"What did you say, Iria?"
The coronation ceremony of Zaro Aventine was over a while ago and the new King was in his chamber, having a conversation with his friend.
"I don't think the Second Prince is the one who killed your father," Iria Alewine repeated what she said. "He won't do such a thing."
"You don't even know Orius well," Zaro argued.
"Your Majesty -"
"My father is dead and everyone on the scene said that it's the doing of my younger brother," Zaro Aventine grunted. "What do you expect me to do?"
"Please investigate more," Iria Alewine pleaded. "Prince Orius won't do such a thing. He might appear cold but he is not that cruel."
"Iria -"
"Allow me to meet him," the Commander promptly said. "I beg you, Your Majesty. If the Second Prince is innocent, the real culprit will still be out there and that put our Jerivia in danger. Please... let me meet him just once."
Zaro Aventine quietly stared at his friend for a while before he let out a sigh. "Fine. Meet him but I don't think it will work. He refused to talk to anyone."
"I will give a try."
*
Commander Iria was led to the special cell where Prince Orius stayed. When she reached there, she finds the Second Prince sitting on one corner with his right arm covering his eyes.
Just like her, the Second Prince also had sharp ears and she knew that he will already sense her presence through her light footsteps. However, Orius Aventine didn't make any movement and his arms still covered his eyes the whole time.
The door of the cell was opened for her and Iria stepped inside. Though it had been a little over a week, Iria Alewine was taken aback by the Prince's haggard look.
"Your Highness."
Hearing the familiar voice, Orius Aventine promptly put down his hand and looked up. He stared at his sister's face for a while before he turned away.
She shouldn't have come here.
"I'm here to talk with you," Iria said to the Second Prince. "I don't believe what other's said. You won't kill your father."
"What makes you believe that I won't do that?" Orius asked her.
Iria Alewine raised a brow as she didn't expect this.
What does he mean?
"What are you trying to say?" she asked, dumbfounded.
Orius Aventine stood up and looked at her. "If you think I'm kind, then you're wrong, Commander."
"You won't kill him," Iria Alewine argued. Despite the Prince's indifferent demeanor, a part of her still believed that he was innocent but... why did he say such things?!
Orius Aventine briefly glanced at the one who escort Iria to the cell before he turned back to her. "No, you're wrong. I was the one who kill him."
"I don't believe that," the Commander retorted. "You're not that kind of person."
"That's up to you," Orius Aventine simply said and shook his head. "You don't know me, Commander Iria. So, rather than losing your time here, just leave. Don't come again."
Little did Iria knew how much he had to brace himself just to say that! His hands that were on his back were curled into fists and he tightly clenched them to keep himself in check!
"You don't know me too, Your Highness," Iria Alewine bravely argued. "I won't stop. I will surely find out the truth."
With that said, she turned her back at the Second Prince and left the cell. Orius stared at her until she was out of his sight and slowly, he let loose of his hands.
This was for the best.
*
Iria Alewine returned straight to the camp and then to her tent.
Once she was alone in her tent, she recalled her conversation with the Prince.
He was trying to hide something. She was sure of that but... what could it be?
She felt so lost!
Just what happened on the night King Tobias was killed?
She had too many questions but... she had the answer to none of them.
It was almost time for dinner when the coronation ceremony was over and it was pretty late now. However, Iria couldn't think of anything else.
Maybe she had grown too close to the Second Prince.
She didn't want him to suffer despite the conversation she overheard that night.
While the Commander was fixated on her thoughts, one soldier suddenly entered her tent. Darting her eyes to the soldier, she observed him.
He was dressed in the uniform of her Alewine Army but... his face. Wasn't he Kerin? The guard and attendant of Prince Orius?!
Dumbfounded, Iria Alewine rose from her seat.
If one was arrested for such a huge crime, all their close associates were also arrested too in case they took part in the crime. But... why wasn't Kerin arrested?
While this question bothered the Masked Commander, she was startled by Kerin who dropped to his knees.
"Please help me out, Commander," the man pleaded with her, making her even more confused.
"Kerin? What happened?" she asked the attendant with confusion.
How come he wasn't arrested too?!
"The soldiers from the palace and the royal guards are looking for me everywhere," Kerin confessed. "But I can't give up."
He looked up and noticed the bewilderment on her face. Then he said, "I manage to flee that night. I already hid for more than a week but if I don't do something, I will be arrested too and... everything will be over. I won't be able to help His Highness if they arrest me too."
He made a deliberate pause and said, "Commander, you're the only hope of His Highness. I implore you.... please help him out."
"I met him but he won't tell me anything," Iria said to the attendant. "He insisted that he killed the King."
"He said that to protect you," Kerin explained and shook his head. "Don't trust the new King too much, Commander. I'm sure that he is the one behind everything. I think he threatens His Highness with your life."
"That's absurd," the Commander argued. "I'm even closer to Zaro than I am to the Second Prince."
What was he implying?
"There is a truth you don't know about," Kerin finally said after maintaining his silence for a few seconds. He hung his head low as he knew that this was against the order of the Prince.
Prince Orius had ordered him not to say anything to her but... it's useless to do that in this situation.
This was a matter of life and death!
"His Highness is not the son of the late King, Commander. He had nothing to do with the royal family," Kerin finally said and looked up at the Commander once again. "He is your twin brother whom the late King took away the day both of you were born."
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