Bab 62: Chapter 62: Changing and Growth
Dante's hands grabbed Kilians and helped them unsheath Dante's heavy sword.
"CLONK."
The end hit the ground in front of Maarken, and Kilian could see the life slowly draining from the face that had been looking down at him only minutes earlier.
Kilian knew what Dante wanted to do.
This was not like the world he had come from. There the crime Maarken had committed would not have warranted this.
He swallowed hard, feeling his throat dry, as Dante's strong arms lifted Kilians, bringing the sword up.
"Are you ready for this?"
The whispered words tickled in Kilian's ear, and the many eyes on them, were anticipating the next thing to come.
Kilian's stomach was in turmoil.
He had hated and despised a lot of people since he had arrived in this world, and he had sworn to avenge the treatment both he and the former Kilian had had to go through.
Had he thought of killing them?
Yes, he had, several times, and with the world, as it was, he would have to steel himself for this kind of thing.
He was the one who initiated it, and Dante only supported it by keeping the weight of the blade from making it difficult.
Kilian sliced down, separating the head from the shoulders.
Maarken who had been staring up at him in fear, heaving for his breath, had stopped struggling, and only a corpse was left on the ground before him.
Something that had once made him feel fearful, was suddenly this easily disposed of.
No one congratulated him, but he could tell the knights around them looked at him proudly, some of them even sympathetic, remembering their own experience of taking someone else's life.
The pressure on his back and Dante's arms withdrew, and his legs felt weak.
He tried his utmost to keep standing trying to keep his stomach under control.
He could not throw up here, not in front of the knights who had already hardened their resolve to fight for the Valen.
Knights may seem noble to many, but regardless, these men could and would take the lives of those who were the enemy of the Valen family.
Maarken had already touched and attempted kidnapping the young Lord, in their eyes he had committed a crime worse than murdering a random civilian.
It was just that much that the Valen family meant to them.
Kilian cleared his throat and stared at the knights.
"Get that cleaned up, and get back to training."
He tried to sound stern as if the whole thing had been nothing more than an inconvenience to him.
The many knights scattered. Some dragged the body away, while someone grabbed the hair of Maarken, holding the head as if it was a handbag.
Kilian turned away, unable to keep himself together if he had to see anymore.
Dante was still next to him, wiping the blood off the blade that had sliced a body like butter.
"Dante."
Kilian stood in front of him, ignoring the dirty blade between them.
"Yes… My Lord?"
Dante was still focusing on the blade, and Kilian was almost convinced this huge man was sulking like a child.
'Seriously, he is too childish and innocent, I can read him like an open book.'
Kilian shook his head and crossed his arms.
He had to talk to this man.
"Look at me."
Kilian was annoyed at how he was being ignored.
Green eyes darted up to meet Kilian's blue eyes.
Kilian exhaled and relaxed, trying to let go of the annoying feelings tensing up his body.
"You are the first ally I had in this life."
He let the words sink in, and Dante was looking perplexed by his words.
"You are my personal knight, Dante. That will never change."
Somehow Dante was looking embarrassed and looked away from Kilian's sharp eyes.
"What I did to you…"
Kilian paused, knowing he was partly to blame for this situation that was now hurting this man.
"I did things with you…"
Even Kilian was now feeling embarrassed, thinking back on what they had done together.
"I.."
He could suddenly not find the words, he wanted to apologize but was unsure how.
He knew what Dante was feeling was probably not love, but that did not mean Dante thought the same.
His throat felt dry.
"I am still your personal knight?"
The words surprised Kilian.
"Yes.. why would you think otherwise."
Kilian studied Dante who seemed to be on the verge of crying.
'This guy is too open with his emotions.' Kilian thought.
"But I disobeyed you and I… touched you, just like that guy."
Dante gestured with his head towards the area where the knights had dragged Maarken.
"I got greedy…"
The words trailed off.
No one apologized openly to the other, but somehow the words that weren't spoken were still conveyed.
"What I need is a loyal knight, Dante, no matter what I decide to do in the future… Or who I am with."
Dante looked back down at the golden-haired man in front of him. Even now he had an urge to touch the fair skin and kiss the soft lips.
The feelings he had been struggling with were still under the surface, and the sounds he had heard the evening before had made him jealous and angry.
He regretted it now, he had become greedy and coveted something that was not his, he had only been allowed to have some of it, but it was not his.
He sighed and nodded at Kilian.
He bend his knee and bowed his head in front of his Master, the young Duke he had sworn to serve.
He remembered how happy he had been when he had been chosen to be this man's personal knight, he had sworn to protect him, instead, he had become someone who was now a danger instead.
His thoughts, his wants had clouded his mind, and he knew he had been close to ruining what was between them.
All he wanted was to keep this person safe and happy, and the way Kilian was looking at the raven-haired man, was different from the way he had been looking at him.
It hurt, but it was a vain hurt, an obsessive hurt, and he would have to suppress it and shake it off.
Some day The Lady would judge him for what he had done towards his Master.
"I am loyal to Kilian Valen, the Young man who braved his way through the cold, the young man who escaped tyranny, the young Duke who fights winged metal, and the young Lord who saves knights, not of his house.
He looked up and saw a beautiful relieved smile on Kilian's face.
'If only he could always smile like that at me.'
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
Rain_Corn
Rain_Corn Is he atoning? Just cause they have an understanding, does not mean the feelings will disappear easily. It takes time, and there will still be mistakes.
But Dante is ultimately Kilian's closest and most loyal knight. It is a spot Rayden can not take from him. There may be some tasking situations that will press on the resolve Dante is trying to follow, but he is not evil, he is just experiencing and learning.
Hadiah
-- Hadiah diterima Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
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