The Ballad of Winter (#0.2 Ruthen Quartet)

Chapter Ten

"I wish I could say I am happy to hear you are with a child," Ar'kela said, as she entered the dining room. "But I am not."

Aitan glared at her sitting at the high table. "If you are her true friend, then you would be happy for her."

Ar'kela gave him a sideways glance as she sat next to me. "I know what I am saying, Emperor. Had you been there, you would have killed your children yourself."

Eiran leant away from the wall. "What are you talking about, Ar'kela? That is my cousin."

"I know, Eiran," she said, her voice softening. "The Veymroth I encountered did not give me the best news."

The few maids who were standing gave themselves a confused look to each other to why a maid was sitting with their Empress and why my protector was reprimanding her.

"Leave us alone!" I commanded. The last thing I wanted was them to talk behind my back.

"But-" someone began.

"Did you not hear her?" Ar'kela snapped.

Even we could not bear Ar'kela's anger. I looked down, Aitan lowered his head, gritting his teeth while Eiran was still fighting her.

They scurried off.

"Listen Ar'kela," Eiran began. "If you are going to use what I feel for you for murdering my cousin, then I will not hesitate to harm you. You will mean nothing to me."

I could not read any emotion on the Guardian's face as she stared at him. Did she even feel anything for my brother?

"Let us hear her out," I suggested. "I think we need to listen to her side."

"Yesterday you met Ia'rad," Ar'kela started. "The Veymroths now know that you carry a child who could potentially be their vassal. They will try anything to claim him."

"What?" Aitan asked.

She sighed. "Eiran was supposed to be their vessel to do what they bid. If Azaziah's mother had killed them, then the Darkness would not have seeped in. Mother's love blinded her. Because of that, your child will pay the price. Or rather, Azaziah will pay."

"Are you saying that me surviving was a mistake?" Eiran asked, his voice wobbling.

She looked at him again. "As a Guardian, I will say yes. I need to put the responsibility of people above me. I cannot be biased. I need to fair. I represent life, Eiran. I must be fair. I cannot allow my feelings to cloud my judgement."

"What price will I pay?" I whispered, trying to break the silence between them. The food I ate would come out anytime.

She saw me with her blue eyes filled with tears. "It will suck your life force out. Make you weak. Literally rip you apart from inside. That is what will happen. If you are further unlucky, then one of your children may even die."

"One of my?" I asked, my breaths were choking me.

"You carry twins, Azaziah," Ar'kela closed her mouth with her hand. "It is your fate to be burdened."

I whimpered. "Will I survive?"

"I know not," she said, tears streaming down. "But one can hope."

Placing his hands over his eyes, Eiran opened the door and strode out. Her eyes trailed his silhouette. Sniffling, Ar'kela muttered, "Excuse me." And she followed him.

Despite this, I smiled. She would be lying to me if she said she did not feel a thing for my twin. At least they could be happy.

Aitan was silent. The calmness was killing me more than the news did. Without his knowledge, he was making things so silent. To a point where I could not even hear my heartbeat.

I placed my hand over his. He visibly relaxed and the sounds came back to me. It was only then I appreciated how precious my ears were.

"Say something, Aitan," I whispered.

"What should I say?" he said his voice equally low. "I cannot say to kill my own child, can I? But that is the only way to save you. I can understand where Ar'kela is coming from, but as a father, I just cannot."

I held his hand in mine. "We will make it through."

"How can you say this?" he asked, cynically. "If the Darkness wants something, they do not rest until they achieve it. I don't want to lose you three. You are the best thing that has ever happened in my life."

"I promise you that you will not lose us," I said firmly.

"It is your promises that frighten me, Azaziah," Aitan said, pushing away his plate. "You tend to keep them, not minding the consequences that they bear."

I placed my hand over my abdomen. Was this how my mother felt when she knew she was with a child? When did she know she carried a male heir? As a mother, she chose to keep us alive, and for that, I would forever be grateful. She could have chosen to kill us for the greater good, but she did not.

She believed in something else, she believed that birth did not decide what a child was. It was how they were grown. Katya had said me everything once I knew I had a brother.

"I believe in my mother," I said after a pregnant pause.

He snapped his head up. He blinked at me, with his blue eyes watery.

"She saved us," I croaked. "Even when she had no hope of saving us. I can save us."

He placed his hands over mine. "I do believe in you. It's me I don't believe in."

I tried to smile through my blurry eyes.

The door opened again. Ar'kela stormed in, with her eyes blazing. If she wielded fire, I would have burned to ashes in spite controlling ice.

"I might have been harsh," she started.

"You were," my twin pointed out, with a triumph smirk on his face.

How could he accomplish something most people even feared to try?

She glared at him again. "But I know someone who can indeed help us."

The hope she gave me could be compared to nothing. Aitan's sombre eyes lit up like the night sky lighted by the stars.

"Don't make me wait anymore," I said, tapping my feet against the floor.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I can ask him to come on a request but understand that under no will I will control him. He has places to be and things to do. He might come or he might not, but all I can do is request. So don't blame me later."

"Anything, Ar'kela," Aitan said. "Just anything."

"His patron is Keyah," she said. "Guardian of healing."

"Spirit of medicine," I whispered.

"Yes," she affirmed. "He is Jaycen."

I did not know what to say. She was doing something I never thought of. I got up and ran towards her and hugged her. She was one true friend. For a person who never chose any sides, she was choosing me.

I felt her going stiff before she returned the hug awkwardly.

I released her. "Thank you! Thank you for everything."

She turned her face. "Don't thank me. Thank your brother, he convinced me. But do remember, when it comes down to you and the world, hope you know what I will choose."

I nodded fervently. Doing this itself was something great for me.

"I will go and contact Jaycen," she muttered and left again. While leaving, she was muttering things to herself and shook her head.

I saw my brother with an amused expression. "Must I know what you did not convince her?"

Aitan smiled at me, and at once I knew me and my children might have a future.

Eiran offered me a brighter grin, like thousand suns coming forth to rule the sky on the same day. "I came to know one thing. And I am going to give that to her. That Guardian loves a chase and she's in for it."