft voice, his words heard only by the man next to him. “For now, I wish we could live quietly, somewhere far away where none of us were recognized. I’d like to live on a farm, with lots of sheep and chickens. Maybe we’d have a dog or two.” He mused, a light smile on his youthful face. “Speaking of that, I’d like to meet your siblings too. You mentioned you had two of them, right?”
Lifting his hand, Silas patted Clarence’s hair, stroking the short, soft strands with his fingers as he spoke. “They’re ten years younger than me, twins. Their names are Cirdan and Aurelia.” Thinking of his siblings, Silas let out a single somber sigh. “They’re probably worried sick about us. They haven’t received a letter from us since before we were captured.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure your letters reach them. I’ll talk to Eva tomorrow morning.” The prince responded, relishing Silas’s gentle touch. “After all this is over. I want to meet them. Maybe they can meet my siblings too?”
Silas smiled, “I’d like that, Clarence.”
With a smile, Clarence lowered his head and rested his lips on Silas’s, holding the other man’s lips in his own for a moment, tempted to deepen the kiss. He could feel the heat of the man under him, the sensation of his soft skin, and the flush of his cheeks, so soft and sweet, like a ripened fruit. As tempted as he was to take a bite and savor the sweet treat under him, the sight of the bandage on his beloved’s head slowed such thoughts, and finally, after a brief intimate kiss, the other man pushed him away gently.
Tempted to kiss him again, Clarence teasingly leaned forward, but he was stopped by Silas. “Don’t push your luck.” Silas finally muttered, his face tinged red as he withdrew, his hand covering Clarence’s mouth with a gentle press.
“We still have a lifetime after all, don’t we?” Clarence muttered, his heart warm as he kissed Silas’s palm, pulling the older man in close as he laid next to Silas on the bed, still dressed in his day clothes, savoring the warmth of the other man’s body for another moment.
“Of course.” Silas muttered tiredly, yawning lightly as sleep began to take over him. “Don’t forget to change before you fall asleep, Clarence.” His words prompted a chuckle from Clarence. Now that the prince was safe, he could finally indulge in his drowsiness.
“I’ll be right back, Silas.” Clarence spoke, his fingers brushing through the loose strands of hair resting near Silas’s cheek, the soft blonde strands like pieces of gold under his calloused palm. .
Eva will die before she tries to take my happiness away from me. The prince thought distantly, his eyes cold as he rested his eyes on Silas, his thoughts rapidly shifting. Once we get through this, we’ll live a quiet life, where no one can disturb us, not even the affairs of the kingdom. For Silas, I’m willing to give up everything.
Lifting his head, Clarence sat up from the bed, lowering himself once again to kiss Silas’s forehead before he moved off of the bed, stepping away from the bed to grab the set of clean clothes prepared by Eva’s henchmen. He quietly stepped out of the bedroom, staring back at Silas once more before he gently closed the door, changing his clothes out of view.
…
“What do you mean by political unrest?” Charlotte asked suddenly, her eyes falling on Jasmine’s trouble-making frame with a raised brow. The dim light of the morning darkened her features, making it difficult to see in the muffled morning light, but it was obvious her words were as dim as her complexion. “We’ve been thrown out of the Yursear palace, and there’s a chance we won’t be able to return home until the rebels settle down. What power do we have?” Her voice shook at the end, her distress imminent as she spoke, releasing a shaky sigh.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Standing next to Theo, Alywin stepped forward, joining the conversation. “Whatever it is, if it’s to help keep Clarence alive, I’m willing to do it.” He paused, his dark eyes flashing a dim light as he said, “But before I can agree to working with you, why are you doing this? Eva’s group is well-known to hate the royals and nobles alike. What do you get from helping us?”
Philomena and Charlotte both stared at the strange rebel woman, curious to know her intentions. Theo could only look forward towards his past comrade, curiosity filling him as he waited for her response, an inkling in his mind what it could be. Can we even trust her to keep us alive? The thought echoed like a single note in the room.
“While I am Eva’s subordinate, and I am completing her mission as much as possible,” Jasmine began, tilting her spine back as she kept her arms crossed, standing some distance away from the royals, “There are some other things that must be done, like putting Clarence back on the throne as the king again. Clarence is already at the palace, I think, so getting him back in the face of the people is the first thing we can do.” She added, “Getting the support of the Bethellian and Maaritian princesses will be a large step forward for us to stabilize the kingdom. The same with the Cyneric family, since they’re one of the highest ranking nobles in this kingdom.”
Theo spoke, his words heavy, “By doing that, they’ll be alienating themselves from their families. Are you really suggesting that they throw away their titles like that?”
