It was almost afternoon when Elaine crossed paths with her cousin in the hallway of the palace.
"Cayden, are you here to meet His Majesty?"
General Cayden Avary shook his head. "I come to meet Helias. I heard that he got injured."
Hearing how casual her cousin sounded when talking about the Crown Prince of another kingdom, Elaine Vernimiere became curious about their relationship again. "Are you close with the Crown Prince? I remember how he visit you last time."
The General nodded right away. "I've traveled to Eslore a few times and I've known him for a while now. Let's just say that we get along quite well."
"I always think that you two look quite similar," Elaine Vernimiere pointed out as she nodded in understanding. "You also give off the same vibes."
Cayden Avary chuckled at his younger cousin's words. "We are very different. You will know it once you knew Helias well. I heard that you will be responsible for him starting today. That means you will have some time to get to know him."
"I will pass that," the Captain simply responded, making a dismissive gesture. "I don't think I can handle the consequences."
Cayden Avary can't help but laughed. "Is the Crown Prince that hard to deal with?"
The question reminded Elaine of the strange behavior that Helias Casteveron showed her in the morning and yesterday evening. Even now, she still struggled to understand him. "He's unpredictable," she muttered. She narrowed her eyes but she quickly looked up at her cousin again. "Go on. I have something else to do."
Her behavior was strange and Cayden Avary knew her too well to not notice it. However, he didn't mention it and nodded instead. "Your leg is fine now, right?"
"Yes. Don't worry." She flashed a little yet genuine smile and the General decided to believe it. Then he walked past her and made his way to Crown Prince Helias's chamber.
When the General arrived there, Crown Prince Helias was sitting on one of the couches, obvious that he was thinking of something, deeply. It had Cayden Avary wonder why everything drew his curiosity today!
Elaine and Helias... they were acting strange.
When Helias Casteveron noticed that the one who entered was his only friend from Araven, he slightly smiled and rose from his seat. "I wasn't expecting my busy friend to have time to visit me," he jokingly said while the General approached him.
"I heard that my almighty friend fell a victim to the bandits' attack. So, I come to check on you." Folding his arms at his chest, the General stood before the Crown Prince and observed him. "You appear finer than I thought," he simply remarked.
"Finer?" Helias sighed and settled on the couch again. "It sounds like you are expecting me to get hurt real bad. I'm disappointed, Cayden."
With a smile on his face, Cayden Avary sat opposite his Crown Prince's friend. "You can't accuse me of that, Your Highness. Can't you see that I find some time to visit you despite my busy schedule? I was afraid that the bandits would knock the hell out of you."
Helias Casteveron lazily glanced at his friend and noticed the mirth and playfulness that were written all over his face. "It seems like you want that to happen. You inconsiderate friend."
"What did I do to be accused of that?" Cayden Avary frowned. "I'm your friend."
"Accused?" Helias raised a brow as if he wasn't expecting to hear that. "How can you say that while your expression proves everything?"
This time, Cayden Avary simply chuckled. "I'm only joking around, Your Highness." One thing that bothered him before crossed his mind and he think twice before he asked, "May I ask you one thing?"
"Woah! What's this?" Helias Casteveron exclaimed. "You suddenly become formal, like the time before we become friends." His expression was a mixture of surprisement and amusement.
It made him recall their early times of knowing each other when they were just a bit more than strangers. What had suddenly gotten into him?
Cayden Avary flashed a smile yet he said, "I'm serious, Your Highness. I have a question but... I don't know if it would be alright of me to ask you."
"Just spill it, Cayden," Helias sighed. "We are friends and you're not even my subject. No need to be so formal."
Cayden Avary laughed as he knew what the Crown Prince was referring to. The latter always longed for a normal life and maybe that's why he always enjoyed his time out of his kingdom. Besides, he was always happy to make friends so that the number of people who treat him casually will increase.
"Fine then," the General said yet he still made a deliberate pause before he finally asked, "Is something going on between you and my cousin?"
The unexpected question... it was enough to change Crown Prince Helias's expression completely.
Elaine Vernimiere. No one will know how much he tried to refrain from thinking this name since morning! However, it seemed like this name always found a way to him.
"It's fine if you don't want to answer me -"
"I feel confused all the time these days," Helias interjected the General who slightly raised a brow. "I can't say the details but... I feel like every part of her is bothering me. She reminds me of something that has already tormented me for years."
As he didn't quite understand what Helias was saying, General Cayden Avary struggled for words to say. Just what did Elaine remind him of?
Helias Casteveron forced a smile when he saw the look on the General's face. "You know what? You and your cousin have so many similarities, like being bold. Maybe it runs in the blood."
Blood. Cayden was always reminded of the truth whenever he heard people say that.
"To be honest, me and Elaine aren't blood-related," he frankly said to his Crown Prince friend. "She is the adopted daughter of my late aunt and her husband. However, blood-related or not, she is like a true sibling to me."
Briefly pausing, he smiled and added, "I dare to say that she is the most important person in my life."
He looked at the Crown Prince but... he was surprised by the strange reaction on his face.
Was it because of what he just confessed?