Chapter 2

The war between the Magical Kingdom of Laosagne and Giaia had been ongoing for about two years. People had died and the war brought a huge and disastrous impact on the magical Kingdom of Laosagne. Kael still had no idea what had caused the war and he was not sure he would ever find out what had caused the war. Numerous talents had been recruited on the battlefield. People he could not hold a candle to but his brother had insisted or rather begged him to assist in the war.

While Kael was ready to help his brother even if it had been years since he used magic for fighting, Cecilia was against it.

"War?" She asked him with a frown on her gorgeous face.

They had moved into the cottage so she could sit and Tony had returned to the capital, where Augustus resided because he had done his task. He was to give Kael the letter and ensure Kael reads it. That was all that Augustus had requested from him.

"Yes. Augustus said so in his letter." Kael told her as he moved about getting her a cup of water to drink.

"Why would he summon you to war?" Cecilia asked him.

"I don't know, he said he knows how good I am or something along those lines and he really needed my help," Kael told her.

"It still does nothing to make me see the reason why you should go to war. It's his country, he should get out of the stupid capital for once and go from the war himself." Cecilia spoke.

Kael frowned. Cecilia always spoke about Augustus like he was a pompous ass and an arrogant human being but he knew that wasn't the case. Kael knew Augustus was the kindest person he had ever met. The one person who thought to protect him when their father abused Kael. The same person who had introduced Kael to magic and had gotten him his first magic teacher. To Kael, Augustus was everything and he would do anything just to help him. When Kael was first separated from his mother, Augustus took him in like a brother and made sure he ate well. Augustus also protected Kael from all the massacres that took place in the palace. In essence, Kael would lay down his life if it was to help his brother. For someone as kind as Augustus, he could not understand why Cecilia held much contempt towards him.

"There are many things to be done at court. Things which had begun because of the war. The country needs a king. It needs their king to help them." Kael tried to reason with her.

"I don't see what the king is doing even when he sits on the throne. Don't you see? Augustus is just trying to use you. Nothing stops the greatest magician on the content from going to this war and putting a stop to it. To me, he would be a better addition than someone who had stopped learning magic for years." Cecilia said to him.

"Cecilia, no matter what you say, we are still citizens. We have to do our best to protect this country." Kael told her.

"No. When Cassius banished you, he stripped you of your citizenship. If not for the fact that he was such a trashy king who had little judgment, I'm pretty sure he would have sent us out of the country." Cecilia told him.

"But we still live in the country. It doesn't matter, we are still citizens. We use their resources, also." Kael told her.

"Can you even hear yourself?" Cecilia could not comprehend what was going through Karl's head. She could not understand how he was not seeing through Augustus.

"What resources do we use? When we first arrived here there was absolutely nothing. You had to learn how to use magic to grow plants. I had to brew potions with what I had sneaked out of the capital to make the land fertile. Anyone who even comes around here just wants to see how the banished prince is doing. No one treats us like citizens of this country and not even your fucking brother." She told him.

Kael could see how annoyed Cecilia was with him but he also knew she was wrong. His brother treated him like a citizen. His brother treated him like family. He was like an extension of Augustus. Wherever Augustus went, Kael followed.

"If he doesn't treat us like citizens as you say then why the fuck would he come to visit every chance he gets?" Kael asked her.

Cecilia laughed. "You really think he comes here to visit because he cares about you or us?"

Kael stared at her. It irked him that every time he and Cecilia argued it was always about his brother or his family. And he hated arguing with her because it made him doubt numerous things. Things he knew he shouldn't be doubting.

"Augustus comes here to check to see how well we are doing. To know if there is anything he could do to make us more miserable. Has he for one told us to come back to the capital?" Cecilia asked him.

"Of course. You just don't want to see that he is…."

"He told you to come back to work for him. We both know you are more brilliant than your brother. You don't need to work for him or work behind his shadows." She cried out.

Kael knew she was just emotional because of the pregnancy but he was not ready to back down. Cecilia had to see that she was looking at this wrongly.

"If I get to stay behind my brother's shadows then I will. He made me who I am. We are together because of him."

"And look at where that ended us. Don't you think he just did it because he saw a chance? He wanted you out of the way." She told him.

"I was never going from the throne!" Kael screamed at her.

"Did he know that? Does he know that?" She asked him.

"Of course. I told him."

"No. No. I've stayed in a family where betrayal was a second name. I know what greed is because I've lived with it. Your brother doesn't care that you are not after the throne. He wants you out of the way." She told him.

Kael shook his head. "Augustus isn't like that and if you are doing this just to convince me not to help my brother, then you should think again. I'm going to help him in any way I can."

Kael stomped out and moved towards the lake a few distance away from their home. Cecilia broke down crying. She had a feeling things would go the wrong way. There was no way Augustus did not have a second motive for what he was doing. He did not just request for Kael to attend the war because he thought he would be a good asset.

Cecilia knew exactly what kind of evil Augustus was and she was having a difficult time trying to make Kael see what she saw. Augustus was twisted. He had a very cruel personality but faked in front of Kael. And it wasn't like Cecilia could fault Kael for believing strongly in his brother. Augustus had done things no one could ever do for Kael. Augustus was like a father figure, a role model for Kael. She hated it but she had to admit it.

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Kael woke up early the next day. Although it was impromptu and he had very little to take to war, he knew he had to go. There was only one horse in the stable but he was used to teleportation. He hated that he was about to leave this way. He hated being on bad terms with Cecilia.

He was about to leave when she came out of their home. She had a cloak in hand and also had a bag he was sure was filled with her herbs. Her eyes were red-rimmed which indicated she had been crying and her hair was missing the lustre it usually had.

"Come back to me." She whispered as she gave him the bag and cloak.

Kael gave her a nod. "I will."

Cecilia stood back as he started the teleportation spell. His chest shone a bright blue colour and the seal appeared around him enveloping him. Cecilia clasped the charm he had gifted her as she watched him depart. Within seconds, Kael was out of her sight and she collapsed crying.

Kael knew he had to do everything in his power to come back as soon as possible to Cecilia. He had to survive this war. He and Celia had things to talk about and the only way they could do that was if he returned safely from the war.

What Kael did not know was that perhaps Cecilia may be the one not coming back to him.