The Red String Of Faith

This chapter is beta by Kylee. Thank you so much Kylee.:)

Chapter Thirty:


Jay opened the door to Devin’s room and walked inside. He stood right at the doorway. “Devin, may I come in?”

“Isn't it a bit too late to ask when you have already invited yourself in?” Devin said sharply, still mad at Jay. He was facing the wall with his back turned to Jay. “Why are you here Jay?” he asked, his tone still as harsh as the previous night when he had kicked Jay out of his room in a fit of fury.

“I want to explain why I lied to you Devin,” Jay said softly.

“There is no need for you to explain anything to me Jay. I know very well why you lied to me. What I don't understand is why you didn't kill me. Surely there really wasn't a need for you to bring me here when you could have just gotten rid of me. No one would have suspected you when they found my dead body lying somewhere in that forest back in Sythia.”

“I couldn't kill you because I love you," Jay replied. His voice was a whisper. "I could never live with myself if I killed you.”

Devin twirled around to face Jay right away. His eyes were wide open in surprise. He stared at Jay for a long time and finally he spoke up. "Jay, do you know what you are saying? I am just a kid plus I can't return your feelings.”

“What do you mean you can't return my feelings Devin? I am willing to wait ten years for you.”

Devin slid off the bed and walked over to Jay. He cupped Jay’s face with his hands. "I'm sorry Jay. No matter how long you wait for me I can never return your feelings. I am already married. The King of Zhanthia and my father married me to the young prince of Zhanthia three years ago on my eighth birthday."

Jay stumbled backwards and shook his head, unwilling to believe what he just heard. He fled the room in anger, missing the tears that slid down Devin’s cheek.

“He's going to kill that boy.” Anders appeared in front of Devin with a bored look on his face.

"The young prince is only a kid. He can't kill him," Devin murmured.

Anders let out a low chuckle. “Let me tell you something boy. Jay won't hesitate to kill that young prince if it means that he can have you. You’re a smart boy, you should know what you have to do to save that young prince’s life.” Anders pulled out a small bottle and placed it in the boy’s hand. "If you decide to be with Jay, then take this."

"What's this?" Devin asked, staring up at Anders with suspicion.

“The water in this bottle will break your curse and let you remain as you are now boy.” Anders walked away, leaving the boy to contemplate on his own. He only gave it to the boy because he didn't want to see Caelane cry. If it wasn't for Caelane, he would just let the boy die from the curse.

“Jay, where do you think you’re going at this hour?” Anders asked his nephew when he came upon him.

“I'm going to kill that prince and free Devin so that he can be mine!”

“What will that accomplish Jay? You will only drive the boy away from you. Think carefully before you act.” Anders continued on to Caelane’s room without waiting to hear his nephew’s reply.

Jamie and Caelane turned around to face the door when they heard it swing open. They stared at Anders for a moment and then went on with what they had been doing. Jamie was teaching Caelane how to sew. His brother wanted to mend Anders shirt. Caelane admitted that he torn it in a fit of anger when he and Anders had argued on the day that Eli left. Jamie was more than happy to teach his brother.

“Go away Anders, I'm busy.” Caelane didn't even look up from his task when he said this to Anders.

Jamie saw the angry look on Anders face. He leaned over to his brother’s side. "Caelane, he's angry,” he whispered.

Caelane looked up and saw Anders’ angry eyes bearing down at him. He sighed and turned to his brother. "Jamie could you leave us alone?”

"I'll see you tomorrow morning." Jamie stood up and left the room. He went to see Nicholas.

As soon as Jamie left, Anders shut the door and locked it. “Don't you ever ignore me Caelane. If you ignore me again I will have your brother killed."

“If you kill my brother, then you will have to kill me as well.”

Anders ran his fingers through his hair and kicked the door hard with his boot, frustrated with the boy. “Why are you still ignoring me Caelane? I apologized already for not telling you about my consort. What more do you want from me?”

“I don't want anything from you and I have already forgiven you for that lie Anders.” Caelane picked up the shirt that he was mending and looked up at Anders. “I wasn't ignoring you Anders, I was patching up your shirt for you.”

His anger and frustration with the boy disappeared the moment he heard Caelane’s explanation. Anders smiled. He moved closer to the boy and wrapped his arms around him. “Thank you,” he whispered softly.