“I never said they had to agree, but it would be beneficial for them to save Clarence. Otherwise, they’re free to act on their own.” Jasmine probed with a frown, “If you decide to do so, we’ve already established a place where you all would be safe while the kingdom is restabilizing. Just say the word and I can take you all there.”
Theo shook his head, “Jasmine, what the hell are you thinking?”
Hearing such a complaint, Jasmine’s lip twitched as she said, nearly annoyed, “Theo, look at Alywin. If Duke Cyneric had his way, he’d be in the palm of Malcolm’s hand! Do you really think that would’ve been for the best?”
“Jasmine-” Theo warned, but he was swiftly stopped by Alywin.
Alywin, shaking his head, replied, “She’s right. If I were to return home now, there’s a good chance Malcolm could find me again, or the chance that my father could use me as a political pawn again. I’d rather try to help Clarence than do anything that could benefit Malcolm in any way. He’s still missing, isn’t he?”
Theo frowned, staring to the side, “I’m sorry. I couldn’t kill him yet.”
Watching as the room grew darker and darker in atmosphere, Jasmine clapped her hands, “Nothing a group of us can’t discover! Speaking of, Holland is finishing up a mission now. You wouldn’t believe who he’s teamed up with! That Captain Laurent, I just don’t understand-” There was an odd pause in the room, so much that even Jasmine felt awkward as she stared over the room of nobles, having understood the words she just said as she stared at Theo, “Aha, I didn’t mean to say that just yet-” Her fingers traced her lips.
Vaan sighed, his face as weighted as his brother’s as Theo glared at Jasmine, angry she did not disclose something so important earlier. Philomena and Charlotte exchanged glances before Philomena said trepidly, “You mean Captain Laurent, right? One of the knight captains in the palace?” I always thought he was kind of handsome. Philomena, a true lover at heart, thought of the handsome captain for a moment, unfamiliar with him beyond the basic information about him.
“Well, yes. He wasn’t exactly supposed to be alive, but I guess he’s still kicking.” Jasmine awkwardly laughed, scratching her neck with a nervous giggle as she swiftly changed the subject to hide her slip of the tongue. “Anyway, what are your thoughts on a cooperation with Clarence? Just say the word and we get this ball rolling.”
“Whatever it is, he must have his reasons to keep that hound alive.” Theo, measured, uttered with a sigh, his eyes full of irritation at the thought. “Regardless of what those two are doing, I think helping Clarence is our best option if we want to save him. I’ll do whatever Alywin wants.”
“As long as Eva’s orders are followed, I have no problems.” Vaan spoke, expressing his opinion. “But we cannot move them until the next letter arrives at Eva’s desk.”
“If Lady Charlotte agrees, I will do my best to support her, but if there are any threats to her safety this operation will be stopped immediately.” Basch responded quickly after, “In the meantime, you cannot disclose their location to anyone besides the people in this room. Where are you planning to keep them in the meantime if not here?”
“I would help transport them to the Highland District in the upper eastern region of the kingdom. You must be somewhat familiar with Countess Zavior, right?”
“Countess Zavior? From the Zavior merchant family?” Alywin asked, his expression lifted for a moment. “I heard she’s a little eccentric, but we’ve worked with her family in the past. What does she have to do with this?”
“She’s been a long-time supporter of the elves and Eva’s mission. I can’t say much beyond that she’s been instrumental in keeping our operatives safe. You won’t find anywhere safer in the kingdom to hide at this point, since it’s impossible to leave with the kingdom in this state.” Nodding, Jasmine gestured to the group of palace escapees, “With that being said, do you agree to go?”
There’s no other option. It’s either stay here and do nothing, or save the man that’s still my husband in name only. Toying with the tips of her fingers, Charlotte’s gaze fell on Alywin and Philomena. They both looked tired, frayed, and scared. “I agree to help.”
“I’ve already agreed.” Alywin replied, his face full of fatigue, his dark circles trailing his dark eyes with a hint of impatience. “The sooner we leave, the better.”
All the eyes on the room fell on Philomena, who appeared unprepared for their gazes. She shrunk like a nervous child with nowhere to hide. “I agree. L-let’s save Clarence.” Finally, Philomena stuttered her response, her eyes growing red again as she lowered her gaze, her emotions easily read on her face.
Vaan moved to the side, grabbing a piece of parchment and an inkwell and quill from one of the nearby tables for Jasmine, passing her the quill with an unspoken nod as the agreement was sealed.
