(Past)

ROURKE WAS one of the person Adarmus could not fully acknowledge as his bossom friend. Adarmus will sometimes help him if it's beneficial for the people but he normally stay away whenever the stuff became shady. He knew what retribution and karma means. He avoided doing mistakes that will involve many people as much as possible.


"Ah, Adarmus..." Rourke shook his head and laugh. "Fatherhood changed you, hmn? You became soft and malleable. I didn't know you have this heart of gold."

Adarmus wasn't fazed. "Well, I don't usually show it to everyone."

Sighing deeply, the king nodded with patience. "Fine. I'll tell you. I can't stand your face looking at me as if I stepped on your pet or something."


Adarmus waited 'til finally, the king was able to confess.

"…his mom is the most beautiful woman I've ever laid my eyes on, Adarmus. You know I intended her to be my one and only. I was blinded by her smile that I forgot to look pass her appearance. She's a mad woman." Rourke grinned. "A lovely mad woman."


Lance's mother was indeed a tiger of her league. She's practical and straightforward. She never smiled for someone who's deemed not beneficial for her plans. She only kept those who has the connection and money. When the young woman met the heir, Rourke, she was secured of her future.

But beauty brings death and destruction. Many had offered marriage for Lance's mother but none of them was as wealthy and influential as Rourke. Still, her parents could not let the gifts and prize go. Humans were born greedy by nature. They accepted and refused to officially choose one candidate. Delaying the woman's engagement to her chosen husband.

The result was chaos and humiliation. The woman's family had faced a great deal of embarrassment. Men with known families tried to compete for her heart but no one was chosen. Her family would not let her choose.

That was when Rourke knew that she's pregnant.

Rourke often dream of it. The two of them under the bridal sedan, kissing softly while sighing under the moonlight. Traditional and stupid. But that was how Rourke was raised by his elven clan. That's how he wanted it to be.

Unfortunately, someone had gotten inside her heart first. And the man who got her impregnated was none other than the prime minister's bastard son, the hidden dirt, his best friend and bodyguard, Milan.

The thought brings nasty tingles of anxiety and restlessness inside Rourke's heart. Until now, even after knowing that Milan had died protecting Lance's mother, he's still afraid. Expecting one day the closest person to him will snatch his most valuable treasure.

He never forgave Milan. He will never forgive them. But Lance was the carbon copy of his own mother. They looked alike. Even their traits are somewhat mirroring each other. Rourke decided to keep Lance. To keep memories and gradually helping his own mind adapt to the fact that it has been twenty years and he needs to move on.

Lance reminded him of time and a subtle warning. Not to trust someone so much to the point of being blind of their mistakes.

"Then what's that rumor going around? They said you announced that I will be the prince's babysitter," Adarmus replied, "You finally have a kid to call your own. Is this why you're going to give Lance away?"

"If there's only Lance then there's no need for competition. He'll be the heir and no one else. The people will have to trust him because there's no other candidate but now that there will be a newborn baby, the people's reaction decides who is going to reign, Adarmus."

"I have no choice. I can't say that I'm not happy that the baby was born because he's my own flesh and blood. But Adarmus, between my own son and someone whom I'm not actually acquainted to, you know who am I going to save and leave behind."

'You can't be that cruel to the kid.' Adarmus struggled but the words won't come out. 'He's just a kid, Rourke. He barely knew what's right and wrong.'

By the age of twenty, Adarmus was still wondering what to do next. It's the age for indecisiveness and failures.

Adarmus knew that if he voiced out his opinions, nothing will change. Rourke is a king and their words held finality. He dared to say it, which meant he thought of this decision thoroughly. There's no point of chasing back a freed animal.

"He's lacking on many things," Adarmus said gently, "but I do see a rare shine in his eyes. He's lively. Looks like he's opinionated. There's no way am I going to cultivate him into an heir material because that's not what you want. You want him to go away and pretend to not exist, right?"

"Crowning him as mine gave me problems. Although I do not regret it, I can't let him ruin what's best intended for my own son."

"I'm not the man for that." Adarmus drawled, "I can't. I'm here to take a vacation with my son and see his new nurse. This task will only break my vacation, okay?"

"Vacation?" Rourke shook his head. "Your son went blind. This is not a vacation. Stop acting like this is nothing serious, Adarmus."

He paused. Adarmus inhaled deeply. He tried to open his mouth but he stuttered. "I... what are you talking about?"

"He's blind. Your son. Tell me what happened. Then I might change my mind and assign someone else for this job."

'You prick.' Adarmus cackled. He tried his best not to curse the man. He will never trade that information. He's ashamed of it. "You... fine. Fine. I'm going to send him away. Stop using this to force me. I concede."

Now the man is cornering him into telling his secret. He won't give in. It's something he will never want to revive ever again. He had been a kid once, and now that there's Joaquin, he's not going to make the same error in his plans.