153 One Sided Brotherly Love

AUTHOR'S POV

Once again, Stellan proved to everyone that the paladin powers indeed have awakened in him. He was all proud to bear the magic only him can wield. With looming thoughts, Evandrus could only stare out the window, clasping on the pane while his brother ignite his powers.

Days forward, it was a regular training day that ended late. On his way to his chambers, Stellan saw Evandrus sneaking out of the castle. With his lips curving up, he already had an idea where his brother is going. Tailing his brother, Stellan caught up to Evandrus and asked him to visit the hut in Cedar hill just like the old times. Evandrus refused, and offered to go up there some other time. Nevertheless, Stellan continued to insist his brother like a broken record. Tired of arguing, Evandrus let his brother tag along. As they climb their way up, they went inside the hut at the same time the rain poured heavily. In a moment, a band of rebels forced themselves in and filled the hut with terror. One of them threatened to kill Stellan with a curved knife sticking on his neck. Stellan tried to fight back despite knowing he have no considerable chance to win against the rebels twice his size. He took all the beating until he can no longer lift his finger. Reaching the life or death situation, Evandrus then firmly offered his life to spare Stellan. The leader of the gang accepted on taking Evandrus along with them, leaving Stellan cold, deadbeat and weeping under the rain.

By and by, Stellan was still unable to move or speak. Guilt swallowed him whole for taking his brother up on that hill. The Duke tortured the paladin son who failed to protect his brother with silent with treatments, while the head maiden blamed him with sharp words everyday. The Duchess sided on Stellan's defense and reversed the responsibility of her son's safety on the Duke. Stellan may be a paladin, yet he is still young. She believed that her son is also a victim, and as parents, they failed to protect their vulnerable children, something the duke didn't agreed upon.

An all out search for the favorite son went on for months, and even years. Yet, he was never found, no trace no leads. As for Stellan, days and nights aren't different anymore. He kept in a daze as he sulk in the accountability of putting his brother's life in danger. Duchess Lucia endlessly prayed for miracles. Then one morning, Stellan woke up from his near madness when he come across the crest of the soul traveler he met a few times before. The thought of the girl's bright gray eyes pulled him out of the darkness where he was trapped for so long. Slowly, he found his footing and will to go on. He shackled his life to knighthood, and threw all of his emotions in the dustbin of oblivion. Discretely, he led the search for his brother that involved himself in the mortality of the kingdom's greatest monsters.

The hand maiden, Evangeline, loosed her mind everyday since he lost her son. The Duke tried to save her from drowning in her own despair and melancholy. In one of the random nights when the Duke met Stellan, the Duke promised forgiveness if he were to be called Evandrus, hoping Evangeline would also find comfort in it. To end the growing gap and dark days in his family, Stellan agreed with his eyes closed. The Duchess thought it was too much however, she couldn't feel more devastating for Evangeline who's already inflicting self harm. After all, she's also a mother. Just when they all found life after a loss, Evangeline's state of mind receded with no point of salvation. She was seen dead in the Cedar Hill for the sorrow of losing his only son. 

Not too long, it has been decided for Stellan to be admitted in Brandenburg to receive proper training and gain control over his swelling powers. Every knight admired his agile and commitment that brought honor to the house of Hesam. And finally, after all these years, his father looked at him in the eye and called him son. Ultimately, he was then recognized as the kingdom's Paladin Knight - the youngest knight to lead an army, maintaining a long winning streak of undefeated wars.

Shortly, Duchess Lucia relentlessly petitioned for a divorce, hence, with a promise to keep a platonic and political relationship with Hesam for the sake of the strong bond with the Imperial Palace. However, as part of the deal, his son shall stay in Hesam. Afraid of parting with her son, she easily agreed to remain behind too with a pledge to leave as soon as Stellan marries. The Duke was immediately demoted to a Lord after the divorce was signed with a seal of the King. The Duchess couldn't be happier after freeing herself from the chains bound around her wrists. She couldn't be happier from then. Nevertheless, the Lord still addresses her as his wife, and still require her to manage the Hesam households and accounts.

Now, seeing Evandrus after all these years reminds Stellan of all the ups and downs they all endured. It was a vivid memory that flashed right before his eyes, piercing right through his heart when he saw his brother with Helena in the woods. Every word that Evandrus told Helena in that shack was a poison of deception, and a complete enlightenment to all of his mistaken thoughts. Evandrus' words were all lies. All the fun and the good memories were nothing but a sham and a one-sided brotherly love.

Stellan passed by a timberline of dark willow trees and lobed fig trees.The leaves violently rustled as the wind fiercely blow across the moors. Stellan listened at the slightest clatter and sensed the small sudden movements there is. As he look around, he caught a glimpse of gold dusts sparkling everywhere. "This is bad", Stellan clenched his jaw at the foolish consequence of such recklessness. He felt the vibrations and the lightest sounds in wind. And there, just by the ends of a cascading branches of a willow tree, he found Evandrus pouring a tubeful good dust by the tree's large twisted roots.

"That's not very smart. Unless you are drawing a monster's attention. Your dragon of a wife or your aurumvorax mistress?", Stellan gritted his teeth at the lame idea of Evandrus scattering gold dusts everywhere. Such minerals attract monsters and turn them insanely dangerous.

"I felt quite generous today, so I decided to bless the earth with gold dust", Evandrus sprinkled the last bottle of gold dust from his pocket.

"Then, Haelan and I should leave you to your blessing before we get in trouble from your stupidity", Stellan hissed as he turn his back.

Evandrus faced Stellan and clicked his tongue. "Aww.. I can't do that. You might miss me again, brother. Besides, Haelan needs me, remember? I didn't just forced myself to be with him, unlike you", Evandrus mocked that instantly turned Stellan's ears up.

"Brother? You don't get to call me that, Evandrus", Stellan snapped as he clench his fist as if those words felt like an insult. "And no, Haelan won't be going anywhere with you", he glanced back and glared at Evandrus after hearing Haelan's name from his foul mouth.

"I thought you'd never recognize me. What? You don't care for your old big brother now?", Evandrus asked as he come closer Stellan.

No matter how Evandrus have grown and physically matured, Stellan would always recognize him even from afar. "I did… and it's the only thing I regret.", Stellan kept his straight face hiding his thinning patience embedded with arousing anger.

"Oh dear Brother, look at you now. All man up, and a paladin knight. Father would be so proud of his great son", Evandrus rested his hands on his waist.