Emor Tripas was sitting on one of the chairs in his chamber. Propping up his elbows on the table, he was covering his face with his palms.
Everything was more complicated than he thought and... it made him scared.
The Crown Prince retreated his palms from his face when he heard the sound of a footstep approaching him. He noticed that it was his only friend, Alena Varia.
Standing near the table where he still rested his elbows, the young woman was staring down at him with a concerned face. "Are you alright, Emor?" she asked him in a calm yet comforting voice.
She didn't know what kind of relationship did her friend had with the Masked Commander but... she knew one thing. That her friend had a soft spot for that female Commander.
He didn't even react when she slapped him while he could never tolerate the touch of anyone, including her.
Did he like the Masked Commander?
"I'll be fine," Emor Tripas muttered. "I'm sorry for making you worry, Alena."
"It's fine, Your Highness," Alena Varia promptly said. "I know it's hard for you."
Emor Tripas met his friend's gaze. She was still the same, always glancing at him with that gaze that lies between calm and concern. Then he said, "You know I hate it when you address me like that. I never wanted any of this."
If only he was a master of his life... will things be different?
"I know but... you have to get used to it," Alena calmly said to him but there was no response.
What other choice do they have? Their fate was already sealed years ago.
"About the Masked Commander... "
"Can we not talk about it?" Crown Prince Emor said, stopping his friend from saying more. "I will tell you everything later. But I'm too tired for now."
Alena Varia glanced at her friend for a while before she nodded. "Alright," she muttered and added, "Have a good rest."
Emor Tripas nodded with a faint smile and Alena walked out of the room.
Just as he said, he went to bed right away as he was too tired. However, it wasn't easy for him to sleep after what he just experienced. As such, he ended up tossing and turning around in the bed for hours.
When he finally managed to fall asleep, nightmares started haunting him right away as usual.
* * *
Iria Alewine wasn't much different. The big revelation last night made her lose her sleep and she only managed to sleep an hour or two.
Though it was still early in the morning, she was sitting in the chair next to the balcony of her chamber. She rarely spent the night in her mansion but when she wanted a quiet time for herself, she would go home like she did last night.
She had no family to worry about her in this huge mansion but a few servants and guards. As she was living alone and spending most of her time in the camp, she never needs many services despite being one of the most powerful persons in Jerivia.
Like always, the Commander couldn't brush the Qalagon Crown Prince's off her mind.
Was it because of the fake Captain that Arin Helev failed to stop his enemies from claiming back their lands?
Will he be having a hard time now?
The question made her suffocated but... the fact remains. No matter what, she was still the one who hurt him the most.
Just the thought of him hating her was too tormenting!
For the many times since the day she left him, she wished she was a master of her own life. She wished she can be someone who can follow her heart but... it was just her wishful thinking.
With many overwhelming emotions crossing her mind, the Commander wasn't sure if she would be able to hold on for long.
What if she lost control?
She would rather die than bringing shame to her family name!
When one place crossed her mind, Iria abruptly stood up and started dressing up. Storming out of her mansion, she mounted her horse and started riding towards a certain place.
Commander Iria rode past the market and vast plains which was mostly used as an area of farming. Though Jerivia was dominated by plains, farms were made in one vast area collectively. This way, the farmers would be able to help each other out with much ease in times of harvesting season.
Even those farms which she rode past reminded her of Arin Helev. Why did she spend a whole day with him on the farm only to allow it to turn into a bittersweet memory?
It's already obvious that such a good time won't come again. They're gone forever.
In fact, every place reminded her of him. She only realized now that she spent more time with him than she should.
Will their memories haunted him too? She doubted that.
He might even be spending his time loathing her or... she might not even worth his time.
The assumption pricked the Commander's heart but... she was still the one at fault.
Now, the infamous Masked Commander had become a weak and guilt-stricken person who can't stop reminiscing of her lost love.
She also never thought that this day would come; the day when she would laugh at herself.
She was the one who brought this upon herself.
After more than two hours of riding, she finally reached her destination - the Jaria Mountains. She never loved to visit mountains in the past and prefer forests more but here she was, ready to climb up the mountain once again. It's the second time ever since she part with him.
Losing no time, she gets off her horse and climbed up the mountain. She didn't stop until she reached the peak. However, once she reached the peak, she abruptly sat down on the ground and pressed her back against the trunk of a tree as she did before.
At least, staying here alone gave her some peace and erased some of her worries. It's just that... she was always too busy to come here. Now that she was back to being the Masked Commander again, her life was filled with military strategies and wars.
Though it was how she lived her life for more than a decade now, sometimes she missed the short yet peaceful time she spent while living as the Crown Princess of Qalagon, the wife of Crown Prince Arin Helev.
Did she even have the right to feel that way?
While the Commander was sitting still with her eyes being shut...
"What are you doing here?"
It must be her hallucination again. Ever since she left him, she would see him and hear his voice almost everywhere.
However, she didn't dare to complain despite feeling tormented by it. It must be his way of punishing her for what she did to him. She deserved this... and more.
Iria Alewine refused to respond to a mere 'hallucination.' As such, she sat still with her eyes still being shut.
"If you are going to spend your time like this, why did you left me?"
She heard the question again and she tried to ignore it like she always did until... she heard the sound of a footstep coming in her direction!
The Commander's eyes flew open in an instant. Then she quickly turned her body around and her eyes grew wide open in shock!
He was there... for real?!
It wasn't her hallucination this time.....
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