After hearing the news, Orius came to the chamber where Iria stayed. Arin Helev was also there but he left to give the twins time to chat freely.
From what Orius told him when he arrived, he knew that Iria still haven't had a proper chat with her twin brother since she realized his true identity.
Ever since he left her for Qalagon, Orius couldn't stop worrying about Iria. When he heard what happened to her, he thought that what he feared the most was coming true but... she survived.
Though the death of Rion broke her, he was relieved to know that she was alive.
He didn't know what he would do if she didn't make it.
He was worried sick about her but... now that he finally had the chance to talk to her, he felt tight-lipped. After all, they lived as the Second Prince and the Commander for so long.
Twenty years was such a long time.
Finally, Orius took a deep breath and walked closer to Iria's bed. He sat on the chair which was placed near her bed and looked at her.
She suffered so much just to leave Jerivia. He wasn't sure if he was doing the right thing by leaving that night.
Iria wasn't much different from him. She wanted to say something but... what would she say?
The fact that he was her twin brother and not the Second Prince... was still a miracle for her. It wasn't easy for her to come up with words.
Awkward silence occupied the chamber for a few minutes and for the twins, it felt like years!
"Iria... " Orius finally called her name and broke the silence. "It's still hard to believe, right?"
He narrowed his eyes at the sword on his waist and said, "I always wonder if you will ever know the truth and... if you would accept me if you indeed heard about it."
"Why won't I accept you?" Iria promptly asked him. Though she was left stupefied by the revelation, she was happy to know that she had a brother, a family.
"You know, we don't have that good of a relationship until we went to Qalagon," Orius explained.
What he said reminded Iria of the question that always bothered her. Then she said, "I used to wonder why you disguised as a guard."
In all honesty, she strongly believed he did that to target Arin Helev or the other members of the royal family but... he didn't make such an act throughout their stay here last time.
"I don't trust King Tobias," Orius confessed. "I want to stay near you and keep you safe in case he tries anything. That's why."
His response made Iria felt guilty. Without knowing anything, it turned out that she misunderstood him all the time. Then... the conversation she overheard that night crossed her mind once again. It made her squeezed the blanket that covered her lower body.
"Since when did you know the truth?" she asked and explained, "I mean... how our father died."
Thinking of the answer to her question, Orius narrowed his eyes as he felt the pressure. How will she think of him if he spoke the truth? But...
"Two days after his death," he told the truth in a low voice. "I overheard the late King discussing the incident with the soldier who acted as the sole survivor." He lifted his gaze to meet hers. "Did you blame me for not saying anything?"
Iria Alewine shook her head. "He was the King. If you open your mouth, you won't live."
Hearing that, Orius felt as if a heavy burden was lifted off his shoulders! No one knew how tormented he felt during the past three years, wondering if this day would ever come.
What if she blamed him for shutting his mouth?
Once again, he looked down at his sword but this time, he unsheathed it and showed it to Iria. "A few days before he died, Father gifted this sword to me. He said I should use it to protect the ones I love." Making a deliberate pause, he added, "It's the sword that killed Minister Julian."
Iria's eyes grew wide when she heard him. The assassination of Minister Julian... that was his doing? For her sake?
"Though I always refused to participate in the court meetings, I always heard the report from someone," Orius started. "I know that he already crossed you many times and that day, he went too far. That's why I want to make sure that it won't happen again."
"I understand," Iria said. If she were him, she can't say that she won't do the same. Besides, those Jerivian officials didn't really matter to her anymore. But she believed that she was still in debt to the Prime Minister and the Minister of War, for believing in her even while she was locked up in that cell.
"I feel like everything is my fault," Orius murmured. "When Kerin told me that Zaro won't be much different from his father, I ignored him and chose to place trust in Zaro. If only I take his words seriously, none of this would happen and... Rion won't have to die."
Recalling Rion's death pricked Iria's heart but nothing could be changed now. "It's not your fault," she muttered. "I misjudge him too. I don't expect him to go that far."
She believed that Zaro would be able to do anything after what he did to his father but... she didn't know that the worst will actually happen.
Now that he had shown her his worst and monster side, only hatred was left for him in her heart.
"Iria, will we put everything else behind and live in Cedore?" Orius asked her in a calm voice. "You don't have to wield a sword again. I will protect you."
He still remembered what she told him the first time they were in Qalagon. She said that if she was to think only about herself, her hands would never wield a sword.
Did she know how much that response haunted him?
If the King didn't take him away, he will be the successor of their father. He will be the Commander of the Alewine Army. Then she will be able to live a sheltered and rosy life like other noble ladies of her age.
"I will put down my sword," Iria Alewine said and continued, "But after I avenge Rion and the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for me." Shaking her head, she added, "I can't let their deaths be in vain."
Orius quietly stared at her for a while and nodded. "Alright then. I will help you. After all, I'm your older twin brother. That's what the doctor told me."
He recalled the time Iria said that she was older by a week. The memory drew a little smile from Orius's lips. With the same scene on her mind, Iria Alewine finally smiled.
"I bet you will find me laughable when I said that," she pointed out. "You were never younger than me."
"A bit," Orius replied and flashed a smile. It's great to see her smile again.....
This content is taken from fr(e)ewebn(o)vel.𝓬𝓸𝓶