Chapter 216 - A Social Event V
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I silently listen to the conversation happening between Amelia and Sally. "I can tell by the way you look at him... I'm not going to claim that I know you, and I'm not going to tell you that you aren't allowed to love him. I want to warn you, though. He is an angel, and he'll eventually unlock all the power that comes in his bloodline. He might not be here forever..." Amelia is bringing up points I didn't. Not because I'm avoiding them, but because the end hasn't been decided yet. "I want you to tell me how you came to love him, and it's real love. So don't leave out a single detail. If you do, I'll know." Leave it to a parent to dig into the partner you have brought home. I know Sally can handle this. She has nothing to be afraid of.
I hear Sally take a small breath, and I hear a teacup land on a plate. "I meet him the day he came into an inn I was working at..." I remember that day. She left me with a great impression. "I told him that he stunk and needed to take a bath. It was strange cause he laughed when I said that... I didn't mean to say it. It just came out from the shock of the horrible smell. Normally, I'd have gotten in real trouble." Amelia chuckles as she talks about the first moments we met. I couldn't smell how bad it had gotten. I'd been fighting and traveling all the time. I hardly ever got a chance to clean up. Thinking back, I'm surprised more people didn't say anything. I'm sure that Hailey smelled just as bad as I did. We traveled together, after all.
There is silence between the two of them, and I'm getting a little worried. "The morning before he left, he asked me if I wanted to come with him. I found it really strange, asking a complete stranger to go on an adventure with you..." I can see why, and after learning about everything that's happened to her. I can say she is the strongest person I have ever met. "At first, I thought he was joking, but then he told me to meet him at the entrance of the city. I don't know why, maybe it was his good nature, but I joined him that day. After we left the city is when he revealed to me who he really is." She would have found out eventually, and showing her saved so much time and explanation. She was much more understanding than I thought she'd be.
Sally spends the next 45 minutes explaining our journey up to the point of here, and I heard Amelia sigh many times during the telling of the story. Sally left the night of our first time together, which is a smart move, in my opinion. I step away from the door and leave them to their own conversation. I know that they'll end up being very good friends. I walk around the mansion for a while, exploring the new home for the kids and Amelia. This place has everything needed to raise a bunch of orphans. They'll get the life that they deserve, and not many people can say they gave that to their kids. I see some big doors up ahead, and I walk through them. I enter a giant room and notice the extravagant things lining the walls and placed on the various tables.
This must be Amelia's office. I walk to her desk and stare out the giant window. This must have been the place where she saw me lift my hood. She might have even seen me land but had to see my face before rushing out. I hear someone walk into the room with a cart. I turn around and see the head maid from earlier. She pours some tea and brings it to me. I take it and sip from the cup. "How long do you plan to stay hidden from the world and running around in your own adventures? I don't know if you've noticed, but the world really needs you right now." She cuts right to the chase, doesn't she? I can respect that, and while I admire her resolve to question me. She'll think my reason selfish. However, I don't think she'll leave without it.
I sip some more from the tea, and she is very patient. I place the teacup back on the cart and turn towards her. "It's not my responsibility to save the world. Not my responsibility to fight the battles that humanity brings upon itself. I'm not a slave to the demands and needs of the populous. I'm free to do what I want and if I don't want to fight your wars for you. Then I won't. People think I'm a gift from The Almighty Father, that I'm here to save them. They are wrong." She looks more than a little shocked at my reasons. She trembles slightly and slams her fist on the metal cart. She takes deep breaths trying to suppress my rage. She must have lost someone from this war. Perhaps a husband or son, but I'll never know.
She brings her hand back and slaps me across the face. It does nothing, of course. She seems my lack of a reaction and grows angrier. She throws many slaps that soon turn into punches. I can hear pops and cracks coming from her hands. "GIVE ME MY BABY BACK!! YOU HAVE TO!!" She definitely lost a child in the war, probably drafted into it. Died on some front line and has been holding in pain all this time. I grab her wrists as gently as I can, trying not to harm her. She struggles for a second but realizes it's futile. "If you did your job... He would be alive..." She collapses on the grow and buries her face in her mangled hands. I quickly activate my title and heal her. I deactivate it before she can look up. I see the tears streaming down her face.
The life she has now is going to be empty for a long time without her son. "I'll make you a promise. If there ever comes a time when humanity is going to lose this war. I'll step in and end the fight. Humanities fate is in its own hands, and it always will be. What's happened to your son... It's not right. The fault doesn't start and end with me, and it's never going to change how you feel." The loss of a child is devastating to a parent. No matter how old or young the child is, it's never good to outlive a child. I help her stand up, and she quickly leaves the room. She is a heartbroken mother, and I see no reason to cause her trouble. No need to speak about this to anyone. I turn back towards the window, and I see the amazing view.
As I look out the window, I hear voices approaching the room, and the door opens. I turn and see Amelia and Sally, along with Jackson. I see his shocked and surprised face. Amelia must not have told him I'm here. He quickly gets on his knees and bows his head all the way across the room. I sigh and shake my head. Amelia quickly fixes the situation and stands Jackson up. It never feels right for a king to bow to me, well, a good king, that is. "It's good to see you too, Jackson. I see that Zenith has come a very long way under your rule." He calmly approaches and reaches his hand out. I grab it, and we shake hands. "I didn't actually expect you to make my mother a noble, but it's a better life than what she had." Amelia looks at me with confusion at first. Then understanding.
I chuckle as she places her hand on her temple to massages it. "You should've come to me once you arrived in Zenith. I'd have loved to show you around the city and the changes that have been made. I'm getting married tomorrow, and I'd love it if you showed up?" Before I can even reject the offer, Amelia barges into the conversation and accepts for me. I guess that means Sally has an event where she can wear the dress now. I sigh slightly and let Amelia do what she wants. Sally comes to stand at my side as the king and countess talk about the event. I'm sure that I'll be discovered once there, so I won't be going incognito. It'll be fun, seeing the people's reactions—nobles learning the connection between Amelia and me.