Chapter 77 - The General ands to Kneel (Part 1)

  Nathan Evenhart:

  “It's all right! I hope uests aren't being mistreated,” said the queen. “Who wouldn't be upset if someoried to court their mother?”

  She approached the king.

  “You're drinking too mud saying foolish things. We'd better this up before I and the other queens have tue with you,” she said.

  “I think you’re right…” the king replied.

  I couldn’t think clearly because of the stabbing pain in my head. My vision was darkening, and all I could do was focus on the i guard. I barely noticed that the entire royal ente was leaving because my vision was so blurred.

  This king is lucky I’m going blind and deaf!

  My aunt said something to me, but I couldn’t hear properly as she pulled me away, realizing I wasn’t well.

  Damn headache!

  “My son, you didn’t o act that way. I refused the invitation to di their table,” my mother said.

  WHO DOES THAT SON OF A BITCH THINK HE IS, TRYING TO INVITE MY MOTHER TO DINNER!

  She seemed a bit nervous and tugged at my ear, but this time, I noticed it was gentle and soft.

  “If he’s willing to face the king for someone, I pity the person who tries to steal his girlfriend,” my aunt said, ughing at me.

  My vision started to return to normal, and for some reason, Chloe was blushing after hearing that.

  “What he did was dangerous, and why did that guard draw his sword on him?” my mother asked.

  We were moving to a er since we were allowed to stand and move around the hall again.

  “You know how things are, Katie. They think they’re superior ihing!” my aunt said, g her fists.

  I barely think straight or uand anything; my head is exploding with pain.

  “The grand duke is ing,” Kinue said to us.

  Oh, for fuck’s sake… not again.

  Kinue moved to stand a little behind us, taking her position as a servant.

  I looked in his dire and saw two Ryans, realizing that everything inning.

  I deserve this…

  I leaned against the wall, trying not to lose my bance, and Kinue, notig my state, tried to help, but I was seeing double as if my two eyes weren’t aligning correctly. I saw two sarios happening simultaneously from the perspectives of my left and right eyes.

  “Are you in pain, Nate? My teacher told me that when it happeo her, it hurt a lot,” she said, trying to e.

  “Just a little,” I tried to smile, but I was seeing crazy ses as if my vision was like that of a fly.

  “My dies, I apologize for what happened. My cousin has been drinking non-stop for all four days of the festival, and you know how men are…” Ryan said, embarrassed.

  My aunt sighed.

  “That was disrespectful, and you know it. And I’m also talking about what happened with my nephew,” Aunt Margie said.

  Ryan grew even more anxious; it was his duty to serve as the bridge betweewo duchies he worked for. If anythi wrong, it would refle him. You could say that Ryan's role was akin to that of an ambassador. No duchy could match the power of the Royal Capital, but that didn’t mean they weren’t important. Everything o be in harmony, as the eies of all parties depended on one another.

  “I apologize. I doubt my cousin is entirely well after all that drinking. Did you see the se he made with our prince? I know my nephew is talented, but he repeats that in every versation when he’s drunk.”

  My aunt and mother stared at him.

  “I was the one who called Queen Ago give Charles a scolding when I saw him c Lady Katherine… and about the guard, it seems he left because he was feeling unwell. In the end, everything was resolved, and he became our hero of the night,” he said, giving me a pat on the shoulder.

  Ryan was talking, but his voice faded in and out for me. My hearing was failing due to the mana el rooting itself through my brain via my eyes. My senses were being affected.

  “Do I have the dies’ fiveness?” he asked.

  “You’re fiven, but don’t think I’ll fet this,” my mother said, with my aunt agreeing.

  Ryan csped his hands together.

  “My dies, I hope we maintain ood retions. I have export targets to meet, and the unique resources of your territory supply our markets here…” he said.

  “Do you o work?” Kinue asked.

  Rya out a ugh.

  “Of course. One of my jobs is to manage everything that leaves the Evenhart Duchy and circutes to where it’s needed in the kingdom and beyond. You sell the goods, but I have to handle all the logistics. I may be part of the royal family, but even we have to work, haha,” he said, then looked at my aunt. “Are we ba good terms?”

  My aunt looked at my mother.

  “What do you say, Katie?”

  My mhed.

  “I didn’t appreciate them drawing a sword on my son.”

  Ryan’s smile froze.

  “Rest assured, nothing would have been done, and I only didn’t intervene because I had to go to Queen Agnes. If I had seen it, I would’ve reprimahe guard. The ente has a habit of being prideful. They spend all day traveling and only go to the best pces with the king; if they knew what I had to gh—the piles of paperwork I have to read to make everything run smoothly—they’d appreciate eves in the kingdom,” he said, ughing.

  “I would’ve taken a head if they’d dohat in my territory,” Aunt Margie said.

  “You’re wele to do so,” Ryan joked.

  My mother seemed to think for a moment. She set, but she uood that it wasn’t worth pig a fight over something the queen herself had already resolved.

  “Alright… in the end, no one was hurt.”

  Ryan sighed in relief.

  “Grand Duke, sihings turned out well, could I…” my man to speak, but Ryaured.

  “Just Ryan, please. I dread being called Grand Duke; don’t remind me of my job on my day off, haha.”

  Just as I was about to say something about the damn guard, a hand grabbed my ned pulled me away.

  “Darling, e with me for a moment,” my aunt said, ughing and trying to keep things discreet.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “Your eyes, my love,” she whispered in my ear as she led me away from Ryan.

  “Did something happen?”

  "They're g blood. Find a pce to stay until it stops, and don't let anyone see you. Go quickly," she told me.

  Damn it!

  Chloe tried to approach.

  "It'll draw too much attentio him go aloo a bathroom," Aunt Margie said.

  I saw Kirying to e over but she stopped after hearing that.

  I had to run with my head down. I wiped my face with my hand and saw blood on them.

  Oh, crap…

  I couldn’t trol the blood tears, and sometimes they kept falling for a while. When I mentiohis to Professor Adrihna, she told me that uhe Mana Gem, which was something spiritual, the eyes were physical, so the symptoms were stranger and more uable.

  I had to run, but everywhere I looked, there were people approag, and I couldn't afford to keep my head up since what I wao hide was on my face. I kept my head down as I moved through the ptil I realized the situation.

  Where’s the bathroom?

  "I o ask someone," I muttered to myself, then started ughing internally.

  I 't ask anyone since I 't let anyone see me. I'm screwed if I don't know where the bathroom is.

  There was a rge open door, but a was blog the way. As I got closer, I saw a wooden sign hanging.

  ‘Restricted Area of the Garden’ perfeo one will be there, and I hide in the bushes.