22: His Mother

"Where did you go last night, huh?"

I looked at him blankly.

"Er, I thought you know?" I said.

"Of course, he already told me." Errel laughed a little. I looked at him poured some tea into the cup. He's bright as usual.

"Brother, aren't you a little too close with Ryann?" I'm curious about how they got so close in a short time.

"Hm, really? You're imagining it, Elice." That's what he said, but to me it's not even my imagination.

"Ah, it's almost for mother's birthday, right?" Asks Errel. He put some sugar in my cup of tea.

"Yeah, are we going to celebrate it?" Without looking at Errel directly, he knows how I dislike the family gathering. But then he smiled.

"We celebrate it every year. You have to come, or mother will get sad. But if you don't want to, you can pretend to be sick and I will deliver the message for her." He held my hands, while carving the smile.

"... I think... I will go." It's impossible for to run from my troubling siblings anyway. I'll just walk away and act like nothing happened if they were tried to mock me.

*****

The king and his son are talking to eachother, but I can't hear it clearly.

"So, is it fun to eavesdrop on someone's conversation?" He whispered near my ear.

"W-What? I-I didn't!" I tried to lie but failed.

"Oh, look at you stuttering with your words. Are you sure you're not lying?" Asks Ryann while covering his mouth from burst out laughing.

"... I didn't meant to..." I decided to be honest with him. He might get mad, but it's my fault though. Instead, he laughed loudly, and all people in the hallway looked at him.

"You're that curious about my life, right?" Asks Ryann, holding back his laugh.

I didn't answer him and I didn't look at him at all.

"Let's go, I will tell you what do you want to know." He took my hand and walked down the stairs.

"Hey- I didn't know that you're this friendly, that you are kind enough to share your life story to me." I said.

"Yeah, to you." Even without he turned his head to me, I can hear my own heartbeat. I covered my face with my left hand while my right one is being held by him.

"I heard that you're going to your mother's birthday." He broke the silent between us.

"How did you- Ah, I think it's from Errel?" I guessed. But then he nodded.

"Ryann, I think you're getting closer to my brother." As I said that, he's laughing.

"You're just imagining things, you know?" Says Ryann.

Look...! They're the same! Not telling me. Nah, I shouldn't dig in anymore. They might have shared some secrets between men.

"So, can I?" I asked.

"Sure, it's not like you have an appointment with anyone that day." He gave me the permission.

"Do you want to follow me?" When I said that, he looked at me with a blank stare.

"Nah, I have to pass. I've got so many stuffs to do at the palace." He turned away. He flipped the book he took from the bookshelf.

We came into the library that belongs to Ryann's mother, the Queen of Elzatineos. No one has ever used this place since she's disappeared. Only her son would spend his time here.

"What's the queen's name?" It's my turned to question him. I hope it's not upsetting him.

"... Serena. Serena Kriesz La Elsinivan."

No one ever knows about Serena because she disappeared after 3 years becoming the queen. And, she married to Jade in silent just because he had to for the sake of the throne.

"He really crazy for his throne. I cringed watching him sitting on that." Says Ryann.

"So, in order to get the throne, he have to get married. But why?" I asked.

"It's because my grandfather said that if his sons build their own family, he'll give the throne to the one." He replied. I nodded my head. Looking at his sorrowful eyes. Those eyes were once looked at me with such a dreadful aura, now they're no longer cold stabbing but caressed me with a warm looking eyes.

"So..., how are you feeling now?" I played with his fingers, while he put his head on the table and closed his eyes as if he wanted to sleep.

"... I'm fine, since there's no one has ever been by my side. I think I just really used to being alone since I was a child." His voice slowly fainted. But he managed to carve a smile before he fell asleep.

I really have no idea what he went through when he's just a child. And, he's all alone. Why the hell would Jade hid Serena from everyone? And he separated the both of them, the mother and the son. How cruel. I must investigate it.

And I stood up from the chair then look up all the book or any history on the bookshelves. Let's see, hmm...

"Eh?" It's strange how the last shelf is not even close to the wall, so I walked there. There's a door, and there's a name carved on it. I don't understand it though. But when I tried to open it, it's unlocked. I decided to look inside, so before I do, I made sure Ryann's still asleep. Yeah, he's asleep.

So, what's inside this room...

Clack!