The King's Beloved

~ [Music Recommendation: "In Silence" by Janet Suhh - "It's Okay Not To Be Okay" OST (Instrumental only) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this scene ~ PS. Lyrics were so perfect for Zeid T_T

"Finally, I found you," Zeid greeted the man in front of him, sitting at the bar counter. "The greatest assassin of all time that goes by the nickname … Nedge".

From behind, the man had curly black hair with a few ashen strips, and broad shoulders. Despite the long black coat he was wearing, his muscles could still be seen sticking out. The sleeves on his coat were rolled up, revealing his sturdy-looking arms with obvious marks of knife cuts that already healed. He was busy happily chatting with the bartender when Zeid called him. Hearing his voice and the familiar greeting, his smile suddenly turned into a frown. 

"What's this?" the man, Nedge, as what Zeid addressed him, turned his head sideways and replied, "Another customer,eh? Sorry to burst your bubble but … I don't provide 'services' anymore. So feel free to turn back and go to wherever you came from".

"I'm not giving you an option, though," Zeid replied, his voice, menacing. "You WILL do what I want. It's either you accept my terms, or suffer the unnecessary consequence".

Nedge laughed hard from his words. After a good minute of laughter, he finally turned around to face Zeid. From the way he looked, the man should be around his early forties, with a stubble beard on his face. Though he had a mature and good looking appearance, his eyes spelled death itself and could make anyone shiver just from his stare. With these same eyes, he looked down on Zeid while smirking like the devil he was. 

"Heh," Nedge snorted. "A mere child trying to 'deal' with me? How very … admirable," his tone getting more sarcastic, "Too bad I am not someone who can be tamed, Mr. Zeid Ardor. Truly, rich kids have it too easy in life".

Zeid frowned at this remark. "Had it easy in life?" - these words were but an insult to him. He NEVER had it easy in life. He wanted to say so many things in his mind ...

"Do normal people really think that riches are the only important things in this world? Huh! I'd gladly trade all my money and live a simple life with Rania than be a rich heir and live having your life threatened all the time. 

Not meeting real people … not having anyone to trust … not having the freedom to do what you want … not a moment of peace! 

So many valuable things forsaken for the sake of money, fame, glory, and status! 

This is not living! This is … merely 'existing' ...

I'd rather die than continue living like this. 

The only good thing that happened to me was meeting her … 

But even that … was taken away from me".

Zeid's eyes flickered his so many heartaches in his beautiful green jade eyes as he thought all of those things. He felt that there was nobody who truly understood him in this world. Rania was his only 'light' … but even that the light was mercilessly taken away from him by some alien invaders.

"Is there really a God that sees everything?"

This question crossed his mind for numerous times that he already lost count.

"Because if so … why? Why is He silent when I most need Him?"

… A moment of silence passed by. Zeid's heart would always sting every time he would think of Rania and her God. Her God that for him, had forsaken her, letting her be abducted by unknown beings.

"If you will remain silent and sit idly while Rania's in danger … then I will do it myself! I WILL save her!"

A fire of burning passion suddenly lit in Zeid's eyes. Even Nedge who was carefully watching him and observing him since the beginning, flinched upon noticing 'those' eyes.

The eyes of burning determination ...

An unquenchable flame …

An unshakeable resolve …

And a wild shout of desperation …

Nedge knew those kinds of eyes very well. 

Because he knew it wasn't only a person's mouth that speaks … every movement, every action, even a simple gaze could speak a thousand words.

 "Haaah …," Nedge sighed deeply. "Follow me". He then turned his back again and walked further into the bar, towards a secluded room located at the far end.

Zeid followed him without saying any words. Once inside, the loud noise from the outside turned into nothing - not even a hint of noise could be heard. Whatever room it was, surely, it had great sound proofing. This was probably a special room made specifically for him - was what Zeid thought.

Indeed, the room had perfect soundproofing and a business-like feel to it when it comes to how it was designed. Something you won't really expect from an assassin. Zeid always thought it would be a very dark room as compared to what he was seeing now - it was rather well-lit. Also, he was expecting a lot of hidden cabinets and such with lots of weapons in it - weapons normally used for assasination - but he didn't find anything. He wondered how he did his 'dealings' before. Or maybe … he just felt tired of everything and entirely left the dark world.

"Sit down," Nedge broke the silence. He gestured to Zeid to sit down on the large leather couch in front of him while he remained seated on the same type of couch, on the other end. Only a coffee table separated the two.

Zeid did as he told. Once comfortable on his seat, he looked back at Nedge.

"I want -" he started but Nedge interrupted him.

"- No need to tell me, I already know".

Zeid chuckled. "You really are the greatest assassin. Nothing escapes your intel, I see".

"It's not that hard to get information even on top people. Well, at least for me," Nedge replied confidently. "So~ A rich heir, wanting to rescue his kidnapped fiancée? Too bad, the kidnappers were Magi. Yah, too powerful to deal with. Who would've thought magic actually exists and there are people capable of controlling such … 'weirdness'? But if you'd ask me … yes, I know how very sentimental you might be right now, but … this is what we call a 'suicide mission'. Get what I mean?"

Zeid rolled his eyes and sighed.

Seeing his reaction, Nedge continued, "Basically~ you're wasting your life away. Plus, it's really hard to go there undetected. We know nothing of how their security works, not even a map of the place, we don't know - well, there's a lot and I'm too tired to enumerate them. On the off-chance we 'somehow' manage to get in, how in the world do you expect to go out? You think we can just sprint in there like nothing and take your fiancée and go back unscathed? There will be battles! And not a battle with guns or knives or whatever, if it is then it would be 100% easier! But oh no~ we're battling amongst 'Magi'. They could kill us in a flick of a finger! Are you listening kid?"

"I am and all I hear is pessimism before even starting".

"Ugh," Nedge sighed. "It's not pessimism kid, it's called 'reality'. Seriously, you're willing to bet your great and comfortable life just to save a woman? There's so many women out there. You're a young, handsome, rich heir for goodness sake! Millions would fall in line just to sleep with you and bear your child. You can have sex with anyone you like - even celebrities! I don't get why you're so -".

"- Watch your words!" Zeid warned him. "If there's one thing I can't tolerate, that's gonna be any form of insult towards Rania!"

"... Rania Caeles … an orphan girl who only went into high society when she was 16. Well, it's not that she's an actual orphan. Turns out she got kidnapped as a child and the kidnappers planned on getting ransom money since her real family are bigshots. Weird though, she was only three yrs old that time … but she managed to escape her kidnappers and ended up in an orphanage so far away from where she was held. Hmmm … truly weird. But nonetheless, she grew up well and her mother finally found her after so many years. And that's how you met her - when she entered the high society".

"You really know a lot of things. Even that information carefully buried … heh," Zeid snorted.

"No matter how great of a woman she is, it's not worth it to risk your life. You need to learn how to move on, kid".

"Too bad I can't … and I will NEVER move on," Zeid stressed out. His words were very firm and unshakeable. "There is only Rania for me ...

I don't care if I have to sacrifice a thousand people ...

I don't care if I even have to sacrifice my life …

If that's what it takes to save her …

Or even just to see her for the last time …

I would gladly offer my life".

Zeid's eyes burned once more. Nedge sighed deeply and shook his head. 

"You are one INSANE, kid".

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