Now that the King and the Captain of the Royal Guards were the only ones in the huge chamber, it was instantly followed by complete silence.
Almost a minute passed when the King finally sat down again. However, before he could say anything, Antony was on his knees.
"Your Majesty, I -"
"Come and sit down first," Arin Helev said, pointing his chin at the couch opposite him.
Antony was rendered silent as he didn't expect to hear that.
Royal Guards don't sit while they were on duty, let alone when the King was around.
The guard shifted his gaze to the couch before he eventually get back on his feet and took a seat. The rule was important but for a royal guard, the King's order should come before that.
"What did you try to say just now?" the King asked. His voice was calm than expected and it surprised Antony.
"I try to apologize," the guard replied. "For keeping it from you."
"Not for making my cousin fall in love with you?"
Antony raised a brow but he shook his head. "That's not something I can control, Your Majesty."
The King thought about it and realized that he was right. From what Sophie just said, it was clear that she was the one who liked him first. Judging from his cousin's persistent nature, Antony will surely have a hard time in the beginning.
"She told me that you make her wait," Arin Helev pointed out. "You don't feel the same at first?"
"That's not... " His voice trailed off when he felt intimidated by the King's observing gaze. Then he lowered his gaze once again. "I apologize."
"For what?"
Antony lifted his gaze and looked at the King as he wondered what he had on mind.
He knew the King very well as he had served him for years now but... why did he feel like the King was pressuring him, more and more?
"I don't dare to accept her at first," he confessed as he knew that it was always better to be honest with the King. "I know how precious she is to you, Your Majesty. I don't think I deserve her. That's why."
"Then?"
"You know she is persistent and stubborn," Antony continued. "She takes after you and she's great at putting pressure... " He shut his mouth when he realized what he was saying.
What's wrong with him tonight? He was always good at keeping check of his mouth!
"You're saying that Sophie and I are great at pressuring others?"
"I apologize," Antony said, lowering his gaze once again.
Arin Helev finds the situation quite amusing. Not to mention that he knew Antony well just like the guard knew him well. As such, he leaned a bit forward and asked, "Tell me, Antony. Do you plan to inform me about this if Sophie didn't mention it to me?"
"We plan to tell you together but Lady Sophie can be quite reckless and unpredictable," Antony promptly replied and when he realized what he just said, he shut his eyes.
Maybe this was what he referred to when he talked about the pressure.
The King was always great at that.
Even now, he ended up saying many things without thinking clear!
"I apologize," he said for the third time and hung his head low.
Maybe he had really lost his mind!
Staring at his right-hand man, the King chuckled and leaned back. The sound of his chuckle made Antony lift his head.
"I wonder how long have you two put me in the dark," the King muttered as he turned away. "It feels like you know her well than I did now." He shifted his gaze back to the guard and added, "It must be a while now. After all, you already talk about marriage."
"Your Majesty -"
"This is the most important question, Antony," Arin Helev suddenly said. "I don't care about other things but... do you love Sophie?" He made a deliberate pause and continued, "From the way she talks about you, I can tell that she loves you, a lot. But for happiness to exist, it should be mutual. One-sided only cause pain. So... do you love her?"
The Captain didn't need any second to ponder as he was very quick to nod. "I won't dare to take the risk if I don't love her, Your Majesty." He briefly paused and narrowed his eyes when he continued, "You're my King and she is your family, someone important to you. It was why I was unwilling at first.
"I know that I shouldn't cross the line. I reminded myself that I shouldn't even dare to look at her but... it's not something I could control. Then I ended up taking the risk and I don't regret it."
Arin Helev maintained his silence for a few seconds until a subtle smile appeared on his lips. "You should feel relief," he stated. "If you apologize even just once for loving her, I was ready to make sure that you won't get to marry her no matter what. I will never give my cousin's hand to someone who has to apologize for falling for her."
Hearing this, Antony looked at the King. Confusion was more than evident on his face and he slightly raised a brow. However, rather than explaining, the King rose from his seat and Antony promptly followed suit.
"I plan to let Sophie stay for the night," Arin Helev said. "You should join us at dinner."
"Your Majesty that's -"
"Put aside your job for now," the King said in a somewhat annoyed voice. "I invite you as my cousin's fiance. You cannot reject." When he tried to walk out, one thing crossed his mind. "What brings you here anyway?"
Antony realized his reason for meeting the King and said, "We detect some movements in the Vale Province. It seems like they are searching for Crown Prince Emor. The Crown Prince's guard, Theo is also among them."
"That means Aryan Tripas still don't know that Emor is here," the King muttered. "Tell the spies to be cautious. The Nardodian King might send spies here."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
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