Ruins And Royalty

A Celebration to Rather Forget -Chp 13 Part 2

Day surrendered to night, the sun’s fading glow giving way to a swelling moon that cast its pale light over the palace. Inside, however, life was only beginning. The banquet hall swelled with nobles and royals from across Pandora, their finery glittering like a sea of jewels. I sat upon a throne, forced to endure the endless procession of dignitaries who laid lavish offerings at my feet. Diamonds, emeralds, gold, and trinkets so extravagant they seemed more fit for temples than for men.

The gift-giving soon unraveled into revelry, the solemn air dissolving into music, laughter, and wine. Yet the celebration dragged for me, each moment stretching thin. I had little desire to mark my birthday this way. I would have rather spent it elsewhere, in silence and alone.

I barely looked at the treasures set before me, my attempts at gratitude half-formed at best, until the sharp, unrelenting stares of my parents burned into the side of my skull, forcing me to school my expression. Still, one gift lodged itself in my memory. The Windane family presented me with Yarrow’s finest silks; pearl-white fabric offered by Queen Evangeline and King Osran, their faces alight with pride. But I hardly saw them. My eyes found the figure who deliberately held my gaze from their sides.

Zander.

I burned to have but just a fraction of a moment with him. Distance remained solid like stone between preparing our bodies, mind and soul for the upcoming Game of the Gods. I, however, found myself still chained and confined to my chambers due to the injuries I had obtained, and I could only pray to the Gods that Sir Damos allows me back on the training fields soon.

I kept mostly to myself throughout the festivities, slipping away from the noise of the banquet hall to the balcony, where I leaned against a marble column and let my eyes wander over the glittering sprawl of Emperos below. I had already endured enough forced pleasantries with eager royals determined to flatter me on my birthday. Each exchange was kept brief, my path through the throng calculated, chiefly to avoid Princess Izara, whose gaze had clung to me from the moment we entered the hall.

“You look distracted,” a voice broke through, pulling me from the cityscape. “Not enjoying the party?”

I turned, meeting eyes as dark and fathomless as the ocean. Saurora stood there, her long onyx hair a striking contrast to the flame-red gown that clung to her like fire.

“I’d enjoy the spectacle far more if it simply ended,” I said dryly, unmoving from my place against the column.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head, drifting closer until she, too, rested her arms on the stone railing, her gaze sweeping the view.

“It won’t kill you to lighten up once in a while,” she sighed, her tone heavy with long-suffered patience.

I only shrugged, unwilling to feed the conversation. But Saurora was never one to let silence last for long.

“I don’t know why I still bother with you, brother,” Saurora sighed, her gaze slipping from me to scan the hall. A flicker of sly amusement crossed her face before she spoke again. “Prince Mykhailo seems to be enjoying himself... or perhaps just the company.”

Her bait worked. My eyes snapped toward the direction she indicated, and the moment I saw what she meant, my stomach twisted. Across the room stood the Prince of Palisade and the young Prince of Yarrow, their proximity far too close for my comfort. Smiles lit their faces, laughter threading easily between them.

A chill rushed down my spine. The sight was maddening, as it was unsettling, and strangely painful all at once. Heat surged beneath my skin, nausea clawing up as my face burned in spite of myself.

Saurora’s laugh rang out, sharp and knowing, but when she turned back to me her amusement was gone. In its place was a look of confusion flashing in her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Saurora asked, concern threading her voice as she searched my face.

“Nothing,” I replied sharply, irritation prickling at me, fully provoked by the scene unfolding before my eyes. She furrowed her brows, glancing back and forth between the two, trying to discern what had sparked my reaction. I turned my gaze away, staring out at the distant city, still simmering with anger, trying to make sense of it all.

Mykhailo had made it abundantly clear he did not like me. At first, I hadn’t understood why, given we had never met before their arrival in Emperos. Feeling threatened by my presence, the Prince of Palisade had also proclaimed his closeness to Zander, claiming they had been inseparable since childhood.

The redhead seemed incapable of allowing a conversation to proceed without his interference. It didn’t take a scholar to piece together the truth. Now I knew why... he wanted Zander all to himself.

“Aaron… are you jealous?” My sister’s voice cut through my scattered thoughts, pulling me from the spiral of my inner dialogue. I met her gaze and suddenly realized my expression might have betrayed more than I intended. I took a slow breath, trying to steady myself. I couldn’t afford to answer in a way that would make her suspicious.

“No… are you mad?” I said, my tone heavier, more dramatic than I had intended. Of course, I was jealous. Revelation gnawed at me. I couldn’t shake the thought that their bond might be more than friendship, and if that were true, I wished Zander had been honest with me... or at least stopped things from going as far as it did. Moments like this reminded me why I kept myself at a distance from others, why I avoided intimate connections. However, I was well aware that I might be overreacting too...

“I’m not an i***t, Brother,” Saurora said, her tone sharpening, serious. I already knew exactly where this conversation was headed.

“I never said you were, but don’t make assumptions about what you know nothing about,” I retorted, irritation lacing my tone. My words, however, seemed only to encourage her, prompting more questions.

“If you like him that much, you should confront him before it’s too late,” Saurora said, tilting her head toward the two princes deep in conversation. I exhaled sharply, frustration bubbling up.

“I hardly think this concerns you,” I replied, my voice tight as I tried to dismiss the uneasy knot in my stomach.

“Oh?” The Princess of Emperos arched a single brow, a gleam of mischief in her eyes. “So there is… something there?”

I had said too much. The knowing look on Saurora’s face confirmed that there was no dodging her scrutiny. Maybe I could be honest. After all, she was the one person who would understand but, in the end, I chose silence, offering no hint of what truly swirled beneath my calm exterior.

However, my body language betrayed me as I shifted uncomfortably, my gaze flicking towards Zander and Mykhailo before pinning on the darkened view outside.

“OH, by the Gods,” Saurora uttered with a laugh, “Are you two f*****g?”

My eye twitches as I kept my gaze spaced out on the darkened horizon. Not yet, is what I wanted to say. Instead, I only gripped the railing tighter.

“Are you giving me the silent treatment?” she continued, her expression faltering as if some forgotten memory had clawed its way back. I didn’t need to guess what it was. That brutal confrontation after the meeting in the study still lingered between us, raw and unhealed.

I turned to face her. Guilt gnawed at me as I watched the brightness drain from her eyes. I toyed with the thought of apologizing, though I couldn’t understand why I wanted her forgiveness so badly. Maybe it was the relief I craved. Maybe it was the dangerous urge to finally let someone past the walls I’ve spent years perfecting. Since I was thirteen, I’ve lived beneath a shadow of emptiness, detached from everything, teaching myself to build barricades and burn bridges. Life had been meaningless up until now… but what if it didn’t have to be?

Distant laughter snapped me from my thoughts. My gaze flicked toward the sound and collided with a pair of emerald eyes. For a moment, they held mine.

But only for a moment.

Then the Prince of Palisade’s placed his hand on Zander’s shoulder, turning him away, pulling his attention back. And just like before, like the time I collapsed with my skin splitting open by blades, I felt that familiar, numbing flood wash over me. Impassive and hollow. Smothering the fragile spark that had dared to surface, no matter whose face had kindled it.