“You’re welcome,” Caelane mumbled. He was still a little mad at Anders for threatening to kill his brother Jamie.

"Caelane, can I stay here tonight?” Ander asked softly.

"What about your consort?”

"You don't need to worry about him. I only married him to form an alliance. It was one of the conditions his father set.”

Caelane didn't like what he was hearing. He tilted his head and stared up at Anders with a disapproving look on his face. “Anders it is very cruel of you to do that to him. He loves you.”

“How do you know that he loves me Caelane?”

“Jamie told me. He met your consort and the two of them talked. Your consort told Jamie that he married you because he fell in love with you at first sight.”

"I don't believe in love at first sight Caelane.”

Caelane turned his eyes away. "If you don't love him, you should set him free.”

“If I do that, I will lose a very strong alliance. I can't do that Caelane.”

“If you can't do that then let me go Anders. I don't want to be your mistress, and most of all I don't want to feel guilty for stealing you away from him,” said Caelane.

"No!” Anders refused in a firm voice.

“Stop being so selfish Anders! You need him more than you need me. You made that clear to me a moment ago. I have my pride too Anders and I refuse to be where I am not needed.”

“I don't care about your feelings on this Caelane. You aren't leaving me and that's final!” With that said, Anders stormed out of the room.

Jamie was on his way to his room with Nicholas by his side, when they came upon Anders. One look on Anders’ face, and Jamie knew right away why Anders was sitting under the tree with a bottle of wine in his hand. “Drinking is not going to solve your problem Your Highness,” he commented as he approached Anders.

Anders looked up at Jamie. “Tell me Jamie, why doesn't your brother want to be with me?”

"It’s because he loves you Anders. My brother chose to distance himself from you in order to give you what you want. It hurts him more than it hurts you.”

“If he loves me and wants to give me what I want, he should stay with me.”

“You're a very selfish person Anders. You and Sebastian are alike in that respect and I must say that I don't like it.”

“Don't compare me to that bastard!” snapped Anders.

“Why do you hate Sebastian?" Jamie asked.

"He killed my dad and stole the man I loved from me. I think that's a good enough of a reason to hate him don't you?" Anders lifted the half empty bottle to his lips and took a long drink from it.

"Is that why you ordered Conor to kill my brother?” Nicholas was the one who asked the question.

Anders eyes shifted to Nicholas. He smirked, "Your brother deserved to die for betraying me."

"My brother never betrayed you Anders. He really did love you back then, but all you could think about was revenge. You left him alone and pregnant. He married Sebastian to give his child a father. He never expected to fall in love with Sebastian. He was ridden with guilt when he realized that he had fallen in love with Sebastian. Let me tell you something you don't know Anders. Conor didn't kill my brother. Hayden killed himself when he learnt that you were the one who sent Conor to kill him. Do you know how I know? Conor told me everything before he left with Eli."

Nicholas had said all he wanted to say. He grabbed Jamie’s wrist and led Jamie away from the shocked Anders.

"Nicholas is what you said back there true?” Jamie asked.

“Yes Jamie.”

“Then the twins, they aren't Sebastain’s?”

Nicholas stopped and turned to face Jamie. “Yes that is correct. Anders is their real father.”

“Does Sebastian know?” Jamie asked, his voice filled with worry.

“Yes he knows, but it doesn't make a difference to him. He loves the twins like they were his own. He loved my brother very much, and his love for my brother also went to the twins.”

Jamie was pleased to hear this. He had found another reason to love Sebastain. Satisfied with that answer, he asked Nicholas another question. “Why did Sebastian kill Anders dad?”

“I don't have an answer to that question for you Jamie. You will have to ask the king himself.”

“You don't know anything about why Sebastian killed Anders dad?”

“I really don't know Jamie, I was away when it happened. A few days after I returned I heard that Anders dad had tried to murder the king’s father. I don't know if it is true or not Jamie. These were the rumors that went around the castle during that time.”

“Thank you anyway Nicholas. We really should return to our room. Sebastian will be here tomorrow and we will need our strength to deal with his anger.”

Nicholas wasn't looking forward to seeing his king, and he didn't bother to ask Jamie how he knew that their king would be here tomorrow. As it turned out, Jamie was right. The king of Zhanthia arrived in the country of Serey the next day, more worried than mad. He arrived at dawn with Jeffery.