Chapter 345

Lucia's Point of View

Helmsforth Temple

"Can we please talk?" I asked Alwin.

He sat in his mother's room once more. This was the only place he came to every day. I didn't blame him. It was quite the opposite. His caring side and love for his family were some of the reasons I liked him so much. Alwin was always willing to share that side of him with me.

"I'm sorry, Lucia." He said softly as he reached out for his mother's hand. "I know I have been less than fair to you. The truth is, I no longer know how to face you." Slowly, I moved to the other side of his Aydalia's bedside and waited. "Part of me fears that you will leave me soon."

"Why would you think that?" I inquired softly.

He didn't look at me as he kept his eyes on his mother. "I couldn't protect you. It seemed like everyone else was doing my job for me. Everyone needed me, and I buckled." Alwin explained. "Those Demons… When they appeared, I thought our shield would keep them out, but it wasn't me who kept you safe. It was my family. It was Augustus Reed."

"You think I would leave you for such a reason?"

"No," He said after a moment. "But I do think you have feelings for Arthur."

This didn't surprise me. "I do hold some feelings for Arthur Pendragon." I told him and his gaze darkened as he refused to look at me. "However, not in the way you are thinking. There is a calming presence that Arthur gives every time I see him." I explained. "Almost like a stalwart guardian who would keep me safe under any circumstances." My smile towards him went unnoticed. "Kind of like you."

Alwin turned to me with wide eyes. "That-"

I quickly cut him off. "He looks out for me and cares for me. Why? I do not know, but it is comforting. If I had to say, he acts more like a father to me than anything else. Never once have I felt feelings of romance towards him."

The Elf looked down. "I thought for sure-"

"That I loved him?" Alwin nodded. "Maybe in a way, but not the same way I love you." A small shrug came from my shoulders. "It is difficult to explain. There is just a general feeling of security that he gives me." I hugged myself. "But I think there's more to that than he lets on. I don't know…"

"I buckled when you needed me. When Ayda needed me. Even Typhon. I have been the farthest thing from a proper-"

"Arthur left too." I quickly cut him off. "He went out and did anything to avoid dealing with the problem and the incident. Everyone deals with things differently, Alwin. It is true that Arthur spoke to me before he left, but you are talking to me now." Standing, I moved around the bed next to him and softly hugged his head. "You took your time, and are talking to me now."

Alwin's body shook in my grasp as I heard a few sobs come from his lips. "What was the point of me studying magic my whole life? Why did I spend hours on the training field to hone my skills in combat if I couldn't even help stop those Demons? If I possessed even a fraction of the power that Arthur does…"

Running my hands through his hair, I replied. "There are things in this world far greater than I think we were ever meant to understand. Even Arthur, in all his knowledge, is lost at times. True, he knows more about the Demons than us and even seems to know more about the Priestesses, but no one knows everything. No one is all powerful. Not even Arthur."

His hands came up to his face, and I felt my dress become wet with tears. "Maybe so, but I still feel like such a failure."

"You did not fail!" I said sternly. "No one could have known that Demon would attack. Everyone was caught off guard. Please. I am not saying you need to return to normal, but don't shut me out." I pleaded. "Don't cut me off and blame yourself for things out of your control. Let me share this burden with you because watching you like this from afar makes my heart ache."

He finally wrapped his arms around me, and for the first time, the Elven General cried in front of me.