Crown Prince Arin stood near the huge window on the left while Emor Tripas took a seat a few steps away from him. While the latter was glancing at him, the Qalagon Crown Prince didn't even spare him a single glance.
"Aren't you here because you have something to say?" Arin Helev pointed out when Emor remained silent. Then he turned around and added, "You should leave if you have nothing to say."
"You're always great at maintaining your cool, Your Highness," Emor Tripas suddenly remarked. "Even after what happened, I don't see any hatred or loath in your eyes."
"So... you indeed know that you do something worth loathing," Arin Helev stated. Finally, he walked towards the Nardodian Crown Prince and took a seat. "Don't you think you're also great at keeping yourself in check? You must also abhor me a lot during all those years. After all, I'm the one who destroyed your kingdom and your family."
"Why would I abhor you for that? I think I should be glad instead," Emor Tripas muttered. He blankly stared at the floor as if he was lost in his thoughts.
What a strange remark coming from the royal Prince of Nardodia! It even made Arin Helev flustered. He looked at Emor Tripas with a puzzled face but he didn't say anything. After all, they were already enemies.
After a while, Crown Prince Emor suddenly stood up. "I think I should leave. I probably won't see you off tomorrow. However, I still wish you a safe journey." Before Arin Helev could say anything, he walked out of the room in a hurry.
Emor Tripas wished to go to his room and rest there. However, he was told that his uncle the King wanted to meet him. As he had no other choice, he made his way to King Aryan's chamber.
"I heard that you meet Arin Helev," the Nardodian King said to his nephew who was standing before him. "What's the use of that, Emor?"
"It's our first encounter since that incident. So, I thought that I should meet him. That's why," Emor Tripas explained. As his uncle's usual keen gaze was fixated on him, the young Crown Prince was feeling quite the pressure.
"Do you feel guilty?" Aryan Tripas asked with a hint of disappointment on his face. "There is no wrong in claiming back what was originally ours, Emor."
"I know," Emor Tripas muttered. He tried to let this pass so that he would soon get to leave this chamber. However, the thing that happened during the feast crossed his mind and took away his ability to refrain.
"Why did you schedule for the negotiation to take place during the feast, uncle? It can also be done tomorrow." He had his suspicions but he couldn't be so sure of it. When he met his uncle's gaze, he was amazed by how calm he was.
"Everything's already over," Aryan Tripas said to him. "Why must you worry about that?"
"I just find it strange. You are never -"
"Emor," Aryan Tripas uttered in a pretty stern voice, making Emor Tripas fell silent. "I know you too well. Last time, when I launched a failed assassination attempt on the Crown Princess of Qalagon, you questioned me like this. And now... " He paused, observing his nephew's gaze. "Do you behave like this because of the Masked Commander? Because she is that fake Crown Princess?"
"Uncle... " Emor Tripas raised a brow at the King's question. He knew about Commander Iria! His suspicion was true!
When Aryan Tripas reached out his hand to his nephew, he realized his illness. His hand paused in the air before he eventually retreated. Then he let out a sigh. "You should go and rest. Let's continue this some other day."
Emor Tripas narrowed his eyes and stood still for a while before he nodded. Then he turned around to leave the room.
"Is your shoulder fine now?"
He suddenly halted when he heard his uncle's question. Recalling one incident, he nervously squeezed his clothes, unable to say anything for a while.
"I shouldn't have lost control that day, Emor. I hope you could forgive me for that."
Until a few seconds ago, Emor Tripas never knew that his uncle was capable of apologizing. He was so taken aback by it that he ended up standing still for almost a minute!
"It's fine, Uncle," he finally muttered after what seemed to be forever. However, he didn't turn around to face him at all. "You know that this is nothing for me."
Aryan Tripas was about to say something but Emor continued with his steps and even quickened his pace. As such, the Crown Prince was out of the King's sight before the latter could say any more word.
* * *
Nighttime quickly passed by and just as he said, Arin Helev left Nardodia with his troops. He made an agreement with King Aryan and after a week, an official from Qalagon will meet with an official from Nardodia to arrange plans for the exchange.
Iria Alewine didn't meet Crown Prince Arin before he left. However, when she woke up the next morning, she finds a braided bracelet on the top of the drawer right next to her bed.
The Commander quickly pushed herself up and sat on the bed before she took the familiar bracelet - the one which she gave up when she left Qalagon.
He still really keep this? She blankly stared at the bracelet before she finally wore it back on her wrist. She didn't want to torment herself by giving up again. It was just a silly idea.
As it was still too early, the Commander was quite startled when she heard the sound of the knocking on her door. She gets off her bed and quickly dressed up before she responded.
Much to her surprise, it was Crown Prince Emor who was standing at her door. "What's the matter?" she asked him in a pretty calm voice.
The annoyance seemed to be gone this time and it even surprised Emor Tripas. Didn't she always felt annoyed whenever she saw him?
"My uncle will be having a meeting with Crown Prince Zaro and the officials today. He wants me to show you around the capital during that," Emor Tripas said to her. When she didn't respond, he quickly added, "Don't worry. All the other soldiers will be with the Crown Prince."
When Iria Alewine thought of the incident last night, she already realized that even if King Aryan had a plan, it will be targeted at her. Zaro was the cherished son of King Tobias. So, the Nardodian King will have to brace himself for the consequences if anything happened to Zaro. And right now, he wasn't in a position to do that.
"You can also decline if you don't feel like it," Emor Tripas quickly clarified. He wanted her to know that there will be no pressure on this matter.
"It's just a tour," Iria finally replied, making the Nardodian Crown Prince slightly raised a brow. "I have no reason to decline."
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