The Royal Deal

Chapter 86

“Oh my goodness!” Amethyst gasped.

In the Sehar Kingdom, it was tradition that the empress become emperor of the kingdom. The reasoning behind it was that the blood of the Goddess was stronger in women than it was in men.

Goddess blood meant magic. Which was then separated into Erosion and Attack type.

Even if the Temple blocked erosion-type magic that was capable of controlling one’s soul, it was natural for the emperor to lead the kingdom with just the attack-type magic. But Alexcent and Belice, born twins, had each inherited one of the magic types…

“No wonder you were so vulnerable to her,” it made sense to Amethyst now, “It wasn’t just because you two were brother and sister.”

“It’s more than that,” Alexcent said, “I owe Belice my life.”

“You owe her your life?”

Alexcent’s voice lost all expression. He spoke with a kind of indifference that was nearly cold, “It was the first time a set of twins had ever been born in this kingdom. Sometimes a son was born, but that was only after the daughter had been born. And not only that, it was also the first time the magic ability was shared.”

“So?” Amethyst asked.

“So, at that time, the Senate and the Temples considered it a bad omen.”

“How?” just when things were starting to make sense to her, she started to feel a little lost again.

“A prophecy predicting the doom of the Kingdom,” Alexcent continued, “The Temple said my magical abilities had to be taken away.”

“Is that even possible to do?”

Alexcent smirked at the question, “It was possible to take them away… By getting rid of me.”

“What!” Amethyst couldn’t believe what she was hearing, “But that’s…”

“Yes, I was destined to die as soon as I was born.”

“And there was no other way to just… take away your ability?”

Alexcent shook his head, “It’s not easy to separate magic from a soul whose only ability was to eat, cry and sleep.”

“And then…?” Amethyst wanted to know more, he was alive right before her eyes right now.

“The Temple prepared the ceremony and that day, Belice cried a lot.”

“Cried?” Amethyst tiled her head.

“Yes. When the priest held the sword against me, Belice wept bitterly. As you know the existence of an empress if sacred and noble. Everyone tried their best to calm her, but Belice cried every time the sword was pointed towards me,” for a moment, it looked like he wanted to smile, “Amazing, isn’t it? She was only an infant, but it seemed as though she were trying to save me.”

“Is that how she saved your life?”

“That’s what they all said. The emperor back then came to the Temple and said that if they killed me, they would be killing Belice as well. And so, they decided to raise me as a sword, to protect her. I’ve been holding a sword ever since I could hold things in my hand. I promised to become her sword and protect her… at all costs.”

He’d promised on that day, under the scared tree,

‘I promise, Mother. I’ll protect Belice. I’ll never let anyone harm her in any way.’

‘My son, my Alex. You are the only one who can protect the Empress, your sister. Please, remember that.’

Amethyst’s exasperated voice brought Alexcent back from the past and into the future, bringing his attention to her, “That’s ruthless! I can’t believe they were trying to kill a baby for such a thing! I can’t believe secrecy about birth happens in either universe.”

“Ash?”

“I mean, think about it. It’s not your choice to be born! You are not capable of choosing which property type to be born with. Why are you talking as though it’s all your fault?”

Alexcent started laughing. Despite the frown on his face, he laughed.

But Amethyst saw his sorrow. He acts as if he should not have been born and his life has no purpose, she thought. Trampling, pressuring himself to live his life in a way he didn’t want, just to keep a duty he had promised. He denied his existence, living a life he does not own, as a property of another.

Alexcent fell silent, but in his eyes was reflected his pain and sadness.

Amethyst got up, approached Alexcent and hugged him gently. “I don’t think there is anyone who should not have been born,” she said softly, “It’s the choices that you make after you’re born that matter,” her voice might have been soft, but she couldn’t hide her bitterness.

She found it quite ironic that she was saying all this to Alexcent. She was the one who wanted to disappear as if she didn’t exist. What kind of contradiction was she making? It didn’t matter, all she wanted to do was comfort him.

“You are the main character of your life,” she continued, “Not Belice. Never let her be your master. Live a life you want to live, not the life someone else wants for you. Your life is your own. No one is going to live it for you… I hope from now on, you can do what you want,” she spoke to him as though she were talking to and comforting herself.

Alexcent slowly put his hand over hers, “Why are you saying all this?” It had only been a few months since they’d been together, why was she comforting him as though she knew what he’d been through?

And perhaps the most striking thought of all; how was it that he was comforted by her?