Chapter 45: "The New King's Bitterness"

Upon knowing that her fiance was always throwing up and dizzy, King Seiro halted all his travels and stayed beside her. Even in his official coronation in Leoniva City three days ago, he let her stay in the palace alone, and he regretted not taking a close look at her because he had been busy with his new duties as the King.

Bitterness was what King Seiro felt when he heard Ely utter his twin brother's name in her sleep. He was disappointed in destiny itself. Why was he having a hard time taking back his own wife?

Perhaps, it was a blessing in disguise that he did not recover his memories from the other world, or else it would feel twice as painful.

Frankly, he just considered Maro her affair while he's the legal husband, and he's willing to forgive her for being seduced by him.

But it wasn't a stage play; it's reality.

He had to accept the harsh reality that sometimes, the person who loves you today may not love you tomorrow, because a person's feelings can change.

Love is not something that is easily taught, and it also cannot be easily forgotten.

Just because the person you love doesn't love you back anymore doesn't mean that it will be easy to find the next person to love. After all, you simply cannot force your heart to love a person especially in such a short amount of time.

"I apologize, Ely," King Seiro muttered as he stared at her sleeping face, "If only I knew that I'd see you like this, I… I shouldn't have left the palace and made sure you ate..."

"Maro…" she suddenly said in a soft tone, "Please don't go…"

The King held her hand, "I'm here, Ely. Your husband, Adam. Forget about Maro. I will not leave you!" Tears formed in his eyes, and when he heard her utter her name again, these fell on his cheeks. "Ely, please eat."

"Please don't torture Maro… You told me that he will only be exiled, but why are you punishing him so harshly? Please don't let him die..."

"I will tell them to stop whipping him, if you eat well and be obedient starting from now."

"Rea...lly?" her weak voice said, and she stared at the King like a puppy.

King Seiro nodded at her, "Yes, I promise," he took the bowl of porridge on the side table, and placed half-spoon full near Ely's lips. "Eat. Come on."

Ely let him feed her until almost all the porridge in the bowl was finished. Since that day, she finally responded properly to the new maidservants who served her, and she let them help her take a bath. She also took time to go out to get some fresh air and gaze at the glistening sea every afternoon.

It was the King who personally fed her to make him feel at ease, and Ely appreciated his efforts. She saw that he was really trying to make it up to her for forcing her to live with him, but even though she became obedient, she only felt more distant and chose not to be too casual with him.

...

Three days before the wedding, King Seiro asked her while he was carefully combing her long, platinum blonde hair as she sat in front of the dresser, "You'll fulfill your promise, right, Ely?"

Ely stared at him for a while through the mirror's reflection. She didn't want to hate him; he actually pitied him for being caught into Prince Kaio's plans. After all, she could see right through his words. She discovered that whenever he would try to say something harsh or something that could hurt another person, afterwards, he would turn around and sigh like he's tired of doing it, giving a bothered expression on his face.

"Your Highness," Ely muttered, "I will fulfill my promise."

"Thank you," he said with a subtle smile, "I will take you to Maro later and give you a chance to talk to him-"

"No, I… I'll just peek at him but I don't want him to see me."

King Seiro paused combing her hair. He raised his brow, confused by her answer, "Why? You must have missed him a lot."

"He will just push me away..." she pursed her trembling lips and was about to cry, "I don't think I can take it if he says he hates me or something..." and her tears fell.

Upon seeing his fiance crying, he placed the comb on the dresser and kneeled in front of her, wiping away her tears with his fingers, "Alright, hush. Don't cry."

Meanwhile, as Ely and King Seiro were preparing to go to the prison dungeon, Maro had to entertain an unwanted guest in front of his locked cell. He only had his worn-out, linen pants, and having no top clothes displayed the scars from the whips that he had in the past days.

"Why are you here again?" Maro glared at Clan Leader Owen as he stayed sitting cross-legged on the cold, stone floor. He had been coming there recently just to mock him and laugh at him, "Did you come here to let the dungeon officer cut your other arm? You look bad with just an arm. You're not symmetrical, and it's bothering me."

Clan Leader Owen yelled in anger, "You…! Watch your mouth!" He took the sword from the mercenary who stood beside him and pointed it to the dethroned King, in the space in between two metal bars, and said, "You think I'm afraid of you? Your throne is now taken by His Highness King Seiro. You have no right to mock me!"

"Look at how foolish you are. Pointing a sword on me while this cell is locked? Why don't you get in, then let's kill each other here?" he grinned, and it made the Clan Leader more angry.

"Don't try to outsmart me. I know you're trying to lure me there and escape while the cell is open-"

"Hah! I'm not a fool like you. There's this thing called patience," Maro said with confidence, "I'm waiting for the right time to get out of this murky dungeon. And when I successfully escape here, you won't be able to sleep well at night. I will repeatedly stab you in your sweet dreams until you die from fear."

Hearing this, Clan Leader Owen dropped the mercenary's sword, he turned his back on him, "I won't let that happen. You will never escape from this place until it is time for you to be exiled to a foreign country."

"I thought my charge was to die bathing in my own blood?"

"King Seiro changed his mind. I think the Queen of Ballad convinced him to lighten the punishment that we wanted to be done to you, in exchange for agreeing to marry him," he explained. "The royal wedding is in three days."