Ambrose led Evander to his office, which was actually the main office in the first floor that had a big window that gave a beautiful view of the back garden. After cleaning it with the help of Lyra, he only moved the desk to put it in front of the window. Once they entered and turned on the lights, Ambrose closed the door

“Alright so about what…”

Evander interrupted him “I never imagined that someone that has lived in luxury since birth would live like this and what’s more surprising is that you seem to like it” He laughed “If Arabella sees the way you are living she would die and I might add that even though you are a horrible decorator you clean very well”

“Miss Lyra has been helping me, she truly reminds me of Nanny Paola” Ambrose smiled

“Well I will love to meet her if that’s the case” Evander approached the desk “Anyways didn’t you come here to do nothing? What’s this?” He stared at the documents on the desk

“Since the village is near the border where the shield is, and it’s quite the small unknown village the people here seem to be struggling” He is ruffled his hair “I just couldn’t let them continue to struggle, especially since they know who I am so I started helping them”

Ambrose sighed before sitting behind the desk, and Evander picked up a few papers from the stack on the desk “So that’s the reason this village has been mentioned here and there by mercenaries, merchants and travelers” He slammed the papers on the desk “You know this only increases the chances of your brother knowing the truth”  

“Yes, but like I said I wasn’t going to let the villagers struggle and more so when they know I’m part of the royal family”

“You and you never ending feeling of responsibly” He shook his head “When are you going to stop giving and start receiving? Wasn’t that the whole reason of you coming here?”

“I don’t mind taking care of a small village like this, besides I’m just being a guide until the villagers start running things by themselves” He tapped the desk with his fingers “Anyways what’s going on the kingdom, you didn’t just come here to say hi”

“Well…I hate to say this when I just told you not to help anymore” Evander placed his hands on  the desk “Arabella has been in bed for a month after a miscarriage and attempted assassination, the economy is collapsing because the nobles are getting corrupted”

Ambrose rubbed his face with both hands before letting them rest on the arms of the chair “What is my brother doing while all this is happening? Wait Arabella miscarried? Did they held the wedding already?”  

“No, they haven’t gotten married and your brother is too busy looking for you because he refuses to believe you are dead” Evander sighed “Besides, most nobles didn’t support him and the few nobles that did support him, to this day he has lost the trust of half of those nobles after he put the Prince of Oryn in the dungeon after claiming that the prince was thinking on taking Arabella with him which started war rumors and also in order to keep the support of the nobles he has been turning a blind eye to the abuse of power”

Ambrose leaned back on the chair, he showed a relaxed face “Huh…honestly to me all that sounds like problems for a king to solve” Ambrose crossed his arms across his chest

“And that’s why I’m here…I can’t sit back and watch the kingdom collapse after all the sacrifices you have made for it to prosper” He straightened his posture “I know you can you solve these problems, so please step forward”

“Do you see a crown on my head? No right, then don’t bother me with those problems, Nicholas wanted the throne so bad he didn’t think twice about betraying his own brother so let him handle it”

Evander sighed “If I had faith on him, I wouldn’t be here…anyways maybe this changes your mind” He placed a small stack of papers on the desk “Been doing some digging on the side and turns out, that Zielle might not be normal”

Ambrose was about to pick the papers but he paused and look up “What do you mean not normal? It’s because she’s blind?”

“No…no…that’s not…”

“Hey! Don’t be like that, such a bad man no wonder your wife is never home” He smirked and picked up the papers

Ambrose frowned as he read the papers and Evander took a seat in the chair in front of the desk

“Like you are reading, there have some cases where sirens have abnormalities caused by the corruption of the monsters” He ruffled his hair “There is also cases where people have lost their sight and memories because of a monster attack, but even then her appearance is weirdly outplace given the usual characteristics that sirens have”

“Is she that weird?” Ambrose placed the documents on the desk

 “Well no… I mean her hair color is certainly weird, but pretty I have never seen such pale blue” He nodded

“It has pale purple strands too” Ambrose murmured

“Ah yes the purple strands and don’t forget the grey eyes such a unique combination” He laughed and stood up “I’ll go to the bathroom”

Ambrose nodded and continued reading, shortly after Evan left the room his scream could be heard and the sound of things falling. Ambrose rushed out of the room to find Evander in the floor and Zielle slowly approaching him

“Oh goodness” Evander rubbed his face with one hand “You scared me”

“I’m sorry Evan…it wasn’t my intention” Zielle tripped on Evander’s legs and fell but he caught her

“Be careful!” He helped her sit in the floor “Wait, what did you called me?”

Zielle still was holding onto his arm “Evan…you don’t like it?”

“I like it but why?”

“Well Rose told me that you give nicknames to people you like” She smile “And I like Evan a lot”

Evander glanced at Ambrose and then hugged Zielle “Aw you are adorable!”

Ambrose frowned and pulled Zielle up “Yeah well, remember that you are married”

“I won’t steal her from you…anyways what’s your opinion on the documents that I brought you” He got up slowly “It was quite the hassle to get them because the royal family likes to keep important things confidential”

Ambrose glanced at Zielle before shaking his head “I don’t think she’s involved in that”

“There is always a possibility…anyways why are you in the hallway?”

“Well…I woke up because it was cold and then Ambrose wasn’t there” Zielle fiddled with her fingers “I was scared of being abandoned again”

“I told you I won’t do that, I promise didn’t I?” Ambrose patted her head “Come on, it’s still night so you have to sleep”

The three of them headed to the room, while Zielle slept on the bed Evander and Ambrose where sitting on the sofa discussing the things that were happening on the kingdom.

***

The next day after they had breakfast, Evander wanted to take Zielle outside.

“Let’s go Zielle I’ll teach you something fun” He extended his hand towards her

“I thought you didn’t like her” Ambrose held Zielle between his arms protectively

“Well she won me over when she called me Evan” He smiled “She’s like the little sister I never had”

“Rose I want to learn what Evan wants to teach me…can I?”

Ambrose sighed, grabbed the book he planned to read and after nodding, the three of them headed towards the garden.

After a long while, Ambrose put the book in his lap and stared at Evander and Zielle. Evander was teaching Zielle simple shapes using pebbles, they both were sitting on the floor covered in dirt. He chuckled when he realized that such a noble duke was covered in dirt and a prince was living like a commoner.

“Alright Zielle…this is a heart and it means love” Evander guided Zielle’s hands through the pebbles

“Evan I have a question” Zielle placed her hands in her lap once Evander let go “What color is your eyes, is it the same color as Rose’s eyes?”

Evander paused and pressed his lips tighter, before picking up a leaf that was in the ground, he then handed the leaf slowly to her letting her touch it.  

“My eyes are green…and green feels like the alive parts of a plant like that leaf” Zielle slowly and gently touched the leaf “The smoothness of the leaf feels like green”

Zielle smiled “Beautiful” She whispered and then she smiled “Rose come here!”

Ambrose got up and approached her. He kneeled beside her and attentively listened to her explanation on what Evander taught her. Throughout this, Ambrose’s smiled never faded and because of this Evander smiled at the fact that his childhood friend was finally feeling peace and happiness. The soft breeze made their hair move and with that came a sense of peace and happiness for the three of them.