“Well, now that you’ve all agreed, it’s about time I wrote Eva that important letter.” Jasmine began, twirling a quill in her hand as she began to write a letter, swiftly laying letters on the page. The speed she wrote was nearly inhuman, but the words on the page were surprisingly readable. “Once I finish this letter, I will send it to Eva expressing your support. This is your last chance to refuse.”
The room was quiet, filled only with the gazes of tired, sleepless eyes and the weak scent of undrunk tea in the growing morning. The sounds of life began to fill outside the door, still somewhat dull compared to the bustling sounds of the market during the height of the kingdom.
“Okay, that’s it.” Staring at the closed letter, she tucked it deep into a hidden compartment of her jacket, her eyes shining as her plans swiftly became a reality. Finally, the kingdom she grew up in could change and return to a safe place. If only the humans could change their views on the elves for the better, things would be stabilized much faster. She hummed, gesturing to Vaan to follow her as she approached the door, the early morning light already brightening as the sun steadily began to rise. “Keep your eyes and ears open for your escorts. One of our group will be here in another week or two to take you to the countess’s palace.”
“Thank you, Jasmine.” Theo finally replied, his words sincere. “We will be ready before then.”
After Vaan was sent off with one more hug from his brother, Charlotte and Philomena both bowed, their thoughts in disarray as they processed the information at hand. Alywin could only wave his hand, sending off the group before their figures disappeared outside.
“What do you think will happen now?” Philomena asked, holding her hands together in her lap, concerned. “Of course I want to help Clarence, but… Do you think we’ll ever see our families again?” Tears welled up in the corner of her eyes as she held back her emotions, attempting to keep herself together until they left. “I’m scared.”
“It’s okay, Philomena. Truth be told, I’m scared too.” Charlotte could only pat Philomena on the back gently, taking the taller woman in for a hug as she stared forward, her own thoughts dark in comparison. Truthfully, if I could never return home, I would be happier. Maybe this way, I can finally regain my freedom. Holding back a sigh, she continued to hug Philomena lightly.
Alywin could only stare towards Theo, taking one of his hands in his own grasp as he spoke, his fingers tracing his palm as he held his hand. “Are you really okay with this, Theo?”
“If it’s for you, then it’s worth it… anyway, let’s prepare to move soon.” Theo adjusted his hand to hold Alywin’s, smiling somberly. “We don’t know how long we have left in this safe house.”
As the nobles mourned their last days of peace in the safe house and future changes, outside of the tiny shop, Jasmine was unsure what to think. She walked in the road, darting away like a startled cat as Vaan kept her pace. They swiftly disappeared where they came from, making their way towards the village exit as quietly as they could.
“Holland, oh Holland… if only I knew what the hell you were thinking… at least I wasn’t the one who broke the news you kept Eva’s arch nemesis alive…” Jasmine muttered to herself, sighing heavily as she remembered Eva’s heavy expression when she received Holland’s latest update letter. The woman’s face changed color, from pale, to red, then to a stable color as she lifted herself out of her chair and threw the already-read letter into the fire pit, cursing Holland with rapid words of spite.
“Let’s hope to God those two don’t become attached to each other.” Jasmine sighed again, her gaze full of worry as she held the closed letter, prepared to start the next steps of the operation. “There are more important things to do than fall in love.” Vaan could only nod in agreement with his usual silence, his face unperturbed by Jasmine’s long-winded muttering.
When the war was finally over, lovers’ hearts could blossom again. It was only a matter of time.
…
After collecting information and letters for the rebels some distance north from the palace, Holland and Beau had quickly formed their own habits as they grew more comfortable traveling together. However, there was still an air of caution and an unshakable distance that made it difficult for either men to settle down. Even sleeping on the road was met with one eye open.
After traveling nearly a whole day on foot, the two men found themselves too fatigued to continue. While Holland made his famous “travel stew”, a soup full of whatever they could find on the road that was edible, the pair sat around the fire, the sound of a bubbling pot full of soup sounding between them as the silence grew longer and longer, until Beau could no longer stand it.
Watching the bubbling soup only grow as the fire crackled, he spoke aloud, his own words bubbling over like the soup itself. “There’s something I need to ask you.”
Holland, stirring the soup with a clean spoon, asked as he stared at the soup, “What’s on your mind?”
“Why didn’t you kill me yet, Holland? You’ve had ample opportunity to do so.” Beau suddenly broached, his voice nearly hoarse with tension, “Besides that, aren’t we supposed to be enemies?”
“I don’t know.” Holland shrugged noncommittally, joking, “Maybe it’s because you’re the only one strong enough to match me in a battle?”
Beau’s face grew serious. “Quit joking with me, Holland Joey. You haven’t kept me alive this long for that.”
