"You've seen Eileen." Breogan's voice cracks as he speaks, his fingers tightening on my shoulders. "It's she alright? Where is she? When did you see her?''
He asks every question right next to the other without leaving time for me to answer any of them. Not that I can do it anyway because I can't even form a coherent thought right now. Why, of all people in the Kingdom, Eileen's brother turned out to be the Fire Prince? How is that even possible?
"She's fine.'' I manage to say, my voice shaking.
It can't be true. Breogan can't be Gus, he can't be Eileen's brother. This has to be a joke, a really bad and messed up joke that destiny is trying to play right here.
"Where is she? Where did you see her?'' He keeps asking questions and I keep being unable to speak.
I don't know what to say, everything is… wrong. It feels like the world is upside down. I don't understand anything, and I hate this life for playing this sick game with me because I made a promise to a beautiful little girl in a rotten town. I promised to give some part of her life back, and it turns out that the person I have been looking for is a rotten boy in a beautiful town, a boy I have never promised anything but pain to, and I ended up giving him hope.
I find his eyes again. He is looking at me and right at this moment, he doesn't look like a predator, dangerous and wicked. Right now, he looks like a little boy who just found out fairies might be real, hopeful, and expectant.
''Enia… Please.''
And I'm not sure if it is because of the pleading look in his eyes. Or the way his hands are shaking on my shoulders. Or the way he has said my name so… urgently. But I have to accept my fate. Breogan is Eileen's brother and I made a promise to her, and I will keep it.
"I will tell you everything I know." I say trying to keep my voice firm. ''But there are some conditions.''
If I am going to do this, I have to get something in return. After all, he is Breogan the murderer, the Ruby Prince. The person who has tried to kill me and my friends many different times. Eileen's brother or not, he is still a threat.
"I want you to explain to me what happened to Eileen.'' I say. ''And I want you to unchain me and let me go. Let all of us go. No following us anymore. No tricks. I want your word.''
''You have my word.'' He says with no hesitation. I am surprised for just a second.
I expected him to make fun of me and tell me how bold I was for asking anything from him. Maybe deny my conditions, but instead, he takes out a small key from his pocket, getting close to the bed. I hear a click and feel as my hands get lighter. He does the same with my feet. My wrists and my ankles hurt, but I am free.
Once unchained, I pull my knees close to my body. I know Breogan is not going to hurt me right now, but I can't shake the feeling that this whole situation is weird and wrong.
He sits down in the other extreme of the bed, and I am thankful to the Deases that the bed is so big we can be far away from each other.
"Eileen is my sister.'' He starts, passing a hand through his already messy hair. ''Daughter of my father and the woman he loved, a woman who wasn't a member of the royalty.'' He pauses a little, clearing his throat. ''The queen… she didn't care that my father had an affair. The only thing she has ever cared for is power. She didn't care that he was with a different woman, and was starting a new family, or so she said; but then my dad died so… unexpectantly.'' He says the last word with a sarcastic laugh, clenching his fingers as if trying to fight his own thoughts.
''And Eileen's mother died too, not so long ago. The queen decided that Eileen was only a stain in our family, an obstacle to her perfect royal family, and decided the best thing was killing her.'' His voice is lower as if just remembering all of that is painful. ''The only reason she didn't do it is that I begged her not to.''
He closes his eyes, shakes his head a little as if the memories are too painful to bear. He opens his eyes again, looking straight to the fire.
"She took advantage of the love I have for my sister. She knew she could control me with her as leverage. She had always hated the way I didn't agree with her, the way I rebelled against her. So, she decided to use my sister against me.'' his expression darkens as he speaks, and I feel something new moving inside me. Sympathy. I am feeling sympathy for the Fire Prince.
''I came back to the palace, right after the attack to the Diamond Kingdom,'' he continues. ''and found out that Eileen wasn't here anymore. The queen said that if I wanted to know where she was if I didn't want her to keep taking away the people I love the most, I had to do as she said. Just complete a simple task.''
