eldia

32 | the queen of eldia

Jean could feel the elasticity of his cheeks stretch to their limit as his mother pinched them in between her fingers.

He pulls away as he looks around to ensure no one was looking at such an embarrassing moment. "Mom, you can't keep doing that." He groans as he rubs at his face.

His mother had a habit of pinching his cheeks when he was younger. Back then, he had a lot more baby fat on his face so it didn't hurt as much. "I'm sorry," She responds sheepishly. "I'm just so happy to see you."

Since his arrival back in Eldia, the poor woman refused to leave his side. Considering he was no longer part of the royal guard, he didn't have an excuse to run away either.

He, along with his mother, stood at the center plaza that had the perfect view of the castle. A crowd had begun to form little by little as the time got closer.

"I still can't believe this happening." His mother says as she takes in the crowd. "Coronation day."

Jean nods. "I didn't see this happening for years. The king and queen were always in such good health."

She agrees. "Forget it being so soon. Let's discuss who it is being crowned this evening."

He wipes at his nose that had a slight drip from the cold. "Yeah, I didn't see that coming either."

Before she can say anything else, Julien appears beside them too. He had a giant turkey leg in his hand and his teeth tore into the tender meat as he stared up at the castle. "Big day, huh?"

Jean looks at him from the side. Yet another person he couldn't seem to escape.

Although his brother and his mother seemed to be everywhere he turned, they surprisingly have yet to meet. He had been lucky enough until now to not have to deal with both at the same time.

"Mom, this is-" He doesn't get to finish his sentence when his mother springs forward. "My God." She gasps. "I know exactly who you are."

"You do?" The two brothers say simultaneously as they blink in shock.

She smacks her lips. "Of course I do! You both are the spitting image of your father." She then approaches the boy and hugs him as if she had already met him years ago.

As she embraces him, Julien stares at Jean in confusion. Jean shrugs. He was already used to his mother's friendly nature. She hugged strangers all the time.

However, this man wasn't a stranger. He was the child born from his own father's infidelity. The child that caused his father to pack up and move miles away, leaving his family behind to fend for themselves.

Jean would've assumed his mother would've had some pent up resentment for the child that caused her family to break apart. Regardless, she still hugged the boy as if he were anyone else. After all, it wasn't his fault.

When she releases Julien, he holds out a bag from a local shop toward Jean's direction. "Here. Dad told me you like omelettes."

Jean looks down at the bag that floats in the space between him and his brother. "Your dad. Not mine."

"Right." Julien realizes his choice of words may not have been the most clever. Jean takes the bag anyway considering he was starving. "Thanks, anyway."

"Does that mean your father is here?" His mother asks, slight anxiousness slipping from her tongue.

Julien shakes his head. "I'm here with my wife and daughter. My in-laws are here as well. Queen Historia informed us of everything and insisted we accompanied her over here."

Julien then looks at Jean. "He's too scared to show his face around here."

Jean snorts. His first thought was that the man was far too embarrassed to show his face here considering many people in Eldia knew of his indecency.