Adrian stood on the balcony, the cool breeze swirling around him as he stared at the remnants of his wine. After his conversation with Greta, his thoughts felt heavier, muddled by a dilemma that refused to be silenced.
Unable to shake the weight, he made a decision. He needed to talk to Ethan.
Regardless of their personalities, no one understood either of them as well the other did. They both knew each other better than themselves.
Picking up the com-tab, Adrian dialed his twin brother without hesitation. Ethan's face appeared on the screen after a few moments, his sharp blue eyes narrowing slightly as he noted Adrian's troubled expression.
Ethan's flying goggles sat atop his head, and the sweat glistening on his brow betrayed the fact that he had just returned from an aerial patrol. Even in the cold, he looked as though he had been pushing himself to the limit.
"Adrian," Ethan said evenly, his tone measured. "What's wrong?"
Adrian didn't waste time.
"I got Greta pregnant," he blurted out, his voice tinged with both anxiety and frustration.
Ethan blinked, his stoic demeanor faltering.
"You... what?" he asked, his voice slightly louder than usual.
The past few days had brought Ethan more shocking news than what he was used to in decades.
After finding that his youngest sister-in-law ran off to the Northern borders, the weird beast tide, the revelation of his own emotional constipation, Vivian's secrets, Micheal being a battle-mage, and the possibility of his father being a filicide[1] addict, Ethan had thought that nothing can surprise his anymore.
But it seemed like fate had taken his thought as a challenge.
"Adrian, how—" He stopped, his mind suddenly snapping to a memory.
"Wait a minute," Ethan muttered, his voice dropping. "The party. The rumors about Greta..."
He fixed Adrian with a pointed look. "You were the reason, weren't you? That's why you chastised those gossipers so harshly."
Adrian's face flushed slightly, but he held Ethan's gaze.
"Yes," he admitted, his tone quieter now. "I couldn't let them talk about her like that. Not when I knew the truth."
Ethan sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "Adrian, you were single last week. Now you're going to be a father? This is a scandal. You know Father won't allow it."
Adrian braced himself for the perfect-son lecture he expected, but instead, Ethan surprised him.
His tone softened. "How far along is she? How long have you been seeing her?"
The unexpected kindness caught Adrian off guard. Ethan the perfect heir is worried about his brother and his lover than about the family name?
Ethan took the news rather too well, is he dying? Adrian gulped on air.
"She's around four months now," he said softly. "And... it wasn't planned. It happened that night. The night I..." He trailed off, his voice heavy with guilt, glancing away from the screen.
Ethan studied him for a moment, his expression unreadable. "Adrian, you've made a mistake, but you're owning up to it. That's what matters. I'll support you when you talk to Father. You're not facing this alone."
Relief washed over Adrian, his shoulders relaxing slightly. At least I have Ethan on my side.
"Thank you, Ethan. I didn't know how you'd react, but... it means a lot." Adrian's voice came out a little louder than he expected.
"I thought you might ask me to get rid of the child. Or talk about how I disgraced the family." Adrian added quietly.
Ethan gave a faint smile. Well, it seems like both of us are no different, but at least you still know what you did.
"You're my twin. I'll always have your back."
"But you are the perfect heir of Shelb, whereas I'm always chasing your shadow. Don't you have anything to tell me?" Adrian asked still unconvinced. "Maybe.... that I'm reckless?"
"Will it undo the fact that you are going to be a father?", Ethan asked as he walked to a more secluded spot.
"Well, no! Ethan, but you always insisted on decorum."
"I'll think of a way to present your case in front of father. Though I am sure that he wouldn't be too kind," Ethan said with a sigh.
Maybe Micheal already had a plan to deal with their father. Now it seemed to Ethan as if all the sons of Shelb were dead set on marrying from opposing political factions.
"Thank you Ethan... I'll make you my child's godfather," Adrian laughed.
Ethan chuckled, he admired how quickly his twin regained his spirits.
Just as Adrian was about to end the call, Ethan added, "I love you, Adrian."
Adrian froze, his twin's rare declaration catching him off guard.
During the entire conversation, he was too caught up in his worries about Greta to notice the subtle change in Ethan's looks and demeanor.
Ethan looked exhausted, his usual confidence missing.
Now, he wondered if he had missed something crucial.
"Ethan, is something wrong?" he asked, his voice laced with mounting concern. "You're not... you're not dying, are you? Did I miss something while worrying about Greta?"
"Adrian, I assure you, I'm in good health," Ethan said, his voice steady despite the faint tremor in his posture.
"Ethan...," Adrian's eyes sharpened.
Ethan sighed, his usual composure slipping slightly. "It's the beast-tide. The mana fluctuations are worse than ever, and we've spotted the Hamoon tribe marching toward our borders."
Adrian's grip on the com-tab tightened. "The Hamoon tribe? Ethan, why are you handling this alone? Father keeps sending our forces everywhere as if we're mercenaries. You shouldn't have to bear this."
Ethan's expression hardened slightly. "Adrian, calm down. A beast-tide doesn't scare me."
But Adrian saw through his brother's words. "It's not the beast-tide, is it? Something else is bothering you."
Ethan hesitated, his usual stoic mask cracking for a brief moment.
"I'm fine," he replied curtly, his tone clipped in a way that only deepened Adrian's suspicion.
Adrian's eyes narrowed, his mind beginning to piece together the puzzle. There was only one thing that he knew of, that Ethan didn't dare to face head on.
"Ethan, is it Vivian?" he asked, his tone sharper, testing his theory.
Ethan's fleeting change in expression was all the confirmation Adrian needed.
His twin had always been meticulous about controlling his reactions, but the slight twitch in his jaw and the hesitation in his gaze betrayed him. "She's in Altona, isn't she?"
[1] Filicide refers to the intentional killing of a child by a parent or parental figure.