CHAPTER 19

Footsteps reverberated in an empty hallway of the palace as Edric went to see his father in his office. He arrived at a huge wooden doorway with exquisite exterior.

“Father. It’s me, Edric”, the crown prince knocked slowly. He entered the room when the King gave him permission to enter.

A man with a yellow hair mixed with a bit of white was focusing in his paperworks. His scarlet eyes still shined intensely despite of old age. He had an aura of both elegance and prudence

“Father, can I ask you something?”, Edric hesitated.

Redmond signed the last document. He immediately stopped his work after putting aside the last paper. He let his aide leave before proceeding to their conversation.

“Are you going to look for Elin?”, Redmond leaned back in his chair trying to rest his neck.

“What? No, Father! Wait. How?”, Edric was a bit shock by his father’s remark.

“I already know what’s going on in your head, child. You definitely didn’t accept the fact that she is dead. And I think, by now, you already discovered something. And knowing her, she won’t die from a mere fire. That girl is special”,  he stood up and approached his bewildered son. He sat down comfortably across him and drank some tea.

"Perks of being the King for too long, child. Soon you will be like me", King Redmond chuckled looking at his confused child.

“Elin may be quite timid but I can sense something different from her. She’s like a fire slowly igniting. A light that shines the path to those who walk in the darkness. But because she’s not confident enough to come out of her shell, she tends to hide her innate talent”, the King lowered his head contemplating while swirling his tea in a circular motion.

“That child only needs someone to love her for who she is. And I think, you can provide it. You two were like two peas in a pod”, the King smiled as he continued to share his thoughts.

“You were like your usual self when you’re with her. A man shines the brightest when he is with a woman that shines even more. Like what they said, behind every successful man is a woman with great vision. Both complement each other. Both will rise together”, Redmond warmly smiled as he look at Edric.

“Then why did you allow Ansel to be engaged to her instead? You know I like her, Father. I was the first one to notice her. I did my best to become someone who was worthy of her”, Edric frowned.

“A king never grants special favor even if he is his child. You know I cannot refuse him, Edric. You should have done what Ansel did instead. In the end, you only regretted the chance you didn’t take”, Redmond put down his cup while his thought wander.

“That was the first time Ansel decided for himself. He’s always so reclusive that I had a hard time connecting to him. I ended up questioning myself if I’m still a father to both of you. Always so busy with governing the nation that I wound up neglecting my children”, Redmond paused for a moment while Edric fell silent as he heard her father’s grievance.

“If only your mother was here”, the King got teary eyed as he reminisced his beloved wife, Queen Alexandria.

“It was never your fault father. Mother was happy”, Edric consoled the King.

“I could have been there for her. Holding her hand till her last breath”, Redmond stood up and looked the other way. He tried to hide his sullen expression from his son. But Edric knew his father was doleful. He has been grieving for a long time now.

“Now, off you go. You still have alot of things to do”, the King went back to his desk and pulled out some paperworks while secretly wiping away his tears.

“Thank you, Father”, Edric bowed and was about to leave when the King called his attention.

“Edric, my son. Soon, you will replace me. As a King, you must have the capabilities to decipher any hidden intentions a person is carrying. Every smile they give carries an ulterior motive. You must be very careful of who to trust”, the King looked at Edric straight in the eyes.

“Everything won’t always go your way. But even so, as the future King, you must never falter. The time will come when you will encounter a difficult situation. Whether to PURSUE or to LET GO. You must choose your battles wisely, Edric. Life isn’t measured by how many battles you won, but how everything turned out in the end”, the King continued.

“Of course, Father”, Edric smiled and left the King’s office. He stood right infront of the door ruminating for a few seconds before leaving.

“Your Highness”, Rand followed him as they went back to Edric’s private chamber. He doubled the barrier to prevent any rats from eavesdropping. The prince sat down and waited for Rand’s report on the whereabouts of Lady Elin.

“So, where is she?”, Edric waited for Rand’s report.

“Forgive me, Edric. We haven’t made any progress with the search”, Rand was disappointed with the result. Lady Elin could be spotted immediately because of the rareness of her hair and eye color but it seems that people didn’t notice anyone with such features.

“Let’s search for her near the Vand dukedom. Any town that is not too far from her home”, Edric implied.

“Why must she stay in her dukedom if she ran away from the first place?”, Rand was confused by Edric’s suggestion.

“She will not ran away for no reason, Rand. Elin isn’t like that. Everytime she faces a challenge, she will fight it head-on but this time she ran away? NO! There must be something going on and I will definitely ascertain the cause of her action”, Edric shifted his gaze outside the window. He continued to stare with eyes filled with curiosity.