Chapter 0123
Kane
I try not to focus on the worst case scenarios of my brother being held as a political hostage by Scarlett Thunder. I need to hope that King Peter will keep his word not to harm Lex, and I have to trust Lex not to get himself killed before this conflict with Scarlett Thunder is over. This is a test of honor for both King Peter and I, to show we can be trusted to keep our promises. The stakes are dire; a monarch whose word has no weight makes diplomacy with other kingdoms a near impossibility.
I feel helpless, which is not an emotion I’ve ever cared for. Shame colors my view of everything, and I can’t help comparing myself to my father. King Michael never had to send away any of his family to become hostages. He wouldn’t have given in to King Peter’s demands no matter what the consequences were. He would have resolved things by now.
What have I done? I have just sent my only brother off alone to fight for his survival in a den of vipers. My little brother who has never been to war who has spent his long life chasing every pleasure he could get his hands on. I fear that he is too soft and will break without an ally in a foreign court.
I watch the view outside the window from the throne room, my thoughts muddled with worry and frustration. Rainier has returned from escorting Lex to Castle Blackmoor. My best friend arrives with no fanfare. He steps into the throne room and approaches me without hesitation.
Courtly
Rainier only bows to me when we have an audience. I have long dissuaded him from the pomp of manners. I have known him too long to expect him to act as nothing but my closest friend and confidant. We have known each other for so long now, he can practically guess what I’m thinking most of the time. “How was he?” I ask.
“Lex was his usual charming self,” Rainier replies. “He didn’t even look the least bit scared at the concept of being a political prisoner.”
“You know as well as I do that my brother is good at hiding his true emotions,” I remind him. “If Lex was scared, he would never show it around you.”
Rainier looks thoughtful. “It’s strange. No matter how many years pass, I still see Lex as that little boy that cried over every little thing, clutching at Queen Agatha’s skirts for protection.”
“Lex hasn’t been that boy in a long time.”
“Are you sure?” Rainier questions. “Hasn’t his impulsiveness brought us to the situation we are currently in?”
“It’s King Peter’s offspring that are to blame for the situation we are in. He raised them to be cruel and thoughtless. Lex’s… activities in the bedroom may not have helped the situation, but it wouldn’t be fair to drop all the blame at his feet.”
Rainier shakes his head. “You still do that.”
“I still do what?”
“Protect him even when he doesn’t deserve it. You used to take the blame for his messes when you were children and get punished for it, didn’t you?”
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Chapter 0123
“I did. He was smaller than me, and punishment never worked well on Lex. I didn’t mind taking the punishments.”
“As you’ve said, Lex isn’t that little boy anymore,” Rainier points out. “Maybe you should let him be a man and take accountability for his actions.”
“He has taken accountability for his actions. He practically volunteered to be a hostage. That is the most selfless thing he’s ever done.”
Rainier snorts. “Lex is not selfless. Everything he does is for his own self–interest. And he’ll never change. You’re giving him waaay too much credit.”
I cannot change Rainier’s opinion of Lex. He knows my brother far too well for me to even try. Numerous mistakes over the centuries have cemented what Rainier thinks of Lex. There’ve been times when I’ve wished the two of them could get along, but without Lex here now, it really doesn’t matter.
“I trust Lex,” I tell him. “You may not see his potential to be more than what he has been, but I do. I want to have faith in his growth.”
