CHAPTER 118: BEAUTIFUL MISTAKE

Meanwhile in Rhane’s estate, inside his room. Rhane clenched his teeth, his eyes focused on what he was doing at the moment. He moved the needle up and back into his skin with a soft grunt. After his fall the previous night, the wound had ripped even more than he expected.

"Rhane!" Kali barged inside the room without knocking, her eyes wildly searching the room for her brother and once she found him, she hissed.

"You— Rhane!" Kali pointed at him, unable to make proper words anymore unlike what she had planned to say to him.

Rhane didn’t look up, he knew exactly why Kali had come and what worried her.

"Waiting just a little moment for the wound to heal before leaving wouldn’t have killed ya," Kali finally spoke, with her hand on her waist. "You know that, no?"

Rhane cut the thread, picking up a bottle of ale. He chugged it down his throat with a soft exhale.

"Rhane!"

"Sss," Rhane hissed, "It’s healing quite fast," he muttered. Now done with stitching, he dabbed his stomach with a piece of wet cloth then used a bandage to wrap around his waist covering the wound.

Kali paced around in the room, she couldn’t keep her eyes on Rhane any longer. It triggered the memory, their past. Rhane returning from his fights drenched in open horrendous wounds. Damages that would kill even an animal, yet Rhane would crawl back to their little cage with food because he knew Kali had no proper meal to eat, except the wine she men served gave to her.

It made Kali’s heart ache so bad, why she and her brother had to suffer at every phase of their lives. Why things wouldn’t just work perfectly for them. Even when in love, her brother had to bleed again for it. For a fleeting moment, Kali found herself hating Jenna.

"Don’t," Rhane murmured, his attention still on the bandage.

Kali furrowed her brows, still with a look of annoyance she couldn’t erase. "Don’t what?"

"It’s not her fault, Kali, she’s also...maybe just like us," Rhane replied. Once the bandage was settled perfectly around his waist, he stretched his arm forward to grab his shirt, but winced.

Kali slapped his hand away, taking the shirt. She began to hand it over to Rhane but changed her mind, she decided to help him wear it.

"I didn’t say it was," she mumbled a reply.

Rhane chuckled softly, allowing her to help him with his shirt.

"It just doesn’t make sense, you know?" Kali continued, walking around once Rhane had put his hands in. She let him fix the buttons.

"You keep saying you’re smitten by her... yes I know all that but," Kali sucked in a breath, "Is it worth to die for her? How do you even know that risking your life for her is wise... just what if?"

Rhane left the top two buttons flying, he slipped his feet into his shoe. "You don’t," he began, seeing Kali’s scowl and about to say something, Rhane continued,

"It comes to others immediately but with Jenna... the first time I met her... was curiosity." A wistful smile graced Rhane’s lips. Little Jenna dancing freely outside was a painting that would never be erased from his mind.

"Different from me... from us." Rhane shook his head, "We had cages but she... she rode free. I’ll say she first showed me the beauty that comes with freedom. That comes with having my mind run with no restrain. While others struggled in a mine, she danced near a clear pond. A stark contrast to the darkness I lived...." Rhane’s voice trailed.

"For her I chased a life better... a life where I didn’t have to get used to the cold, to the pain." Crossing over to the other side of the room, Rhane scanned the wrapped bandage while looking at himself in the mirror.

"The second time I met her... I’d just been attacked, on my way back to the estate. I’ve watched her from afar but never for once did I imagine landing in her arms... it was a beautiful mistake." Rhane nodded slowly, thinking of almost getting hit by a carriage while returning home. Not once did he imagine that the lady stepping down would be Jenna.

He had been speechless, afraid she would recognize him and run, that was why he didn’t say a word. When she didn’t react as he’d expected, Rhane decided to take the opportunity and stay beside her for as long as he could.

"It was even better than the memory of a child," Rhane laughed softly, "She’s warm... she’s comfortable. When I’m with her, the chaos in my head doesn’t disappear completely but then it makes meaning. It has a voice, a soothing voice. She guides me back, like the tower light does for seamen."

Turning to look at Kali, who stared in silence, Rhane gave her a cocky smile,

"You don’t know it, Kali, it erodes you from inside... a good kind. Before you even realize it, you’re willing to sacrifice everything or anything that stands in your way." Rhane clicked his tongue and shrugged.

With a weary sigh, Kali slumped on the nearest chair. "I always know what you’ll say, but I ask each time. Why do I always do this to myself... I must be a mas— master—" she scratched her hair.

"Masochist," Rhane helped and Kali agreed with a nod. Flicking a teasing glance at her, Rhane continued. "I heard you’ve stopped meeting with the matron I paid for."

Kali rubbed the back of her neck, "She speaks a lot of words that I can’t speak... asking me to not say things a lady wouldn’t. What bloody hell things wouldn’t a lady say and why?" she snarled.

Jumping up from her chair, Kali squared her shoulders.

"We are not talking of me now, brother. If she is everything you say, I’m sure she wouldn’t want you to die while winning her back," she said, pointing at Rhane’s stomach.

"A tournament won’t be an easy one. Gerald might be an idiot with one arm thanks to yours truly," Kali bragged, "But any weakness from you would be feasted on and you know that. Maybe you should—"

Rhane rapped his finger on the mirror, cutting Kali short. "Nobody would feast on a weakness they don’t know about. You do agree with me, don’t you?"

"Yes, but—"

"Then that’s all that matters." Rhane stretched his body to the side with a soft grunt. "Now leave this fine and weary brother of yours while I—"

"Heaven spare my life," Kali turned to leave, pretending she was about to throw up. She grabbed the door knob and pushed the door open with force. Her heart skipped two beats when she met the person standing outside.

"Percy?"

Percy raised his hand shyly, "Been long, Kali." He muttered, dropping his gaze down.