124: Multiple personas

Multiple personas

Arkin narrowed the distance separating him from Adela, and his stare held a hostile edge as he loomed over her. His behavior was utterly astonishing, as if one of life's fundamental norms was being upended right before her eyes.2

Her brother's entire frame quivered with the rush of emotions, his voice quivered too, "You... Do you even hear the words that are coming out of your mouth?... Me..." He panted, "A pawn?... If it weren't for you uttering these accusations... Had it been anybody else..."

Adela refused to back down. "What alternative course of action would you have taken? Would you have resorted to violence? Is this the person you have become?" She challenged, her voice steady despite the tension.

"Arkin..." Egon's deep and threatening voice sliced through the charged atmosphere, causing both Adela and Arkin to pause. "What is happening here?"

"It's none of your damn business," Arkin muttered through clenched teeth.

"Do you realize whom you are arguing with and whose roof you are under?"

A throbbing headache began to form in Adela's temples as she tried to process her mate's words. But then again, wasn't Egon's allegiance contingent upon Arkin's choices as well?

Which path would her brother choose to tread? Would he continue as the Baron's son, or embrace the von Conradie lineage?

"What I choose to do with Adela is not your concern!" Arkin shot back, his voice brimming with defiance.

In a swift motion, Egon grabbed Arkin by the collar of his shirt, his grip firm and forceful. The guards stationed nearby reacted at once, positioning themselves between the two knights and Adela.

"Move!" Adela commanded the guards who hesitated but eventually took a step back, ensuring they didn't completely obstruct Adela's view of the tense confrontation.

"Egon, stop this! He's your cousin!" She pleaded seeing the two men locked in a fierce gaze, on the brink of a physical altercation.

Relenting, Egon released his grip on Arkin, causing him to stagger backward and regain his composure. Anger contorted Arkin's face before he abruptly stormed off, leaving behind a stunned silence in his wake.

Adela's eyes followed his retreating figure, her heart heavy with worry. "Return to your posts," she commanded the guards.

The two guards nodded in unison and resumed their positions.

She looked up at Egon when she could see Arkin no more, "...He has already made up his mind. He intends to sell Father's land to the nobles and bring shame upon us all,"

Egon stepped closer to her, "There has to be a way to prevent it. I will find a solution,"

"...Why should you be the one to find a solution? Wasn't it you who initiated this chain of events in the first place?"

She observed Egon's stillness in response to her words, his bloodshot eyes scanning her face, his dirt-streaked visage devoid of any visible lines of distress. The only indications of movement were the rhythmic pulsing of a vein on his neck and the prominence of his Adam's apple as he swallowed.

Are you in another battle to regain control over your emotions?

Shaking her head to clear the empathy she felt toward him, she continued stating facts, "Arkin is simply following through with your original plan... Now, Father's debt to you will burden us all... I fail to comprehend your relentless pursuit of an impossible solution."

"Impossible?" His hawk-like gaze hardened as he spoke. "Can you not see me here, standing before you... Standing by your side? Is it so difficult for you to trust me at every turn?"

Their eyes locked, and for a fleeting moment, the world around them faded away, leaving only their unspoken desires, their hopes and their disappointments mingling in the charged air.

"I will not give up," Egon declared "I will change your unstable faith and erase the disappointment from your eyes. You will see..."

His attention suddenly shifted to the two guards who regarded him with animosity. Egon extended his arm towards Adela, offering it to her. "Walk with me,"

Adela hesitated for a moment before placing her hand in Egon's, accepting his gesture. Together, they walked down the hallway, leaving the guards behind. They stopped when Egon decided they were out of hearing distance and he looked down at her, his frown deepening over his bloodshot eyes.

"Why didn't you wear the brooch I gave you?" he questioned.

Adela's cheeks flushed a bright red, her gaze shifting uncomfortably. "I... I couldn't bear to wear it," she stammered, trying hard not to recall the intimate visions the brooch had shown her. "It's hard to explain... I kept having nightmares, and I felt a strange connection between those dreams and the brooch."

Egon's curiosity piqued, a shadow of a smile appearing on his face as he watched her flustered state. "Nightmares? What did you see?" he inquired, his tone filled with genuine interest.

Adela's blush deepened, making it difficult for her to meet his eyes. "I... I don't know how to explain it... It involved an Empress and a group of Healers... and Andreas, he had long hair..." her voice trailed off.

Egon's tired face lost a shade of color, a hint of unease creeping into his features.  "I understand... Keep it close for when you need to hide your talents," he said, his eyes softening. "Speaking of which, the way your essence enveloped me when the King approached with his sword... It was remarkable," his tone filled with admiration.

Adela felt the sudden urge to explain her actions, "That..."

"You must be aware that the King's sword is enchanted, just like your father's sword,"

She knew this fact, although it hadn't crossed her mind at that moment.

"Those artifacts never pose a threat to me. They treat me just like any other human,"

Adela's eyes shifted to Egon's gloved hands, sadness tugging at her heart. She wished she had the power to erase the scars hidden beneath those gloves.

Her smile returned as her eyes met his again. "It wasn't the thought of the blessing in a ring or a sword that scared me," she confessed, her gaze briefly sliding down to his strong neck, admiring its healthy pulse before returning to meet his eyes. "It was the thought of anything happening to your head."

Egon's weary eyes widened for a moment, and then he gave her one of his rare boyish smiles that sent a flutter through her stomach. She placed a hand there, savoring the warmth of the moment, but her expression turned to a frown as approaching footsteps reached her ears.

"Lady Adelaide," Count Sirius interrupted, his gaze cold as he focused on Egon. "His Majesty the King wishes to have a word with you."

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