Family Or Enemy

General Elias's surprisement was more than evident on his face when he heard the question of Prince Nicien Vamieres. "I'm in no position to judge your decision, Your Highness," he frankly responded with his observing gaze never leaving the Prince. "Is something bothering you, Commander?"

Propping his left elbow on the desk, Nicien was resting his forehead on his fist and repeatedly tapped the desk with his other fingers. "Forget about it," he suddenly said and leaned back again.

"Your Highness, is something wrong with His Majesty?" General Elias cautiously asked. Though he knew that the Prince didn't like being asked too many questions, he often ended up doing it out of concern.

"The King is always the same." When the look that the King gave him in the royal court crossed his mind, his lips curved into a smirk. "Sly," he muttered with contempt more than evident in his tone. Then he looked at the General and commanded, "Keep your guard up. With the date for the wedding coming up, I don't think it will be that peaceful."

"Shall I keep an eye on the Princess of Linolia as well? You told me before that she might end up being the target," General Elias asked and pointed out the thing that the Prince said to him the other day.

"Don't bother. I have another arrangement for that," Prince Nicien simply responded and narrowed his eyes. "Leave now. I want to be alone."

With that said, the General bowed and quickly left the tent.

Now that he was alone, Nicien rested the back of his head on the backrest of the chair and closed his eyes once again. The moment he did that, the same thing that had already tormented him for years vividly appeared in his mind as if it was just from yesterday; and to make it worse, it even echoed in his ears.

Once it became too much, he opened his eyes and took a deep breath. It was at that moment that someone walked inside the tent, disturbing his alone time once again. This time, the person was someone whom he couldn't just chase away by giving an order and Nicien Vamieres sighed.

"Why are you here?" he asked the Crown Prince who was standing before him with that familiar smile on his face.

"I see you leaving the palace and I guess that you will be here," Alerone Caderin promptly replied and his smile grew wider. "I was right. You're really here."

"And?"

"Didn't you say that you will be staying in the palace and cooperating with the preparations until the wedding?" Crown Prince Alerone asked and took a seat opposite Nicien.

"There is nothing to do right now," Nicien replied in an obviously annoyed tone. " And it's not like I will be spending the night here."

Crown Prince Alerone simply nodded several times. "No matter what, you sure are crazy about the camp and the military. You know I get bored easily even when I visited the camps."

"I think you know what you want now," Prince Nicien said, paying no attention to what his cousin was saying. "You should leave. I want to have some rest."

"You said you won't be spending the night. Now that I'm here, I will return with you later," the Crown Prince insisted, much to the frustration of Nicien.

"Alerone, just leave. I don't really have the energy to argue with you." His voice was a bit cold yet the Crown Prince simply flashed a smile.

"Then don't mind me. I will just sit here. I won't disturb you."

Feeling helpless, Nicien Vamieres stared at his cousin who now had his attention on some maps placed on the table.

"Why are you always doing this, Crown Prince?" he asked, making Alerone shift his gaze back to him. "We are the same age and that means you are old enough to understand the situation. If you keep this up, it will only make things harder for everyone."

The small smile that the Crown Prince always wore, slowly slipped as he narrowed his eyes. "I already told you many times, Nicien. I don't want this. I hate how you and Father are always at each other's throat, ready to attack each other anytime as if you two are some beasts. This should stop before it's too late. We all are family."

"Family," Nicien Vamieres murmured as his gaze swept the floor. Then with a little smirk on his lips, he met his cousin's troubled gaze. "Why don't you go and ask your father if he considers me as a family or an enemy?"

"Nicien -"

"Let us stop this, Alerone," he firmly stated and his face turned blank. "Don't try to cross the line again. If not, I don't know what I will do."

He thought that he had said enough to chase away the stubborn Crown Prince but...

"Will you kill me then?" Alerone Caderin asked him while meeting his gaze all the while. "Dying in your hands... if my death will put an end to all of these, I don't think it's a bad idea, Nicien. If you keep this going, I'm afraid that you will get hurt."

"I told you to stop," Nicien snapped in a tired voice. "Just leave me alone."

"How did everything go wrong?" Crown Prince Alerone was being stubborn like always. "Even when we were young, we were closer than brothers. What makes you change, Nicien? Can't you tell me? You know I'm willing to do anything to set things right if -"

"You might be the Crown Prince but... " Nicien Vamieres interjected and made a deliberate pause. "There are many things which are out of your control and don't bother to do anything. It won't work. You won't understand either."

"Nicien -"

"I come here because the palace is too suffocating for me to rest in peace but you keep on disturbing me," Nicien Vamieres muttered. "If you won't leave, then I will."

He waited for a few seconds but Alerone didn't say anything. And just when he was about to rise from his seat, the same Alerone stopped him and stood up.

"I understand. You can stay here," Alerone said to him in a low voice and walked towards the exit of the tent. Right before he stepped out, he turned around, facing Nicien once again. "This doesn't mean that I give up," he said, making his cousin look at him.

"You know that I'm still older by a few months though we were born in the same year, right? As your older cousin, I won't allow you to hurt yourself. So, you have no choice but to put up with me," Alerone Caderin concluded.

With that said, he forced a little smile and finally walked out of the tent.

Once the Crown Prince was already out of his sight, Nicien finally turned towards the door of the tent where Alerone just exited. Then he shut his eyes.

That stubborn Alerone Caderin... he only made things harder for him.

If turning back was a choice, he won't enter this war in the very first place.....