When he entered the room, Soren found his brother and Ren sitting on their respective chairs. One wiped Enzo’s sweat-drenched face while the other pressed ice on his forehead to reduce his burning fever. The red-haired man sighed, realizing neither Zayden nor Ren had eaten all day, too worried to leave Enzo alone.
"You both!..." he said, shaking his head. "Go get some fresh air. At this rate, you will both fall sick."
"But—"
"I have finished all my meetings for today. I will stay here, so go," Soren interrupted, glaring at his brother. "Worrying doesn’t mean you should neglect yourselves."
Reluctantly, Ren and Zayden exchanged a glance before nodding and leaving the room. They couldn’t argue against Soren.
Walking down the hallway, Zayden glanced at the silver-haired man beside him, who was staring at the floor as if lost in thought.
"Are you alright?" Zayden asked, worry flickering across his face.
Ren looked up, startled out of his daze, and gave a faint nod. Was he truly alright? He wasn’t sure. But he didn’t want to worry Zayden more than he already had.
"Are you sure?"
Ren inhaled deeply before shaking his head.
"Your friend... he’s in so much pain. I wonder if High Priest Charles is feeling the same."
Zayden frowned, narrowing his gaze.
"Are you... worried for him?"
The omega quickly shook his head, hands raised defensively.
"Of course not! It’s just that... I have never seen an alpha during a bond severing before..." he mumbled, almost to himself.
"Do you want to see?"
The question caught Ren off guard. He blinked, wondering if he had heard correctly. Surely, Zayden wouldn’t actually let him go to the dungeon... right?
"Ren? What are you thinking so deeply about?"
"Nothing," he replied with a faint smile. There was no way Zayden would seriously take him there—and even if he did, he doubted the general would let him go alone. "I just wonder what alphas look like. Do they suffer equally?"
Zayden sighed, brushing his fingers through his hair.
"You don’t need to see it—or Charles. That bastard is not worth another glance."
Ren stayed silent, sensing the restrained anger beneath Zayden’s calm tone. Then, he murmured softly, "I just thought... maybe it would help me understand the bond better."
"No," Zayden said sharply this time, his voice dropping lower. "You have seen enough pain for one day." His tone was laced with something Ren knew all too well—protectiveness.
Ren lowered his gaze, silently acknowledging Zayden’s words. There was no arguing with him when his tone carried that unyielding edge, the same one that could silence even the most stubborn of men.
"I... understand," the silver-haired young man whispered, though a part of him still longed to witness, to see the full extent of what the bond severing looked like.
The alpha’s sharp gaze softened slightly, just enough for Ren to catch the soft yet sharp edge in his tone.
"Good. Now, let’s eat something. It will do you some good... and it will keep you from doing something reckless."
Ren hesitated, then nodded. As they walked down the corridor, the image of Enzo screaming in pain flashed in his mind. He wondered if he should ask Henry and Loti to help Enzo. However, who in their right mind would try to heal an omega enduring the gnawing pain of bond severing?
Zayden noticed the look and said quietly, almost to himself, "He will be alright. He is strong."
Ren turned to meet Zayden’s gaze. He wasn’t sure if those words were meant for him. From the expression Zayden wore, it seemed as if he was trying to convince himself, not Ren.
They continued walking in silence, the echoes of their footsteps filling the empty hallway.
After a while, they had already arrived at the dining hall. The servants served them dinner within a few minutes. The foods were still warm, white smoke curling from them, slowly fading into thin air.
Ren took a quiet bite, only to hiss as the boiling soup burned his tongue.
"I told you to be careful," Zayden sighed.
"I apologize..." Ren muttered, pushing the bowl slightly away. For some reason, he couldn’t focus on anything other than what he had seen earlier. Enzo’s sobbing face had flashed before his eyes once again, reopening the old scars of Ilyan’s death.
Zayden watched him quietly, his brow furrowed.
"You’re thinking about Enzo again? I’m telling you, he will be fine."
Ren shook his head, voice barely above a whisper.
"It’s just... seeing him like that... I can’t stop imagining the pain."
Zayden reached across the table, placing a firm hand over Ren’s.
"I know. And that’s why you need to eat. You can’t help anyone if you collapse."
Ren let out a shaky breath and nodded, picking up his spoon again. The warmth of the soup did little to soothe his heart, but Zayden’s presence reassured him in some way, keeping the darker thoughts at bay.
They ate in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Occasionally, they would steal a glance at the other, only to look away awkwardly. Their relationship hadn’t even begun, and yet they were faced with the weight of something as immense as the possibility of losing someone they cared about.
Even if the extent of that feeling differed from one to another.
The sound of quick footsteps made them both turn toward the entrance.
Eiran stood there, cheeks puffed and a visible frown formed across his face.
"Dad! Papa! Where have you both been?!" he demanded, rushing toward the table with hurried steps.
Zayden and Ren exchanged a guilty glance. In all the commotion, they had completely forgotten to check on Eiran since that morning.
"Well... we were looking after a friend of ours," Ren said.
Eiran raised an eyebrow and pulled the chair himself, plopping down beside Ren.
"Is that so? Why didn’t you tell me anything when you came back to the palace?"
"I apologize... We couldn’t bring a child with us there. It’s... quite unsightly," Zayden replied, his voice sharper than he intended.
Tilting his head, Eiran blinked.
"Is that so?..." He narrowed his eyes. "I saw one of the men who came with us by the carriage being dragged by guards earlier."
"When?" Zayden frowned. How—and why—had Eiran even seen that?