After arriving in the palace, Kylo had to excuse himself. He has no issue with people being festive and all that, but he was concerned about Chartlon.

When he went outside donning plain garbs so as not to give away his identity, he heard the song 'for the first time' and it pissed him off.

When he received the invite, he was shocked. Whatever happened? He thought. He tried calling Charlton's mansion. When he could not reach him, he asked to talk to the butler who thankfully recognized him. Anyhow, that was how he learned of all the events that transpired to Charlton's family.

It was horrible, his father was sentenced as a criminal and Charlton was sent somewhere to find rebels at who knows where. Then, this woman who supposedly loved him was off to marry Geoffrey only after a month or so.

At first, he hated her but after discussing things with Via, he thought that maybe it was somewhat understandable given the situation. She was still engaged to Geoffrey. However, now with her confessing her love for Geoffrey in public through that song. Gods, he just wanted to throttle her neck.

Charlton loved her, and what was she doing? Such a fickle minded bitch. Really. What else would he think of her as? He just lost all respect he has for her. If Charlton won't be in trouble himself if he were to tear her mask off, then he would have. He just wanted to tell everyone what a whore she was.

Poor Geoffrey. Although he didn't like him all that much, he pities him. Really, he has been duped.

Anyhow, he went to find some service that can take him to Norfolk. Norfolk by car was 6 hours away from the capital. It was near enough but it was just the base camp, so there's a chance that Charlton might be away. However, since the royal wedding was near, the soldiers and knights should be all there now as they will be tasked to stand guard on the day of the wedding.

--

Charlton just came back to Norfolk. He has been with Hugo going around the kingdom travelling to upland areas, going from one place to another. Rebels were indeed running amuck in some places, but they were just small fishes.

Hugo told him that it was not like this last time. Before he joined the group, the rebel groups' actions were much more upscale. He could not understand why they were being silent now.

The rebels being silent was more difficult for them. Not in a sense of difficult to defeat in a battle, rather, because there's no battles at all. It's like they suddenly disappeared, but everyone knows that they're there. It's confusing, but if one were to think of it, it was a smart move. With the royal wedding coming up, their ideology of equality and liberation through a revolution is something far from the thought of a normal citizen now.

Charlton took a deep breath. The royal wedding. When he found out in the newspaper that Geoffrey proposed to Serena and she accepted, that they will be getting married in less than a month, it felt like he was punched in the gut.

He knew that they were over. Serena hurt him with her words, and he left her. It might be the situation that made him leave her, but it's still the same. He could have called and asked her to wait for him. To give her promises and explain. But honestly, what more was there to say? What more was there to hope for? He knew that leaving her was a mistake but what else could he have done?

Fight for her and let them both face the guillotine along with their family? He knew that it was a dead end. Fighting for her that instance was a battle that he would surely lose. Aside from that, does she even want him to? She said so herself. Geoffrey was now her choice. So, he can only let her go. It's for the best.

Yet, seeing the expression on her face in that photo, the smile and tears of joy, gods, he wanted nothing more than to keel over and die.

The first 2 days was spent like life has shitted on him. He was in a daze, numb, unfeeling, like he was again back to zero. Back to the time when he was in his room where life seemed to have no meaning. That life seemed so hopeless and bleak. That he doesn't know what to live for.

However, army life would not let him do that. He was not at home where he was the lord. True that he was still a noble, but he could not give people reason to lose their respect towards him. Also, what about his parents? His current reality would also not let him do that.

So, he had to get himself out of that shithole and live.

After a while, he thought of the possibility of Serena being pregnant. Why else would she rush getting married? However, that thought only made his heart clench more. If she was, then Geoffrey would not marry her without the thought that it should be his. Meaning, she did have sex with him while they were still together.

He would have suspected that Geoffrey forced her, but she said so herself. She did it with him with consent. So? What does he do? Still mope? If he did not love her, he would have wanted to take some form of vengeance. It was truly hateful what she did, and she could have not done it on a better timing.

But that's where the problem lies. He still loved her despite that. Somehow, he also thought that he made a mistake somewhere. 3 years was a long wait, and he was the one who was too cowardly to face Geoffrey head on. Like what did he expect? He let Serena continue her engagement with Geoffrey. So, he should have been ready for something like this to happen.

He shook his head. In the end, there's no one to blame but himself.

--

TBC