Having been seen through his trickery, Holland let out a chuckle mixed with a sigh, having to give up his facade. Placing the spoon to the side of the pot, he leaned forward, the warmth of the firelight warming his face as he spoke. “Well, there are a few reasons, but for now, I’ll tell you one of them. That is, I have my own interests outside of Eva’s, and keeping you alive, while unexpected, was one of the best decisions I’ve made.”
“Why do you say that?” Beau responded, his eyebrow twitching in irritation. He loves to exaggerate his words, doesn’t he? Why doesn’t he just get to the point?
“You’re attempting to redeem yourself. Killing you off would have been the easy way out for you, Beau Laurent, but this way, you get to savor each and every minute of cleaning up your mistakes.” Holland remarked. “Though, you’ve had ample opportunity to leave on your own and escape the kingdom, but you didn’t. See, both of us want what’s best for the kingdom, and the only way to accomplish that is to stay through the bad times.”
Beau fell silent, listening to his words with a thoughtful hum. “But if I did run, you would have most likely killed me by now.”
“Absolutely. I would have slaughtered your ass.” Holland barked in laughter in response. “But it’s far easier to kill a man than to make him repent. Eva would have killed you the moment she found you, but I think you are better equipped elsewhere. Call it Charon’s intuition.”
“Fine then.” Beau changed the topic, uncomfortable at the thought of his own demise. “Where are we headed now? I can smell the scent of mana getting stronger in this area, especially along this trail. Does it involve more elves?” His words carried some tension, as if unprepared to face the type of people he once slaughtered.
“Something like that. It’s something I’ve been waiting for Jasmine to assign, actually.”
Oh great, Jasmine. Staring forward towards his temporary companion, Beau bit back his complaints and asked, “Then, in the meantime, what do you want me to do?”
“For now, if you keep cooperating, Eva won’t have a chance to kill you, so it’s best you stay with me for now and keep your head low. I’ll make sure your repentance is well worth it.” Dancing around the subject, Holland had no problem stringing Beau along with his words, making the Bloodhound feel as though his fate was still far from certain. “Keep that nose of yours clean. I’m sure it will be coming in handy soon.”
I’ve been traveling alone so long, it’s nice to have some company on the road. Holland thought to himself, stretching his arms behind his back as the pair continued their journey to meet with their contact one last time, not far from the capital. At least he’s not hard on the eyes either. He laughed to himself, trailing off on an irrelevant thought as he grabbed two bowls from his travel satchel, passing one to Beau with a tap on his arm.
“Take the bowl. It’s about time we eat.” Finally, Holland stared at the pale burgundy concoction with a raised brow, sniffing the air with an audible inhale, his face full of smiles. “Smells good, even better than the last one I bet.”
Not again. Beau grimaced as he looked at the large bone sticking out from the boiling pot. “This looks disgusting. Did you have to put the berries in with the-” He trailed off, his face growing green at the thought of what he saw Holland throw into the bowl. “Are you sure you have taste buds?”
Filling the other man’s bowl with a sloppy splat, Holland smiled and said, “Stray dogs can’t be picky.”
…
After a hellish end to this year, I am happy to say I was able to make the deadline for New Years! Happy new year, all. I wish you all health, safety, and happiness with this new year, and hopefully with that comes more opportunities for us all~ >y<
Unfortunately, 2023 was very unkind to me. While I was able to open my own art studio, and it took me from February 1st to May 25th to finish most of the renovations myself (too poor to do anything else LOL) pretty much anytime I wasn’t at day work. It’s a lovely little place that I was so, so proud to design myself, and I really love spending time there, but I will say, I still wish very much I could quit my full time job to focus on that. My mental and physical health have taken major hits, and I’ve lost any free time to myself since February due to it all.
I’d like to be alive to finish YMtK, so I appreciate your guys’ continued patience as I navigate my health. I’m working with my day work assistants to lighten my load and with my family to provide extra support so I can take better care of myself.
I have a lot of plans for 2024. The sheer amount of readers YMtK has garnered over the past 3 and half years still has me shook. Posting chapters to me is like throwing it in a void, but I’m so happy to see how many people enjoy this project. Hopefully, when the ending comes, it’s worth it for you all. Thank you, and much love! – Cat
EDIT: Holland, stop flirting
EDIT 1/8: All, I recently am facing a security risk due to an aggressive client I fired. I’m safe, but I’ll need time to navigate this situation. I’m so sorry, and thanks for being patient. I’ll be avoiding all of my socials in the meantime.
The guys are making progress. Thank you for the chapter.