He stops talking. His eyes returning to mine. I know what he is talking about.
"To capture Sedrik," I whisper. He nods.
Queen Estenna made Eileen a bargaining chip to use against Breogan. Sedrik for Eileen. The Deakin for his sister. Everything is starting to make sense.
Breogan was coldhearted and ruthless, and whatever motives he had for trying to kill us so many times doesn't justify his actions, but I can understand. I will do anything to protect the people I love, and it is more than obvious that Breogan loves Eileen.
''I just don't understand.'' I say breaking the silence.
Breogan looks surprised for a second as if he wasn't expecting me to talk. Then his blank expression is back. I keep my eyes on him trying to see behind the mask he always wears and it's completely different from the one laying on the desk.
''You could've captured Sedrik the other night.'' I continue and I see his jaw slightly clenching at this. ''There was no one who could stop you.''
"I know.'' He mutters carefully. ''And I paid for it.'' The wounds on his face glow with the fire light. My heart skips a beat.
Here I am, feeling sorry for the Fire Prince. Feeling sorry for Prince Breogan, who has been following our tracks so closely. To find his sister. Who has tried to kill us multiple times? To save Eileen. He had been so close to capture Sedrik and finally get his sister back but he… didn't.
"Why?'' I finally ask. His eyes are hard. Cold.
"Don't ever try to understand my reasons, darling. You never will.'' His voice is hard, the vulnerability that had been there before is long gone. ''I pay the price for the choices I make. This is a game I've been playing for far too long and I do not have, nor ever will have, the desire to explain anything to you.''
I don't say anything. None of us speak for a long time.
Looking at him sitting in front of me, after talking about his sister the way he did, I can't help but think what Freman had said about him. His heart has not stopped being gentle. Can it be possible that a person like Breogan, a cruel and ruthless Prince, is capable of being good? Something inside me wants to believe that it's impossible; that Breogan is bad, a terribly bad person who is cruel for no reason other than to satisfy his horrible humanity. But looking at him, the pain in his face, the sadness in his eyes; hearing him talking about his sister with such love and care. I am not so sure anymore.
"I met Eileen in a town in the Land of the Rocks." I whisper looking at my feet. I feel Breogan's eyes on me. ''It was a place forgotten by the Deases." I look at him, and suddenly I have a knot in my throat. ''She was captured by a group of criminals pretending to be vigilantes. They were going to punish her for stealing food.'' I see his body tensing, his hands turned into fists. ''I confronted them and helped her run away. I had the help of a woman who told me she could take her to a safe place. I told Eileen I would find her brother and have him find her wherever she was. I made a promise to her.'' I swallow as Breogan's gaze intensifies. I have to stop my body from shaking. ''The woman, Wildoa, took her to a town called Wyrd. She said that if I were ever to go there, to ask for Sirne.''
Breogan nods slowly. Understanding.
"Thanks." He whispers and I just know I have to get the hell out of this place.
I don't answer. I just get up from the bed, standing up slowly. My ankles hurt but I can walk. I move away trying to put a greater distance between him and me. My hand is suddenly warm, I look down to see Breogan is grabbing my wrist and it's burning. I meet his eyes as he puts something in my hand. My mother's necklace.
I look back at his face, waiting for an explanation but he is not looking at me anymore. He lets go of my hand and my skin gets cold. I hold the necklace tight in my hands and turn around walking towards the door. My legs are shaking under the wrinkled dress I'm still wearing. This night felt so long I absolutely forgot about the ball.
"The queen is planning on attacking the Emerald Kingdom in two weeks," he says to my back. "She plans on getting the three sacred medallions. Once she gets them, it'll all be over. The Sapphire Kingdom won't stand a chance.''
I say nothing. I don't turn around. I simply close the door behind me, leaving his room with more questions than the answers he would ever give me.