Chapter 42: Old Friends

"Your Highness, are you sure about this meeting?" Shelby asks.

"Yes. Unfortunately, it is necessary." Brandt answers, absentminded.

Siv has been on his mind since they left the palace. It is just unfathomable to him how he could lose all memories of her. How is it possible to forget about one person and one person only?

'I still remember everything and everyone else.'

He sighs.

'They have been investigating this, so called, curse for three weeks now, and still nothing.'

Brandt has been dreaming more about Siv in the past week or so. It feels like his memories might be coming back. Even his attraction toward her is stronger and his feelings are more tumultuous every time he sees her.

'I do find it a little hard to believe that I was in love with a woman like her; impulsive, careless, ill mannered, and has a mouth that would put any pirate to shame.'

Although, when he saw her on the ground the other day, he nearly lost it. His heartbeat picks up, as if he could see her in front of him again. He thought she was dead, and even though his mind still didn't remember her, his heart felt like dozens of daggers pierced it all at once.

'When I held her unconscious body in my arms, I felt like she was the only thing that mattered in the whole world. I didn't even check on Bjarte, seeing that he was still standing, that was enough for me. How can I forget about someone this important to me?'

Brandt sighs again, a little louder this time.

"Is something the matter, Your Highness?" Shelby has been watching the prince's expressions change the whole time he was deep in thought.

"Yes." He answers. "Have you increased the patrollers around the palace walls like I instructed?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"And have you made it clear that written orders are needed for anyone to leave or enter the palace?"

"Yes, we did."

"Those guards are lucky Erling vouched for them. They should be rotting in the dungeons right now."

"I believe it wasn't their fault, my prince." Shelby comments, earning him a glare from the prince.

"What if Erling hadn't been suspicious? What if she didn't ask around and connected the dots together? What if we hadn't seen that scared girl running, the one who told us where they were? They would have both been killed." Brandt runs his hand through his thick hair in frustration. "None of this would have happened if the guards insisted on a written order."

"Yes, Your Highness. You are right." Shelby has been with the prince for twenty years, almost all his life, so he knows exactly when there is no room for disagreeing with him.

"What did Lady Holmen speak with you about, anyway?" Brandt asks after a moment of silence.

"She would like me to help her with the ceremony tomorrow." Shelby eyes the prince for any reaction before he continues. "You probably don't remember, Your Highness, but Lady Holmen has lost all her memories due to a riding accident a few months ago. Thus, she remembers very little about the proper etiquette for events and meetings."

'Well now I feel like a contemptible arse for calling her those names.'

"I see."

Brandt can't remember why he decided to invoke the Traditional Vying, for the life of him. If he felt just half the affection he feels right now, for his supposed fiancee, there is no way he would have made that decision.

'Maybe this curse, or whatever this is, is weakening.'

"We have arrived, Your Highness." Shelby brings the prince back from his thoughts.

"Right." Brandt clenches his jaw. He's not looking forward to this meeting at all.

"Keep the horses ready." Shelby instructs the coachman.

"Yes, my lord."

The Prince looks at the shabby two story-building barely standing in front of him. It is the last remaining house in this deserted village.

"You wait here too, Shelby."

"But Your Highness-"

"Wait here." Brandt orders in a more firm voice.

"As you wish, my prince." Shelby bows.

Brandt makes his way inside the dark building, only lit by the afternoon sun finding its way through the few windows.

"Your Highness." The young man greets as he slowly makes his way out of the shadows.

"Gary." The prince imitates his nonchalant tone. "My apologies, I know how much you hate your title."

"Ha, and I know how much you adore yours." The man's moss-green eyes sparkle. "But I doubt you called me here to make pleasantries about our titles."

"Right. I am sure you have suspected that I am here because of the incident from a few days ago."

"What about it? Are you here to offer your condolences for my fallen man, or to offer me information about the culprit? Because if it's anything else, I am not interested in hearing it." Gary shrugs.

"I understand that you have abandoned your title, your duties, and your family. I am turning a blind eye on that for the sake of our old friendship, Gary." Brandt takes a threatening step closer to the man. "But when your men attack my brother and my fiancee, that is where the line is drawn." Brandt can see shock on Gary's face.

"I didn't know."

"Yes well, you need to tell your men to find a different city to roam in, because my soldiers are onto them."

"hmm, my men are out for blood to avenge their dead brother and the other one who is badly hurt." Gary sneers. "Are you telling me that your fiancee, our future queen, is the one who killed Eluf?" He raises his brows in disbelief. Brandt does not react.

"I will give you a few days to think about it and make the right decision, my old friend."

"And if I don't?" Gary challenges him. "Make the right decision, that is."

"Then being childhood friends will no longer mean anything to me." Brandt glares right back at him for a moment before turning to leave.

"You know Brandt, I am extremely intrigued by your fiancee right now." The prince halts but doesn't turn back. "I think I would like to meet her." Brandt scoffs.

'Like hell I'll let you meet her.'

"After all, 'Fiancee' is just a title as well." Gary whispers to himself after Brandt leaves. He grins and licks the corner of his bottom lip, amused.