Prince Orius was finally snapped out of his thoughts and he noticed that Commander Iria was staring at him, confused. Maybe she was wondering why he zoned out all of a sudden.
If only she knew!
"Don't you have any family?" he promptly asked her. "I mean... from your mother's side."
Orius knew that their father was an only child and so was their paternal grandfather. So, they didn't have relatives from the father's side. However, he knew nothing about their late mother. She passed away just a few months after they were born and... very little was known about her origin. He always finds that strange.
"My mother wasn't from Jerivia," Iria Alewine said. The confusion on her face was now replaced by a sad one. She narrowed her eyes at the pond but her mind was somewhere else.
Orius Aventine suddenly became very curious. Maybe because of her expression that hinted at pain and... uneasiness. Not to mention that the mother she was talking about was the one who gave birth to him too.
If it wasn't because of the King's jealousy and insecurity, he will be her brother and not the Prince.
"Can you tell me more?" he asked, debating how that would sound to her.
Will she be surprised or... uncomfortable because of the question?
Just as he thought, she shifted her gaze back to him and raised a brow. She observed him for a while, wondering if he was serious. Then she finally said, "Don't you know that even Zaro has no idea of this?"
She was saying that even her best friend didn't know about this matter. That means it was a top secret.
"It's fine if you're not willing," he said though he was dying to know the story.
Who wouldn't be curious about their own mother?
Still, she observed him, confusion was still evident in her eyes. Then she pointed her chin at the pavilion a few steps away. "Why don't we sit there, Your Highness?" she asked and added, "I know you don't mean what you just said."
For the first time, she was able to read him and that came as a total surprise for Orius! However, he saw her making her way to the pavilion and he quickly followed her. Then they took a seat opposite each other.
"You never stop surprising me, Your Highness," Iria Alewine pointed out. "You are never interested in others."
That's just a facade he created to fool people and seemed like it worked well. He always noticed everything though he appeared indifferent all the time.
What if he shows interest in her? The King might become suspicious of him. That's why he always acted cold, especially towards her.
King Tobias didn't know that he already knew everything. Well, he fooled the King for more than a decade now, just like the King fooled him before.
"Very little is known about your mother's origin," he stated. "So, I think it's not surprising that I'm curious about her. After all, she is the wife of our kingdom's legendary Commander."
Iria Alewine thought for a while and said, "Have you ever wonder why many officials are always wary of me? Though it was the same during my father's time... it became a lot worse ever since I take over the army."
"Your capable army give you so much power. Everyone knows that they only listen to you and no one else. That makes the officials uneasy," Prince Orius replied and added, "Besides, the people trust and admire you a lot."
"That's one reason but... there is more," Iria Alewine said. "It's the reason why I never fight back even when the officials keep on slandering me. I want to prove to them that I'm different. I'm not like my mother's family. I want to show them that."
The officials knew their mother's origin? Orius Aventine had no idea about that! Then why did they never talked about it and... what's wrong with their mother's family?
He felt too confused.
"When my parents got married, His Majesty already forbid any talks about my mother's origin. The command still stands," Iria explained, noticing the confusion on the Prince's face. He was quite easy to read today and she was also amazed by it.
With a small yet unconvincing smile, she added, "Who would want to risk their lives just for a single talk?"
"But you did just now," he pointed out.
"I'm an exception," she mused. "After all, I'm their only child."
Only child. He always hated when he heard that. "You trust me enough to talk about it?"
Iria Alewine nodded. "I know you have a kind heart unlike your cold appearance, Your Highness. You never harm me but protect me. I'm glad for that." With a light chuckle, she added, "Besides, you don't seem like the type to gossip around."
"I don't know about other things but you're right about the gossip part," he muttered, making her smile.
"So, does that mean you're willing to hear the forbidden story?"
Prince Orius nodded. "It's forbidden. I think that makes it more enticing."
At his remark, the Commander suppressed a laughter. How childish!
Iria Alewine finally maintained her composure and concentrated on what she was about to say. "My late mother also hailed from a military family," she started. "When she fell for my father, her family strongly opposed to it. The main reason was that the empire she hailed from, is one of the biggest enemies of our Jerivia."
With a little smile, she added, "My father told me that my mother was the most stubborn woman he had ever known. She insisted to continue their relationship and as a result, her family disowned her. Her father, in particular.
"Then she came to Jerivia and married my father. As per the rule, she took my father's surname but she didn't stop at that. She even changed her first name. By doing that, she made it clear that she had nothing to do with her family anymore."
Iria Alewine recalled how she always said that her mother was an orphan whenever someone from outside Jerivia or the people asked her about her mother. That's what she used to say to Zaro too. He was the future King and she didn't want him to feel bothered by it. After all, only a few knew her mother's identity.
"She is strong-willed," the Prince remarked. "Just like you."
"My father always said that," Iria Alewine said with a light chuckle.
Orius Aventine slightly smiled but when one thing crossed his mind, he felt confused. "But why did you say you want to prove that you're different from your mother's family?" he asked, dumbfounded.
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