Chapter 58

The old Sun King nodded. "That's true. My vengeance was taken from me by silly pneumonia. But believe me, I've thought of killing myself more than once. The thought of being reunited with her in death was all too tempting. But if I had believed more in our love, if I had done more right away, none of that would have happened. I am just as guilty as my father. For me, death would not have been a punishment, but a reward. Life without Feronia, that should be my real punishment. But I was weak and gave the throne to my son as soon as possible in order to personally take part in every war. Always hoping to be redeemed by someone else's sword. But every single time I returned home unharmed and at some point peace returned to the country.

All these 49 years, I lived without forgetting Feronia for a second. It was like someone was preventing me from dying an early death. No war, no illness could harm me."

Suddenly King Ulric raised his sword and dropped it on Lyanas grandfather. The princess reflexively closed her eyes and screamed. But when she opened her eyes again, a different picture was presented to her than she had thought.

King Ulric had torn her grandfather's clothes with his sword and the point of the sword lay on his bare chest. "How is that possible? Why is it still there?" Asked King Ulric in a tight voice.

However, the question did not go to her grandfather, but rather to himself.

The princess did not understand what he could mean by that and followed his gaze. On her grandfather's chest, a glowing mark could be seen on the left side of his chest. "What is that?" She wanted to know from the king. He took the sword down and immediately the mark disappeared as if it had never been there. "My sister's heart," he replied in a shaky voice. "It shouldn't be there anymore. He betrayed her! Why is it still there protecting this man?"

Lyana slowly took a few steps towards him. "The vow they both made back then ... that was a vow to love each other forever, wasn't it? Then isn't it the sign that he never stopped doing so? Not even for a second. Don't you understand? You both lost the person you loved most. It was my great￾grandfather's fault, nobody else."

"Then Feronia has protected me all these years?" Breathed the old Sun King, completely overwhelmed.

King Ulric nodded. "That is the power the love of a child of nature has. Unless it happens through

natural death or you choose to take your own life, no harm can happen to you. The stronger the love, the more powerful the protection becomes."

She didn't want to believe it anymore, but it actually looked as if the Ice King had sworn off his revenge. Still, there was no time for joy since his sunken shape hurt her too much. Without thinking about it, she closed the distance between them with one big step and hugged King Ulric.

He made no move to push her away, and so she stayed in that position. "He truly loved her. If I ... if

only I hadn't been so stubborn. I shouldn't have locked her up. I should have told our parents what was going on from the start. Then she would be ... then Feronia would be ..." The king's whole body began to tremble and Lyanas tears ran down her cheeks. "You are not to blame for this tragedy. You were always there for her, you just wanted to protect her. How could you have predicted what my great-grandfather would do?"

King Ulric shook his head. "I should have supported her more. I should have trusted her. Now I can't even apologize to her for being such an incompetent brother."

Lyana let go of him and cupped his face so that he was forced to look her straight into the eyes.

Remorse was written all over his face, as was his anger, only that this time it was directed against

himself. "Look at me! You commissioned this dress yourself. Wasn't it meant as an engagement

present for your sister? If you hadn't trusted her, you would never have had a wedding dress made

for her. She doesn't need an apology from you either, because she never blamed you for it. Neither you nor my grandfather. She told me that herself when she appeared to me in my dream. All she wants is that you both forgive yourself."

The king turned his head away. "I can't possibly do that."

"If not for you, then for Feronias soul. After all these years she has a right to find peace. But how is she supposed to do that when the two people she loved most are unhappy?"

Now her grandfather got up and took the king's hand. "My granddaughter is right. She spoke of you so often. If I hadn't known you were siblings, I would probably have been mad with jealousy. Not one bad word was left about you. "He acts as if he would object, but in the end he will be the one who leads me to the altar and hands me over to your hand." Those were her words."