Chapter twenty_six

Arthur stares blankly at the floor of Madin’s room. The silence presses in on him, broken only by the faint creak of the walls. The scent of Madin lingers in the air, faint but enough to twist the knife already lodged in Arthur’s chest. Jeremy’s words replay in his mind, each one cutting deeper.

"You don’t deserve him, Arthur, and you know it."

He drags a hand through his hair, frustration and confusion swirling inside him. Is that true? Has he been blind to the pain he caused?

Arthur’s thoughts are chaotic, one moment consumed by rage, the next by guilt. He doesn’t want to admit it, but Jeremy’s words make him feel like he’s staring into a mirror—and he doesn’t like what he sees.

He gets up, pacing the room. His eyes land on the scattered remnants of Madin’s belongings: a forgotten scarf on the bed, a worn notebook tucked under a pillow. Arthur grabs the notebook, opening it with trembling fingers.

Inside are sketches and notes—small, fleeting pieces of Madin’s thoughts. Some pages hold quick drawings of the palace gardens, others are covered in fragments of poetry. But one page catches Arthur’s eye.

The words are hastily written, almost like a journal entry:

"Why do I stay? What am I waiting for? He doesn’t see me. He only sees what he wants me to be. I try to leave, but I always change my mind , hoping he’ll change. But he never does."

Arthur reads the words again, his breath hitching. Each sentence feels like a hammer blow. The truth is there, laid bare in Madin’s own hand.

A knock at the door startles him. It’s one of the guards.

“My lord,” the guard says hesitantly. “Jeremy is in the dungeons. He refuses to speak further, even under pressure. What are your orders?”

Arthur waves the guard away. “Leave him,” he mutters.

The guard bows and retreats, leaving Arthur alone once more. He slams the notebook shut and throws it onto the bed.

The frustration bubbling inside him has nowhere to go. Madin’s accusations, Jeremy’s outburst, the journal—they all point to the same thing.

Arthur slams his fist into the wall, the sharp pain grounding him. How did it come to this? How did he let things spiral so far out of control?

He sinks back onto the bed, his head in his hands. Jeremy’s defiance still stings, but there’s something else under it—admiration. For all his anger, Jeremy is loyal to Madin in a way Arthur has never been.

And now Madin is gone, slipping through Arthur’s fingers like sand.

For the first time in years, Arthur feels powerless. He isn’t used to losing. He isn’t used to people walking away from him. But Madin isn’t just anyone. He isn’t a pawn, a servant, or even an ally. He’s… more. Arthur just doesn’t know how to define it.

All he knows is that the emptiness Madin has left behind feels unbearable.

He stands abruptly. He can’t stay here, drowning in his thoughts. He storms out of the room, barking orders at the guards.

“Search the roads. Check the towns nearby. Question the travelers. I want Madin found, and I want him brought back to the palace. No harm is to come to him—do you hear me?”

The guards bow and scatter, leaving Arthur standing alone in the hallway.

But even as he orders the search, a quiet voice in the back of his mind whispers a painful truth:

What if Madin doesn’t want to be found?

The thought sends a chill through Arthur, but he pushes it aside. He doesn’t know how to face that possibility. All he knows is that he needs to see Madin again, even if it’s only to hear the anger in his voice or see the fire in his eyes.

Even if it’s to hear Madin say, once and for all, that there’s nothing left between them.

And deep down, Arthur fears that’s exactly what will happen.

°•○°

The days pass slowly, each one dragging as if time itself conspires against Arthur. The palace feels heavier, quieter without Madin’s presence.

Every familiar place—his chambers, the gardens, the halls—carries the ghost of him. Arthur buries himself in work, his duties as king providing little distraction.

But the search yields nothing. No trace of Madin, no whispers in nearby towns. It’s as if he’s vanished entirely.

But Arthur Insists they find him.

He sits in his room , ignoring the summons from his father , ignoring the visits from his siblings.

And then there's his queen , she has not seen him ever since she delivered, he moved to Madin's room, he only ask servants to bring to him his children, the twins , a boy and a girl .

Little prince and princesses, once he sees them, there's nothing else that matters.

°

Jeremy remains in the dungeons, silent but defiant. Arthur visits him once, unable to resist the need to confront him again.

Jeremy sits in the dimly lit cell, his back against the wall, chains clinking faintly as he shifts. When Arthur steps inside, Jeremy barely looks up.

“You’ve come to gloat?” Jeremy asks, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Arthur ignores the bait, his expression hard. “Do you think this is a game, Jeremy? That I won’t keep you here until you tell me where he is?”

Jeremy finally looks at him, his gaze steady. “Keep me here for a hundred years if you want. I told you already—I don’t know where he went.”

Arthur steps closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous level. “You helped him escape. You must have some idea.”

Jeremy scoffs, his anger bubbling to the surface. “Do you think he confided in me? Do you think he trusted anyone enough to say where he’d go? He was desperate to get away from you. That’s all he cared about.”

The words hit their mark, and Arthur’s jaw tightens. “He had no reason to run. I would have—”

“What? Allowed him to stay? Permitted him to live under your roof? Don’t you hear yourself, Arthur?” Jeremy snaps, sitting up straighter. “You talk like he’s a pet you can control, not a man with his own thoughts and feelings. No wonder he left.”

Arthur’s fists clench. “You don’t understand—”

“Oh, I understand perfectly,” Jeremy interrupts, his voice rising. “I’ve watched you tear him down piece by piece. I’ve seen the way he looks at you, hoping for something you’ll never give him. And I’ve seen the way you punish him for wanting it.”

Arthur freezes, Jeremy’s words slicing through his defenses.

"All those things that, that woman claimed Madin did , he never did! Not even a single one of them! But what did you do? You never even listened to him! You knew she was lying , even now you know she is evil , but you still stood with her , punishing Madin ruthlessly!" Jeremy adds bitterly as if all that he is talking about was done to him.

"You know Jeremy__ am actually curious about one thing , why are you always like this when it comes to Madin, willing to disrespect and talk to me however you want__ the concern you've always had for him... Tell me one thing, those hickeys on Madin's body... is it you?"

"Concern? Well , maybe because I love him genuin..." before he finishes , Arthur lifts him, hitting him on the wall , his anger clearly visible.

"How dare you?!" He thunders.

"He didn't let me do anything," Jeremy goes on.  "All that was on his mind was Arthur , Arthur , Arthur... all the time , how he was desperate to get free from the love he has for you , he never did anything of the sort to betray you! That was the very first day he wanted to try something, just anything that could convince him that , Arthur is not the only man on this planet , but he couldn't! You even got the nerves to accuse him for sleeping with someone else after what you've done to him! For your information, he wanted to , but he couldn't because you!"

Arthur lets go of Jeremy, he falls down hard.

While Arthur turns around , trying to process everything , but all he can do is hate himself, guilt killing him in every way.