Chapter 547: Not Like Any Other (Ch.548)
Neveah’s lips twitched slightly at King Jian’s response.
She found it quite surprising that he would be so vocal about how he felt, especially when he usually did not favor many words.
Neveah was beginning to realise that there was a lot about the Dragon King she had just assud... there were not many facts to her knowledge, there was not much she truly knew for certain.
’We can get to know him...at our own pace, from now.’ Neveah’s wolf thought to her.
Neveah smiled slightly, her wolf had taken to maintaining lengthy silence, she rarely spoke up in these days, but Neveah could always tell, that they were of one mind.
If ever they were not, Neveah did not doubt her wolf would make it known.
"Are you alright?" Neveah asked after a mont of silence, watching King Jian’s expression.
King Jian passed a glance to Neveah, his gaze lingered for a mont and he was just about to respond when Neveah spoke up again.
"You are not..." Neveah decided on her own.
King Jian tilted his head to the side, watching Neveah in silence as if curious to see where she was going with this.
"Earlier today...you did not do a good job of concealing your rage." Neveah continued, knowing it would take more than a few words to get King Jian to admit to anything.
It was strange to Neveah, that she truly wanted to know his thoughts... she truly wanted to know what burdened him so much that he stood out here and did not co in.
"You see, maintaining a cold and calm disposition... that is what I know you best for, it is an art you are excellent at." Neveah said honestly.
"Is it not the sa for every sovereign?" King Jian asked.
"Not for those I have known... The n I have known find greatness in doing as they please, moreso n of great titles."
"They rage with reckless abandon, and consu everything around them in their anger..."
"And they equally sought and took their pleasures with no care for who is hard in the process...they failed to realize that they proved themselves weak, in those glimpses of emotions and desires, the rest of the world could be assured they were still mortal."
"He knows greed, then he is not much different from ...he knows rage, so he is of flesh and blood. But with you.. it is hard to tell." Neveah paused briefly.
"There are many tis I have intentionally aggravated you... perhaps it was because I sought the sa assurance."
"A man that seeks to temper himself even when his very nature leans to the most primal urges, it is not an attribute I am familiar with in sovereigns..." Neveah admitted.
"I have not t a King quite like you, Jian. I do not think I have t any man quite like you." Neveah murmured with a shake of her head.
King Jian was quiet for a short mont, mulling over Neveah’s words.
"I am not much different from any other man, Neveah. At least I have not always been..."
"I have only seen more... learnt more, enough to know that even if the world is uprooted underneath where I stand, I must remain standing...on nothing, if need be."
"Only when I am standing will my people be unshaken, only when I am unmoved will they find their confidence."
"One who rules a territory as great as the stronghold... I cannot afford to be like any other man, Neveah. I am a ruler of many Kings... I equally cannot afford to be like any other King." King Jian’s tone was quiet and his response was very direct.
His words were a conviction to him, and Neveah found it bittersweet...he was a King through and through, but in so doing, there was no place to be anything else.
"When do you get to be... just yourself? Not the supre King, when do you get to be just Jian?" Neveah asked.
King Jian did not respond imdiately, Neveah did not think he would respond either but he eventually did.
"Right here... with you." King Jian said, stretching a hand to Neveah.
Neveah bit down on her lip, steadying her heart. She placed her hand in King Jian’s outstretched hand and did not resist when he pulled her closer to his side, so her shoulders brushed against his.
"Tell
then... what burdens you?" Neveah asked quietly.
"Lord River..." King Jian murmured.
"I have known him since he was rely a few sumrs old. His father was neither friend nor foe, but one I held great respect for. Thus I had no doubts that the mont he achieved elent magic, it was to him I wished to entrust one of my Light Halls."
"The Fae kind strongly opposed it, Lord River was not of one of their noble bloodlines, thus he was deed undeserving...they found him unsuitable, but their hierarchy was of no consequence to ." King Jian continued.
"In all the past century, I have never had reason to question that decision..." King Jian trailed off.
"Until now." Neveah completed.
"His gaze was one thing I would never forget...it was noble, honorable. For one as young as he had been, it was rare to find, especially amongst the deceitful Fae Kind." King Jian recalled.
"Yet today... I looked and could not find that honor I had seen in him all those decades back, it is as though it was never there...he could not even hold my gaze and all that he spoke were lies and deception."
"For one who has lived as long as I have, I have known a truth, that change cos to all n as surely as the seasons. I know it... I do know it..." King Jian trailed off again.
"Yet you cannot help your disappointnt." Neveah murmured in understanding.
"Disappointnt...but more a sense of loss... I have lost a loyal vassal, and I do not even know when and how it happened..." King Jian said, a complicated look in his eyes.
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