The Dark Side Of Fate by Karima Sa'ad Usman

102 Resting

~Sylvester~

After the lengthy discussion during breakfast, I decided to retire to my room to think of all that had been discovered and said.

The plan seemed simple, but Richado was right. It might take some effort to execute.

I did not trust the others involved besides the people close to me.

I never knew Larry's words weren't to be ignored. I guess we wanted to end the conflict so badly and enjoy the peace that we ignored his blatant warnings as the rambling of a madman.

One thing I was going to do was talk to Larry when I got back to the North. I was glad he was still alive. The man clung to life so hard that I doubted death would find him soon.

Uncle Lucas was also right when he said Larry could not have masterminded all that had happened. If he had followed us to the East, he would have laughed at us and said he had told us so.

Returning to the North meant Uncle Lucas would be actively involved. He had been searching for an adventure for a while now, so it was a given he would want to be a part of this—the more, the merrier, anyway.

"Where are you going?" I heard Tamia's voice in my head.

"To our room; I need to think," I replied.

"I will join you now," she replied, and I was glad we would have some time together and maybe brainstorm on the matter. I walked away, trying to organise my thought and set out the plan in my head.

"Sylvester, when are we leaving?" Dominic said, approaching me at the staircase.

I turned to look at him and saw David and Devin behind him.

"I guess it is a general question?" I asked, and he nodded while the other's smiled.

"We will return in incognito mode tomorrow. Leo, Amelia, Alexei and Clay will be seen, but we won't. I do not want Yuri to target us." I said, and he nodded.

"What about Andrew? I don't trust him. He tried to make us side with the bad guy and divide the kingdom just so he could avenge his father, who, by the way, was dirty," David said. I was surprised my brother felt that deeply about what Andrew did.

"I want to believe he was misled," I said, and David shook his head.

"We should keep an eye on that one. I say we take him with us and watch him. Clay has been secretly watching him for a bit." David added, and I frowned.

"I did not know either until Clay had to travel to Hayland with Leo yesterday, and he asked me to take over from him stylishly. Max and Kyle are watching him too. They don't trust the guy. Since Max and Kyle are going to arrest Gordon and we are travelling, we should bring him along. We do not want him slipping notes or calling Yuri to inform him of our plans. I still can't shake off the fact that he tried to make us go after Erik because of his father, who, based on Richard and Grey's account, wasn't a good person. It is dubious, and we should watch out. W have a lot at stake," David said, and Dominic and Devin laughed.

He did sound paranoid, but he was right. There had been so many surprises lately that we needed to be careful. It was also unfair if we slipped up and something terrible happened; Susan and Devin deserved their day to be special and trouble-free, and we deserved to hold our children and live peacefully.

"Very well, we will bring the guy along. I think Leo doesn't trust him either, and you know how he gets when he suspects people," I said, and everyone laughed. Leo was vindictive, and it would be bad for Andrew if he got in trouble with Leo.

"Very well, may I be excused?" I asked, and Dominic laughed and patted my shoulder.

"We all need some shut-eye after that incredible breakfast," David said. We laughed, knowing we had found a solution to completing our punishment with ease.

We had to pretend to cook in the kitchen while we warmed the meals and set them in dishes. It was a great solution, and I did not feel bad about it. Just as David had pointed out, we weren't breaking any rules.

I went to my room, and Tamia was already there. She must have taken the other stairs. Leo's packhouse was very large. Knowing he is a minimalist, I wasn't expecting he would build something of this magnitude, but he surprised me.

He had the money to do it, and he went for it. His taste was exquisite, but I doubted he and Amelia would live her once this was over.

They seemed to cherish the small bungalow more than the pack house. I was glad I could come to the South with my children whenever and won't worry about where to stay.

As a king, I could not stay anywhere, and hotels were out of the question. I was grateful for this and hoped to experience the East better after all this. All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

"Took you long," Tamia said, sitting at the foot of the bed. She had nothing but her underwear on. I knew it was deliberate, and I grinned.

"The guys stopped me at the stairs to discuss Andrew and the departure time," I said, and she laughed.

"They, too, don't trust Andrew," she laughed, and I nodded.

"Poor guy; Amelia does not trust him either. Nicole said Clay has been keeping an eye on him," She said, and it was the same thing David said.

"I hope for his good he is clean because I doubt any of these people would be merciful, especially Amelia," She said, and I frowned.

"Don't let that fragile face fool you, darling; she is hard and mean. You needed to see how she watched Alice's torture. She handled it like a pro. And she is far from emotional. Always rational," Tamia said, praising Amelia.

I figured she was happy to see Leo happy. She had been more at peace since we came to the South.

I went to sit beside her and lifted her hand to my lips.

"I noticed you are happier now that you see Leo happy," I said, and she was surprised at my words.

Her cheeks also coloured as if she felt guilty.

"We have been friends for so long. It was hard watching him suffer. I had forgiven him, but he did not forgive himself. He usually stared at us during council meetings, and the sadness on his face was evident. I haven't seen that sadness since we arrived, and he hasn't looked at us with longing and regret. So, I know now that he has made peace with himself and moved on," She said, and I pulled her close.

"He looked out for Vino and even cracked a few jokes with him. I think he has indeed put the past behind him and moved on. I also figured that Amelia is good for him," I said, and she smiled.

"Once this thing is over, we can finally have peace," Tamia said, and I sighed.

"After Larry, I have come to understand that peace is only for the moment as we do not know what will follow," I said, and she looked at me and searched my eyes intensely. I could see that she was tired. Even though she hid it, I could tell.

"At least we had good food this morning," I said, breaking the awkwardness, and she laughed.

"Yes, we did. All store-bought deliciousness," she said, and I was surprised she knew.

"You knew?" I asked, and she nodded.

"Amelia knew, and we decided to keep quiet. We were honestly tired of sandwiches." She said, and it made me laugh.

"So we are going back to the north tomorrow?" she asked, and I nodded.

"I miss Liam and Harper. I feel like something precious has been taken from me. It isn't the same without them," she complained, and I hugged her because the feeling was mutual. Yuri had robbed us of a lot, and I intend to make him pay. Stepanov or not, he has to go.

"I will speak to Larry when we return," I told her.

"I was hoping you would do the same. The man wasn't lying after all." She said, agreeing with my idea.

We lay in bed and tried to sleep peacefully. It was still morning, but we deserved the rest because our time in the North wouldn't be easy.

Even though we had planned everything, there were bound to be some issues because we did not have power over all the factors.

Tamia rested in my arms, and I breathed in her scent. I knew we would be okay and hold our children again. Maybe even try for more if she was up for it.